Chapter 7: The Choice Dante Never Made
The truth hurt differently when it came from someone else.
For three years, I had blamed Dante.
Every lonely night.
Every doctor appointment alone.
Every moment Leo asked why he didn’t have a father.
I had blamed him.
But now I had to face something worse.
Maybe Dante had been fighting a war I never knew existed.
The problem was…
He still lied.
That was the part I couldn’t forgive.
The next morning, I found him in the kitchen.
No suit.
No bodyguards.
Just Dante standing beside the coffee machine like an ordinary man.
Except ordinary men didn’t have armed security outside their homes.
“You should sleep.””
I ignored him.
“You knew someone was watching me.””
His silence confirmed it.
“How long?””
“Elena—”
“How long?””
He looked down.
“Before the wedding.””
My heart sank.
“Before you married Victoria?””
“Yes.””
“And you said nothing?””
“I tried.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You tried?””
“I wanted to tell you.””
“But?””
“There were people inside my family who would have used you to get to me.””
“So you decided breaking my heart was safer.””
His jaw tightened.
“Yes.””
The honesty hurt.
“Do you understand what you did?””
“Yes.””
“No, you don’t.””
I stepped closer.
“You didn’t just leave me.””
My voice broke.
“You made me believe I wasn’t enough.””
Dante looked like I had physically hurt him.
“You were always enough.””
“Then why?””
He closed his eyes.
Because the answer was probably the same one he had carried for years.
“I was afraid.””
I froze.
Dante Moretti.
Afraid.
“I spent my entire life watching people I loved become targets.””
His voice was quiet.
“My mother.””
He paused.
“My brother.””
I had heard pieces of his family history.
Never this.
“I promised myself I would never give anyone that power over me.””
“And then you met me.””
“Yes.””
He looked at me.
“And I failed.””
My anger weakened.
Just slightly.
Because Dante wasn’t asking for forgiveness.
He was admitting guilt.
A knock interrupted us.
Mia entered holding her phone.
“You need to see this.””
She handed it to me.
A news article.
My hands went cold.
The headline:
*MORETTI FAMILY HEIR REVEALED AFTER YEARS OF SECRECY*
Below it was a picture.
Not Leo.
Dante.
And me.
From the airport.
My stomach dropped.
“How?””
Mia looked at Dante.
“Someone leaked it.””
His expression became unreadable.
“This is what Marco wanted.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because now everyone knows.””
“Knows what?””
His eyes moved toward Leo’s room.
“That I have something to lose.””
The next few hours became chaos.
Phones rang.
Security increased.
Dante’s people came and went.
And I hated every second.
Because my son’s life had become a battlefield.
That evening, I found Dante sitting outside Leo’s room.
Watching him sleep.
I stood quietly.
“You can go in.””
Dante looked back.
“I don’t want to wake him.””
“You’re his father.””
The words seemed to break something inside him.
“I missed three years.””
I sat beside him.
“You didn’t know.””
“But I should have.””
I looked at him.
“You can’t punish yourself forever.””
He gave a small smile.
“You sound like you.””
“What does that mean?””
“Victoria used to say you were the only person who could make me feel human.””
I looked away.
“Don’t talk about her.””
“I need to.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Why?””
“Because there’s something I never told you.””
I waited.
Dante looked at Leo.
“The marriage agreement wasn’t the only reason I married her.””
My heart tightened.
“What else?””
“Victoria was protecting someone.””
“Who?””
He hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Your mother.””
I stared.
“My mother died years ago.””
“I know.””
“Then what are you saying?””
Dante reached into his pocket.
He pulled out an old photograph.
A picture of my mother.
And beside her…
Victoria.
My breath stopped.
“That’s impossible.””
“No.””
He looked at me.
“It’s the reason everything happened.””
I stared at the photograph.
My mother.
My sister.
Together.
Before I knew either of them had secrets.
“Dante…”
He looked at me.
“Your family and mine were connected long before we met.””
A cold feeling spread through me.
“Connected how?””
Before he could answer, Leo screamed upstairs.
We both jumped.
We ran.
I reached him first.
He was sitting up, crying.
“Mommy!””
I grabbed him.
“What happened?””
He pointed toward the window.
“There was a man.””
My blood froze.
“What man?””
Leo wiped his eyes.
“The man from the video.””
Dante moved instantly.
“What did he say?””
Leo looked at him.
“He said…”
My son’s small voice trembled.
“He said he was my real father.””
May you like
The room went silent.
And Dante stopped breathing.
