Page 127 of The Don's Secret Heir

I nod, but I start to tremble all the same.

We pull in behind a beat-up sportscar that I don’t recognize, and I frown. She’s got a visitor? Surely not a new boyfriend already.

Not that I’d put it past her.

Sonny’s trying to get out of his seat and I reach back to help him, unbuckling him.

He barrels out of the car, running full tilt toward the porch, where a man is standing.

I squint but I can’t see his features through the sun. Sonny recognizes him somehow, though, because he’s running into his arms.

The man lifts him up, laughing. When he turns, Sonny blocks the sun and I see my father’s features—gray eyes, just like mine, salt-and pepper beard. He’s thinner, tanner.

But he’s alive.

My throat goes tight and I grip Dario’s hand for dear life.

“What is it? Li?” He looks concerned, squeezing my hand. He hasn’t realized what’s happening.

“Papa!” Sonny cries out as my father swings him around.

I feel like I’m going to be sick. All this time, I’ve been worried that Dario killed my father. All this time, I’ve grieved him, wanted him back.

I thought Dario took him from me.

God, how wrong I was.

What else am I wrong about?

36

DARIO

The look on Liana’s face frightens me. She looks pale, her brows furrowed, mouth parted in shock. I follow her gaze and see Angelo Rossi standing on the porch, swinging Sonny around and kissing all over his face.

What the fuck?

Liana scrambles out of the car and I follow, worried about her. I don’t know how she's going to take this. She’s been through so much, and this has to be overwhelming.

Sonny wiggles down out of Angelo’s arms and he turns. Sonny runs into the house, presumably to play with his toys he’d left behind.

“Hey, baby girl,” he says brightly, and Liana rushes to him, hugging him around the neck.

He hugs her back, chuckling, and then she pulls back and slaps him in the face.

Oof. That had to sting.

He yelps, stumbling backwards, putting a hand to his face.

“I thought you were fucking dead!” Then she bursts into tears, hugging him tightly again.

Angelo laughs. “I see you haven’t lost your fire,caro.”

“What happened? Where the hell have you been?”

He opens his mouth to answer and then a screech and a crash comes from inside the house.

“I won’t go! This is my house too! I decoratedeverything!” Felicia screams as two of Angelo’s men escort her and a suitcase out of the house.