Chapter 181

Chapter 181

The next second, Vincent whirled around and pinned me hard against the door. His arms locked around my waist like iron bands, caging me completely against his chest.

He held me too tightly. His ragged breathing washed over the hollow of my neck, laced with undisguised panic.

"Vincent." I leaned against his shoulder, calling his name softly.

"Would you leave with him?" His voice came out hoarse, trembling with barely suppressed emotion. "If they really are your parents—if they can give you a clean identity and the most elite aristocratic life—would you stop wanting me?"

My heart clenched painfully.

This ruthless mafia godfather only showed this kind of vulnerable insecurity when facing me.

I lifted both hands to cup his rigid face, forcing him to meet my eyes directly.

"What are you thinking?" I looked into his deep black eyes, my tone more serious than ever. "Didn't you hear what I said in the car?"

Vincent stared at me intently, dark fire churning with anxiety in his gaze.

"I swear." I leaned in and kissed the corner of his tense mouth gently, enunciating each word. "You're the only one I'll ever have in this lifetime. You're the only one I'll ever love. Without you, I would've died in some garbage heap in the slums long ago. I'm not going anywhere except by your side."

Hearing my promise, the shadows in Vincent's eyes finally dissipated.

His Adam's apple bobbed violently. He suddenly lowered his head and kissed me fiercely.

This kiss held no desire—only pure confirmation and the relief of narrowly escaping disaster.

Over the next few days, the estate's security was elevated to maximum alert.

Vincent stayed by my side practically every moment.

Until the afternoon of the fourth day, when Antonio walked into the study carrying an encrypted phone.

"Miss Elena." Antonio's expression was grave. "Someone's gotten through the Corleone family's internal line. They're asking for you specifically. The caller says... he's your father."

My hand paused slightly over the documents I'd been reviewing.

What had to come would come eventually.

I took the phone and pressed accept.

"Elena..." A low male voice came through the receiver.

The voice trembled obviously, even carrying suppressed sobs. "It's Dad. Could we meet? Please."

I was silent for a moment, glancing at Vincent sitting across from me. He nodded.

"Alright." My tone stayed calm. "You choose the time and place."

Two hours later, our convoy stopped in front of a three-Michelin-star restaurant in central Zurich.

The Corleone family had cleared out the entire establishment.

Antonio and his guards stood watch along both sides of the corridor. Vincent held my hand as he pushed open the door to the private room at the end.

The room was quiet. A middle-aged couple stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

At the sound of the door opening, they both turned simultaneously.

The man was tall and upright, wearing an impeccably tailored bespoke suit.

The woman wore an elegant neutral-toned ensemble, her hair pinned without a strand out of place.

They carried the absolute refinement that came from generations of old-money breeding.

But right now, they looked utterly haggard. The man's temples had gone gray. The woman's eyes were red and swollen—she'd clearly been crying recently.

The moment they saw my face clearly, both froze in place.

I looked at them calmly.

The woman's eyes, even the contours of her face, bore an uncanny resemblance to mine.

Anyone seeing us together wouldn't question our blood relation.

"Selena..." The woman covered her mouth as tears instantly spilled from her eyes.

She rushed over recklessly and pulled me tightly into her arms.

She sobbed heart-wrenchingly, her entire body shaking violently, as if trying to release twenty years' worth of longing and pain all at once.

The man also strode over quickly. His eyes reddened as he reached out with trembling arms to embrace both the woman and me together.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, my daughter." The man's voice choked. Tears fell onto my shoulder. "We failed to protect you, let you suffer so much... I'm sorry, Selena."

I stood there stiffly, arms hanging at my sides, not returning their embrace.

My emotions were extremely complicated.

Growing up in that dog-eat-dog slum, I'd long grown accustomed to coldness and wariness.

Family affection was an extremely foreign and luxurious concept to me.

Facing their current breakdown and guilt, I felt an instinctive resistance and discomfort.

But the blood bond emanating from deep within wouldn't let me harden my heart enough to push them away.

Vincent stood behind me, his large palm steadily supporting the small of my back, silently transmitting strength and reassurance.

Once their emotions had calmed somewhat, the woman released me. Her trembling hand wanted to touch my face but stopped fearfully in midair, as if afraid of startling me.

"I know it's very difficult for you to accept us right now." The man wiped his eyes, struggling to maintain composure as he looked at me. "To dispel your doubts, let's go to the hospital. We'll do a DNA test. Once the results come back, you'll know we haven't lied to you."

I looked at their reddened eyes and nodded. "Alright."

Half an hour later, we arrived at Bark's private hospital.

The blood draw was quick. Vincent invoked the medical team's highest authority, demanding expedited results.

The waiting time felt extraordinarily long.

In the VIP lounge, that couple sat across from me. Their gazes never left me for a moment, their eyes full of cautious eagerness and undissolvable guilt.

Three hours later, the laboratory door opened.

The attending physician walked over quickly with a sealed test report, respectfully handing it to me.

The lounge fell deathly silent. Everyone held their breath.

I tore open the seal, pulled out the report inside, and flipped directly to the last page.

My eyes landed on the conclusion at the bottom.

After DNA comparative analysis, the parties are confirmed to share a biological parent-child relationship, with a probability of parentage at 99.99%.

I was indeed their biological daughter.

The lounge remained deathly silent, only the faint sound of paper being gripped tightly.

The woman stared fixedly at that line on the report. Tears poured out like a bursting dam.

Unable to suppress her emotions any longer, her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the sofa, covering her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.

The man, eyes reddened, pulled her trembling into his arms, though his gaze never left my face.

"Selena..." The man's voice came out terribly hoarse, thick with emotion. "Come home with us, won't you? These twenty years, not a single day passed that we weren't searching for you. We lost you. We let you suffer so much out there... As long as you're willing to come back, we'll make up for everything these twenty years owe you—a thousand times, ten thousand times over."

The woman looked up at me, face covered in tears, eyes full of pleading.

She wanted to reach for my hand but feared my rejection. Her withered fingers froze in midair. She could only nod desperately.

I stood there, my fingertips cold.

Growing up in that dog-eat-dog slum, I'd long grown accustomed to arming myself with coldness and vigilance.

I was used to transactional exchanges, used to fighting for what I wanted with guns and blood.