"What the fuck is Dom doing here?," I asked frantically as soon as Valentina answered the phone call.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Why would Dom be in England?"

"That's what I'm asking you." She stayed silent. "You never told me he has a kid."

"You told me not to update you on everyone's lives. I'm sorry."

It's like I've missed out on such a huge milestone in his life. I wasn't there for him as he spoke about being a father. I wasn't there when he introduced everyone else to his child. I wasn't there and that breaks my heart.

I let out a sigh.

"It's okay. I can't blame you. I'm the one that didn't want to hear anything about them. How's the twins and Vin?"

"They're all fine," she sighed out. "They're all happily giving me a damn headache all the fucking time. The only time I get some peace is when they're all asleep or when the twins are at school."

I let out a chuckle. "Vin still goofy as ever?"

"Maybe even worse." She let out a laugh. "I have some huge news to tell you."

"Spill."

She cleared her throat. "We're engaged!," she squealed. I let out a random noise at my shock.

"He actually proposed? You're actually engaged? You're his fiancée?," I asked throwing these questions her, wanting her to repeat it.

"We're engaged. We're getting married! Oh my god! I cannot believe it! There were rose petals everywhere! And oh my god, it was just exactly how I imagined I would be proposed to!"

I guess he finally got his priorities straight.

"That's amazing!," I said in happiness before realisation dawned on me that I won't be at their wedding. I won't be her maid of honour. I won't be the one to calm her pre-wedding jitters. I won't be there to help her pick out the perfect dress.

She mumbled something about needing to go before cutting the call.

That's the thing I hate about pretending to be dead. I won't be there for the huge fucking milestones.

Faking my death is a crime. It's illegal. But it's nothing compared to all the other crimes I've committed in the past. My new name and identity is identity theft or fraud, I think?

So that adds to my long list of crimes. The one crime I have yet to participate in is a kidnapping. If I'm gonna get arrested, I might as well just try to tick that off my bucket list.

The one thing I was there for was the twins' first everything. I was there the first time they opened their eyes. The first time they crawled. The first time they took their first step. They first time they said a word that actually is a word. The first time they went to school.

I was actually there for all of that.

I switched my lamp off and closed my eyes as I rested in my bed, waiting for sleep to overtake me. A loud noise startled me causing my eyes to snap open as I sat up in my bed. Cautiously, I climbed out of bed and grabbed the random bat that I keep next to it. I'd call it a baseball bat, but it's not one. It might be a tennis one.

I slowly walked down the stairs silently hoping that the odd step doesn't creak under my weight. I jinxed it. The step creaked. I stopped in my tracks and waited to hear any other noise that would hint at the fact that there's an intruder.

Footsteps neared me causing me to close my eyes and wish for a nice and quick end. My grip on the bat tightened.

I used to want to be stabbed to death but not anymore. Just quickly slit my neck and that's it.

I'd die happily.

I was a weird and strange child when I was younger.

Don't ask.

Can you believe I'm currently 24 years old? I can't.

My mindset then was 'I live by the knife so I should die by it'. It's a cute little phrase but I really shouldn't have thought of it in a literal sense.

"I know who you really are, Liliana," a voice said causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up. Instead of wishing for a nice death, I was hoping this was some nightmare that felt really real.

"Or shall I call you Elena?," he sneered out. My eyes snapped open.

It's definitely not a dream.

He knows. There's no point lying. I let out a deep shaky breath. "What are you doing here, Dom?"

He shook his head at me, getting worked up. He paced in front of me at the bottom of the stairs. "You faked your death. I mourned for you. We all mourned for you. How the fuck could you leave?"

My eyes teared up just at the thought of it all. "What are you doing here?," I repeated, trying to ignore what he said.

He let out a scoff. "Thought you cared about us, I guess I was wrong."

"I did. I do. The one time I decide to do something for myself I get a bunch of shit for it? I needed to leave. I didn't want to leave. I'm much happier not being in the mafia life."

Why am I playing the victim card? But we were all victims in Valeria's (Sebastian's moms) crazy idea of revenge.

I was lying about being happier but he doesn't need to know that.

"I'm sorry," he sighed out. "But I don't get how you could leave him."

I stayed silent. That's what I've asked myself these past six years. How could I have left him?

"I'm not here for small talk," he said suddenly turning serious. He cleared his throat. "I thought you were dead but you're not. I saw you earlier and did some digging on that friend of yours and I got my thoughts of you being alive confirmed."

Because of Jordan, he found my address, my name, my phone number maybe even my plane tickets. But I can't blame Jordan. I should've known this could've happened.

"Okay?"

"I'm getting to the point," he snapped. I didn't say anything more. "Sebastian is getting married on Christmas Day."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Valentina didn't tell me. She didn't even give me a heads up. But I told her not to give me any updates on them.

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"Stop the wedding. I don't want him marrying Isabella neither does Vin and everyone else. I'm sure as hell you don't want him marrying her either considering the fact that she's the one that caused your fake death."

"It's called starting over. I'm not gonna stop the wedding because I've moved on and clearly he has too. Stop living in the past and move on."

"You'll be in America for Christmas so I expect to see you at the wedding. I'll text you the address. There won't be any paparazzi because it's low-key. The wedding won't be on any tabloids either so your identity, whichever one it is you're going by now, will stay hidden."

"You have a kid," I suddenly said. He tensed up.

"I'm not forcing you to do anything. I just want you to talk to him and convince him that he's making the biggest mistake of his life," he suddenly said, changing the subject.

I shook my head slowly. "Our marriage was the biggest mistake of our lives so no, I won't do that."

The marriage between Sebastian and I was far from a mistake for me. I only wish we could turn back the time and have a do-over.

Domenico let out an annoyed sigh. "I won't forgive you for leaving. But I'm willing to put my feelings aside to help Sebastian."

"He doesn't need help."

"Fuck you," he spat out. "I wasted years grieving for you and I'm stood here wasting even more time on you."

I stayed silent. I deserve this and more.

"I thought you were different. You were family to me. A sister. I knew I'd do anything to protect you but you wouldn't do the same, would you? You're just selfish and I wish I realised this sooner. Honestly, I wish we never met."

At that last sentence, I opened my mouth. "But I'm glad we did."

He didn't say another word as he walked towards the front door and slammed it behind him.

Goodbye old friend.

~

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