Page 49 of Forsaken Promises

But I’m ready for it, ready to do whatever it takes to make this marriage work, to build a life with the woman I love.

Because she’s worth it. Worth any price, any sacrifice.

As the evening progresses, I find myself getting lost in the easy banter and laughter that flows between us. It’s like no time has passed at all, like we’re still those same love-struck teenagers who couldn’t get enough of each other.

We reminisce about the happier memories we shared, the stolen moments and inside jokes that belonged only to us. And as we do, I feel a warmth spreading through my chest, a sense of rightness that I haven’t felt in years.

Before I can stop myself, the words are tumbling out of my mouth. “I had deep feelings for you back then, Sofia. I didn’t break up with you because I stopped loving you.”

She looks at me, her eyes wide and vulnerable, and I can see the pain that still lingers there. “Then why did you?” she asks softly, her voice trembling slightly.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the confession that I know I need to make. “I felt trapped,” I admit, my gaze dropping to the table. “Like my whole life had been laid out for me, and it wasn’t the one I wanted. When things got serious between us, I started to realize that marrying you would force me into that role even earlier.”

I risk a glance up at her, expecting to see anger or resentment in her eyes. But instead, I find only understanding, a flicker of empathy that makes my heart ache.

“I panicked,” I continue, my voice rough with emotion as I swirl my wine glass, lost in my memories. “I chose to break up with you rather than facing the inevitability of my fate.”

Sofia is silent for a long moment, her brow furrowed in thought. “What would you rather do with your life?” she asks finally, her voice soft and curious.

“Travel,” I say without hesitation. “Like an average human, where I fly on a commercial plane, take one backpack’s worth of clothes, and see where my feet can take me.”

She looks at me, her head tilted to the side as if seeing me in a new light. “Couldn’t we have done that together?”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of me. I stare at her, my mouth hanging open in shock. “I… I hadn’t considered it at the time,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “You always seemed like such a Mafia princess that I couldn’t imagine your wanting an ordinary life.”

Sofia lets out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Dom, I would have followed you anywhere. I didn’t care about the money or the power or any of that. All I wanted was you.”

I feel a lump forming in my throat, a wave of regret and longing washing over me. “I'm sorry,” I choke out, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. “I’m so sorry, Sofia. I was a fool, a coward. I let my fear and my selfishness get in the way of the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Looking up at her, I feel hope bloom in my chest. If she would have followed me anywhere back then, would she do so now?

“What about now?” I ask. “Would you travel with me?”

As the weight of my question hangs in the air between us, I watch Sofia’s face closely, trying to gauge her reaction. For a moment, her eyes light up with a flicker of excitement, a spark of the adventurous spirit that I’ve always loved about her.

But then, just as quickly, the light fades, replaced by a sadness that makes my heart ache. She looks down at the table, her fingers tracing patterns on the white linen cloth.

“So much has changed since we were together before,” she says softly, her voice heavy with emotion. “My father’s sick, Dom. Really sick. I can’t leave him, not now. Not when he needs me the most.”

I feel a pang of sympathy, a wave of understanding washing over me. I know how much Sofia loves her father, how much she’s always looked up to him as a pillar of strength and guidance.

“And after he… after he dies,” she continues, her voice catching on the word, “it will fall to me to protect my sisters, to make sure they’re taken care of, that they have the future they deserve.”

I reach across the table, taking her hand in mine and squeezing gently. “Sofia, baby, you’re not in this alone,” I say softly, my voice filled with tenderness and empathy. “We’ll take care of your sisters together. I promise you, I’ll do everything in my power to keep them safe and happy.”

She looks up at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “You would do that? For me, for them?”

I nod, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “Of course I would. They’re your family, Sofia. Which means they’re my family too.”

She lets out a shaky breath, a single tear slipping down her cheek. “I don't know what to say, Dom. I never thought… I never imagined that you would be so understanding, so supportive.”

I reach out, brushing the tear away with my thumb. “I know I haven’t always been the man you needed me to be, Sofia. I know I’ve let you down in more ways than I can count. But I’m trying to be better, to be the husband you deserve.”

She nods, a watery smile spreading across her face. “I know you are, Dom. And I appreciate it, more than you can possibly know.”

She lets out a shaky breath, a single tear slipping down her cheek. But then, a mischievous glint appears in her eye, and she gives me a wry smile.

“Well, if we do end up traveling together someday,” she says, her voice taking on a playful tone, “I have one condition. We go anywhere but Italy.”

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