Page 102 of Surprise Twins for the Mafia Prince
As usual, Lorenzo is already there, stationed beside Leone’s bassinet like some kind of mafia guardian angel.
We added him to the approved list of visitors the day after the twins were born—along with Luca—and he’s also come by pretty much every day, bearing gifts and quiet, watchful affection.
In these long hours I’ve spent here, I’ve come to know my children’s grandfather.
After learning the truth about my dad, I realized I had no reason to keep hating Lorenzo. Or any Andretti.
My father made his own choices. He stole from the Andrettis, planned to fake his death, and tried to frame them for it. All so he could disappear. Start a new life. Leave us behind.
Leaveme.
That truth still stings. The wound is raw and will be for a while.
But for the first time, it feels like a wound I can actuallyheal.
All these years, I lived with the ghost of a man I’d idealized and turned into some tragic hero. The loving father who was suddenly gone. Supposedly dead. No goodbye. No explanation.
That kind of loss doesn’t scar—it festers.
Seeing him again, hearing the truth—no matter how awful—cauterized something inside me.
I’m not sad he’s gone. Not anymore.
Dario worried I’d hate him for pulling the trigger, but the truth is, Keith Foley wasn’t the man I remembered. He wasn’t a hero. He wasn’t even a father, not in any way that mattered.
He was willing to sell me, and my babies, to the highest bidder.
He can rot in hell.
And as for Lorenzo...no, he’s not a saint. I’m not naïve.
But he’s proven himself. He’s shown up, every day, with kindness and respect for me, and fierce love for his grandsons.
He’s not the villain in my story anymore.
Yes, he runs a criminal empire. Some people will only ever see that. But I’ve come to see what else lives in this family.
There’s more than bloodstained money and intimidation tactics.
There’s family. There’s loyalty. There’s love.
Lorenzo rises from the chair beside Leone’s bassinet—both twins were moved out of the incubators after a week and have been in bassinets ever since. He greets us with a warm grin and squeezes my shoulder, and the simple touch makes my chest feel warm, like being welcomed home.
He doesn’t hold a grudge. Not for all the years I hated him, not for the grief I carried. He’s just glad I’ve come around.
“Today’s the big day,” he says, his voice a low, gentle rumble. “Are you ready?”
“More than ready,” I reply, lifting Nico out of his bassinet and folding him carefully into my arms. His tiny weight settles against me, grounding me in this moment. I feel like I might float away with happiness, and he’s the perfect anchor.
Dario picks up Leone and runs the tip of his finger down our son’s cheek—his signature move. It’s the kind of small, intimate gesture that’s so perfectlyDarioit unravels me every time. Watching him with our boys softens all my sharp edges.
“Are you coming over for dinner tonight?” I ask Lorenzo.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve fully embraced Dario’s family as my own. That includes having them over for dinner as often as possible. Quinn and Paolo come by the most, and she’s quickly become one of my closest friends. Our boys will grow up with her daughter, and I love knowing they’ll have each other.
Luca’s like the brother I never had. Our relationship has become something steady and easy—playful, protective. I’ve come to realize he struggles with self-esteem in his own way. It’s not like Dario’s, but it runs deep—this constant push to prove himself to the family. I hope someday he sees he doesn’t have to. That he’s already enough.
I wish I had that kind of connection with Gabriel. But things between us have been strained for a long time. Maybe too long. After everything with Dad, I reached out to him. I just wanted him to know what really happened. But he’d already blocked me. I got the message.
