“Emma,” Jason called, sounding bored. “Where are you going?”
I didn’t answer. I walked away, my legs trembling beneath me, my son’s warm fingers clutching mine. I didn’t stop. Not even when Noah kept looking back. Not even when I heard Lily’s voice, dripping with false pity—
“She’ll get over it.”
I wouldn’t. I would never forgive them.
***
The Romano estate was eerily silent when we got home. Noah fell asleep almost instantly, exhausted from his birthday—his birthday, the one his father had chosen to celebrate with someone else. I tucked him in, brushing his curls from his forehead. His peaceful face made my chest ache. He didn’t understand. He still believed his father was some kind of hero.
I wished I could protect him from the truth.
Once his breathing evened out, I left his room and collapsed onto my bed, sobbing until my body felt empty. Jason Romano. Mafia boss. My husband. The father of my child.
And Lily?
She was my baby sister. The one I never imagined would be the cause of mine.
I squeezed my eyes shut, but the memories came anyway—uninvited, relentless, cruel.