“My son?” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.
She nodded, her tears falling freely now. “I tried to tell myself you’d never need to know. That I could raise him on my own and keep him away from all of this. But I never imagined you’d find me. I never thought you’d care.”
Enzo stared at her, his mind reeling. He thought of all the moments he had spent searching for answers, all the guilt he had carried for years. And now, everything he thought he knew had been turned upside down.
“I deserved to know,” he finally said, his voice trembling. “He deserved to know.”
Alana stepped back, her hands shaking. “I know. But I was scared. I still am.”
For the first time, Enzo looked vulnerable, his mask of composure shattered. He stepped closer, his voice quiet but firm. “I’m not letting you carry this alone anymore. You don’t have to be afraid, Alana.”
Her heart ached at his words, but the fear that had kept her silent for so long still clung to her. “What if you hate me? What if you regret knowing?”
His hand reached out, gently brushing a tear from her cheek. “I could never hate you. Not after everything you’ve endured. And Júlio… he’s my son. Nothing changes that.”
For a moment, they stood in silence, the weight of their shared history hanging between them. Alana wanted to believe him, but the scars of her past ran deep. As the night stretched on, the only certainty was that their story was far from over.
Last updated on August 20th, 2025 at 11:21 pm
