The Family He Lost While Choosing Another

Vivian did not ask many questions. She only said the position was still mine.

After I hung up, I looked at the hard drive on the table and started counting.

Three days.

In three days, Nico and I would be gone.

Dante came home early that night.

Nico was on the living room rug opening his birthday gifts. When he heard the door, he looked up once, then back down without saying a word.

Dante stopped, then set a gray shopping bag on the coffee table.

"That's for you," he said.

Nico did not touch it.

"I have regular training tomorrow," he said. "I should sleep."

Dante looked at me instead.

"I heard about the video," he said. "Claire brought the wrong drive. It wasn't intentional."

I kept clearing the plates.

Then he added, "I'm clearing my schedule for the next few days."

"For who?" I asked.

"For you. For Nico."

I finally looked at him.

"You don't need to clear anything," I said. "We're doing fine."

The room went quiet.

After a moment, he turned back to Nico. "I'll take you to regular training tomorrow."

Nico did not even lift his head.

"No," he said. "The driver can take me."

Dante's face hardened.

He was used to us waiting for him. Used to the idea that he could come back whenever he wanted and still find us standing in the same place.

This time, neither of us did.

The next afternoon, I took Nico to the family records office.

That was where the Morettis handled security clearances, household registration, internal access, and family files. I asked for our records under the excuse of updating expired paperwork. When the secretary spread everything out, I began signing.

Nico sat beside me and watched without asking a question.

We were almost finished when footsteps sounded behind us.

I looked up and saw Dante.

His gaze dropped to the papers on the desk, and his face changed.

"What are you doing here?"

"Updating old records," I said.

He stepped closer and pulled the top form free. It was one of the family access sheets, and my name and Nico's had already been crossed out.

His voice went cold.

"You're taking him out of the system?"

"It had to be done sooner or later."

He looked at me for a long moment. "Serena, what exactly are you doing?"

I slid the rest of the papers into the folder.

"You always said I wouldn't leave," I said. "Now you can watch."

His grip tightened on the form.

"This is because of that video?"

"No," I said. "It's because I'm done waiting."

He stared at me, anger rising now, but Nico stood first.

"Mom," he said quietly. "Let's go."

I took his hand and walked past Dante.

This time, he did not stop us.

When we reached the door, he said behind me, "If you walk this far, don't expect me to turn around and fix it for you."

I kept walking.

"Then don't."

My phone rang before we reached home.

It was Dante's assistant.

"He cleared tonight for you and Nico," she said carefully. "Now he's at Claire's place. He's been drinking."

I said nothing.

She hesitated. "He isn't exactly-"

"I know," I said, cutting her off. "Let him stay there."

Then I hung up.

Nico sat in the passenger seat, holding his jacket in his lap. He stayed quiet until we were almost home.

"Are we really leaving?" he asked.

"Yes."

He looked out the window.

"Then I'm not asking if Dad is coming anymore."

I kept both hands on the wheel and said nothing.

That night, I checked the documents again and packed our passports, cash, medication, and Nico's medical file into the same case.

Two days were left.