AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thing is, we couldn’t go to them,” he mutters. The way he says it, his voice almost lost, dreamlike, petrifies me.
It’s like my heart knows something is wrong, before my brain does.
“Papa,” I test my theory, praying it’s wrong. “But we are going to Rafaele’s now, aren’t we? To report what happened?”
“Rafaele’s,” he shakes his head, whispering almost. “Serafina’s. The circus… not safe. Airport. We can fly. We can go anywhere…”
“Papa,” I almost screech, touching his arm. “What the hell are you talking about? Stop speaking in riddles, please. Just tell me where we’re going.”
“The airport. The airport will do,” he looks me straight in the eye, before quickly craning his neck back to the road. “I was smart. I’ve got our passports. With the money we make, we can buy clothes there. No one will find us. We can survive.”
"Us?" I echo, my heart pounding in my chest. "Why would they come after us?"
"Because they know who you are, Romola," he says, his eyes filled with pain. "They know you're my daughter, and they'll use you against me. I had to steal the diamond to keep you safe."
In that instant, the memories flood back. The late night conversation, hinting at what the diamond might be worth, talks of escaping, asking to see the Heart of Italy, examining it…
As I process his words, a million thoughts race through my mind. Fury burns through me as I ask the inevitable question.
I never thought he'd go through with it, let alone risk our lives in the process. The betrayal cuts deep, and I can't help but feel like a pawn in his dangerous game.
"Father," I say, my voice cracking with emotion, "you stole the half-heart of Italy diamond from Rafaele, didn't you?" My heart races as I await his response, fearing the worst.
He hesitates for a moment before looking away, biting his lip as he nods in confirmation. "Yes, Romola, I did."
I struggle to comprehend his actions, and my mind is a whirlwind of confusion and hurt. "How could you do this to us? To me?" I demand, anger seething beneath my words. "You've put us both in danger, and for what? For some stupid diamond?"
"Romola, please understand," he pleads, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "I never wanted to involve you in any of this, but fate forced my hand."
“Fate?”
“Serafina’s vision,” he explains. “You, dead. I couldn’t let that happen, Romola. Don’t you understand? You’re my only daughter, the only person I love in this entire world. To imagine you dead…” he shudders.
A lump forms in my throat. “Father,” I say. “Her vision could have been but a lie.”
“Maybe, but I couldn’t risk it.”
“And what if your action proves to be my undoing?” I say spitefully. “What if the death you saw is what’s to follow now that you stole from Rafaele, only the most notorious don in all of Rome. Did you ever think of that?” I ask, almost shouting at him, my tone bitter as I try to wrap my head around the weight of his decisions. "Was it worth it, Father? Was it worth risking our lives?"
"Nothing is more important to me than your safety," he says quietly, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. "But those diamonds were our only chance at freedom - freedom from the clutches of these powerful men."
As we speed through the dark streets of Rome, I grapple with the conflicting emotions that threaten to consume me. My love for my father is unwavering, but the fear and anger coursing through my veins are impossible to ignore. I want to believe he acted out of love, but the danger we now face feels like a betrayal in itself.
"Father," I say, my voice wavering as tears threaten to spill from my eyes, "I don't know if I can ever forgive you for this."
"Romola," he replies, his own voice choked with emotion, "all I ask is that you try to understand why I did it. And please, just stay with me now. We have to get through this together."
“No,” I shriek. “No. Drop me off. Drop me off,” I say, trying to reach over to make him stop the car. In my frenzy, the car swerves. People begin to honk, and I pull back, my hands trembling.
"Pa- Papa..." I stutter, barely able to form the words as my chest tightens with fear.
"I had no choice," he continues, gripping the steering wheel harder. "Between the two, Fiero and Rafaele would have never let us go, Romola. Fiero for stealing from him, and Rafaele, for even knowing of the diamond. You think a man like that would have what? Let us walk out with the money. He wouldn’t, Romola. Once we completed his Heart of Italy, he would have killed us, and killed the secret of its existence with him. Don’t you see that? Stealing those diamonds was the only way to secure our future and keep you safe."
"We will not be safe if you steal from Rafaele," I managed to say through gritted teeth. "You're going to get us all killed."
"We have to do this, Romola," he responds, not taking his eyes off the road. "We'll survive, just like we always do. You're my daughter, and I won't lose you."
My father's voice falters. "I'm begging you, Romola, please trust me."
