Elina was just a broke waitress trying to survive another double shift when a feared mafia boss entered carrying his baby son. The child supposedly rejected everyone—bodyguards, nannies, even family. But the moment he saw Elina, he reached desperately for her and refused to let go. When she finally held him, the baby instantly relaxed against her chest. His father went pale. “Only his mother could do that.” Then Elina noticed an old photograph behind the bar—and froze. The woman in it had her eyes, her smile…almost her exact face.

Victor stopped pouring the gasoline, a look of pure, twisted joy crossing his arrogant face.

The great Dante Russo, begging on his knees like a stray dog, Victor mocked loudly.

Dante did not take his eyes off me, offering a silent, reassuring promise that everything would be okay.

Victor dropped the empty gas canister and raised his silver revolver.

This is exactly how your precious Isabella died, Victor sneered, stepping closer to his brother.

Victor pulled the trigger without a single ounce of hesitation.

The loud gunshot echoed like thunder, and Dante collapsed backward onto the hard concrete floor.

A massive pool of dark blood immediately began spreading across Dante's white shirt.

No! I screamed, the sound tearing violently from my burning throat.

Victor laughed, turning his back on Dante to retrieve a silver lighter from his expensive suit pocket.

He was so busy gloating that he did not see Dante's hand twitch on the floor.

Before Victor could flick the lighter, Dante managed to slide a small, green object across the slick floor toward me.

It was a military fragmentation grenade, and the safety pin was already completely removed.

I looked down and saw a sharp piece of broken glass resting near the leg of my chair.

Fueled by pure, adrenaline-laced maternal rage, I kicked my shoe off and grabbed the glass with my bare toes.

I flipped the glass upward, catching it in my bound hands, and sliced violently through the nylon ropes.

My hands sprang free just as Victor finally managed to ignite the small flame of his lighter.

I grabbed a heavy iron wrench from a nearby workbench and sprinted directly at him.

I swung the weapon with every ounce of strength I possessed, striking Victor perfectly in the back of the skull.

Victor crumpled to the floor, instantly unconscious, dropping the burning lighter into the puddle of gasoline.

When my newborn 'passed away,' my mother-in-law leaned in and said

My Husband Left Me Alone in My Car While I Was in Labor

“You’re Dead When We Get Home,” He Snapped

A massive wall of bright orange fire erupted between me and the warehouse exit.

I grabbed the grenade from the floor, threw it directly at the weakened loading dock doors, and dove behind a steel shipping container with Leo.

Chapter 9 - The Final Act