Page 19

MIRELLA

The phone buzzed in my hand, the message glaring up at me like a neon sign in the dark. Dahlia’s words were short and to the point: Alex isn’t well. Fever spiked. He’s at the hospital.

She sent it again when I did not respond.

I am on my way. I simply responded.

My heart twisted. Alex. My baby boy. My everything. The words felt like nails hammered into my chest.

I stood there in the hallway, shadows playing on the walls as my mind raced. How could I get back fast enough? Sergio had driven me here, so I had no car to drive back. The rentals Enzo had arranged only do local trips. The flight alone would take hours, and hiring a private jet would raise too many questions. I could call my men—Raven’s men. They’d get me there in record time, but that meant exposing myself. The mask would slip, and once it did, there was no going back.

“Fuck it,” I muttered, thumbing through my phone’s contacts. I hesitated over the encrypted number. One call, one command, and I’d be in the air before anyone could blink. A risk I was willing to take for my son.

But then, a deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “Whatever’s going on, I’m here.”

I turned sharply. Sergio stood at the bottom of the staircase, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. He wasn’t supposed to be there. He wasn’t supposed to see me like this—vulnerable and panicked.

His gaze softened as he stepped closer. “You look like the world just dropped on your shoulders.”

It had. I could barely breathe under the weight of it. “I need a ride back to New York,” I blurted out. “Now.”

He didn’t ask where, why, or what was going on. Sergio wasn’t like that. Instead, he gave a single nod. “Let’s go.”

We didn’t say much as we got into his car. The sleek black interior hummed with the engine’s low purr as we sped down the empty streets. My mind was a whirlwind. The glow of the city blurred past, but all I could see was Alex’s face—his sleepy, beautiful eyes, his shy smile, his tiny hands always reaching for mine.

Sergio’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Where are we going?”

“We’re not going home. Saint Memorial Hospital first.” I responded.

“It didn’t seem like a home emergency. I just asked to be sure.” He paused and gave me a half, concerning smile. “You’re pale,” he added, glancing at me briefly before focusing back on the road. “Whatever this is, it’s serious.”

For a moment, I wanted to fight him on it. But he was right. Alex came first. Always.

When we pulled up to the hospital, I didn’t wait for Sergio to park properly. I was out of the car and through the glass doors before he’d even killed the engine. The pediatric ward smelled like antiseptic and tears, the drone of fluorescent lights adding to the sterile atmosphere.

Dahlia met me halfway, her face a mask of worry. “He’s stable,” she assured me quickly, but her tone wasn’t enough to erase my fear. “The doctor’s with him now.”

I nodded and rushed past her. The sight of Alex lying in that hospital bed nearly broke me. He looked so small, his skin pale against the crisp white sheets.

“Mommy’s here,” I whispered in his ear, scooping him up into my arms. His tiny body fit against me like a missing puzzle piece, his head resting on my shoulder.

“Mommy,” Alex said in a faint voice, almost inaudible, but I heard it. It pained me to see him in such a state and not be able to do anything about it.

I could feel Sergio’s eyes on me when he walked into the room moments later, watching from the doorway like a silent shadow. I didn’t care. My world narrowed to Alex, the rise and fall of his chest, the warmth of his little hands.

The doctor had a clipboard in hand, his face calm but serious.“It’s nothing to worry about,” he explained. “Just a reaction to the change in weather. It’s common among kids his age.”

Common? There was nothing common about the way my heart clenched in fear. But I nodded, thanking him before kissing Alex’s forehead.

When I turned back, Sergio was still there, leaning against the wall. His face was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something unspoken but heavy.

“Is he your kid?” The question came out quiet, almost hesitant. His voice was shaking just enough for me to notice.

I froze. The words hung between us like a blade suspended by a thread. My mind scrambled for an answer, a way to keep the truth buried. I could’'t risk exposing Alex to this part of my world. I didn’t want anyone to know about him just yet, considering the double life I was living as Mirella and Raven.

I pulled him aside, lowering my voice so Alex wouldn’t hear. “He’s not mine,” I lied, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “He’s Dahlia’s, my assistant’s son. But he’s like family to me.”

Sergio’s expression softened, but I could tell he wasn’t entirely convinced. Still, he didn’t push me. Instead, he glanced back at Alex, his gaze lingering.

The next thing I knew, he was by Alex’s bedside, crouching down so their eyes were level. “Hey, buddy,” he said, his voice warm and inviting. “You gave us all a scare, huh?”

Alex, usually shy and reserved around strangers, surprised me by smiling faintly. “I’m okay now. ”

“Good,” Sergio said, ruffling Alex’s hair lightly. “You’ve got to stay strong, kid. You’ve got a lot of people who care about you.”

I stood there, watching the two of them interact, and my chest tightened for an entirely different reason. Alex didn’t warm up to people easily. He was cautious and quiet—just like me. But with Sergio, it was as if a wall had come down.

Sergio stayed by Alex’s side, talking to him about everything and nothing—his favorite animals, the toys he liked, and whether he thought dinosaurs could beat robots in a fight. Alex giggled at that one. The sound was light and infectious.

“Dinosaurs,” Alex declared. “They’re stronger.”

