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I stare at him, stunned. This is the last thing I expected. "What?"
"You heard me." His eyes remain fixed on the road. "If you can prove he's involved in this child trafficking ring, that will be enough for me to hand him over to the authorities. But I need solid evidence, Jasmine. Witness testimony. Account records. Anything that can expose him for the monster he is."
"You want me to spy on your own father?" I ask incredulously.
Dario's jaw clenches. "If you don't, I'll never be able to trust you. And we'll have no future together."
I fall silent, my mind racing. This is dangerous territory we're entering, but what other choice do I have? I can't lose Dario. Not when I've already lost so much.
"I'll do it," I say quietly.
Dario's eyes flick toward me, searching my face. Looking for any sign of deceit. But my resolve is steel. I will walk through the fires of hell itself to prove my love for this man. To gain back his trust.
Finally, he nods, the tension in his shoulders easing.
"Where do we start?" I ask.
A smile ghosts across Dario's lips. It's a ruthless smile, devoid of any warmth—the smile of a man who is about to wage war.
"We start," he says, "by seeking what the ghost offers."
Chapter 36
The Final Countdown
Dario
I grip the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white as I navigate the dark streets. My mind is consumed by the duality of my life and the actions of my father and now, Jasmine. The rain pours down outside, a fitting backdrop for the storm raging inside me.
Is this really who I am? I think to myself myself, unable to shake the feeling that I'm living a lie. I glance at the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of my own eyes – cold and calculating. Am I just a pawn in my father's twisted game?
How long has father known about Jasmine's truth? How long has he hidden it from me, waiting for the opportune moment to test my loyalty. Why did he tell me the truth about Jasmine just as I stood against him for the first time when he killed my trusted friend? To hurt me, probably.
My thoughts race as I consider the path that has led me to this point. I've always been loyal to my family and our business, but recently, everything has started to blur. The lines between right and wrong are no longer clear, and I can't help but question if I'm doing more harm than good.
As I drive, the anger bubbles up inside me, threatening to spill over. How could my father have kept so much from me? And how long must I continue playing this role? I feel trapped, ensnared by the very thing I once thought defined me – my loyalty to the Marchetti name.
The frustration chokes me like a vice, constricting my chest until I struggle to breathe. I want desperately to break free, to find some semblance of truth amid the chaos that has become my life. But each time I think I've found it, another lie or deception rears its ugly head.
My thoughts drift back to that horrible night over a decade ago when I stumbled upon my mother's grave. It was a shock, to say the least. She had died years ago, but my father always insisted she ran away.
But there she was, right under my nose all along, her tombstone a silent reminder of the secrets that lay buried within our family.
"Is everything okay?" Jasmine's voice cuts through my reverie, and I realize we're already at the location. Anxiety creeps into my chest, constricting my heart like ice.
"Uh, yeah," I reply, trying to keep my voice steady. "Just thinking."
"About what?"
"Nothing important," I say, but inside, I'm falling apart. Before learning her true identity, I would have shared my thoughts with her. Now, I feel isolated from her too.
She says she would have told me the truth when the time was right. Perhaps had she been the one to come straight to me, it wouldn’t have messed with my head the way it has right now. My father has creeped his way into my very being.
He could have gone to Jasmine, confronted her, told her to come clean to me. An honest father, a good father, I believe, would try to preserve his son’s relationship. But not my father.
Suddenly, the car jolts as I hit a pothole, snapping me out of my thoughts. I realize I've arrived at the location, a nondescript warehouse on the outskirts of town. As I pull into the shadows, my heartbeat quickens, and I feel the familiar surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins.
When the car comes to a stop, I can't help but wonder if I'm making a mistake by putting Jasmine through this. She's proven herself time and time again, and yet here I am, doubting her loyalty. Is it fair to subject her to this torment simply because I'm unable to trust anyone?
