Chapter 89

Chapter 89
John's POV

I stood outside Cindy's door for what felt like forever, my hand pressed against the wood. Every part of me wanted to push that door open and make her listen to me. I wanted to explain everything, to tell her why I had to disappear, why I couldn't come back sooner.
But I knew Maria was right. Cindy needed time.
When Maria finally came out, I searched her face for any sign of hope.
"How is she?" I asked quietly.
Maria sighed and shook her head. "She's awake and she's better, but John... she doesn't want to see you right now. She says she won't ask for you until she's ready."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I tried to hide my pain. "At least she still has it in her mind to talk to me," I said, trying to find some small piece of hope in the darkness. "I'm not going to bother her. I promise. I just want to make sure that she's fine and she's not stressed out. She needs her rest. I understand."
Maria nodded, looking relieved. "Thank you, John. She just needs time to process everything."
"Just let me know if she needs anything," I said, backing away from the door. "Or if she needs my presence. I'll just be around."
I walked down the long hallway, my footsteps echoing in the silence. Every step took me further away from the woman I loved, the woman who now looked at me like I was her enemy instead of the man who would do anything to protect her.
My phone rang, breaking through my dark thoughts. I looked at the caller ID and felt my blood run cold.
Big Jim.
For a moment, I considered not answering. But I knew he would keep calling until I picked up. And after what Cindy had said about not believing she was free until she saw proof herself, I knew this conversation was inevitable.
I answered on the fourth ring.
"John," came my father's cold and commanding voice, as always. We need to talk. Now."
"What do you want?" I asked, not bothering to hide the irritation in my voice.
"You know exactly what I want. Get to my office. We have business to discuss."
The line went dead.
I stared at my phone for a long moment, then looked back toward Cindy's room. She was safe here. Maria would take care of her. And maybe, just maybe, after I dealt with Big Jim once and for all, I could find a way to make her believe in me again.
The drive to Big Jim's office felt like driving to my execution. The familiar streets brought back memories I had tried so hard to forget. This was the world I had grown up in, the world of power and control and dirty money that had shaped me into someone I never wanted to be.
When I walked into his office, Big Jim was sitting behind his massive desk like a king on his throne. He looked older than when I had left, more worn down, but his eyes still held that same cold calculation that I remembered from my childhood.
"So," he said without looking up from his papers, "you finally decided to come home."
"This isn't my home," I said, standing in front of his desk with my hands clenched at my sides.
He laughed, a sound without any warmth. "Still as stubborn as ever, I see." Finally, he looked up at me. "Do you have any idea what kind of chaos you've caused? The club is in complete disarray because you took Cindy."
I felt my jaw tighten. "Good."
"Good?" His voice rose. "John, she is my biggest paying dancer right now. Do you understand what you've cost me? I'm ready to pay any amount to buy her back from you."
The words hit me like a physical blow. Buy her back. Like she was property. Like she was something to be owned and sold.
"I never wanted her in that dirty place to begin with," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "So I don't get your point. Don't ever bring such an offer to me again."
Big Jim's eyes narrowed. "Ever since you came back, you've never treated me like your father."
"Well, that's because you're not acting like one," I shot back. "You sent me away. You made me walk into danger. You were so obsessed with power, so obsessed with control, that you ruined her life."
I stepped closer to his desk, feeling years of anger and resentment boiling over. "You didn't just ruin her life. You gave her dangerous drugs. You turned her into something she never wanted to be. Why are you so evil?"
Big Jim stood up slowly, his face darkening. "Italy was not supposed to make you soft, John."
"You mistake my compassion for being soft," I said, my voice deadly quiet. "You haven't seen a bit of my real power yet."
I leaned over his desk, meeting his cold stare with one of my own. "Take your hands off Cindy. I came here to tell you that she's mine now. You will never touch her again. You will never come near her again. If you do, you'll find out exactly what I learned during my time away."
The office door suddenly opened, and I turned to see Fiona walking in like she owned the place. She was dressed in a tight red dress, her makeup perfect, her smile bright and fake.
"John!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "What a pleasant surprise! You know, I missed you so much. And now that you're back, I'm so happy that we can pick up from where we left off."
I looked at her from head to toe, taking in her desperate attempt to look appealing, her obvious hunger for the power and money that came with being connected to my family.
"In your dreams," I said coldly.
I turned back to Big Jim one last time. "Stay away from Cindy," I warned. "This is the only warning you'll get."
Then I walked toward the door, pushing past Fiona like she didn't exist.
"John, wait!" Fiona called after me, but I didn't stop.
"Let him go," I heard Big Jim say behind me. "He'll be back. he always comes back."
But as I walked out of that office, out of that building, I knew he was wrong. I would never come back to this world. I had found something worth fighting for, something worth protecting, and I was more powerful.
Now I just had to convince Cindy that I was worth fighting for, too.
The drive back to the mansion felt different. Lighter somehow, like I had finally cut the last chain that connected me to my old life. But as I pulled through the gates and saw the lights in the windows, I felt the weight of uncertainty settle on my shoulders again.
Cindy still didn't trust me. She still believed I had abandoned her. And until I could prove to her that everything I had done was to protect her, to save her, I would be living in this mansion like a stranger in my own home.
But I wasn't giving up. I had spent two years planning and preparing for this moment. I had built an empire, gathered resources, and made connections, all so I could come back and save the woman I loved.
Now all I had to do was convince her to let me.