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"I declare that your daughter, Sofia Bellini, is just the cutest little thing." Rigena bounces on the edge of my lime-yellow couch, a wide grin plastered across her face.

"Are you sure it's not a problem?" I'm still positively mortified Sofia has been staying at her place.

But Rigena is the only one I fully trust. There'd be no one else to turn to.

"Positive. Sofia is having a blast! She's so patient with my father, and loves listening to his bedtime stories. Plus, we built a pillow fort in the living room last night. She wouldn't let me out until I promised to tell her a tale about a princess who rides a unicorn."

I let out a laugh. "Sounds like someone's enjoying their extended playdate time. Yes, she is totally in her 'I adore all horses and unicorns' phase."

"And you know I'm here for it!"

I nod, relief washing over me.

It's been a week, and hiding Sofia at Rigena's home feels more and more precarious by the day. But for now, it's the only way to keep her away from Liam. At least while he's still in Rome.

"I'm so glad. I owe you big time, Rigena."

"Nonsense." She dismisses, waving a hand frantically in the air. "Besides, who could resist that little ball of sunshine?"

"God, I miss her so much." My chest throbs in pain. I've been seeing my daughter every day but it's just not enough.

She should be here, living with me. Sleeping by my side.

"It'll all blow over, and you'll have her back with you in no time." Rigena's voice is kind and comforting as she places her hand on top of mine. "So — I need you to spill the Policlinico tea for me, please. Just to kind of get a better sense of everything that's been going on. Mafia drama, that hunky patient — tell me everything."

I force a smile. Hell, I don't even know where to begin.

"Hold on, hold on. First things first — is Enzo at work?" Rigena is cautious and rightfully so.

"Yup, stuck at the Policlinico all day according to his latest text," I confirm, leaning back with a sigh. "Which is exactly why I called you away from Sofia-sitting duty."

"I assumed. She'll be perfectly fine with my dad. Figured you could use some girl talk without your very own personal sexy doctor hovering."

A wave of gratitude washes over me. "I mean, I don't mind Enzo being here with us but..."

"It's just better when it's only us girls."

She reads me like an open book.

"You're a lifesaver, Rigena. I needed this. Actually, there's a lot to unpack."

"No shit." Rigena is practically vibrating with excitement. "Policlinico three days ago? Now that... It was like a scene straight out of a movie! Dr. Fancypants Mancini all scared and flustered —never thought I'd see the day. And then this capo, Luciano Il Serpente, just waltzes into the trauma room, like he owns the place. Everyone was too scared to breathe, right?" She throws her hands up in the air, mimicking the terror of our colleagues.

I can't help but crack a small smile at her dramatics. "Mmm... Something like that," I admit. But then my stomach clenches at the memory. "Don't even joke about it all, Ri. It was... intense, to say the least."

"And that dark-haired guy with the sapphire eyes they wheeled in, whom I helped perform the gunshot wound surgery on? Yummy. Total hunk, even when he was all pale and unconscious."

My smile falters. "Rigena, it's not a joke. Liam's brother Patrick is dangerous. Mafia ties and all." There's a tremor in my voice I can't quite mask.

Rigena's jaw drops. "That was Liam's brother? What the actual heck, Alex? You did not tell me that. This is getting crazier by the minute!"

"Tell me about it." I pull myself together, recounting the events at the Policlinico as concisely as possible. "That's why Liam was there in the first place. He was worried about his brother. He told me Patrick got shot, but it sounded like it was something minor, thankfully."

Rigena shakes her head, disbelief etched on her face. "Oh yeah, the wound was minor and the surgery was a total success. He's probably up and about by now. I just had no idea you already were familiar with the patient."

"As soon as I recognized him, I knew Liam was nearby. And he was. It's all just... Just awful."

"Ugh, come on, Alex," Rigena whines, playfully swatting my arm. "A little danger never hurt anyone, right? Besides, that kind of intensity can be hot. And those sapphire eyes...." She trails off with a dreamy sigh.

"Maybe in a romance novel," I counter, "but trust me, Ri, Patrick is bad news. Mafia drama is not a recipe for a good time. Remember how everyone at the Policlinico practically cowered when Luciano Il Serpente showed up? You don't want to get tangled up in that kind of world."

