Page 44 of Forsaken Promises

I feel tears welling up in my eyes, a lump forming in my throat that I can't quite swallow past. “I'm sorry, Papa,” I say, my voice cracking with emotion. “I'm sorry I wasn’t here sooner. I’m sorry I didn’t… I didn’t know.”

He shakes his head, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Don’t be sorry, Sofia,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “You were where you needed to be. With your husband, building your future.”

I feel a stab of pain in my chest, a bitter reminder of all the ways my marriage has fallen short of my dreams. But I push it down, forcing a smile onto my face as I nod.

“Yes, Papa,” I say, my voice soft and soothing. “I'm building my future, just like you always wanted.”

He nods, his eyes drifting closed as he sinks back against the pillows. “Good,” he murmurs, his voice fading away. “That's good.”

I sit there for a long moment, holding his hand and watching the rise and fall of his chest. I feel like I'm in a dream, like none of this can possibly be real.

But it is real. It's happening, right here and now, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

20

DOMINICO

Ipace back and forth in my room, my mind racing with thoughts of Sofia and the disastrous turn our morning took. I can’t stop replaying the hurt and anger in her eyes, the way she flinched away from my touch like I was poison.

I know I fucked up. I know I should have handled the situation better, should have found a way to reassure her and ease her fears. But the truth is, I don’t know how. I’ve never had to figure this out before, never had to navigate the treacherous waters of a real relationship.

Usually, women just fall into my arms. And usually, I’m more than happy to oblige, to give them what they want for a night or two before moving on to the next conquest.

But Sofia… she’s different. She’s not just another notch in my bedpost, another pretty face to add to my collection.

She’s my wife, the woman I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with.

And I’m failing her. I’m failing her in every way that matters, and I don’t know how to fix it.

I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping the details of my past lovers to myself. I mean, what good would it have done to tell her how many women I’ve been with? It’s not like it would have magically erased all the pain and betrayal between us.

If anything, it would have just made things worse. It would have just given Sofia more ammunition, more reasons to hate me and resent me for all the ways I've let her down.

But keeping quiet didn’t do me any favors, either. It just made her think I had something to hide, that I was still the same selfish, dishonest bastard who broke her heart all those years ago.

I’m at a loss. I don’t know what to do, don't know how to navigate this minefield of a marriage we’ve found ourselves in.

I keep trying to reach out to her, to show her that I’m not the man I used to be. That I’ve changed, that I’m ready to be the husband—the man—she deserves.

But every time I take a step forward, Sofia takes two steps back. Every time I try to open up to her, to let her see the real me… she slams the door in my face, retreating behind her walls of anger and resentment.

It’s like she’s determined to bring up the past, to hold on to the grudges and the bitterness that have been festering inside her for so long. Like she’s refusing to give me a chance, to even consider the possibility that we could have a future together.

And I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything I can do to change her mind, if there’s any way to fix what’s broken between us, to heal the wounds that I’ve inflicted on her heart.

As I stand at the window, lost in my thoughts and trying to come up with a plan to win Sofia back, a flash of movement catches my eye. I look down, and there she is, walking down the drive like a vision in the morning light.

My heart skips a beat as I take in the sight of her, all long legs and graceful curves. Even from this distance, I can see the way the sun glints off her dark hair, the way her skin seems to glow with an inner radiance.

God, she’s beautiful. So beautiful it takes my breath away, makes me wonder how I ever got lucky enough to call her mine.

But then, my eyes narrow as I spot a familiar figure at the end of the drive. A figure I know all too well, one who sets my teeth on edge and makes my blood boil with barely contained rage.

Luca.

I watch as he approaches Sofia, his body language casual and relaxed, like he has every right to be there, every right to speak to my wife as if they’re old friends.

I’m out the door before I even realize what I’m doing, my feet pounding against the pavement as I race down the drive toward them. But by the time I reach the end of the drive, Sofia is already gone, disappearing into the distance like a mirage.

---