22. Carlito

Chapter 22

Carlito

The echoes of Mia’s words from earlier still sting as I sit alone in the study. Her demand for honesty was like a crack in the foundation I’ve spent years fortifying. After revealing my Mafia ties, I could see the doubt in her eyes—doubt not just about me but about the life I’ve thrust her into. Now, as the sun dips below the horizon, I force myself to shift focus. Matteo’s shadow is growing darker, and I can’t let my personal fears blind me to the war at hand.

The study is cloaked in shadows, the faint glow from the desk lamp illuminating the chaos strewn across the polished wood. Reports, photos, maps—all pieces of a puzzle that seems to shift the moment I think I have it figured out.

Leo stands across from me, arms crossed, his expression grim. “Dominic’s been spotted near the inheritance property again,” he says, his voice low. “It’s not just reconnaissance anymore. Matteo’s pushing him closer to action.”

I nod, leaning forward to examine the surveillance images. Dominic’s face is a stark reminder of the tangled web we’re caught in. His posture is casual, but his presence isn’t accidental. Matteo is playing his hand, testing my patience and defenses.

“What about the security detail?” I ask, my tone clipped.

“They’re holding for now,” Leo replies, placing a map alongside the dossier. “But it’s only a matter of time before Dominic makes his move—or Matteo orders him to.”

My hand tightens around the armrest of the chair. Dominic, the man who killed Dario, is circling closer to Mia’s inheritance, and by extension, to her. It’s a game Matteo is all too good at—exploiting vulnerabilities to claim victory.

“Double the guards,” I say firmly. “Every entry point, every vulnerable angle—I want them covered. And keep eyes on Dominic at all times. The second he steps out of line, I want to know.”

Leo hesitates for a moment before speaking again. “What about Mia? Are you going to tell her what’s going on?”

The question cuts through the tension like a blade. My instinct is to protect her, to shield her from the darkness closing in. But after the previous events of today—after the questions in her eyes, the way she clung to hope despite her doubts—I’m no longer sure if keeping her in the dark is the right choice.

“She doesn’t need to know yet,” I say finally, my voice firm but lacking conviction. “Not until I have a handle on this.”

Leo doesn’t argue, but his silence says enough. He leaves the study, his footsteps fading down the hall.

Alone again, I lean back in my chair, the weight of everything pressing against me. For all my power and control, this war is slipping through my fingers, threatening to unravel everything I’ve built.

The inheritance property is more than a piece of land—it’s a key to Matteo’s game, a symbol of leverage he plans to use against me. And Dominic is the one holding the match, ready to set everything ablaze.

The thought of Mia caught in the crossfire tightens my chest. She’s my reason for all of this, yet the walls I’ve built to protect her are starting to feel like barriers keeping her away.

A faint noise in the hall pulls me from my thoughts. Bianca steps into the doorway, her coat draped over her arm and a small suitcase at her feet.

“You’re leaving,” I say, my voice sharper than I intend.

She nods, stepping further into the room. “I have to,” she says softly. “This isn’t my world, Dad. It never was.”

Her words hang in the air, heavy and final. I rise from my chair, closing the space between us. “Bianca, running away doesn’t solve anything,” I say, keeping my voice calm, though my frustration simmers beneath the surface.

She meets my gaze, her expression resolute. “This isn’t running away. This is surviving. You’ve built this empire, Dad, and it’s suffocating. Dario is dead because of it. And I... I can’t be next. I won’t.”

The mention of Dario twists a knife already embedded in my chest. His loss is a wound that hasn’t begun to heal, and Bianca’s grief only magnifies it.

“I’m doing everything I can to keep you safe,” I say, my tone firm but low. “That’s why I’ve doubled security, why I’ve been fighting to keep the danger away from the people I love. Do you think this is easy for me?”

Her green eyes, so much like her late mother’s, soften for a fleeting moment before hardening again. “I think you mean well, but you don’t see the damage you leave in your wake. You’ve always believed you could control everything, but this...” she gestures around the study, the weight of her accusation clear. “This isn’t control. This is chaos.”

The silence between us is deafening. I take a step closer, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “I’m not letting Matteo win. And I’m not letting Dominic take away anyone else I care about. You’re my daughter, Bianca. You matter more to me than anything else in this world.”

She shakes her head, tears welling in her eyes. “Then let me go. Let me leave before I resent you for what you’ve done to all of us.”

