That evening, Lorenzo returned. He'd gone to Portland for a major job, renovating an entire villa, and had been gone almost two weeks.
"Tara!" He burst through the door, dusty from travel. "I'm back!"
"Lorenzo!" I stood up. "You're back? Work finished?"
"Yeah, finished ahead of schedule." He set down his suitcase, eyes scanning the room. "Where's Kholod?"
"He just left," I said. "Went to buy groceries for dinner."
"He's still here?" Lorenzo's brow furrowed. "How long has it been? Isn't that enough?"
"He's helping me," I said. "Lorenzo, taking care of Leo alone is truly exhausting."
"Well, I'm back now," he interrupted. "Time for him to go, right?"
I was momentarily speechless.
"What?" Lorenzo caught my hesitation. "You don't want him to leave?"
"It's not that I don't want him to leave," I said. "It's just that he finally learned how to take care of Leo..."
"So what if he learned?" Lorenzo cut me off. "Tara, he's Kholod Morozov! Have you forgotten?"
"Of course I haven't forgotten..."
"Then why are you..." He stared at me. "Tara, you smiled when you mentioned him just now."
I froze.
"I didn't..."
"You did." Lorenzo stepped closer. "When you said he finally learned, your voice was gentle, and you were smiling. Tara, you've softened toward him, haven't you?"
"I haven't softened."
"You have!" His voice rose. "Tara, have you forgotten? Have you forgotten how he treated you?"
"No, I haven't!"
"Then why are you so gentle with him?" Lorenzo demanded. He suddenly rolled up his sleeve, revealing several ugly scars on his arm—remnants from when Kholod's men had kidnapped him.
"You see this?" He pointed to the permanent scar on his face, his voice trembling with emotion. "These are all from him! Tara, have you forgotten what he really is? He's a monster!"
"I remember!" Tears spilled from my eyes. "I've never forgotten that pain!"
"Then why keep him around?"
"Because he's Leo's father! It's not that simple!"
The room fell dead silent. Lorenzo stood frozen, his face draining of color.
"So..." He looked at me, eyes filled with hurt. "You're choosing him?"
"No," I said. "Lorenzo, I don't know what to do either. But blood ties can't be erased."
"Blood ties?" His voice turned sharp. "A man who nearly destroyed you deserves to be Leo's father?"
"Lorenzo..." That familiar suffocating feeling gripped me. "Let go of me!"
