Page 54 of Married to the Ruthless Mafia Heir

The Lombardi Family didn't care about money like that. I knew he was just trying to comfort me, but I was grateful anyway. "If you ever need my help in the future, I'll do everything I can."

Luca's fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel. He spoke almost jokingly. "Help me? Well, I don't have a wife right now. If you're willing, you could consider me."

He glanced over at me.

I understood what he meant. But I didn't want to get tangled up in any more powerful families. And Luca was a good man—I didn't want to toy with his feelings when I knew I didn't feel the same way.

I touched my belly. "I'm carrying Dante's child."

Luca froze. He looked at me, startled. "You're pregnant. Why are you leaving Dante?"

The scenery outside kept sliding past. I didn't know where to begin. So I stayed silent.

The car rolled into Queens and stopped outside the building where Maggie now lived.

I went upstairs and knocked. The door opened quickly, and there was Maggie. Her hair was a mess, and she wore a faded nightgown. When she saw me, she froze for a moment, then her expression turned to worry.

"Elena? What are you—"

"Maggie." I grabbed her hand, keeping my voice as steady as I could. "We have to go. Now."

Maggie asked frantically what had happened, but I didn't have time to answer. I rushed around packing her things, stuffing everything I could find into a suitcase. I grabbed Maggie with one hand and the suitcase with the other, and we left.

The car got back on the highway. We passed through Queens, and the view outside shifted from dense city blocks to open roads and fields. Maggie sat anxiously in the back, but I was too exhausted to respond. Eventually, she went quiet.

A few hours later, we boarded the plane leaving New York.

It was a small private jet. The cabin wasn't large, but comfortable enough for Maggie and me. After Luca confirmed the flight plan with the pilot, he came over and told me we were ready to go. He couldn't leave New York—the Lombardi Family would come looking for him. The rest of the journey was mine alone.

Luca held out his arms. We hugged, and warm tears fell onto his shoulder. "Thank you, Luca."

He patted my back. "If you need anything, call me, Elena. I'll always be your friend."

The plane taxied down the runway, then suddenly accelerated. I felt the body of the aircraft trembling slightly, the engines roaring louder and louder. Then the ground dropped away beneath us. The world outside tilted backward as the plane climbed irresistibly upward.

New York shrank below, the towering buildings becoming tiny gray dots before disappearing completely beneath the clouds.

I sank into my seat. Maggie's hand reached over and held mine.

I opened my eyes and saw the look on her face—waiting for me to speak. I knew she needed an explanation. And during the drive, I'd prepared myself.

I took a deep breath. "Maggie, I got married."

Maggie's eyes went wide.

"I married Dante. He's the son of the man who owns the manor..."

It was all so tangled I couldn't find the beginning. I could only struggle through everything I could remember. The deal with Salvador. Maggie's new job and apartment. The baby inside me.

As I spoke, Maggie's lips trembled. She lifted her hand to cover her mouth, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Before I knew it, I'd told her everything. And Maggie's face was streaming with tears. She clutched my hand tightly, sobs choking out of her throat. "Elena, my child, you go through all of this alone..."

"It's all my fault. I should have left Richard sooner. If it weren't for that debt, you would never have had to do any of this." Maggie pulled me into her arms. A mother's warmth—so comforting it made me want to cry.

"It's okay, Maggie." I patted the back of her hand gently. "We've left now. From now on, it'll just be you and me and the baby. We'll focus on our own lives. It's all over."

Outside the window, clouds stretched beneath us, white and endless, soft and clean. Sunlight slanted through the window, bathing everything in the cabin in warm gold.