Page 99

My mind is still trained on my daughter, the one I had lost so many years ago. The little girl who had been taken from me, stolen before I even had a chance to truly protect her, and to shield her from the world. The memory of that day haunts me in ways that I can’t even describe, even to this day.
A father is to protect his children.
That is our role. That is our responsibility.
Yet because of some foolish actions, I failed my little girl.
I force the thoughts away, not allowing myself to think too deeply about that.
Not now.
Not when the burden of the present is so heavy.
I have to focus on what I need to do.
I have to protect my sons from their own decisions, and in turn, I have to protect the family legacy.
I won’t let this destroy us.
Not again.
Another tragedy won’t unfold on my watch.
Not when I’ve already lost so much.
Sighing heavily, I pick up my phone.
My finger hovers over the screen for a second, thinking.
I haven’t seen my daughter in years, not physically, though I always have eyes on her. The information I receive about her, about her wellbeing, and the people she interacts with has always been a constant. I know everything, and yet, I know nothing.
Maybe this is one step closer to bringing my daughter back to me.
I exhale slowly, dialling the number. The phone rings, and I wait until I hear the voice on the other end.
“Isaak.”
The voice answers, his tone polite, but businesslike.
I take a seat in my chair, letting the words slip through my lips.
“Alessandro.” I say. “I have some news regarding Chiara Giovanni. Will you be able to come here?”
There’s a slight tightening in my chest as the words leave me, but it doesn’t matter.
I trust Alessandro, and I know he will help me fix this.
Chapter Fifteen
Chiara
Ifinish brushing my teeth, the cool water running over my face.
I can’t get his face out of my head—theirfather.
He’s so different from Nikolai and Mikhail, but also so similar too.
He looks like them—tall, broad, strong—exactly like his sons. Their hair is blond, whereas his is black, but they all have that same cold intensity in their gaze.