Chapter 10
“Adam wants you to meet your parents,” Nolan said, his fingers drumming against his coffee cup. “Asked me to take you
there.”
“Where is he?” The question burst from my lips before I could stop it. After nine years of silence, Adam couldn’t even face me
himself?
Nolan’s deep chuckle filled the room. “He’s busy deleting an entire clan of mafias.”
My blood ran cold. The words hit me like a physical blow, and I gripped the bedsheets tighter. The Adam I remembered used to patch up my scraped knees, sneak me extra desserts, and read me bedtime stories. Now he orchestrated mass killings?
The sweet boy who’d protected me from our parents‘ rage had transformed into someone who made others disappear. My stomach churned at the thought of how
hapter 10
nuch blood stained his hands now.
Mafia king. The title echoed in my head. I’d
heard whispers, of course everyone had.
–
The ruthless leader who’d risen to power five years ago, whose name alone made hardened criminals tremble. But
connecting that figure to my brother felt impossible.
My throat tightened. What did this mean for him? For me? Every day must be a dance with death, every moment shadowed by the possibility of betrayal or revenge. And now that I was back in his life, did that put me in the crosshairs too?
Ethan’s warnings over the phone about my brother suddenly took on new meaning. Had he been trying to protect me from this world all along? Or had he been using my brother’s reputation for his own games?
“Miss Thorne?” Nolan’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. His hand hovered near mine, not quite touching, but offering support all the same.
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I stared at his outstretched fingers, remembering they too must be stained with violence. Yet here he sat, gentle and patient, waiting for my response about visiting the parents I’d fled from so long
ago.
“Take me to them.” The words felt heavy on my tongue. After everything, maybe facing my past was the only way forward.
Nolan’s expression shifted, a mix of surprise and something else I couldn’t read. “As you wish, Miss Thorne.”
I changed into a simple black dress, ran a brush through my hair, and grabbed my purse. My hands trembled as I checked my reflection one last time.
Outside, a sleek black Mercedes waited, its polish gleaming under the afternoon sun. Nolan stood by the passenger door,
opening it with a slight bow. The leather seats were cool against my skin as I slipped inside.
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Chapter 10
The familiar streets of my hometown rolled past the tinted windows.
But something felt off. These weren’t the streets that led to my childhood house. The neat rows of homes gave way to wider roads bordered by tall trees. My stomach
knotted as we turned onto an unfamiliar path.
The car slowed, and through the windshield, I saw it – large iron gates flanked by pristine white walls. Above them, black letters spelled out “Riverside Mental Health Facility.”
“What-” My voice caught in my throat as Nolan pulled up to the entrance.
My heels clicked against the sterile floor as I followed Nolan through the winding corridors. The antiseptic smell burned my nostrils, mixing with something else – the unmistakable scent of decay and despair that lingered in these places.
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My mind raced. Mom or Dad? Which one would I find behind these walls? The last
time I’d seen them, Dad had raised his hand, his face twisted in rage. I’d ducked, but the blow never came. Adam had
stepped between us.
Nolan’s broad shoulders led the way past numbered doors, each one identical to the last. His steps were measured, purposeful. He hadn’t spoken a word since we’d entered, but his silence told me enough.
We stopped at room 247. Through the small window, I saw a figure hunched in the corner. Gray hair where there used to be black. Shoulders that once squared with authority now curved inward.
My father sat there, muttering to himself, his hospital gown hanging loose on his frame. His fingers traced patterns on the wall – the same motion over and over.
The man who’d terrorized my childhood had shrunk into this shell.
