I Saved His Daughter And The Mafia Boss Won’t Let Me Leave Chapter 12
That evening, Roman does his rehab.
He grips the bars. Pulls himself up. Sweat hits his forehead in seconds.
I’m right there next to him. “Come on. One more. You got this.”
He makes it half a step. Then his legs just quit.
I dive in and catch him.
We both go down on the mat.
He’s on top of me. His nose is touching mine. I can feel his breath on my lips.
I forget how lungs work.
“You’re… actually really heavy.”
He laughs. Right against my mouth. I feel it go through my whole body.
“Thought I was light as a feather.”
I try to push him off. My hand lands flat on his chest.
His heart is slamming. Hard. Fast.
Or maybe that’s mine. Honestly can’t tell anymore.
He pushes himself up. His voice has gone rough.
“Sorry.”
I scramble up way too fast.
“It’s fine. I’ve literally carried you before. It’s not a big deal.”
He looks up at me. Slow.
“Yeah? You’re getting pretty comfortable with your hands on me, huh.”
“Keep that up and people are gonna start talking.”
My entire face is on fire.
“I — you — shut up and do your exercises!”
I’m out the door before he can say another word.
That night, Marco knocks.
“Sir. Victoria’s back.”
The smile falls off Roman’s face like it was never there.
I open my mouth to ask who Victoria is.
But there are already heels clicking down the hallway. Fast. Expensive. Getting closer.
“Roman. It’s been a while.”
A beat.
“Where’s Lily?”
She’s standing in the doorway. White suit. Full makeup. The kind of face that looks like it’s never cried once in its life.
She spots me. Stops.
“And who is this?”
Roman doesn’t blink. “Sera. My wife.”
She laughs. This little nothing sound that doesn’t reach anywhere near her eyes.
The lawyer behind her flips open a folder.
“Mr. Ashford. Prior to her return, Miss Crane filed a petition to modify Lily’s custody arrangement.”
“We’ve reviewed the public records. You and Miss Malone have no valid marriage certificate on file.”
Victoria looks me up and down. Slow. Like she’s pricing a coat she’d never buy.
“So there’s no paperwork. No legal standing. And you’re going around telling people you’re Mrs. Ashford?”
Victoria Crane.
Roman’s ex-wife. Lily’s birth mother.
A tiny sound comes from the hallway. Lily’s face peeking around the doorframe.
She sees Victoria.
Every drop of color drains out of her face. She spins to run.
Victoria scowls. “She can’t even come over and say hi to me?”
Lily freezes mid-step. Her whole body starts shaking. She backs up and grabs onto my leg with both hands.
Victoria doesn’t look worried. Doesn’t look sad. She looks annoyed. Like Lily just spilled something on her carpet.
“God. She’s still like this? Hasn’t grown up at all.”
I step in front of Lily. Block her completely.
“You need to back off. Right now. You’re scaring her.”
Victoria’s eyes go sharp.
“Excuse me? I’m talking to my kid. Who the hell asked you?”
Her lawyer slides a document onto the table.
“Mr. Ashford. Miss Crane is seeking full custody. Given your current physical condition and the presence of an unverified individual in the household, Miss Crane’s position is that she can offer a more suitable environment for the child.”
Roman’s voice drops to something that could freeze the room solid.
“You walked away. You signed everything over. Nobody made you do that.”
Victoria’s face twitches. Just for a second.
“I was sick. I could barely take care of myself, let alone a child. I went overseas for treatment.”
She smooths the front of her jacket. Puts the smile back on.
“Well, I’m better now. So obviously I want my daughter back.”
I stare at her.
She didn’t come back when Lily screamed through the night. Didn’t come back when Lily got snatched off the street. Didn’t show up for the first day of school, or for any of the days Lily cried so hard she couldn’t breathe.
But now — right now — she walks in with a lawyer and a custody filing.
Something about this doesn’t add up.