Page 70 of Mafia Don's Secret Heir

My grip tightens on the boarding pass. My legs feel heavy, unwilling to move. I force myself to stand, but every step toward the gate feels like I’m dragging the weight of the world behind me.

Then I hear it.

“Luca!”

Her voice cuts through the noise like a lightning strike, freezing me mid-step.

I turn slowly, heart lodged in my throat, and there she is.

Valentina.

She’s standing in the middle of the terminal, clutching Leo’s hand tightly. Her hair is loose, windswept, her cheeks flushed as if she’s been running.

My eyes lock onto hers, and the world tilts.

She walks toward me, her steps purposeful, her gaze unwavering. Leo toddles beside her, half-skipping to keep up, his small hand swinging hers back and forth.

When they’re close enough, I see it—the emotion swimming in her eyes, raw and unguarded.

“Luca,” she says again, her voice steadier this time.

I don’t trust myself to speak. My throat feels tight, and the words I want to say are trapped behind a wall of disbelief.

"We’re coming with you," she says simply.

It’s a punch to the gut, but not the kind that knocks the wind out of you. No, it’s the kind that fills your lungs with air after days of suffocating.

Leo lets go of her hand and runs to me, his face lighting up. "Daddy! Mommy says we’re gonna be together now!"

I crouch instinctively, catching him as he barrels into me. His tiny arms wrap around my neck, and I hold him close, my chest aching in a way I can’t describe.

"Is that true?" I ask, my voice rough, my eyes fixed on Valentina.

She nods, her expression a mix of determination and something softer, something I haven’t seen in too long.

"This life," she begins, her voice firm, "it’s not what I wanted for him. But it’s his birthright, and I can’t deny that. What I can do is make sure he grows up knowing he has choices. That he can be better than both of us."

Her words hit me harder than any bullet ever could.

"I’ll raise him to know strength," she continues, stepping closer, "but I’ll also raise him to know kindness. And when the time comes, Luca, we’ll let him choose."

I straighten, Leo still in my arms, and close the distance between us.

"You’re sure about this?" I ask, my voice quieter than I intended.

She nods, a small, tired smile tugging at her lips. "I’m sure."

Leo squirms in my arms, and I set him down gently. He darts back to her, grabbing her hand and tugging it playfully. “Are you my dad? Mom said you are, but I want to be sure.”

It feels like there’s a stone lodged in my throat. This little boy and his mother are everything to me. I’m going to spend my life making sure I deserve them.

“I am your dad,” I tell him, kneeling down to touch his cheek.

"We’re a family, then!" he declares, his voice bright and innocent.

I reach for Valentina’s free hand, and this time, she doesn’t pull away.

As we walk toward the gate, something shifts in my chest. It’s not relief or victory. It’s something deeper—hope.