Chapter 12
EVA
The sleek SUV glides through the gates, and I twist in my seat for one last glance at the mansion where I've left my heart behind.
My daughter is with a man who's essentially a stranger to her.
For three years, I’ve never not had Mirabella by my side, and now I've left her with Adriano Dante, one of the most dangerous men I've ever known.
It’s not that I don’t trust that he wants to be a father.
The truth is what unsettles me is how quickly she warmed to him, her little hand slipping so trustingly into his.
She didn't cry when I kissed her goodbye, just waved and turned back to hear about whatever fairy castle Adriano was promising to build her.
I don’t doubt that he wants to get to know his daughter, but I also know he’s holding her because he doesn’t trust me. I can’t blame him for that.
All things considered, I wouldn't trust me either.
What must it feel like to discover the woman you mourned has been alive all along, raising your child without you?
As bad as it is, I’d do it again.
I'd run with Mirabella tonight if I had the chance.
It’s clear he knows that.
What he doesn’t understand is that the reason isn’t because I want to hurt him but because staying puts all of us in danger.
Even so, my heart aches when I think of him with Mirabella.
Watching him kneel before her promising her fairies and protection, the sweet awe in his eyes as he lifted her into his arms, it was pure love.
It was everything I would have wanted for her and more.
But the secrets I'm keeping would destroy everything.
When Adriano discovers what I've done, who I really am, his newfound paternal instincts won't save me.
Still, a flicker of resentment burns in my chest.
He doesn't know what it cost me to leave.
The nights I cried myself to sleep, clutching my growing belly, desperately wishing he were there but knowing my life, our child’s life, depended on my disappearing.
That same need to vanish exists.
If not for Mirabella, I’d make a run for it now.
But the instant connection she had with him, even before she knew he was her father, binds us all together.
For the first time in years, I can't run.
Not because Adriano won't let me, but because I can't tear my daughter away from her father.
We arrive at a store, and I browse through racks of children's clothes.
Pink fairy dresses, tiny jeans, miniature sweaters.
"This would look adorable on her," Sophia says, holding up a delicate white cardigan with pearl buttons.
I manage a smile and add it to our growing pile.
Sophia was assigned to come with me to help, but I suspect, just like the bodyguards, that their number one job is to keep me from running.
I’d never run without my daughter, and yet… perhaps now that she’s safe with him, I should run.
He won’t hurt her.
He won’t let anyone hurt her.
Now is my chance to save myself without putting her in danger.
But the idea of leaving her behind breaks me.
How can I leave my heart?
"You'll need things for yourself too," Sophia nudges, steering me toward women's wear.
I nod, aware of how worn my clothes have become. The guards' eyes follow as we move through the boutique. I select the basics—jeans, T-shirts, underwear.
What I really need can't be bought. Freedom. Safety. A clean slate. A way to protect Mirabella from the consequences of my past choices.
By the time the SUV pulls through the gates again, my arms are laden with bags.
Relief washes over me at being back under the same roof as Mirabella.
Despite everything, the thought of her being out of my sight for too long still triggers panic.
"Allow me, Ms. Santoro." One of the staff appears, reaching for the shopping bags. “I’ll take these to your room.”
I relinquish them with a nod, eager to find Mirabella.
"Your daughter is with Mr. Dante in the library, ma'am," she says.
I hurry down the hall, amazed that I still remember the layout of the home.
The door stands partially open, and I slow my approach, wanting to peek in before announcing myself.
Adriano sits on a leather couch, Mirabella curled on his lap.
His deep voice fills the space, reading from a book of fairy tales.
My daughter's eyes are wide with wonder, her tiny finger pointing at colorful illustrations.
"And the fairy queen waved her magic wand." He makes a swooping gesture with his hand, earning a giggle from Mirabella.
I press my palm against the doorframe, struck by the beautiful moment.
This is everything I'd dreamed of during those lonely nights. Mirabella knowing her father, being loved by him.
Adriano looks up, catching me watching.
For a heartbeat, his mask slips, revealing something tender before hardening again.
Those gray eyes that once looked at me with adoration now hold caution, suspicion.
I step into the room, and Mirabella's face lights up. "Mama! Daddy's reading about fairies that live in flowers!"
"Is he now?" I wouldn’t say my smile is forced, because it thrills me to see her so happy.
But I do have to help it along as I fear what Adriano might do now that he has her.
He doesn’t trust me.
Will he toss me out and keep her?
Will he kill me?
Adriano's gaze never leaves my face as Mirabella scrambles off his lap and runs to me.
"Did you have fun with Daddy?" I lift her into my arms, needing to feel her against me.
She nods enthusiastically. "He promised real fairy lights for my room."
"That sounds beautiful." I meet Adriano's eyes over her head.
For three years, I've dreamed of a place where Mirabella and I could live without looking over our shoulders.
I've sacrificed everything for that dream.
But watching them together, I see the missing piece I couldn’t provide.
A father's love.
Protection that doesn't require constant running.
"We can finish the story together," Adriano offers, his voice neutral though his eyes hold suspicions.
I settle beside them, Mirabella between us, and feel my heart splitting in two directions.