The finality in her voice makes it clear that this isn’t a request—it’s a decision she’s already made. I reach out, pulling her into a tight embrace. She doesn’t resist, but the tension in her body is unmistakable.

“Where will you go?” I ask quietly.

“Somewhere quiet,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. “Somewhere that doesn’t have your name attached to it.”

I close my eyes briefly, the ache in my chest spreading like wildfire. “I can’t protect you if you leave,” I say, my voice barely audible.

She pulls back, her tear-streaked face filled with a painful mixture of love and determination. “Maybe I need to learn to protect myself.”

Her suitcase wheels squeak against the marble as she turns to leave. The sound of the front door closing behind her echoes through the penthouse, leaving an emptiness that feels too vast to fill.

Leo enters the study a moment later, his eyes scanning the room as if sensing the tension. “Dominic’s activity near the property is ramping up,” he says, breaking the silence.

“Tell the men to prepare,” I say, my voice cold now, all traces of vulnerability locked away. “If Dominic makes a move, I want him stopped before he gets anywhere close.”

Leo nods and leaves, his departure leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I turn to the window, the city lights sprawling below. The view is as breathtaking as ever, but tonight, it feels like a battlefield I’m losing control of.

The stillness of the penthouse is unsettling, a stark contrast to the storm brewing inside me. Every decision I’ve made feels like a double-edged sword, cutting as much as it protects.

Bianca’s departure weighs heavily on me, her final words echoing in my mind. She’s not wrong about the chaos my world brings, but letting her go feels like a failure. For all my power, I couldn’t give my daughter the one thing she craved most—peace.

I turn back to the desk, my eyes scanning the dossier Leo left behind. Dominic’s presence near the inheritance property isn’t just a move; it’s a message. Matteo knows the value of that land—what it represents—and he’s leveraging Dominic to strike where it hurts most.

A sharp knock on the study door snaps me from my thoughts. Leo steps in, his expression as grim as ever. “We’ve confirmed Dominic’s team has scouted the property multiple times today. He’s not being subtle about it.”

“Good,” I say, my tone cold and calculated. “If he’s being bold, he’s making mistakes. I want every patrol reinforced. No gaps, no blind spots. If Dominic steps onto that land, I want him taken down before he knows what hit him.”

Leo nods but hesitates, something unspoken lingering in his posture. “Carlito,” he begins carefully, “this isn’t just about the property, is it? Matteo’s pushing harder because he knows Mia’s tied to it. This isn’t a typical play for territory. He’s aiming for her.”

His words ignite a fury I’ve been holding back all day. “Then Matteo just signed his death warrant,” I growl, slamming the dossier shut.

But even as the words leave my mouth, a sliver of doubt creeps in. Matteo isn’t just any rival—he’s my equal in ruthlessness and strategy. If he’s targeting Mia, he’s prepared for whatever retaliation I bring.

The thought tightens my chest. Mia’s safety is my priority, but the truth is, I’ve brought her into a war she didn’t choose. And now, with Dominic circling closer, the stakes have never been higher.

“I’ll handle it,” I say, more to myself than to Leo.

He nods and leaves the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

For a moment, the silence hangs heavy between us, pressing down like a weight I can’t lift. Then I hear soft footsteps, and Mia steps into the study. She pauses in the doorway, her hazel eyes searching mine.

“We need to talk,” she says, her voice steady but carrying an edge that wasn’t there before.

I nod, gesturing toward the chair across from me. “I’ll tell you what I can,” I say, though I already know she won’t be satisfied with that.

She doesn’t sit. Instead, she stands firm, her gaze narrowing. “Where’s Bianca?” she asks abruptly.

The question takes me off guard. For a moment, I hesitate, unsure how to soften the blow. “She’s gone,” I say finally. “She left earlier this evening.”

Her brows knit together, a flicker of disbelief crossing her face. “She left?”

“She needed space,” I explain, keeping my tone calm. “After everything with Dario, she couldn’t stay here any longer.”

Mia shakes her head, stepping back as if the words physically hit her. “You just let her go?”

“She made her choice,” I reply evenly. “I couldn’t stop her, Mia. And I won’t try to control you, either.”

Her lips part as if to argue, but she closes them again, pressing her fingers to her temple instead. Without another word, she turns and walks away.

A few moments later, I hear the soft click of the sliding balcony door. Mia must be trying to get some fresh air.

I decide not to follow her and instead make my way deeper into the penthouse.

The news about Bianca isn’t anything I can fix with words.