Page 165 of The Mafia King's Reign

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I think about the girl I used to be, the one who believed in right and wrong, in justice and truth, in a world that made sense.

And I think about the woman I'm becoming. The woman… I became.

The one who understands that nothing is that simple.

The one who's fallen for a man who’s surrounded by darkness.

The one who might be willing to step into the darkness with him.

My phone buzzes. A text from Lindsay.Should I come over? Stay the night?

Me:I can’t believe he’s letting me choose.

Lindsay:He loves you. I’ll give him that.

I pick up the envelope, feeling its weight in my hands.

Then I stand, walking to the window, looking out at the city that's become both prison and home.

Somewhere out there, Salvatore is probably standing at his own window.

Waiting.

Wondering.

Giving me the space to decide.

I think about my life with Salvatore. Glamorous, intense, all-consuming in a way that somethings leave no room to breathe. Then I think about the life I had before… and the one I could still have. Something steady. Something I built on my own. A life I can be proud of. A life that’s mine.

I had a dream once, before him.

And the truth is… Salvatore didn’t take that from me. If anything, he made it possible. Because of him, doors opened. Opportunities I never would’ve reached on my own are suddenly within reach.

But loving him?

Wanting him?

That’s where everything gets complicated.

Because nothing about him is simple. Nothing about us is.

And I can’t help but wonder… how can one man be worth risking all of it?

I close my eyes, the weight of the question settling deep in my chest.

When I open them again, the answer is there.

Clear.

Unavoidable.

The only thing left to figure out…

Is whether I’m brave enough to follow through.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Salvatore

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