Lucius gently ran his fingers through Layla’s hair as she rested her head on his shoulder. His touch was slow, almost absentminded, as if lost in thought.
"Aren’t you hungry?" he finally asked, his voice quiet.
Layla shifted slightly, her fingers tracing soft circles on the back of his hand. "No. You?"
"I don’t have an appetite either," he admitted.
She lifted her head slightly, glancing up at him. "You sound... off," she observed. Then, in a gentle and concerned tone, she said, "Tell what’s on your mind."
Lucius hesitated, his gaze fixed on a distant point, as if searching for the right words. After a long pause, he murmured, "When did I beco such a coward? I wasn’t like this. Why didn’t I trust my guts to put my faith in you and share everything with you? Why did I feel lost?"
"Maybe because you were trapped by the mories of the past, which never let you healed. And you already explained to that you didn’t wish to lose . I tried to put myself at your place with my calm mind. I would have taken the similar decision," Layla opined.
They heard a knock on the door just as Layla was speaking. She paused, turning toward the entrance. "I’ll check," she said, stepping out of the room.
Lucius remained seated on the edge of the bed, lost in thought. His mind was a storm of questions, regrets, and emotions he had no desire to acknowledge. But the mont Layla returned, her voice pulled him back to reality.
"Your mother has arrived," she inford him with a worried gaze.
Lucius’s body tensed. Without hesitation, he got up, slipped into his shoes, and made his way downstairs. As much as he wanted to avoid this eting, he knew it was inevitable. But whatever discussion was about to unfold, it would not be in the presence of others.
When Evelina entered the house, her eyes imdiately sought him out. The mont she saw Lucius, her heart clenched painfully. The light she had once seen in his gaze was gone. He had changed—hardened in a way that made her chest tighten with guilt.
She let go of the handle of her trolley bag and stepped forward, reaching out as if to embrace him. But Lucius took a deliberate step back. His face carried an expression even colder than ice.
"Let’s not waste each other’s ti with unnecessary formalities," he said flatly, his voice devoid of any warmth. "Follow ."
Without another glance, he turned and strode toward his study.
Evelina hesitated for a brief mont, her hands clenching at her sides. Then, she followed him.
Alekis, who had been observing from the living room, glanced at Evelina as she walked past him. He said nothing, but his gaze was filled with unspoken thoughts.
"Father, shouldn’t you go with them?" Layla asked, her voice laced with concern.
"No," Alekis responded firmly. "This conversation is long overdue. Lucius needs to face his mother without interference. He may finally be able to say what’s been buried inside him for years."
Layla frowned. "I just hope she doesn’t stay silent this ti."
~~~~~
Inside the study, Lucius closed the door behind them. Evelina crossed her arms over her chest with a tense expression on her face.
"How did Vladimir find you?" she demanded, her voice rising slightly. "And how could you et him?"
Lucius let out a short, humorless laugh before turning to face her, his eyes burning with barely restrained anger.
"You have no right to raise your voice at ," he said icily. "If anyone has the right to be furious, it’s ."
His jaw clenched as his emotions surged. Years of pain, betrayal, and unanswered questions all boiled over at once.
"Why did you even bring into this world if you were just going to throw away?" His voice was sharp and filled with pain. "Do you have any idea what I’ve risked because of the choices you made? Because of one mistake, my entire life beca a nightmare!"
Evelina flinched at his words, but he didn’t stop.
"Did you know how my brother died? How Matteo died?" His voice cracked with anger and grief. "Did you always know the truth?"
He slamd his hands down on the desk, the impact echoing through the room. His piercing gaze locked onto hers, daring her to answer.
Evelina swallowed hard.
"Bringing you into this world was never a mistake, Lucius," she said softly.
"It was," he countered, stepping closer. "Didn’t you tell that Antoine died because of ? Why did he die? Tell the truth. Was it because Vladimir found out you had hidden away?"
Evelina trembled as he advanced toward her. He stopped re inches away from his mother.
"Why did you ruin not just my life, but the lives of everyone around ?" He questioned. "Stop standing there in silence. It won’t change anything."
Evelina squeezed her eyes shut for a mont before taking a deep breath. When she finally spoke, her voice wavered.
"I didn’t know Vladimir was a mafia boss when I fell in love with him," she admitted as her hands and voice began shaking. "He lived a quiet life, and I truly believed he was just a businessman. But when I found out the truth, I knew I had to leave. By the ti I escaped, I was already pregnant with you... and I didn’t realize it until I arrived in Italy."
She exhaled sharply, as if the weight of her past was suffocating her.
"I t Alekis and thought I could start over. I wanted to build a new life, away from the danger that followed . But Vladimir... he found out I had his child. That’s why I left you behind after the divorce. I knew he would never stop searching."
Lucius’s fists clenched. His nails dug into his palms, but he said nothing.
"I warned you so many tis to stay away from the mafia, yet you chose Matteo to be your friend," Evelina said with a quivering tone.
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