Chapter 3

In the back of the SUV heading toward the Calloway estate, Leo clutched his backpack. The silence between us was heavy.

"Mama," Leo began. "Do you think... do you think Sir would come to the Academy's commendation ceremony tonight?"

My chest tightened. In the seven years since Leo was born, Rhys had never once set foot inside St. Jude's Preparatory, the elite, heavily fortified academy where the heirs of the underworld were groomed.

Looking into my son's desperately hopeful eyes, I couldn't bear to crush him just yet. I pulled out my phone.

[Leo has his quarterly evaluation and ceremony tonight. Are you available?]

I hit send. Minutes dragged on. The screen remained dark.

Leo lowered his head. "He doesn't want to come, does he?" he whispered. Then, forcing a painfully mature smile that didn't reach his eyes, he added, "It's fine. Sir has an empire to run. I understand."

Hearing my seven-year-old son rationalize his father's neglect felt like a physical blow to my ribs. It hurt so much I could barely breathe.

I was just about to tell him we would celebrate on our own, when my phone vibrated.

A message from Rhys.

[Schedule is clear. I will be there.]

A rush of absolute disbelief flooded my veins. I practically shoved the glowing screen into Leo's line of sight. "Look, baby. He said he's coming."

Leo blinked, stunned, before a brilliant, unrestrained smile broke across his face.

For the rest of the ride, the crushing gravity of the afternoon evaporated. Leo was practically vibrating with excitement. He chattered endlessly about how the Academy masters had commended his tactical logic scores, how many merits he had earned, and how he had just been appointed Squad Leader of his cohort—a title the headmaster would formally announce tonight.

"Mama," Leo asked, his eyes shining with naive hope, "if Sir knows I'm the best in my class, he'll like me more, right? He'll be proud?"

My heart ached fiercely. I stroked his dark hair, silently praying to a God I'm not sure listens to women in my world, begging that Rhys wouldn't break this promise. Before we severed our ties to the syndicate and disappeared, I just wanted my son to have this one fleeting moment of validation. Even if it was an illusion.

But illusions in the mafia rarely last.

Back at the estate, the antique grandfather clock in the parlor chimed. Once. Twice. The ceremony was drawing closer.

Rhys still hadn't returned to the fortress.

My phone buzzed. It was an update from Elara Thorne.

The photo showed a warmly lit civilian living room. Rhys was sitting on a plush rug next to a strange, blonde-haired little boy. The ruthless Don, a man whose hands were stained with blood, was patiently helping the child snap together a complex Lego architectural set.

The caption read: A natural father.

I lifted my eyes from the screen and looked across our empty living room.

My seven-year-old son was sitting in the center of the rug, playing with his architectural Lego set. Same toy. Same age. Same desperate need for a father's shadow.

But Rhys wasn't here guiding his son's hands. He never was.

Sensing my gaze, Leo paused, his small hands hovering over a plastic brick. He looked at the clock, then at me. "Mama... did Sir get caught up in an emergency with the Capos?"

I stared into his trusting eyes, entirely devoid of words. How could I tell him? How could I tell him that his father wasn't running an empire right now? His father was too busy playing house with another woman's child.

I couldn't. I swallowed the rising bile, walked over, and pulled my son into a fierce embrace.

"It's okay, Leo," I whispered, my voice cracking. "You have me. Mama is always going to be here."

Leo didn't ask anything else. He just nodded against my shoulder, but I felt wet tears soaking through the fabric of my blouse.

The drive to St. Jude's Preparatory was suffocatingly quiet. Neither of us mentioned Rhys. It was as if the promise had never been made, confirming what we both already knew: we were a family of two.

One chance left, Rhys. Just one.

I held Leo's hand as we walked up the steps of the Academy.

But the moment we stepped through the doors into the bustling grand hall, I froze completely.

"Rhys?"

Beside me, Leo's grip on my hand tightened painfully as he breathed out the one word he was never allowed to speak.

"Dad?"