One yearning for escape, the other longing to stay, to rebuild what was broken, to let my daughter have this man who already loves her fiercely.
The truth is inescapable. I can't tear them apart now. Not when she's found what I've denied her for so long.
He continues to read until Mirabella’s eyes flutter closed.
“She needs her nap,” I say quietly.
He gently lifts our daughter. Mirabella's head droops against his shoulder. "I'll take her up.”
I follow them upstairs, keeping a step behind.
This moment feels surreal, the three of us moving through these hallways like the family we could have been.
For a fleeting second, I let myself imagine this is our home, our life, our reality.
The fact that it isn’t pierces my heart.
Adriano lays her on the bed, and I step forward to remove her shoes, tucking the blanket around her.
When her breathing deepens into sleep, Adriano motions toward the door. "We need to talk."
"I should stay," I whisper. "If she wakes in a strange place—"
“We can't put off this conversation."
I glance at Mirabella's peaceful face. "I don't want to leave her alone upstairs. The house is so big…"
Something in his expression softens. "There's a sitting room next door. She'll be within earshot if she calls."
I hesitate, torn between staying with my daughter and facing whatever confrontation awaits me.
Finally, I nod, brushing a kiss against Mirabella's forehead before following Adriano out.
The adjacent room is small but elegant, a private parlor with windows overlooking the gardens.
Adriano closes the door partway, leaving it cracked open to hear any sounds from Mirabella.
My heart pounds as he turns to face me.
I've spent years running from this man, from this family, from this life, and now I’m back where I started, feeling trapped.
"It was beautiful to see you with her today," I say, hoping to delay the inevitable. "The way you read to her. You're a natural father."
Adriano's face softens momentarily before hardening back into granite. "Thank you. Did you get everything you needed?"
"Yes. More than enough." I fidget then stop, not wanting him to see my nerves. "Sophia was very helpful."
"Eva. Why are the Russians after you?" His eyes bore into mine.
My mouth goes dry. "It's complicated," I manage.
"Uncomplicate it." His voice drops low. He’s not in the mood for my deflections. "My men are dying in a war against the Bratva. You show up being chased by the same people. I deserve to know why."
“You found me… I don’t owe you—”
His eyes flash with a heat that forces me to take a step back. “I saved your life. Our daughter’s life. I deserve to know what the fuck is going on.”
I shake my head, looking down. "I can't—"
"Can't or won't?" He takes a step toward me. "I've given you shelter. Protection. Access to my daughter—"
My head snaps up at his choice of words. "Our daughter.” He might be dangerous, but when it comes to Mirabella, I’ll fight to the death.
"Our daughter," he corrects, "who you kept from me for three years while you ran from something. I want to know what."
I wrap my arms around myself. "You don't understand what you're asking."
"Then make me understand!" His control slips, voice rising before he catches himself, glancing toward the cracked door. "You disappeared, Eva. Let me believe you were dead. Kept my child from me. And now you expect blind faith?"
"I don't expect anything from you.” I didn’t ask him to find me, even though he’s right. I’d be dead now if he hadn’t shown up. And who knows what would have happened to Mirabella.
"Bullshit." He closes the distance between us. "You expect protection. Safety. You expect me to shield Mirabella and you without knowing what I'm up against."
“I never asked you to—”
“Then leave.” He points to the door. “If you’d rather take your chances with the Bratva than trust that I can help you, go. But Mirabella stays with me.” His eyes are so penetrating. Like he’s trying to read my mind. “Or you can tell me what I need to know.”
"I told you about your father—"
"That explains why you ran from me. Not why the Bratva wants you dead."
The truth hovers on my tongue, but I swallow it back. "Some things are better left buried, Adriano."
"Nothing stays buried forever, Eva." He runs a hand through his hair, frustration radiating from him. "I can't help you if I don't know what we're facing."
"Maybe I don't want your help," I say.
"Then why are you still here?" He steps closer, close enough that I can feel the heat of him. A yearning to lean into him nearly undoes me.
"Why not run the moment I let you out of my sight?"
Because of Mirabella. Because running means losing her to him forever. But that’s not what I say to him. "You think knowing the truth will make this easier? It won't. Some secrets destroy everything they touch."
"Try me," he challenges.
"I can't do this, Adriano." My voice breaks as I back away from him. "You don't understand what you're asking."
His jaw clenches. "What I understand is that you're hiding something that could get us all killed. My family. Our daughter."
The weight of my secrets is like an anvil on my chest, making it difficult to breathe.
If I tell him the truth, that I wasn't just accused of working with the Bratva but that I actually did, he'll never forgive me.
He'll see me for what I truly am. A traitor.
"Trust goes both ways, Eva. I've opened my home to you. Offered protection. And still you keep walls up."
"Some walls exist for a reason," I say, hating that I can’t fix this.
I flinch as his fist connects with the wall beside him, leaving a dent in the plaster.
The sound echoes through the quiet room.
"When you're ready to be honest, you know where to find me." He stalks out.
I feel some relief that the conversation is over, but also guilt and fear.
He’s right.
The truth will come out.
And when it does, I’ll lose everything. Mirabella.
My life.