Chapter 8 - The Father Who Refused to Lose His FamilyThe escape triggered every nightmare Dante had ever had.
Security doubled.
The house became a fortress again.
But Clara refused to live in fear.
“We're not turning our child's life into a prison.”
Dante looked at her.
“I won't let him touch you.”
“He already has.”
“What?”
“He made us afraid.”
Dante went silent.
Clara took his hand.
“That's what he wanted.”
“You're right.”
“So what do we do?”
“End it.”
This time, there was no anger in his voice.
Only certainty.
Daniel traced Enzo's movements.
A safe house outside the city.
An old Rosetti warehouse.
The same place where Michael had hidden the original documents.
Dante and Daniel went.
Clara insisted on coming.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Absolutely not.”
“You said we're a team.”
“This is different.”
“No.”
She stared at him.
“You don't get to ask me to be brave while you run into danger alone.”
Dante closed his eyes.
Then nodded.
“Fine.”
They arrived at midnight.
The warehouse was empty.
Too empty.
Then the lights came on.
Enzo stood on the upper platform.
“Dante.”
“It's over.”
“No.”
Enzo looked toward Clara.
“You were supposed to be forgotten.”
Clara stepped forward.
“You spent twenty-four years making people reject me.”
Enzo smiled.
“It worked.”
“No.”
She held her head high.
“It made me stronger.”
Enzo raised a gun.
Dante moved.
Daniel fired first.
Enzo fell behind the railing.
But before he disappeared, he fired once.
The bullet struck Dante.
Clara screamed.
“Dante!”
He staggered.
She caught him.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Enzo laughed from below.
“You see?”
He coughed.
“You can't build a family on blood.”
Dante looked at Clara.
Then smiled weakly.
“I disagree.”
He touched her stomach.
“That's exactly what blood gave me.”
Enzo tried to reach for another weapon.
Daniel stopped him.
The police arrived minutes later.
This time, Enzo didn't escape.
Dante survived.
The bullet passed through his shoulder.
Two weeks later, he came home.
Clara was waiting.
He walked through the front door.
She burst into tears.
He smiled.
“You're crying.”
“Yes.”
“You promised.”
“I promised not to run.”
She hugged him.
He wrapped both arms around her.
Their daughter kicked.
Clara laughed through tears.
“She knows you're home.”
Dante crouched.
He placed his hand against Clara's stomach.
The baby kicked again.
He froze.
Then tears appeared in his eyes.
“She kicked me.”
“She did.”
“Again.”
Clara laughed.
“You're ridiculous.”
He looked up.
“No.”
He kissed her stomach.
“I'm a father.”
Clara touched his hair.
“Yes.”
“You're sure?”
She smiled.
“Very.”
May you like
For the first time in decades, Dante Rosetti had something to lose.
And that was exactly why he finally understood how much he had to live for.
