54: Desperately In Love

"My mother was known by the stage name Daphne Phillips. That was all I knew for the first few months. She had no idea who I was until a reporter captured a photo of us together, and the next day, a scathing article was published in the Times. I think she had suspicions because of a mutual friend we had. After the article, I revealed everything to her about myself and my life, the responsibilities I carried as I prepared to take over from my father. I believed I had lost her. There were no tears, no outbursts. Just silence. She walked away, and I thought I would never see her again."

"But you did."

"One week later, she called me, asking me to meet for a drink. We went to our favorite little bar, and she did all the talking."

He hesitated, closing his eyes.

"Who was she, Father? What was my mother's real name?"

"Her name was... Sophia Massimo."

In an instant, the room felt devoid of light, and his words echoed. "What. Did. You. Say?"

"She was Dante's only daughter. The bullet that