I thought she'd be scared of me forever, but now she's coming to me for simple things and I enjoy that.
What I don’t enjoy is the glare on Angelica's face when I look up and see her in the doorway with a cup of tea.
After a few minutes, she walks over to the couch, but her nasty expression doesn't shift so long as she's looking at me.
"Sofia, it's almost dinner time," she says. "You should go wash your hands."
Sofia slides off the couch and runs toward the bathroom and Angelica stands there for a moment without speaking.
Then she turns and follows Sofia out of the room.
I sit alone on the couch and think about what just happened.
Sofia asked me who I was, and I told her the truth.
I told her I'm her father.
And she accepted it without fear or hesitation.
It’s a good feeling.
I stand and walk to my den.
I pull the forged documents from the envelope and carry them to the fireplace.
I light a match and hold it to the corner of the first page.
The paper catches immediately, and I drop it into the fireplace and watch it burn.
Then I add the rest of the documents one by one until they're all reduced to ash.
At least one copy of them, anyway.
I can't control the other copies floating around out there any more than I can control Angelica's distaste for me or the fire in her eyes every time she sees me.
I never wanted a family.
I never thought I needed one.
I told myself that being alone was safer.
That caring about people made you weak.
But standing here thinking about Sofia leaning against my side while I read her a story, I realize I was wrong.
Having a family doesn't make me weak.
It gives me something to fight for.
But I think about what my enemies will do if they win.
If Gerard leaks those forged documents and my alliances collapse.
If Kemal refuses to accept my explanation and turns the Sicilians against me.
If my organization falls apart and I lose everything I've built.
What happens to Angelica and Sofia then?
