Months had passed since the night Dante had walked away from her. Amelia had given birth in the silence of an empty house, her body aching from the process but her heart swelling with love for the little life she had brought into the world. It was a strange mix of joy and sorrow—joy for her baby, and sorrow for the absence of the man she had once loved so deeply.
Dante had left just a week before the birth. No explanation. No farewell. His departure had left an undeniable void in the household. Amelia, for the first time, was truly alone, save for Eva, who had remained by her side through every sleepless night and every tear-filled day. Eva had been a constant source of comfort, her quiet wisdom and gentle care helping Amelia navigate the harsh reality of motherhood.
It had been six months since the baby's birth, and the little one was growing more beautiful with each passing day. Amelia's heart melted every time she looked at her child, small, cherubic, with delicate features that reminded her so much of Dante. She named the baby Alessandro, a name that she hoped would one day connect her child to the family and legacy Dante had once represented. But no matter how much she loved her son, the emptiness lingered where Dante's presence had once been.
Today, though, was different. Amelia had finally decided to allow herself a moment of celebration. A small gathering of friends, who had been supportive through her darkest days, had come to visit. Amelia hadn't felt like celebrating in a long time, but it was time to take a step forward, even if it felt forced.
Her friends a mix of noblewomen, former acquaintances from her days before Dante had come to see her and the baby. They cooed over Alessandro, admired his tiny hands, and smiled at the way he gazed up at them with curiosity. For a few hours, the house felt lighter, filled with laughter and warmth, as if the weight of the past had temporarily lifted.
Eva, standing nearby, watched the interaction from a distance. The middle-aged maid had been more like family to Amelia than a servant. She'd stood by her through thick and thin, and now, as Amelia's only real ally, she smiled warmly at the scene. Eva had seen Amelia struggle with the silence left by Dante, and though she never mentioned it, she understood the depth of the pain her young mistress was enduring.
As the celebration continued, Amelia couldn't help but notice the absence that was still so painfully obvious. Dante should've been here he should've been by her side, holding their son, looking at the child they had made together. But instead, he was nowhere to be found, his absence leaving an invisible scar on the day that should have been full of joy.
One of her friends, Lady Clarissa, approached her with a soft smile, her voice gentle as she spoke. "Amelia, I must say, your son is as beautiful as you are. He'll grow up to be a fine young man."
Amelia smiled faintly, glancing down at Alessandro, who was now peacefully asleep in her arms. "Thank you," she said, though the compliment felt hollow, as though it was meant to fill a void that would never truly be filled.
Eva walked over, her eyes shifting between Amelia and the guests. She gave a small bow, her voice quiet but firm. "Lady Amelia, perhaps you'd like to rest. It's been a long day, and the baby must need his sleep."
Amelia nodded, grateful for the suggestion. She needed to retreat from the noise, from the well-meaning but hollow words of her friends. She needed space to breathe, to think.
With Eva's help, she made her way upstairs, carrying Alessandro to his crib, where she laid him down gently. She watched the baby for a moment, a soft smile tugging at her lips as she brushed a lock of hair from his face.
But even as she stood there, watching her son sleep, the ache in her chest was undeniable. Dante's absence was like a shadow that followed her everywhere. She had tried to tell herself that she would be okay, that she could move on for the sake of their child. But the reality was harder than she could've ever imagined.
The world outside was bustling with life, but inside her heart, the cold void of loneliness continued to linger. Amelia's hands clenched into fists at her sides. She wanted to cry out, to scream into the empty air that she wasn't sure how much more of this silence she could endure.
She had tried..tried so hard to rebuild what they had, to fix what had broken between them. But Dante was nowhere to be found. He had left her without a word, and now, months later, his absence was like a wound that refused to heal.
Eva, sensing the quiet grief that Amelia was fighting to keep hidden, stood at the doorway, her eyes full of concern. "Lady Amelia, would you like me to make something for you? You need to eat."
Amelia blinked, startled out of her thoughts. She nodded, though her voice was thick with unshed tears. "Thank you, Eva. I'll be down in a moment."
Eva gave her a reassuring smile before leaving the room, but Amelia's mind was still lost in the whirlwind of emotions. She had thought that time would heal the wounds, but the reality was that it was only growing harder with each passing day.
Outside the window, the world continued on friends celebrated, life moved forward but inside the walls of this house, Amelia felt trapped in a silence that Dante had left behind.
