Elena
After Luca leaves, I collapse onto the sofa, emotionally drained.
The moment I've dreaded for years has finally happened.
Luca knows he's their father.
I should feel relieved that the burden of my secret has lifted, but instead, a new fear grips me.
What if he takes them from me?
The thought terrifies me. I've seen what powerful men in our world can do.
Now that Luca is Don Monti, his reach extends further than ever. If he wanted full custody, who could stop him?
Yet beneath my panic, there's something else.
Seeing Luca with the children tonight filled me with a bittersweet joy.
My children deserve their father. They deserve the love he clearly wants to give them.
I push myself up from the couch and move down the hallway to check on them.
Rocco has kicked off his blanket, as usual. I gently tuck it back around him.
Elio sleeps with his arms flung wide, taking up more space than his small body should. I move to Adalina’s room.
She sleeps clutching her stuffed rabbit. In the dim light, they look so innocent, so untouched by the complicated world they've been born into.
I stand in their doorway a moment longer, desperately clinging to this quiet, normal moment that suddenly feels fragile.
Like any moment, they'll be pulled from my arms for forever.
The next morning, I feel like I'm sleepwalking through our routine. The kids chatter excitedly about Luca being their father as I help them with breakfast and backpacks.
Each mention of his name fills me with guilt for what I’ve done and terror for what could happen.
"Will Daddy pick us up from school today?" Adalina asks, her eyes bright with hope.
I force a smile. "Not today, sweetie. But he’ll visit tonight. And you’ll stay with him on Friday."
After dropping them off at school, I drive to Dom's dreading what I need to share with him.
What will he say?
Dom has been our protector, our safety net.
How will he react knowing I've been hiding this truth from everyone, including him?
Roberto shows me in without question, leading me to Dom's study where he's reviewing papers.
He looks up, his expression shifting immediately when he sees my face.
"What's happened?" he asks, setting his pen down.
I sink into the chair across from him. “I need to reveal something to you. A secret I’ve held for years.”
His expression darkens. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
There’s no sense in beating around the bush. “Luca Monti is the triplets’ father.”
He blinks, like he doesn’t understand what I’m saying. Realization slowly dawns. “That means you fucked him seven years ago?”
I take issue with his characterization. “We fell in love, Dom. It happens, you know?” I think Dom might be missing the affection gene.
Sure, he takes care of me and the kids.
I think he cares for us in his own way, but I’ve never seen anything that looks like love from him.
“How is it that no one knew?”
I sigh and sit back for a long conversation.
“We didn’t want our families to get involved.
At first it was a fun fling. Later, it was more, but by then, it was too late.
When everything happened with my father, I bought the story that Luca had betrayed him.
Luca was sent to Italy, and I knew your father still wanted revenge.
I didn’t want myself or the children to be a vehicle for it. So, I didn’t say anything.”
Dom’s face darkens with anger. "And Luca didn’t protect you? Do right by you?”
"He didn't know about the kids. He had no idea they were his until yesterday. Only my father knew, and I begged him to keep it a secret. He was trying to figure out a way to send me to Luca when he died. When he was murdered, Dom, I knew the kids and I weren’t safe.”
He nods, knowing the man his father was. “Okay, so… what is it you need me to do?”
I stare at him, feeling grateful for his protection and annoyed that he sees me as a burden.
I’ve done my best to earn my keep.
Working for him.
Being hostess when he needs it.
“He’s probably going to sue for some sort of custody.”
“He's Don Monti now. If he wants custody—"
“I can’t let him take the kids. They’re all I have.”
He arches a brow. “Are you asking me to kill him? Because you know I—”
“No!” Geez. “I could just use your support.”
“You want to keep your kids, Elena? Marry him," Dom says, his voice matter-of-fact.
I blink, certain I've misheard. "What?"
"Marry Luca. It's the simplest solution." Dom shrugs like it’s the simplest of ideas. "You'd have the protection of being Don Monti's wife. The children would have both parents. The families would be formally allied."
A startled laugh escapes me. "You can't be serious. Luca would never—" I stop, shaking my head. "Dom, he hates me right now. I kept his children from him for six years. I let him believe another man had fathered them."
“Have you been fucking him since he came back?”
“God, Dom, why do you have to be so vulgar?”
“Okay, have you been making love? Because if so, then it seems to me marriage is still the answer. Maybe he’s pissed, but he’s not an idiot. He knows refusing marriage will disrespect me, and we can’t afford discord now.”
I wonder if I should remind him that Luca doesn’t care about interfamily discord.
After all, he’s been investigating my father’s death despite everyone telling him not to.
“I'll speak with Luca, try to work out an arrangement that protects everyone's interests." His phone rings. “I have work to do. Are we ready for Christmas?”
I stand. “I’m going to work on that now.”
As I leave Dom's study, I feel like I’m caught between two powerful families. They both care more about honor, respect, and appearances than the people they say they want to protect. In this moment, I feel utterly alone.
I throw myself into organizing the decorations that will go in the ballroom for the Christmas festivities, grateful for the mindless task distracting me from the endless loop of Luca's face when he realized the truth, or how easily my children accepted him, or the way Dom suggested marriage like he was proposing a business merger.
By late afternoon, the decorations are organized and ready for display.
I’ve met with the cook and baker to review the menu, called the florist to double-check our order, and gone to the wine cellar to make sure we have enough champagne.
It’s time for me to pick up the kids, so I stop by Dom’s office to let him know I’m leaving.
