Chapter 126

Layla

I stared blankly at Agent Carter, waiting for him to further explain his statement. What the hell was he getting at? Clearly, this wasn’t just some routine interrogation.

All traces of amusement had vanished from his features. Before, it was easy to see that he was getting a kick out of toying with me. I allowed him the chance to show off his prowess as a detective.

But now...?

We seemed to have come to the part of the discussion where I was going to be met with some sort of ultimatum. A choice that could be considered on the borderline of a threat.

His voice drew low as he spoke. “I know about the unauthorized clinic you have set up,” he said.

I hid my emotions behind my icy deposition while my heart sank into my gut. Of course, he knew about it. That shouldn’t have come as a surprise in the least.

I clenched my jaw and took in a long breath. “And how exactly did you figure that out? Have you been stalking me personally?”

“Like I said, you can lie to the police, but not to me,” he said evenly. “When you said you’d treated Vanessa earlier, you hadn’t explicitly said that it was at the hospital where you oversaw her medical care.”

My stomach churned. Shit.

“I checked the records. There wasn’t anyone by the name of Vanessa Redding in their files or system,” he acknowledged. “Hell, I’d even be willing to place money down to say that isn't even Vanessa’s real name.”

I refused to even look at him that time. This guy was good. He was dangerously intuitive, unlike the rest of the officers in the damn place. When he wanted results, he went out and made sure to find them, no matter what.

“Who is Vanessa, really? Why did she become entangled in the Marcello family to begin with?”

I fought back an ugly sneer. “Oh, what? You mean to tell me that in all of your stalking and investigating, you weren’t able to uncover anything on her? And here I thought you were impressive.”

His eyelids drooped and glinted with annoyance. Agent Carter sagged back in his chair. He had to know that he’d reached the end of his line with me. I wasn’t going to give him anything worthwhile.

“You’re not going to talk to me, are you?”

“I have nothing to say.”

“You realize, you’re allowing yourself to become swept up in the ongoing mess that is the Marcello family,” he pointed out.

I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling. No shit, idiot.

I’d been living two separate lives ever since the day Aldo came tumbling back into my life. I’ve been living for both the light and the dark—the good and the bad. I struggled for months to try and justify it as well as find a happy medium for the two. I never could.

Any time I would mention the situation with Aldo, he would hardly throw in his own thoughts. That was because, deep down, he knew that the two worlds couldn’t come together. He just didn’t want to be the one to tell me that.

Yet, he’d been trying to make his own strides for peace...Of course, those never seemed to stick either.

It really was a large, cruel pill to have to swallow.

He let out a long breath and glowered. “Setting up an unauthorized illegal medical practice is punishable by law,” he explained. “It could result in hefty fines, prison time, and in your case, losing your medical license.”

I snatched my eyes from the ground and stared back at him in disbelief. No. Oh God, please.

I knew my heart had stopped beating, purely for the act that I had stopped breathing altogether. Agent Carter rested his hands on top of his desk and squared his shoulders.

“You don’t want to tell me what I need to know, then I’m going to have no choice but to have your medical license revoked,” he said.

“For how long?” I whispered.

“As of right now, the suspension is permanent.”

Oh my God. My throat grew dry, till it became impossible to swallow. My heart felt like it had been torn out of my chest. The last piece of myself that set me apart from the darkness that was my current life.

That clinic I’d set up was meant to help people. All I wanted to do was help people who didn't have the financial means to do it themselves. And I was being punished for it.

I understood the fact that what I was trying to do wasn’t exactly illegal. But this reprimanding felt so much more personal. Agent Carter wasn’t instilling this decision on the grounds of legality—it was because I was refusing to give up all of the Marcello family secrets.

“The choice is yours,” he reiterated.

It felt like I was taking a bone saw to my own arm. What was I to do? Sacrifice what was left of my former life, the life I had carefully and tirelessly curated from myself to support my family and me...Or, choose Aldo.

Why does it always come down to him?

“Come on, Layla,” he pressed. “Make the right choice.”

I silently prayed for the strength it was going to take to get me out of the hole I was burying myself in. The decision I was being forced to make was no different than what Vanessa tried to pull. Eli or Aldo?

An impossible choice that I had refused to make. However, this time, there was no room for negotiation and no time to make a plan.

“That’s Mrs. Marcello to you,” I said darkly. “And I think we’re done here.”

I pushed out the chair and stood up. I forced back the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes. I turned to make my way toward the exit.

Agent Carter’s voice carried after me. “You’re making a mistake—”

I snapped my head around and stared him down. “Out of all the horrible people I’ve been forced to come into contact with, you’re the worst one by far.”

His expression was resolute. He hadn’t dared to say anything after that which gave me the chance to finally leave and go home.

Only, I had no idea what I was essentially going home to.

As the taxi pulled up in front of the house, my first initial thoughts went to Eli. I needed to see my son and check to find that he was okay. Yes, I very likely needed a shower and some form of medical attention for my minor scrapes and bruises. But that could wait.

I got out of the car and made it to the front doors. Naturally, I was greeted by a pair of guards while glancing around the main hall in search of my son.

“Layla!” Aldo called out.

Aldo quickly approached me with both my Nonna, Melissa, and Carlo following close behind. That warm spark I would always feel each time we would fall back into each other’s presence was dulled.

In fact, all of my emotions felt muted.

Aldo reached out his hands to grab my arms. “Are you okay? What the hell did that bastard say to you?”

I really didn’t want to recounter the hell I’d just been put through. All I wanted was my son.

“Where’s Eli?” I asked quietly.

Aldo had sensed my passive tone and tensed up. He turned his head back toward the hallway where a small figure stood, hiding behind the door frame.

“Eli...” I spoke softly. I practically ignored everyone else while I tried, desperately, to reach out to my child.

That same look he’d held in his eyes from back at the warehouse was still there. Hesitant and fearful. Eli shook his head and quickly ran off in another direction, taking what little was left of my heart with him.