Mafia Heir’s Broken Vows (Rosewood Hall Broken Vows)

13. Serafina

SERAFINA

T he rain taps against the window as I sit at the edge of the bed, staring at Leo's small, sleeping form. His soft breathing is the only sound in the room, a soothing rhythm that should calm me—but doesn't. My heart feels like it's lodged in my throat.

I've been pacing the last two hours, restless and unable to shake the feeling of being caged. Alessandro's mansion is secure, yes, but it's also suffocating. Guards at every door, cameras tracking every move. It feels like I traded one prison for another.

The sleek black sedan Alessandro "gifted" me sits in the driveway, a constant reminder of how tightly he controls everything. I know he means well—or at least, I'd like to think he does. But I can't live like this. I need to breathe. And Leo—he deserves some semblance of normalcy.

The decision to leave this morning wasn't impulsive, even if Alessandro would see it that way. I'd planned every detail carefully. I told myself it was just a quick trip to one of his businesses to grab supplies and a few personal items I'd left behind—nothing risky. Nothing Alessandro would need to know about. I didn't want another argument. Didn't want him to tell me no.

So I'd waited until the guards were busy with their rotations, dressed Leo quickly, and slipped out. The sedan handled like a dream, its powerful engine humming beneath my hands as I drove through the rain-slick streets. Leo had been excited to get out, chattering about the puddles splashing against the car and how the rain made everything look like it was dancing.

For a while, it felt normal. Like we were just two regular people running errands, not fugitives hiding from a war.

But normalcy is an illusion I should have known better than to trust.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I didn't notice anything unusual at first. The rain was coming down harder, obscuring everything. I parked near the entrance, unbuckled Leo, and held his hand as we ran through the drizzle toward the building. I thought we'd be in and out in minutes.

It wasn't until I came back to the car, Leo in tow, that I saw the message.

The envelope tucked under the windshield wiper was soaked, the ink bleeding into the paper. My heart stopped as I pulled it free, the words smudged but still legible.

TICK TOCK.

I froze, my breath hitching as if the air had been sucked from the world around me. My pulse roared in my ears, drowning out everything but the words etched into my mind.

Leo tugged at my hand, his small fingers grounding me in a moment that felt anything but stable. He was oblivious to the threat looming over us, blissfully unaware of the danger that had just shifted everything.

I didn’t even have time to process the chaos swirling in my chest before a voice cut through the silence behind me—sharp, cold, and far too close.

"Move away from the car, now."

Enzo. His voice was calm but commanding, cutting through the storm in my head. I hadn't even noticed his men arriving, hadn't seen the black SUVs pulling into the lot. Everything became a blur after that—Enzo pulling us back, his men surrounding the car, their weapons drawn. Leo started to cry, clutching my leg, and I had to kneel, whispering soothing words I didn't even believe myself.

Enzo kept me close, his hand on my shoulder, a silent anchor as my world spiraled.

And then Alessandro arrived.

I saw the moment his eyes landed on me and Leo, the way his jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists at his sides. The rage was palpable, radiating off him like a storm ready to break. But he didn't yell. Not there, not in front of Leo.

He waited until we were back at the estate to unleash the fury I knew was coming.

Leo tugs on my hand, his lion tucked under his arm, his sleepy eyes blinking as he trudges off toward the library. "Go on, sweetheart," I say softly, smoothing his hair. "I'll be there soon." My voice doesn't waver, though my heart feels tight in my chest.

As soon as he disappears down the hall, I straighten, crossing my arms like armor. Alessandro is waiting, standing there like a storm ready to strike. The tension between us is suffocating.

"What now, Alessandro?" My voice comes out sharper than I intended, but I'm too exhausted to soften it.

His eyes narrow. "You left the estate without security," he says, the accusation heavy in the air.

Heat rises to my face. "Leo needed air. We needed air. I won't let him live as a prisoner in this house."

"It's not about living as prisoners," he snaps, his voice cutting through the space between us. "It's about staying alive."

My anger flares, hot and immediate. "We were careful," I bite back. "No one followed us."

"You don't know that!" His voice booms, and for a moment, I flinch. "Marco's men were watching. They could have—" He stops short, his jaw locking, his fists clenched as though the thought is unbearable to finish.

I take a step toward him, my hands fisted at my sides. "Don't you dare put this on me, Alessandro. I'm trying to give our son a semblance of normalcy. Do you think this is easy for him? For me?"

"It's not supposed to be easy," he fires back. "It's supposed to be safe."

The tension crackles between us, a thin wire stretched to its limit. My voice drops, quieter now, as the weight of his words settles over me. "I didn't know," I say, my throat tightening. "I didn't know Marco would go this far."

His voice softens just enough to catch me off guard. "He's already gone that far, Serafina. And he'll go further. That's why you need to trust me."

Trust him. The man who walked out of my life and left me to fend for myself and my son. I laugh, bitter and sharp, the sound scraping against my raw nerves. "Trust you? You, Alessandro? After everything?"

He takes a step closer, and for a moment, the fight bleeds out of his eyes. "I'm asking you to let me protect you," he says, quieter now. "To protect Leo."

I glance away, the weight of his words pressing down on me. I want to argue, to fight back, but I'm tired. So tired. "Fine," I mutter, my voice hollow. "But this isn't forever. I won't raise Leo in a gilded cage."

He doesn't respond at first, but I see it in the way his shoulders tighten. He doesn't understand. This isn't about keeping us locked away—it's about control.

As I turn to leave, his hand catches mine. The unexpected touch sends a shiver down my spine. I look back at him, his expression dark and unreadable.

"Don't make me regret trusting you," he says instead, his voice low and edged with warning. "Whatever happens, Leo needs to stay safe. That's all that matters."

The weight of his words sinks in, but I can't ignore the subtle shift in his tone. He's not thanking me—he's demanding my loyalty to the one thing we both care about.

I meet his gaze, searching for something—anything—but the wall around him is as impenetrable as ever. My throat tightens, but I pull my hand away, turning my back on him. "Leo's safety has always been my priority," I say, my voice clipped. "Even when you weren't around to make it yours."

I don't look back as I leave the room, but I can feel the storm I left brewing behind me.