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“And you didn’t think I would have preferred you being honest about it?”
His expression softened slightly, a flicker of hurt crossing his features. “I wanted to protect you. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You already hurt me when you broke up with me like that.” I took a deep breath. “Do you know how hard it was for me? My mother died that night, my father kept taking his anger out on me and abusing me. I ran away from home and went to a new city without a dime in my name and some stolen jewelry. I had to raise two kids on my own. Do you know how much pain I was in? I had no one with me, Max. No one.”
“He threatened you with their lives, didn’t he?” Tears welled in his eyes. It was raw pain and perhaps a bit of guilt. “That was the reason you tried to kill me.”
I didn’t answer. I was in too much pain to give him any answers.
“You’re right,” he whispered, his voice barely audible above the pounding of my heart. “I should never have left you the way I did. God knows there wasn’t a second in my life that I didn’t regret it. I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t change anything. It’s a bit too late for that.” I was so fucking tired and exhausted. So done with my father, him, and all of the bullshit I’d endured. All I needed was my kids. I’d take them and leave for somewhere far away. No one would ever be able to find us, not even him.
I palmed my forehead and turned away from him.
“Gianna…” He grabbed my wrist. “I’m sorry for everything. I made too many mistakes with you and our children. I’m so sorry.”
I jerked away from his grip. “Don’t fucking touch me!”
Hot tears streamed down my cheeks, burning with anger and all the pain I’d had to endure for six years. I could feel the weight of his gaze on me, but I refused to meet his eyes. Instead, I focused on the small faces of Ryan and Daylan on the phone—the innocent lives caught in this whole mafia bullshit.
My babies were innocent, they deserved better. I deserved better. All I wanted was to take care of them and give them all the love I never got, and I couldn’t even do that now.
“I don’t want your apologies,” I choked out, my voice raw with emotion. “I’m going to save my children. And you…you don’t get to waltz back into our lives and expect everything to be forgiven and forgotten. You abandoned us, Maxim. You left me alone without a second thought. I understand they’re your family, but I loved you. You were all I had, and you left.”
Maxim’s hand hovered in the air, a silent plea for me to listen, to understand. But I was done listening. I’d had enough. It was his turn to listen, his turn to do what I said.
“I hate you, but my father has our children. If anything happens to our children, I’ll kill him myself. I’ll follow him to hell and kill him myself.”
“Shh.” He inched closer and cupped my cheeks. “Nothing will happen to them, okay? We’ll save them—you and me. Together.”
“What do we do?”
“We have to save them.” He took my hand and squeezed it, his eyes searching mine. “Do you have an idea where your father may be hiding?”
I thought. The last time I’d seen him was in the mansion he bought downtown. But my father wasn’t an idiot; he wouldn’t dare stay there after the stunt he just pulled. “It was a mansion. I doubt he’ll be there right now, though. If he told you about the kids, then he must’ve wanted something in return.”
“He wants me in exchange for the kids.”
“That’s not happening.” I raked my fingers through my head. “It’s another one of his stunts. He won’t stop at just getting you. He’ll kill you, your brothers, their wives and kids. He’ll kill me and our kids, too. My father is crazy.”
“We need to come up with a plan,” he said sharply. “And we need to act fast.”
I snapped my finger. “My father stays on a yacht whenever he thinks his security is being threatened. I’ll try to hack into his system and see if it has been moved.”
“If he knew you were good at hacking, don’t you think he would have found a way to prevent that somehow?”
“He definitely has, but I can’t give up.” Not when my children are involved. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to them.
“I’ll call my brothers and see if they can help us in some way.”
I nodded.
Maxim took his phone from me and walked away. As much as I wanted to curl up in the room and cry my eyes out. As much as I wanted him to gravel for my forgiveness, we both had to put everything aside for the sake of our children.
None of our pain, loneliness, bitterness, or betrayal mattered right now. For the first time since I had the kids, I was grateful I was no longer alone.
They had a family—uncles, aunties, cousins and a father who would protect them. My eyes teared up again at the relief. I’d been so worried for nothing. I’d been afraid Maxim would rip them from me, but he wasn’t the monster I feared he was.