His door stands open, voices drifting through the crack.
I wait outside knowing he doesn’t like me to interrupt when he’s in a meeting.
"—becoming a problem. If you give me the word, I can take care of Monti permanently."
My blood freezes in my veins at Gio’s statement.
"That's not necessary," Dom replies, his voice measured. "Not yet."
"He's digging into old business. Threatening the balance. And now with the kids—"
“I said no, Gio. And I don’t appreciate your eavesdropping on private conversations with family.”
“Your uncle was family. His death hasn’t been avenged—”
I push the door open without knocking, both men turning in surprise.
"No one is touching Luca," I say, knowing I’m overstepping but not caring. "No one is taking my children's father from them. Not you, not anyone."
Gio's eyes narrow, but Dom's expression remains unreadable.
"If anything happens to him," I continue, "I'll know exactly who's responsible."
“Nothing is going to happen to Don Monti,” Dom says, almost like he’s bored with the conversation. He turns his attention to Gio. “Understood?”
Gio’s jaw tightens. “Understood.”
I spend the next few days jumping at shadows, half-expecting to hear that something's happened to Luca.
Though Dom assured me that he'd keep Gio in check, I don't fully trust his promise.
Meanwhile, Luca comes by each evening as promised. He sits at our kitchen table, helping with homework, listening to the kids' stories about school.
He's patient, attentive, everything they deserve in a father.
I hover nearby, making dinner, folding laundry, finding excuses to stay within earshot.
"You don't need to supervise," he tells me one night after the children are in bed.
"They're still my kids," I reply, the words sounding defensive.
"Our kids," he corrects, his eyes holding mine.
I sigh. “I’m not supervising. I’m just…” Feeling alone. But I don’t tell him that. All the feelings are my penance for what I’ve done.
Friday arrives, and I pack their overnight bags, triple-checking that I've included everything they want and need.
Favorite stuffed animals, bedtime stories, winter clothes.
At Luca's mansion, the kids bound excitedly toward the door while I follow them.
"I'll bring them to the festival tomorrow," Luca says, standing in the doorway.
I nod, trying to mask my anxiety. I’m not afraid this visit will go badly. I’m afraid they’ll never come home. "They need to wear their snow boots. The forecast says it might be icy."
"I've got it covered." Luca's tone softens slightly. "They'll be safe with me, Elena."
"I know that." And I do, despite everything.
As I drive away, I can't shake the feeling that I'm losing them.
I have an evening free, and I decide to take advantage of it.
I’ll stop at the store to get a quick-cook meal and a bottle of wine.
I’ll spend the night wrapping presents from Santa and hiding them.
Maybe I’ll watch a movie.
In the small grocery around the corner from my home, I’m scanning the wine selection when I sense someone watching me.
Call it intuition or the heightened awareness that comes from growing up in a family like mine, but I know I'm being observed before I even turn around.
"Ms. Vitale." A man in a dark suit approaches my cart. His smile doesn't reach his eyes.
Something about his demeanor puts me instantly on edge.
"Do I know you?" I ask.
"Agent Victor Blackwood, FBI." He flashes his badge discreetly. "I've been meaning to introduce myself."
My pulse quickens. I've heard this name before. This is the FBI agent who's been circling La Corona for years.
"I don’t have time," I say, moving to push my cart past him.
He steps sideways, blocking my path. "I understand you're in a difficult situation with Luca Monti. Custody battles can be… messy. Especially in your world."
Ice floods my veins. How does he know about this already?
"There is no custody battle," I say firmly.
"Not yet." His smile widens slightly. "But a new Don has to establish himself, assert control. I've seen it before. Especially with women. Men like Monti don’t like women outwitting them.”
"You don't know anything about my situation."
"I know more than you think." Blackwood leans closer. "I could help you, Ms. Vitale. Ensure you keep your children. I could get you away from the Mafia world. New identity. New life. Safety for your children. All I need is some information about La Corona's operations."
The audacity of his offer momentarily leaves me speechless.
He thinks he can manipulate my fears about losing my children to turn me against my family.
"I don't need your help," I say. "And I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me alone." If anyone in La Corona were to see us speaking, I’d be in deep trouble. I’d lose my kids for sure.
"Think about it." He slips a business card into my purse. "Three young children need their mother. It would be a shame if something happened that separated you from them."
The thinly veiled threat makes my blood boil. "Are you threatening me, Agent Blackwood?"
"Just offering options." He steps back. "Everyone needs an ally, Elena. Especially someone caught between powerful men."
"Go away," I tell him, no longer bothering with politeness. "Now."
As he walks away, I abandon my half-filled cart and head straight for my car, hands shaking as I dial Dom's number.
"Elena?" He answers on the second ring.
"Agent Blackwood just approached me at the store," I say without preamble. "He tried to use my situation with Luca and the kids to turn me into an informant."
Dom curses softly. "Are you somewhere safe?"
"In my car. Heading home."
“Good. Fuck.” There’s a long pause. “What did he want? Specifically?”
“He just said he wanted information about La Corona.” I pull up to my home. “I didn’t tell him anything, Dom. I swear.”
“I know, Elena. I trust you.” Yeah, but will the other families believe me? Will Luca use this to take my children?
Will Don Ferraza or Don Calabresi insist on some punishment like they wanted to give to Isabella and Gabriella?
Granted, things worked out for them, but I don’t see my punishment turning into a happily ever after.
No, my life is becoming a nightmare minute by minute.