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It was always for us. Now it was gone. He had no one left to carry on his creation.

“Yes, it is. Look, I'm not going to dive into the emotional troubles I felt as a kid. This isn't a fucking therapy session, but I did take one thing from my life, the one and only thing I ever saw you show real feelings with. You loved mom, you loved her more than life itself. I finally understand what you meant when you said a love that strong hurts. I hurt . . . I hurt for Ivy. Remo can't have her, she's mine.”

Lowering the phone to my waist, I could hear my father still arguing with himself. But I was done, he heard what I had to say, that was all that mattered to me. He had an explanation for my actions. I loved Ivy.

Ending the call, I held the phone for a moment. This phone had been the life line to reach my father, but I wasn't going to need it anymore. Breaking the burner phone in half, I tossed it out into the empty lot. The plastic clanked as it came down hard, echoing through the desolate space. Throwing that phone sent a surge of freedom through my muscles.

Ivy and I had more in common than I thought. We were both slaves to the men who held our lives, we were both living for others without a choice.

We were both finally free.

I was done being who I was, I was done living for a man who didn't see any value to his own son. I was done being a Pisani.

That wasn't me . . . Not anymore.

I found what fed my veins and breathed life into my soul.

My Ivy.

And that was enough for me.