Page 25

SERGIO

“It is over, Sergio.”

The cold air bit at my skin as I stepped out of Mirella’s apartment. My chest felt hollow, as though I’d left my heart behind in that room with her. I wanted to stay, to hold her, to tell her that none of this mattered as long as we had each other. But it did matter—to her.

I dragged a hand through my hair, frustration curling in my gut. How had it come to this? I’d been so certain that once she knew the truth, she’d understand just like I did about her being The Raven. That she’d see I was the same Sergio who had adored her since we were kids. The same boy who carried her down the tree.

But I wasn’t that boy anymore, was I? And this isn’t the same as her hiding that she is The Raven.

I had lied to her. About my identity, everything. Not because I wanted to hurt her—God, I’d rather die than do that—but because I didn’t know how else to reach her. Mirella wasn’t the same girl I’d fallen for, either. She was stronger now and guarded. And maybe she was right to be.

Still, hearing her say she’d marry my father. That gutted me.

I reached my car and leaned against the hood, staring up at the sky. The sun blinked down at me, indifferent to my heartbreak. How ironic. The world kept spinning, the sun kept shining, and here I was, falling apart.

“She’ll marry him,” I muttered, my voice bitter. “Over my dead body, I would rather die.”

I didn’t care what it took. I would win her back. I had to.

When I finally drove back to the estate, the mansion loomed ahead like some dark fortress, as cold and unwelcoming as the man who ruled it. My father’s car was still parked in the circular driveway, which meant he was home. Great. Just what I needed.

I let myself in quietly, hoping to avoid him. But as I passed the study, I heard his voice—low, sharp, and unmistakable. It wasn’t unusual for him to be barking orders early in the morning, but something about his tone made me pause.

“…don’t trust her,” he was saying.

I froze with my hand on the banister.

“She’s not as innocent as she pretends to be,” he continued. “The emergency with her assistant’s son? Convenient excuse, don’t you think? Right when we had a shipment to save—a shipment Sergio lost because of her. Too convenient.”

My stomach churned. Mirella. He was talking about her.

Another voice responded, calmer but equally firm. “It’s possible she genuinely had an emergency, Don Carlos. We don’t have solid proof yet.”

“I don’t need proof to smell a rat,” my father snapped. “She agreed to this engagement far too easily. A woman like her, agreeing to marry me without a fight with no persuasion from her daddy like before? No. She’s hiding something. And where was she for those five years she disappeared, huh? Why did she suddenly come back? What is she after?”

My chest tightened as I leaned closer to the door, straining to hear.

“Do you want me to dig deeper?” the other man asked.

“Of course I do,” Don Carlos barked. “I want every detail about her life. Where she was, who she was with, what she’s hiding. And I want it yesterday. So get on it. If she’s lying to me…” He trailed off, but his meaning was clear.

The other voice dropped, too quiet for me to catch his response, but my father’s sharp laugh followed.

“Good. Let’s see how innocent Mirella really is.”

I didn’t need to hear any more. I stepped away from the door, my mind racing.

He was onto her.

I didn’t know what he’d find or how far he’d go, but I knew one thing for certain: Mirella was in danger. And I couldn’t stand by and let him ruin her.

My heart was pounding as I headed back to my car, my father’s voice echoing in my head.

“Where was she for those five years?”

I knew the answer. She was becoming The Raven. If I could find out her secret, he could as well. Whatever secrets she had, they were hers to tell—not his to exploit.

I started the engine, determined to stop him no matter what, “I won’t let him hurt you, Mirella,” I muttered to myself as I drove as fast as I could.

The tires screeched as I pulled out of the driveway, heading back to the one person I couldn’t bear to lose.

I parked outside Mirella’s house for the second time that day. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. The sound of my father’s voice still echoed in my head, sharp and menacing.

I slammed the door shut behind me and made my way up the steps. Thankfully Dahlia had let me in when I told her it was a matter of life and death and that Mirella was in danger. The house was quiet, the kind of stillness that made my pulse quicken. I tried the handle. It wasn’t locked.

Mirella’s voice reached me, low and soothing, followed by the unmistakable giggle of a child.

“I’ll read you the rest tomorrow, Alex. Now, off to your room,” she murmured.

