Chapter 38 Chapter 38
Lily
My heart feels like it’s locked in a cold, iron cage, rattling, bruised, trapped.
First, I was given away like a pawn to pay off a debt.
Then I married a mafia king, and just when I dared to believe in love, he was torn from me. Killed.
Then came the pain of losing a child I didn’t even know I was carrying.
And now this.
Sebastian is alive.
Dante knew.
The godfather knew.
And no one said a word to me.
They’re all playing with my life like I’m some porcelain doll they can move from shelf to shelf.
I’m exhausted. I feel like I’m losing grip on who I am.
What if Sebastian does return? Will he force me back into a life I no longer want? What if he’s changed? What if he makes me do things I never agreed to?
Dante enters the room. I don’t look at him.
“I called the godfather,” he says, his voice unusually soft. “He agreed, we’ll return to New York. The jet leaves this evening.”
He disappears into the bathroom before I can even form words.
But I have no words for him. I’m done speaking.
Instead, I quietly gather my luggage and send a message to Bella:
I’m coming to New York.
She replies instantly:
Really??Yes. And I need your help when I get back.Yes, sure darling ❤️
The flight back is quiet, painfully quiet.
Dante sits beside me on the private jet, but he doesn’t speak.
He just watches me with eyes full of things he’ll never say.
He was there for me when I fell apart. I know that.
But hiding something so huge? About Sebastian? I can’t forgive that.
I feel like a prisoner inside this beautiful life of money and power, yet all I want is something simple. A life that doesn’t involve guns, blood, and betrayal.
We land in New York under a silver sky. The car is already waiting.
I don’t wait for anyone to open my door. I step out, strong-willed and shaking.
Dante carries my luggage upstairs to the penthouse. I don’t speak.
He doesn’t force a goodbye, he just leaves.
I check the time. It’s noon.
I call Bella. She picks up before the first ring even ends.
“Hi, Lily!” Her voice is sunshine.
“Hi,” I whisper. “Where are you?”
“Just finished class.”
“Can you come over? I just got in.”
“I’m on my way.”
I sit on the edge of the couch, fidgeting with my fingers. My mind is a hurricane. I feel sick from nerves, and my hands won’t stop trembling. I want to cry, scream, and sleep, anything but feel.
The elevator dings. Bella walks in like a breeze of comfort and chaos.
“Hey,” she says, wrapping her arms around me immediately. “What’s wrong?”
“Thanks for coming,” I breathe. “Sit.”
We both sink into the couch. I stare at her, my eyes burning.
“Remember when you said… whatever I decide, you’ll help me?” I ask quietly.
She nods, no hesitation. “Yes. What’s your plan?”
“I want to leave,” I say. My voice cracks. “I want to go somewhere peaceful, far from all of this. The mafia, the lies, the fear. I’m not made for this world, Bella. I never was.”
She nods again, her hand brushing over mine in quiet support.
“Can you help me get a new identity?” I whisper. “You know people. You must know someone.”
She thinks for a beat, then nods. “Yes… I might know someone.”
She grabs her phone and makes the call immediately. Her tone shifts, firm, commanding.
“Hello? I’m with the Torricelli family. I need a face ID and passport created. Can you do that?”
She listens. “Good. When can we meet?” A pause. “Thank you.”
She hangs up and looks at me.
“It’s possible. But it’ll cost around 100K.”
“I can pay,” I say without flinching. “I have access to Sebastian’s account.”
And for the first time in days, I feel like I’ve made a decision that’s mine.
“Okay, great!” Bella exclaims, glancing down at her phone. “He wants to meet tonight. A warehouse outside Sebastian’s territory.”
My pulse quickens. “Okay. I’ll head to the bank.”
“I’m coming with you,” she says without hesitation.
“Thanks, Bella.” I manage a half-smile, grateful but overwhelmed.
She rolls her eyes playfully. “Stop being silly. Let’s go, we don’t have time.”
I grab my phone, shove the bank card into my pocket, and follow her out.
The money is in my hands now, bundled tightly in a worn duffel. Bella drives us out of the territory at high speed, her hands tight on the wheel. The familiar city landscape fades behind us.
“This road looks creepy,” she mutters, peering through the windshield at the winding, desolate road flanked by shadows and silence.
My heart hammers against my ribs.
Without warning, Bella pops open the glove compartment and pulls out a gun, smirking as she rests it on her lap. “We need protection,” she says like she’s picking out earrings, her tone far too casual for the tension brewing inside me.
She slows near a rusted gate. “This is the place,” she says, eyes flicking to the GPS.
We park. She tucks the gun into the back of her pants and pulls her shirt down over it. Then she reaches into her bag and hands me something cold.
“A knife?” I blink.
“We can’t really trust what’s waiting inside,” she shrugs. “Just in case.”
We walk toward the warehouse, each step echoing through the eerie stillness. The metal door looms ahead, stained with time and secrets. Bella dials the number. Moments later, it creaks open.
The man behind it looks like trouble: tattooed arms, gray stubble, a cigarette dangling from his lips. His eyes linger a little too long on both of us.
“I need a new passport,” I say, my voice clipped, trying to mask my anxiety.
“What name?” he asks, exhaling smoke.
“Any name…” I mutter with a shrug, but his gaze sharpens, suspicious.
“Daisy Mio. Age twenty-two. Born in Michigan,” Bella jumps in smoothly, her voice steady like she's done this before.
He nods, blowing another cloud of smoke. “You got the money?”
“Yeah.” I hand over the bag. “The passport photo’s in there too.”
He checks the weight of the bag, then gives a curt nod. “You’ll have it in one day. Maximum.”
“Okay. Great.” I reply, wanting nothing more than to get out of there.
We step back into the cool night air. Bella doesn’t say a word, just slams the car door, fires up the engine, and speeds away from the warehouse like it’s cursed ground.
Only when we’re back in the safety of our own territory do I finally exhale.
“God… I don’t even know how to thank you,” I murmur, my nerves still buzzing.
Bella looks over at me and smiles softly. “I’ll be happy when I see you happy. That’s enough for me.”