Sergio grinned. “Smart kid.”

I watched them, my heart aching in a way I couldn’t quite describe. There was something natural about the way they bonded as if they’d known each other forever.

Alex yawned, his eyelids drooping, and I knew he’d fall asleep soon. I stepped closer, placing a hand on Sergio’s shoulder. “Thank you,” I murmured.

He looked up at me, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. “For what?”

“For this. For being here.”

He didn’t respond, but the look he gave me said enough.

When Alex finally drifted off, Sergio and I stepped out into the hallway. The atmosphere was filled with words we didn’t want to say and actions we dared not express. The silence was almost suffocating.

“You’re good with kids,” I said, breaking the quiet.

“They’re easier to understand than adults,” he replied, a small smile playing on his lips.

I wanted to say more, to explain the bond he and Alex had shared so effortlessly, but the words stuck in my throat.

Instead, I simply walked beside him. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the lies I’d told tonight would catch up to me sooner or later. But for now, Alex was safe, safe from my world, and I intended to keep it that way for as long as I could.

*** *

Walking into Don Carlos’s office always felt like walking into a lion’s den. Today was no different. The air was different, considering the stunt I pulled. I knew there were going to be consequences, and the way his dark eyes fixed on me as I entered sent an immediate chill down my spine.

The door clicked shut behind me, and I stood straight, refusing to let him see the anxiety simmering beneath the surface.

“You’ve wasted enough of my time, Mirella,” he barked, gesturing for me to sit. I didn’t move. “Care to explain why your little trip was cut short?”

I kept my voice even. “My assistant had a family emergency. I needed to make sure everything was handled.”

His laugh was harsh, sharp. “You abandoned the mission because of some assistant? Do you think this is a charity, Mirella?”

“I am….” I tried to explain before he chimed in.

“You have some nerve," he said, his tone cold and cutting.

I stood my ground, clasping my hands together to keep them from shaking. “I apologize for cutting the trip short, but it was unavoidable. My assistant—”

“Had a family emergency. Yes, I heard.” He leaned back in his chair, exhaling a plume of smoke. “Do you think I give any fuck about your assistant’s personal problems?”

I clenched my jaw, keeping my voice calm. “It wasn’t my intention to cause any issues—”

“Save it,” he interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. “I don’t expect much from you, Mirella. You’re a woman, after all. This,” he gestured around the room, “isn’t your world. It never will be.”

The dismissal stung, but I didn’t let it touch my face. He leaned back, eyeing me like a predator watching prey.

“Our engagement is coming up this weekend,” he said, his tone shifting to something mockingly sweet. “You won’t pull any stunts like last time, will you?”

I forced a smile. “Of course not.”

“You better not,” he warned, his voice dropping to a growl. “Or I’ll make sure you regret it.”

The weight of his words hung in the air, but I didn’t respond. Anything I said would only fuel his fire.

He studied me for a moment longer before leaning forward, his fingers steepled. “There’s something else.”

I froze. Was this it? Had he figured me out?

“Your father,” he said, watching me closely. “Did he ever mention a safe?”

I frowned, feigning confusion. “A safe?”

“Yes, a safe.” His tone was sharp and clipped. “It’s not just any safe, Mirella. It holds things—important things. Did he ever speak to you about it?”

I shook my head, my expression carefully neutral. “No. He never mentioned anything like that.”

Don Carlos leaned back, his gaze narrowing as if he could see right through me. “If you’re lying to me, Mirella...”

“I’m not,” I said quickly, my voice steady. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

For a moment, the room was silent, the tension thick enough to cut. Then he waved a dismissive hand.

“Get out,” he snarled at me. “I’ve wasted enough time on you.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I turned and walked out, keeping my head high even as my heart raced.

Once I was safely out of his office, my mind began to race. A safe. Of course. It all made sense now.

I pieced it together as I made my way back to my house, each detail clicking into place like pieces of a puzzle. My father had always been meticulous and careful. He’d kept records—names, assets, deals. I’d overheard him talk about it once, back when I was a teenager.

He’d called it insurance.

And now I knew why Don Carlos was keeping him alive. The safe wasn’t just a collection of secrets—it was power. It held everything. Names of top criminals, assets worth more than I could imagine, and records of every shady deal Don Carlos had ever been a part of. And if that weren’t enough, it apparently held keys and access codes to things far more dangerous: nuclear weapons, bombs, AI systems.

If Don Carlos got his hands on that safe, he wouldn’t just be powerful. He’d be unstoppable.

My father had always been one step ahead, always thinking of the bigger picture. But now, that bigger picture was a target on his back.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath.

This was why Don Carlos was so fixated on keeping me close. It was why he hadn’t killed my father yet. It was why he was so obsessed with tying me to him through this engagement. He thought I knew something and thought I could lead him to the safe.

I didn’t know where it was. But now I had to find out—not for Don Carlos—but for my father and for everyone else who could be destroyed if that safe fell into the wrong hands.

The lies, the danger, the impossible tightrope I was walking. But one thing was clear—I couldn’t let Don Carlos win.

Somewhere out there, my father was alive, being kept prisoner because of what he knew and what he’d created.

And I’d be damned if I let that monster take him or his legacy.