She’s asked me to respect her wishes, and so I’m doing my damnedest, but it feels so fucking wrong.
I’ve done many difficult things in my life, but this, this is the hardest.
Being forced to stand in the shadows of the Dante estate, watching as wedding plans move forward knowing that Valentina and my child will live a life of misery.
There’s no greater tragedy.
My child grows inside her.
The thought sends equal waves of pride and terror through me.
What kind of father would Maksim be?
A man who sees women as property to be acquired and controlled?
What happens when our baby cries too much, or defies him, or simply reminds him too much of Valentina?
What if the child is a girl?
I see Valentina in the distance, taking a walk in the garden. I want to go to her.
I could grab her now.
Take her far away.
Protect her and our baby with every breath in my body.
But that's the fantasy talking again. The reality is we'd likely never make it out of New York. Alessandro's reach is long, but Maksim's is longer. And crueler.
"Cristian." Alessandro's voice breaks through my thoughts. "I need you to check the perimeter again."
I nod stiffly, allowing myself one last glance at Valentina.
Our eyes meet, and for a moment, the world falls away.
Then she looks down, breaking the connection.
This is how it has to be.
I will remain at my post.
I will serve the Dante family loyally.
I will stay close enough to watch over her and the baby from a distance.
I will be the shadow guardian neither of them knows they have.
That's all that's left for me now.
Love without acknowledgment.
Fatherhood without recognition.
It's not enough.
But it's something.
And something is better than the alternative of life without them entirely.