Rigena sighs dramatically, sinking back into the couch. "Fine, fine. You're probably right. Mmm, that guy was seriously easy on the eyes. Even with a minor gunshot wound. But you convinced me. Sounds like trouble with a capital T."

Whew. The last thing I need is Rigena getting mixed up in this mess, when she was my ticket out of it!

"I'm sorry. I only want what's best for you. That decision is probably wise."

"Still, Alex... The whole thing is just...incredible. Running into Liam, your ex-fiance and Sofia's dad, after all this time, in a Policlinico trauma room of all places? Talk about a dramatic reunion! You have been hiding from him so long and you just... coincided in the same location."

"I know." I wring my hands. "I just hope no one heard when he called me Alex."

"I don't think anyone did. You ran out of the trauma room so fast, I didn't even have the time to process it all." Rigena's brow furrows. "Yeah, that's some seriously messed-up fate right there," she mutters, then a sly grin spreads across her face. "So, spill it! What actually happened with Liam after you ditched the trauma room?"

"It's not pretty," I confess, guilt gnawing at me. "I just... needed to get away from him. Wasn't even looking where I was going. Ended up in a stupid storage room, of all places." My cheeks burn at the memory.

Rigena throws her head back and lets out a surprised giggle. "A storage room? Seriously?"

"Don't laugh," I plead, swatting at her playfully.

She recovers quickly. "Okay, okay, I'll try to contain myself. But... what happened then?"

"We talked," I begin hesitantly, "and then..." I take a deep breath, steeling myself for her reaction. "We kissed."

The words hang heavy in the air.

Rigena's eyes widen.

"You kissed Liam?" she finally squeaks. "Like, actually kissed him? Just like that, after not having seen him in ages?"

I nod, unable to meet her gaze. "I swear I don't know how it... The chemistry... it was crazy intense. Through the roof. Like a dam had broken."

"Whoa." Rigena breathes out. "And then what?"

Shame burns my whole being. "It almost went further," I admit, heat flooding my cheeks. "But I pulled away at the last second and we left the storage room. Thank God. And Enzo was right outside. I think he suspects something happened between us in there. He was so jealous later, at home."

I blush remember his hunger in the bedroom and the possessive strokes of his thick member, determined to erase all memories of Liam.

"Enzo was right outside?" Rigena parrots, her voice rising an octave. "That's crazy! So... they know about each other?"

Guilt gnaws at me. "They do. Liam knows Enzo is my new partner. Enzo has known for a long time that Sofia is Liam's daughter. I told him. I mean, how could I've not?"

"Okay, but there's one thing I still don't get." Rigena arches a brow. "Why are you hiding Sophie at my place? Didn't you tell Liam about..."

"No. I didn't. I... I didn't tell Liam about Sofia. I lied. I told him I miscarried."

"Hang on a bloody minute! Miscarried? Alex, what? No! That's absolutely awful!" Ri's voice rises in a shocked whisper. "The best friend I knew wouldn't do something like that!"

Her words sting, a harsh reminder of the line I've crossed. "I know, I know, it was such a stupid... Such a horrible thing to do," I mutter, burying my face in my hands. Too late now. He already thinks it's the truth."

"But why? Liam has the right to know he has a daughter, Alex. And Sofia... she deserves to meet her real father."

"No. Absolutely not. I can't let Sofia get anywhere near that world," I whisper, the words heavy with a fear I can barely articulate. "The mafia, the violence... it's not a life I want for her. I'd do anything to protect her from it. Dammit, that's why I fled Dublin in the first place."

"K. I understand wanting to shield your daughter, Alex. Believe me, I do." Her voice softens. "But this... now that he is here. This... keeping Liam and Sophie in the dark, it's not the answer. He deserves to know he's a father. Sofia deserves to know her heritage. Who her dad is."

A pang of guilt shoots through me. Denying Liam the chance to be a father to Sofia feels wrong, a betrayal of a sacred, fundamental right. "I know," I croak, the weight of the lie pressing down on me.

"Just... Just think about Sofia, Alex." Rigena's voice takes on a sharper edge. "Don't you see? She'll resent you one day for keeping her father from her. For denying her a chance to know him."

A cold dread settles in my stomach. The image of a heartbroken Sofia flashes in my mind, a future consequence of my present actions. "I..." The words catch in my throat. Suddenly, a flicker of understanding sparks within me.