She had tried to fill it with people, with laughter, with the love for her son. But no matter how many smiles she surrounded herself with, the one person she wanted to see the most *Dante*... and he is was nowhere to be found.
*******
Amelia sat alone in the drawing room, staring out the window. The sky outside was a soft shade of gray, as if mirroring the heaviness in her chest. It had been weeks since she had last heard from Dante, and though she had tried to focus on her son and her day-to-day life, the void he had left behind was never far from her thoughts.
The laughter and warmth of her friends' visit had faded away, leaving behind only silence in the house once again. Even Eva, who had remained by her side without question, could not fill the space Dante had once occupied. The absence was a constant companion, one she couldn't seem to escape.
The clock on the wall ticked steadily, marking the passage of time, but Amelia felt as though she were frozen in place. Her baby, Alessandro, was napping peacefully in the next room, and for a moment, Amelia allowed herself the luxury of quiet. She needed it.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Eva entered, holding an envelope in her hands. It was a heavy, official-looking piece of stationery, the kind that made Amelia's heart skip a beat before she even saw the seal.
"Lady Amelia," Eva said softly, walking toward her. "This just arrived for you."
Amelia's eyes went to the envelope with a mix of anticipation and dread. She could feel her pulse quicken as she reached out for it. It was from Dante. She recognized his handwriting on the front, her heart tightening in her chest.
For a long moment, Amelia simply stared at the envelope, unsure of what she would find inside. Would it be an apology? An explanation? Or perhaps something even more final?
Finally, she tore the envelope open, her hands trembling. As she pulled out the letter, the weight of it seemed too much for her to bear, as though every word written within was a burden she could not carry.
She unfolded the paper and began to read.
Amelia,
I know that what I've done cannot be undone. I know that I've hurt you in ways that words cannot express, and for that, I will carry the guilt for the rest of my life. You've suffered in silence, and I haven't been there for you when you needed me the most.
I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't expect you to understand the decisions I've made, or why I've had to walk away from you and our son. There's too much darkness within me now, too much pain. The betrayal I've suffered has scarred me in ways that I didn't know were possible.
But you and my baby are the light in my life, the only thing I still care about. It's for you both that I'm writing this letter because I owe you the truth.
I don't know when or if I will return, but I need you to know that I'm trying to find myself again. I'm lost, Amelia. I'm not the man you once knew, and I can't promise you anything right now.
Please take care of our son. Love him as you've always loved him, and know that I will never stop thinking of you both.
Dante
The words hit Amelia like a wave, crashing over her, overwhelming her with emotion. She could barely hold the letter steady as tears blurred her vision. It was the closure she had been searching for, and yet, it wasn't enough.
He was still gone. And the hurt was it something that could ever heal?
Amelia placed the letter down, her fingers trembling as they brushed over the paper. She didn't know how to process the words. There was no apology that would undo the months of pain, the betrayal that lingered like a shadow in her life.
Eva, who had been watching Amelia from the doorway, stepped forward cautiously. She had seen the change in Amelia's expression, had sensed the raw emotion in the air. Without a word, Eva sat down beside her, her presence a quiet comfort.
"You've waited for this moment for so long, my lady," Eva said gently. "But the truth is, sometimes closure isn't what we expect. Sometimes, it's not enough to heal the wounds."
Amelia wiped away a tear, her voice barely a whisper. "I don't know what to feel anymore. He left. He's gone, and even though he's said these things, it doesn't change the fact that he's not here. And I don't know if I can keep doing this alone."
Eva placed a hand on Amelia's, offering the only comfort she could. "You're not alone, Lady Amelia. You have Alessandro. You have me. And you have yourself. You've always had the strength within you to face what's ahead. Even when it feels like there's nothing left, there's always a way forward."
Amelia took a deep breath, her mind racing with conflicting emotions. Dante's letter had brought a measure of clarity, but it had also deepened the ache in her heart. She wasn't sure if she could forgive him if she even wanted to but the love she still held for him, for the man he had once been, lingered.
And yet, the life she had now was different. It was no longer defined by Dante or the Mafia. It was her own life, one that was filled with the responsibility of raising their child, of finding a new purpose.
But part of her still wondered: Would Dante ever come back? Would he ever be the man she needed him to be, the man she had fallen in love with? Or had the betrayal and the darkness taken him away forever?