Chapter 8 - When Evan Came Home
Evan returned at dawn.
I saw him standing across the street.
For a moment, I didn't move.
He looked thinner.
Older.
But it was him.
I crossed the road.
He didn't move.
I slapped him.
Once.
Then I hugged him.
Then I cried.
He cried too.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
“I hated you.”
“I know.”
“Why didn't you come home?”
“Because they threatened Lily.”
He looked at me.
“I couldn't risk them finding her.”
Dominic stood behind us.
Evan looked at him.
“Moretti.”
Dominic nodded.
“You saved her.”
Evan smiled.
“I knew you would.”
I stared.
“You two knew each other?”
“Before your accident,” Evan said.
“Dominic helped me once.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because every person who knew the truth became a target.”
He looked at Lily.
She ran toward him.
“Daddy!”
He dropped to his knees.
She threw her arms around him.
I covered my mouth.
Dominic turned away.
He gave us privacy.
Later, Evan told us everything.
The organization wanted the microfilm.
They believed it could expose them.
But they hadn't known the film had been hidden inside my ring.
My mother had protected it.
Dominic's mother had protected us.
My father had protected Evan.
Every person in our families had been living inside a maze.
Now the maze was collapsing.
The Belladonna family attacked that night.
They came to Dominic's estate.
But this time we were ready.
Police.
Federal agents.
Former enemies.
Everyone who had suffered under the network.
We released the evidence.
Names became public.
Accounts were frozen.
Arrests began.
The empire fell.
Rafael was arrested.
Daniel confessed.
My father surrendered.
Evan testified.
Dominic walked away from his criminal operations.
He didn't need them anymore.
Months passed.
Life became quieter.
Lily returned to school.
Evan recovered.
My mother came home.
Isabella stayed nearby.
And Dominic...
He kept coming over.
Every day.
Sometimes for dinner.
Sometimes for Lily.
Sometimes for me.
One evening, Lily looked at him.
“Are you my stepdad?”
Dominic nearly choked on his coffee.
I laughed.
“No.”
Lily thought.
“Do you want to be?”
He looked at me.
I looked at him.
Neither answered immediately.
Then Dominic smiled.
“Maybe.”
May you like
Lily nodded.
“Okay.”
