168

168
Raella's POV
“He was a bad person and he was going to kill us all.”
Suddenly, she took a step back. Vincenzo didn’t budge. I knew he was going to stay planted between her and me until she left. But she calmed down.
For a second, I thought she was going to listen to me. My mother would recognize that I was her family. I was the person she was supposed to take care of and sacrifice for, not him. Maybe tonight would bring both of my parents back to me.
Then her top lip curled in disgust. “Damian was right about you, Rafaella. You’re selfish. You don’t care about me.”
If my jaw could have hit the floor, it would have.
“I don’t care about you? You can’t be… You’re fucking serious right now.” I didn’t need to ask the question; I already knew. I shook my head. “I’m never going to be a priority for you, am I? There will always be some man who comes along and—”
“He wasn’t just ‘a man’—he was my husband!”
I continued on, ignoring her. “There will always be some man who means more to you than I do because he pays your bills and keeps you in comfort. I was nothing more than a burden, wasn’t I? You probably liked when I ran away. Then you didn’t need to worry about me anymore.”
“I didn’t like when you ran away,” she said. “You abandoned us mid-deal with the Falcones and we had to scramble together enough money to—”
I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. None of this was funny, but it was all just so absurd.
“I’m done with you,” I told her. “You will never care as much about me as you do yourself, so I’m done. Forever.”
There was a single second of stunned silence before she launched herself at Vincenzo again. If he hadn’t been there, I knew she’d have been screaming directly into my face.
“As if I’d want anything to do with you! You’re a murderer! You’re some criminal’s whore and a murderer! I never want to see you again!” she shrieked. “You’re no daughter of mine.”
“We’re done here.” With far too much ease, Vincenzo picked her up and carried her out of the room.
A ridiculous end for a ridiculous woman. It was an oddly fitting goodbye.