My feet froze mid-step. Alex. The name hit me like a freight train, and before I could even process it, I heard the small voice respond.

“Okay, Mama.”

Mama.

The air left my lungs as I stumbled back into the shadows. A thousand images flashed through my mind, memories I hadn’t pieced together until now. The way Mirella shielded him, the hesitation whenever I asked her whose child it was, and how he had called Dahlia by name—I had my suspicions, but this was the proof. The little boy’s eyes were the same shade as mine.

How had I been so blind? His eyes, they were mine.

The door to the hallway creaked, and Alex padded out, clutching a stuffed bear. He looked up at me, his head tilting slightly, and he gave me a smile before wrapping his hands around my legs.

“Hi. You are back,” he said softly, his voice curious but unafraid.

“Hi,” I managed, my throat dry.

“Did you bring another dinosaur for me?”

My chest tightened. Mirella appeared behind him, her face pale as a ghost when she saw me standing there. Her eyes darted to Alex and then back to me.

“Alex, sweetheart, go see Dahlia,” she said, her voice calm but firm.

“But I want to play with him—”

“Now,” she insisted.

He hesitated for a moment before nodding, giving me one last curious glance as he shuffled off.

The room fell silent, the air between us heavy. Mirella crossed her arms, her expression guarded.

“You’re not leaving until I explain, are you?”

I stepped closer, my heart pounding in my chest. “Alex called you Mama.”

She flinched, the tiniest movement, but it was enough.

“I’ve been blind, yes, but not stupid. Is he mine? I mean, he belongs to the stranger?”

Her lips parted as if to deny it, but then she closed them. Mirella sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Yes, Sergio. He’s yours.”

The world tilted on its axis. My knees felt weak, but I forced myself to stay upright and focused.

“You never told me he was your son. Was it because you knew I was the stranger? Why?” I said, my voice shaking.

“I didn’t know,” she snapped, her tone sharp enough to cut glass. “ Not until today. Not until…” Her gaze flickered to my arm, to the tattoo that had unraveled everything. “Until I realized you were the stranger.”

“Why did you tell me he was Dahlia’s son?”

She threw her hands up, exasperated. “Because I didn’t want him caught up in this life! In my life. Do you have any idea what it’s like to carry the weight of that decision? To know that if I made the wrong call, he could end up in danger?”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I took a shaky breath, trying to process everything. “You didn’t trust me enough to protect him if I knew he was yours?”

“It’s not about trust,” she said, her voice softer now, almost pleading. “It’s about reality. Look at the world we live in, Sergio. Do you really think it’s safe for him to be part of it? Look at all the lies and secrets we have been keeping. Is that the life we want for him?”

I ran a hand over my face, trying to make sense of it all. “He’s my son, Mirella. I deserve to be part of his life.”

Her eyes softened for a moment before she steeled herself. “Not right now. Not with everything going on. It’s too complicated.”

“Complicated?” I scoffed. “Do you think I care about complicated? I shot my own father for you. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But you don’t even give me the chance to prove I can protect him, to prove I can be a father to him.”

She flinched at my words, but I didn’t stop.

“You think keeping him from me is the solution? What happens when he starts asking questions, Mirella? When he wants to know who his father is?”

“I’ll deal with it when the time comes,” she said, her voice trembling. “Right now, my priority is keeping him safe.”

The room fell silent again. I took a step back, shaking my head.

“I don’t want us to keep arguing, and I am not giving up on him or us,” I said, my voice low. “But right now, you need to know something. My father is onto you. He’s having you investigated. He doesn’t trust you, and he’s digging for dirt.”

Her face paled even further, her bravado crumbling just slightly.

“He’s what?”

“I overheard him talking to an investigator off the hallway this morning when I got home. He knows about the assistant’s son, and he doesn’t believe your story. He’s suspicious, Mirella, and he’s not going to stop until he uncovers everything.”

She stared at me, her eyes wide, her lips parted, but no words came out. She just stood there, staring at me, the shock evident in her eyes.

“You need to stop whatever game you’re playing,” I warned. “Because if he finds out the truth, it won’t just be you who gets hurt. Alex will be in danger, too.”