Chapter 12 - Lily Asked Me Why I Had Never Told Her About Maya—And Her Question Forced Me to Face the Man I Had BecomeLily sat beside me.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Why didn't Mommy tell us?”
I struggled.
“She was trying to protect Maya.”
“From bad people?”
“Yes.”
“Were you a bad person?”
The question destroyed me.
I looked at my daughter.
“I was.”
She frowned.
“Are you still?”
I took a breath.
“No.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Maya joined us.
The two girls held hands.
For the first time, my mansion felt like a home.
Not a fortress.
Not an empire.
A home.
I began dismantling everything.
The casinos.
The illegal docks.
The weapons routes.
The bribed officials.
I turned legitimate businesses over to independent management.
I paid restitution where possible.
I helped families harmed by my organization.
People called me weak.
They were wrong.
Walking away from power was harder than taking it.
But there was one final threat.
The people Samuel had mentioned.
They came after Maya.
May you like
They failed.
Because this time, I was ready.
Related Stories
