1. Piper

1

PIPER

Present Day

I take a deep breath as I stand at the kitchen counter, preparing breakfast for my husband and daughter. The kitchen is bright and airy, with large windows that let in the morning sunlight. Anyone looking in would think this is a happy home, a happy family. It is not, and being back in Chicago after my parents took D'Amato money and moved us to England isn't helping. Yes, I'm in a nicer home and have more money, but money doesn't buy happiness.

I scoop eggs from the pan onto a plate and bring it to my seven-year-old daughter, Elysse.

"Eat up, baby." My tone is filled with sunshine, hiding the darkness within. As I turn to go back to the stove, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the window. The woman staring back at me is a stranger. The life is gone from her eyes. The fight in her is gone except in the protection of her daughter. I'm a shell of the woman I once was.

"Is breakfast ready?" Gabriel's gruff voice cuts through the silence, and I flinch involuntarily.

"Yes." I hurry back to the stove and put the remaining eggs on a plate. I set it on the table at his seat.

Gabriel sits down, his brow furrowed in a perpetual scowl. Elysse looks up at him nervously, her fork poking at her eggs.

"These eggs are overcooked," Gabriel snaps, his gaze fixed on me. "Can't you do anything right?"

I feel the familiar sting of shame and humiliation as his words cut through me. Over the years, I've become accustomed to his constant criticism and belittling, but it never gets easier. Still, it's better than pushing or slapping.

"I can remake?—"

"Don't bother."

I glance at Elysse, who is looking down at her plate, her shoulders hunched. This isn't the life I imagined for myself. I used to be strong, independent, and full of dreams. But that Piper is long gone, buried beneath the weight of Gabriel's cruelty and my own fear. I can hardly remember the carefree girl who fell in love with Elio, the boy who promised me the world.

Why am I thinking of him again? It must be because I'm back in Chicago.

A surge of anger at Gabriel rises within me, but it's quickly extinguished by the overwhelming sense of dread. I know better than to challenge Gabriel's temper. The last time I stood up to him, he shoved me against the wall, his hands wrapped around my throat. I can't risk Elysse witnessing that again, can't bear the thought of her being afraid of her own father.

Elysse looks up at me, her dark eyes filled with confusion and concern. I force a smile, hoping to reassure her, but the ache in my heart is too heavy to hide.

I watch in silence as Gabriel finishes his breakfast and stands up, his chair scraping against the hardwood floor. The tense atmosphere in the room is palpable, and I can feel Elysse's eyes on me, searching for reassurance.

"I'm heading to the office," Gabriel says gruffly, grabbing his briefcase.

"Have a good day." I say it by rote. It no longer has any feeling behind it.

As soon as the front door slams shut, Elysse jumps down from her chair and hurries to me for a hug. I tell myself she wants reassurance, but I can't help but think she's the one feeling like she needs to reassure me. God, what sort of damage am I doing to her psyche?

"Why is he always so mad?"

I blink back tears, feeling a surge of gratitude for my daughter's kindness and a deep well of guilt for exposing her to this toxic environment.

"Some people are just grumpy in the morning." More guilt builds at defending him. "Everything's going to be okay."

The lie tastes bitter on my tongue, but I can't bear to shatter Elysse's innocent belief that everything will work out. The truth is, I'm trapped, and Gabriel has made it clear that if I try to leave, he'll hurt Elysse. The thought of my daughter being in danger is the only thing that keeps me from running.

After a few moments, I pull back and give Elysse a reassuring smile. "Come on, let's get you to school."

As we walk hand in hand through the quiet streets, I reflect on how different my life is here now compared to when I was a child growing up. I grew up in a modest neighborhood. Bookish and studious, I earned a scholarship to a private academy that should have set me up to attend a prestigious university. Just because I tended to mind my own business and have my head in the books, some thought I was shy or timid, but when provoked, I had no problem speaking my mind. That part of me didn't die until Gabriel.

Memories of those carefree days flood my mind, and I can't help but think of Elio. The way he used to look at me, the way he made me feel… it all seems like a lifetime ago. I can't forget the sweet innocence of love we had, and yet, the anger and resentment for sending me away are too strong to ignore.

