Live A Little

Ch 33 : Left

Alora p.o.v

I sit across from my father, yet I can't seem to see him the way I used to. Every glance is haunted by my mother's words.

"Where were you? We were so worried!" he exclaims, but all I can envision is a ruthless man destroying lives.

"Alora, answer me! Where were you?" he demands once more, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Out," I reply curtly, trying to keep my emotions in check.

"Alora, it's dangerous out there!" he warns, his concern evident.

"But the danger is right here, in front of me," I retort, my voice barely above a whisper.

"What?" He looks at me, his face a picture of confusion.

"Are you in the mafia?" The words slip out before I can catch them.

Instantly, he tenses, his eyes narrowing. The man before me couldn't be my father.

"Who told you that?" His demeanor turns eerily calm.

"Does it matter?" I counter, my voice steady.

"I need to know who told you that," he insists, a hint of desperation creeping in.

"I need to know the answer to my question," I demand, refusing to back down.

"Alora..." he trails off, and just like that, I have my answer.

A shaky breath escapes me as tears well up in my eyes.

"Alora, please, listen," he pleads, stepping closer. I instinctively move back.

"How many people have you killed?" I ask, my voice trembling as the tears begin to fall.

His face contorts with a mix of pain and regret. "Alora, it's not that simple," he says softly, taking another step closer.

I shake my head, backing away further. "It is that simple. You either have or you haven't."

He sighs deeply, his shoulders slumping. "I've done things I'm not proud of, things I wish I could take back. But everything I did was to protect our family."

"Protect our family?" I scoff, wiping away my tears. "By becoming a monster?"

"Alora, please try to understand," he pleads, his voice breaking. "I never wanted this life for you. I wanted to keep you safe, to give you and the other a better future."

"But at what cost?" I whisper, my heart aching. "How many lives have been destroyed because of you?"

He looks down, unable to meet my gaze. "Too many," he admits quietly. "But I can't change the past. All I can do is try to make things right."

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Yet some things can never be fixed again. Just like a life can never be revived, a broken heart can never truly heal, and the trust I once had in you can never be restore"

My father's shoulders slump further, the weight of my words pressing down on him. "I know I've hurt you, Alora. And I know I can't undo the past," he says, his voice thick with regret. "But I want to make amends, if you'll let me."

I shake my head slowly. "How can I ever trust you again? Knowing what you've done, knowing the lives you've ruined?"

He steps closer, his eyes pleading. "I can't ask for your forgiveness, not yet. But I can promise you this-I will do everything in my power to make things right. I will leave that life behind, for you, for us."

I take a cautious step back, uncertainty clouding my thoughts. "Can you really?" I challenge, my voice tinged with doubt

Without another word, I turn on my heel and walk out of the room, the emotions swirling within me too overwhelming to confront. I break into a run, my footsteps echoing down the hallway as I head for the sanctuary of my room.