Chapter 13 - A Promise at Isabella's Grave
On an early autumn morning when maple leaves turned golden, my three daughters, Elena, and I visited Queens National Cemetery, where Isabella rested beneath a pristine white headstone.
No black-suited bodyguards stood watch. Only our family walked the quiet gravel path.
Lucia placed a fresh bouquet of white roses on her mother's grave, while Valentina and Mia quietly laid small daisies beside them.
I knelt beside Isabella's headstone, gently tracing the stone-carved portrait. Her gentle smile remained unchanged, as though forgiving every mistake from my dark past.
"You see that, Isabella?" I whispered, my voice rough yet resolute. "The children are smiling again. Lucia has spoken to me and forgiven me. From today onward, I am no longer Dominic Russo of the underworld. I am simply their father, guarding the peace you always dreamed of."
Autumn winds whispered through the trees, carrying the sweet scent of grass—a gentle response from beyond.
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Elena stood a few paces away, smiling as she held little Mia's hand.
I stood up, turning to watch my daughters gather around their mother's grave. The storms had passed, and emotional scars healed through sincere love.