Living in England wasn't so bad. I had free healthcare, and my mother helped me with my pregnancy and early years with Elysse. I'd been able to take university courses and eventually get my degree. My life was moving on. I never overcame my resentment toward Elio, but now I recognize how young we were. Too young to make promises.

When Gabriel entered my life, he seemed like the perfect man. Polite. Smart. Successful. He said and did all the right things, including saying he wanted to be Elysse's father. Less than six months after marrying, his true colors were revealed. It started with him encouraging me to quit my job teaching. Then it was alienating me from my parents. Irritation turned to anger. Anger turned to violence. The last four years have been a nightmare, one I can't seem to escape.

When we reach Elysse's school, I kneel down and pull her into a tight hug. "I love you, sweetheart. Have a wonderful day, okay?"

Elysse nods, her eyes shining with a mixture of excitement and concern. "I love you too, Mommy. Don't be sad."

I watch as she scurries into the building, my heart heavy with the weight of how much I'm hurting her.

Taking a deep breath, I turn and head toward the bank, determined to keep up the fa?ade of normalcy. Gabriel keeps me on a tight budget, so I only withdraw the money I'm allowed for groceries. As I step out of the bank, I walk into a wall of man.

"Excuse—" My heart nearly stops when I see a familiar face. Elio D'Amato. A rush of emotions floods through me—anger, hurt, and an involuntary flicker of love that I thought I had long buried.

Elio's dark eyes meet mine, and when recognition forms in them, a warm smile spreads across his face. "Piper. Wow… you're here. You look great."

The compliment stings, reminding me of the carefree girl I used to be, the one who had fallen so deeply in love with him. Memories of our past come rushing back, and with them, bitterness and pain. It was because of him, him and his parents, that my family was pushed out of town, although it wasn't a hardship for my father to take D'Amato money. I never understood why Elio was so sweet, making promises one night, and the next day supporting his family's effort to send me away. The only answer is that he didn't want the baby… Elysse.

There's a moment when I look at him and see a way out. But I dismiss that notion. I know who he is, what he does. Chances are he treats his women worse than Gabriel treats me.

"I guess you never thought you'd see me again," I say bitterly.

Elio's brow furrows slightly. "Why would you say?—"

"I don't have time for this." I cut him off, my voice dripping with venom. "Just do us all a favor and drop dead, will you?"

Without waiting for a response, I turn and hurry away, my heart aching, betraying the anger I want to feel.

As I walk, my mind is a chaotic storm of emotions. After all these years, after everything that's happened, a part of me still yearns for his touch, his kiss, the way he used to look at me. The promise he made to love me forever. It's a shameful, agonizing truth that I've buried so deeply, I'd almost convinced myself it wasn't there.

But seeing him standing before me with that familiar warm smile, for a moment, the last eight years melted away. In that moment, I was a naive, love-struck girl again, the one who thought she and Elio could defy the odds and build a life together.

I can't deny a curiosity about his life now. Is he the head of his family yet? Is he married? Does he ever think of me?

I shake my head of those thoughts. I can't let him back into my life, not now, not ever. The risk is too great. I've built a fragile existence here, a life that, while not perfect, at least keeps my daughter safe. If Elio were to reenter it, the consequences could be devastating. Gabriel's jealousy and possessiveness would know no bounds, and I can't bear the thought of Elysse being caught in the crossfire.

Resolved, I quicken my pace, desperate to put as much distance between myself and Elio as possible. I need to get home, to retreat into the relative safety of my own four walls, where I can try to pull myself together before Elysse returns from school.

By the time I unlock the front door, I'm emotionally drained, my nerves frayed. I sink down onto the couch, burying my face in my hands as the tears finally come. It's a release, a catharsis, but it's also a reminder of just how much I've sacrificed to keep my family safe.

Elysse. I have to be strong for her. She's the only thing that matters now, the only light in this dark, twisted existence. I can't let my past, my unresolved feelings for Elio, jeopardize her future. I have to be the mother she deserves, even if it means continuing to bury a part of myself.

With a deep, shuddering breath, I wipe away the tears and pull myself together. I have chores to do before Gabriel returns home. I have a home to keep and a family to take care of. For Elysse, I'll do whatever it takes.