"I get it now," I murmur. "My mom. Why she ran away from Ireland, from that arranged marriage with Captain Kieran The Knife Murphy. She must have done it for the same reason I'm doing it. To protect me, to keep me away from that life."

Rigena nods slowly. "Maybe. But secrets and lies, Alex, they have a way of poisoning even the purest intentions. This... hiding Sofia at my place, it's a temporary solution at best. Trust me. One that will likely blow up in your face in the future, leaving everyone involved feeling resentful and betrayed."

"My life is like a soap opera." I quiver in earnest, hugging myself.

"Totally. Hiding a kid, running into mafia heavies, and now a secret make-out session with your captain-of-the-Irish-mafia ex-boyfriend? This is peak drama, Alex!"

"He's not my boyfriend," I correct her, the words tasting like ashes in my mouth.

"Yet," Rigena adds slyly. "I bet he wants you two to continue where you left off."

"That can't happen, Ri. It just... Can't. I tried so hard to build a new life in Rome. I am with Enzo now and I want to make this work. Dammit, Liam Cavanaugh can't simply come here and..."

Rigena studies me with a knowing glint in her eyes. "Newsflash: he already is here, girlfriend. You know, for someone who claims they want nothing to do with Liam, you sure talk about him a lot." A teasing smile plays on her lips.

"What do you mean?" I counter, defensive, despite knowing full well she's right.

"Come on, Alex," she presses. "It's obvious how much he still rattles you, after all these years. The way you lit up when you talked about that 'almost' moment in the storage room." She pauses, letting her words sink in.

"It's complicated, okay?" I snap, frustration bubbling up. "And like I said: I'm with Enzo now. Enzo makes me feel... normal. Happy. It's everything I crave after being with Liam."

"But there are still feelings you haven't quite dealt with when it comes to Liam, aren't there?"

My heart stutters, unsure of the answer.

"Even if so, it's kind of normal. There are always some sort of feelings between the exes. But things are incredibly complicated now, Rigena. Something truly serious has happened. In fact, so serious that I am even considering leaving Italy after the information Liam shared with m..."

The intensity of our conversation is shattered by a sharp knock on the apartment door that silences us, and makes us both jump. A sickening premonition washes over me.

Rigena and I exchange a worried glance.

Her smile falters, replaced by a flicker of unease that mirrors my own. "Whoa, that was unexpected."

This can't be good. "What do we do?" I whisper, my voice barely above a squeak.

"Check who it is first," she advises, gesturing towards the tiny peephole in the door.

I inch closer, my hand trembling slightly as I reach for the knob. My breath catches in my throat as I press my eye against the cool metal. There, staring back at me through the narrow opening, is Liam.

I stumble back, my heart pounding frantically against my eardrums. "It's him," I mouth at her,

Rigena lets out a sardonic laugh. She knows who I'm talking about — I don't have to say his name.

"Speak of the devil," she jokes, but even her joke lacks its usual confidence.

"How the hell does he know where I live?" I hiss, my voice laced with a raw fear I can't quite mask.

Rigena's playful demeanor fades completely. "I don't know, Alex," she admits. "But just standing there staring isn't going to solve anything. It could be important. He wouldn't be here otherwise, right?"

She has a point. A nagging worry gnaws at me. What if something happened? What if it's about...

Kieran?

Taking a deep, shaky breath, I force myself to move. With a hand that still trembles slightly, I reach for the doorknob, bracing myself for whatever lies on the other side.

I need to make sure that he's here alone.

My vision swims with nervous tears as I press my eye against the cool metal once more.

The world narrows to a distorted circle, revealing a sliver of the hallway beyond. There, standing in the dim light, for sure, is Liam Cavanaugh. His chiseled face is an unreadable mask, but the renowned intensity in his emerald eyes sends a fresh wave of terror crashing over me.

He holds a single sheet of paper in his hand, and for a fleeting moment, the cramped hallway seems to tilt on its axis.

What the hell does it say?

As my vision adjusts, I can barely make out the words scrawled across the paper in large, hurried letters: "Your apartment is wired. Please come outside so we can talk safely."

The blood drains from my face, replaced by a cold dread that seeps into my bones. 

Wired?

What the fuck does that even mean? My mind races, searching for a logical explanation, but all I find is a chilling sense of danger.

Liam's gaze seems to pierce me through the peephole, drilling into my very soul.

He knows I've seen the message.