Page 25 of The Mafia King's Reign
"How do I look?" The question is automatic, residual vanity from a life that ended three hours ago.
Rosa's expression softens slightly. "Like a young woman who's had a difficult day."
"That's one way to put it."
She leads me through the maze of corridors. I try to memorize the route, left, right, past the marble staircase, another right, but honestly… everything looks the same. Expensive. Pristine. Prison-like.
We stop at a door, and Rosa squeezes my shoulder. "Thirty minutes. Elio will be right outside."
Then she opens the door, and there she is.
Mom.
Her eyes are red-rimmed, makeup smudged. When she sees me, a sob breaks from her throat.
"Valentina, honey."
I cross the room and throw my arms around her. She holds me so tight I can barely breathe, and I don't care. I bury my face in her shoulder and inhale the familiar scent of her perfume.
"I'm so sorry," she whispers into my hair. "I'm so, so sorry, honey."
"Mom, what's happening? Why is this happening?" My voice cracks.
"Why does he want to marry me?"
She pulls back, hands framing my face. Her thumbs wipe away tears I didn't realize were falling. "Sit down. Please. We need to talk."
The words send ice through my veins.
We sit on the couch, and Mom takes my hands in hers. They're cold. Trembling.
"There are things I never told you," she begins. "Things about my past. About who I was before I met your father."
"Mom."
"Please, listen."
"My name wasn't always Maria Marino. I was born Isabella Castellano." She stops, presses her hand to her mouth. "Wow, I've never said this out loud to anyone."
"My father, your grandfather, was Vincent Castellano. He was the consigliere to Giovanni Vitale, Salvatore's father. The most trusted advisor in the entire organization."
I stare at her, trying to process.
"I was born into this life of crime.” Her grip on my hands tightens. "When I was nineteen, my father arranged a marriage for me. To Giovanni Vitale himself."
“Who’s Giovanni Vitale?”
“Giovanni was Salvatore’s father.”
My stomach drops.
"They kept talking about how it was supposed to be the ultimate alliance. The Castellano family was going to be elevated to the inner circle forever. My father was so proud and eager to join the inner circle in that capacity. He was already so feared, so powerful, but he wanted more.” Her voice breaks. "But I didn't want it. I didn't want to be married to a man twice my age who ruled through violence. I wanted…" She pauses, eyes distant. "I wanted a normal life."
"So you ran," I whisper, pieces clicking into place.
She nods. "I fell in love with one of Giovanni's guards. Marco. Your father. He told me that he was in college to be a CPA and started working on their books. He found a way to get me out of there and I took it. We ran together. Changed our names. Spent decades hiding, moving from city to city whenever we thought they might find us."
"You were always good at keeping secrets, but dad and I shared so much. We read together, traveled to discover books. I can’t believe Dad never told me." The betrayal cuts deep. All those years. All those moves. The lies about the military.
