Page 118 of Broken Mafia Prince
“You heard me loud and clear, Papa,” I spit. “I know that you stole Mom from Grandfather, and you’re the reason they’re dead. You know what, it actually explains why you’re so laser-focused on getting revenge. It’s your own goddamn guilt that’s eating you up.”
I watch my father’s eyes flicker with something I can’t quite place—pain? Regret? The look is gone in an instant, replaced by the cold, calculated man I’ve come to know all too well.
“You think this is easy for me?” His voice is raw, strained, like he’s struggling to hold himself together. “Every time I look at you, I see them. Valentina. Your mother. The ghosts of my past. It’s like a knife twisting in my heart. I can’t bear it anymore.”
I freeze, the words hitting me like a punch to the gut. For a moment, I almost believe him. There’s real agony in his voice, a sorrow I can feel in the pit of my stomach. But then it’s overshadowed by the cold truth—the truth I’ve been running from.
He doesn’t get it. He never has.
“So you’re willing to trade me for peace?” I snap, my voice shaking. “For your own comfort? You think that’s what I am to you? Just a reminder of your mistakes?”
His face hardens.
“It’s not about peace, Giulia,” he says, his voice lowering, almost pleading. “It’s about survival. Alessandro will take you away. You won’t be here, won’t be a constant reminder of everything that has happened. I can concentrate on what really matters. And he—” He stops himself, taking a sharp breath. “He’ll help me get what I’ve always wanted. Revenge. For them. For Valentina and your mother.”
I stumble back, reeling from his words. I don’t know if I’m more shocked by his confession or the cold way he’s willing to throw me into this marriage for his own gain. I thought I was finally starting to understand him, but now? Now I see how little I matter.
“You’ll never be free of this, Papa,” I say quietly. “No matter what you do, you’ll always be haunted by them.”
He’s quiet for a moment, his eyes flickering with something I can’t name, before he speaks again.
“Think whatever you want, but I’m not wasting another second justifying myself to you,” he snaps, his voice cold. “I had nothing to do with their deaths. That was all the Echelon Syndicate’s doing.”
I gape at him, disbelief settling in my chest. “Then why aren’t you going after them? Why are you wasting your time fighting the Gagliardis, who had nothing to do with it?” My voice cracks with frustration.
“Why are you defending them?” His eyes narrow suspiciously, and something in me freezes, my heart tripping over itself.
I take an instinctive step back, but I don’t look away. His question stings, though I know it’s not about me. It’s not about loyalty or defense—it’s about how much he’s willing to sacrifice for his version of justice. His stare sharpens, as if he’s sizing me up, wondering where my true allegiances lie.
“Defending them?” I echo, stunned by his accusation. “I’m not defending anyone. I’m just trying to understand why you’re so focused on the wrong people.”
For a moment, we just stare at each other, but the man I thought I knew feels more like a stranger with every passing second.
I hold my ground. “I’m just getting really sick and tired of all this drama. When does it end? When will you finally decide that you’ve had enough of your revenge? Is it when we’re all six feet under and rotting under the rubble of everything we’ve built? I’m sick of hearing you blame everyone but yourself for everything that’s happened.”
“I’ve done nothing.”
A short, bitter laugh slips out of my mouth. “Of course you haven’t. You didn’t elope with Mom, and you didn’t hide Valentina and me from Grandpa?”
He seems shocked that I know all this, but I go on.
“You know the problem with you? You’ve never put anybody else first. It’s always been you, you, and you. Your wishes, your desires, your revenge, fuck everybody else and what they want. We’re all disposable pawns in your master plan anyway. Isn’t that right, Enrico?”
He suddenly snaps to his feet, lips peeled back in a frightening snarl. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, Giulia.”
“Then make me understand.”
He stares at me for a long moment, and eventually he opens his mouth to say something, but he must change his mind, because a moment later, he’s storming past me and out of the room. My shoulders drop in defeat and disappointment.
One day, I’ll get my father to sit down and talk to me about his plans, the driving force behind his desperate need for vengeance, and what exactly happened all those years ago that fractured his relationship with Grandpa. I wish he’d stop looking at me like I’m a child and actually talk to me.
If I’m old enough for him to sell me off to a marriage and trust me to have my own kids, then the least he can do is trust me, for god’s sake.
Sighing, I turn around and step out of the study. Without the ring on my finger, I feel light and airy, and yeah, I know it’s crazy to think that a piece of jewelry weighed me down so much, but that’s just the fact.
Speaking of rings, there’s someone else I need to talk to.
I’m not looking forward to having this conversation with Alessandro.
