For the first time all morning, the corner of my mouth lifts.
“I did.”
Silence settles between us.
Then his expression turns serious.
“What can I do for you today?”
He already knows.
I can see it in his eyes. The hint of amusement.
The arrogant boy who once stood before him claiming his daughter belonged to him is gone.
The man sitting here wants back what he lost.
“Your daughter and I discussed restoring our relationship.”
He chuckles. “I wasn’t aware you two weren’t in a relationship all these years.”
“Your daughter does forgiveness on her own terms.”
I swallow hard. “She opened up to me about her tragic past.”
I can feel I’m getting choked up. “Serenity said she’s not all there in the head.” My voice breaks.
Tizáno’s shoulders sag. I see the guilt all over his face.
For a moment, he doesn’t look like a mafia boss.
He looks like a father who couldn’t save his little girl.
“She went through a painful situation no one should go through. Especially not a fourteen-year-old girl.”
I lean forward.
“She refuses to marry me.”
I pause.
“And she doesn’t want children.”
He drags a weary hand through his dark hair.
“I can’t blame her.”
His voice is rough now.
“This life takes and takes until there’s nothing left.”
He curls his hands into fists against his chest.
“My wife and I lost our unborn child because men without souls decided women and babies were acceptable targets.”
The office falls silent.
I stare at him.
