Chapter 14 - The Mother's Return
Dawn was breaking over the battered estate when Marco escorted a terrified, exhausted woman into the grand library.
My mother stood frozen in the doorway, clutching a worn handbag, her eyes wide as she took in the lavish, intimidating surroundings.
"Mom!" I cried, running across the Persian rug and throwing my arms around her.
She collapsed against me, sobbing uncontrollably into my shoulder.
"Mara, my sweet girl, I thought I had lost you," she wept, her hands frantically checking my face to make sure I was real.
Dante stood silently by the massive stone fireplace, watching our reunion with an unreadable expression.
I pulled back from my mother, gripping her shoulders firmly.
"Mom, you have to tell me the truth," I pleaded, my voice breaking.
"I know about Elena."
My mother’s face drained of all color, her knees buckling slightly.
I guided her to a plush velvet sofa, sitting beside her and holding her trembling hands.
"I never wanted to lie to you," she whispered, tears carving tracks through her makeup.
"Twenty-three years ago, your father got involved with the Russian syndicate."
"He owed them a debt he could never repay, so he offered them a trade."
A cold dread pooled in my stomach as I waited for her to finish.
"I gave birth to twin girls," she sobbed, looking at Dante with absolute terror in her eyes.
"The Volkovs took Elena as payment when she was three days old."
"They raised her to be a weapon, an asset they could marry off to their rivals when she came of age."
I felt the blood roaring in my ears.
My sister hadn't just been cold; she had been a product of the very monsters who were trying to kill us now.
"I ran away with you that same night, changing our names and hiding in the poorest parts of the city," my mother confessed.
"I taught you to avoid the mafia, to fear the dragons, because I knew if they found us, they would take you too."
Dante stepped forward, his massive presence dominating the room.
"The Volkovs arranged for Elena to cross my path," Dante stated, his voice devoid of surprise.
"They orchestrated our marriage so she could destroy my empire from the inside."
He looked at me, a profound sadness softening the harsh lines of his scarred face.
"She was a ghost sent to haunt me long before she died."
I looked down at my hands, processing the sheer magnitude of the lies that had built my entire life.
"And now Alexei wants to finish the job," I said quietly.
"He won't stop until Dante is dead and Leo is erased from the bloodline."
My mother gripped my arm tightly.
"We have to run, Mara," she begged.
"We can disappear again."
I looked at the doorway, where Rosa was standing with Leo in her arms.
The baby saw me and immediately stretched his tiny hands out, making that soft, breathy sound of pure joy.
I stood up, squaring my shoulders as I looked my mother in the eye.
May you like
"I am not running anymore," I told her firmly.
"This is my family now."
