Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 486 -

*Olivia*

"What do you mean he's gone? Who is?"

Shame curled around my throat like a hand around my windpipe, and every ragged breath through my mouth felt like swallowing a hundred razor blades. I could hear Gio's fear, the way it mirrored my own, and I choked on my spit, unable to say the next words that I didn't even want to admit to myself.

I was his mother. How could something like this happen on my watch? He was right here in my arms only a few hours ago and now....

A hand on my back rubbed slow, deliberate circles, a low voice trying to coach me to breathe in and out, but I felt like I was waiting for a breath that would never come. How could I breathe without my baby here with me?

They could've torn me limb from limb and it would still hurt less than this.

"E-Elio," I managed to choke out through my sobs. "They took our baby!"

The line went dead silent and I dropped the phone into my lap, lost in a haze of grief as I wailed into my hands, curled up into a ball on the floor.

I could barely hear the phone still on or Dahlia grabbing it from beside me. She spoke slowly into the phone, her voice sounding choked up as she told Gio everything she knew. "Okay," Dahlia said softly.

The cold metal was pushed against my ear, my hair in the way of the speaker, but I could still hear Gio's steel-like voice.

"Olivia?" he demanded through the phone.

I managed a sob in response, curling into myself even deeper.

"I'm on my way. I promise you we will replace him," Gio said, sounding so sure that there was no way anyone couldn't believe him.

Despite the grief and fear that had possessed me, I managed a staggering breath, latching onto his promise like a life preserver drifting in the unforgiving sea.

All I could do was cling to it and cradle the tiny hope in my chest, hoping he could stop me from drowning fully under the weight of my emotions.

"I'll be there soon, carina," he told me, and then the phone went silent.

Lost, I latched onto Elio's favorite shark plush, gripping it tightly in my hands as I tried to get myself together, to pull my broken pieces into place and hold it there with whatever I had left.

But my strength had always been clumsy and fragile. A soft, plush feeling wrapped around me, and a familiar scent, the shampoo we used in Elio's hair, washed over me. Dahlia sat beside me, her eyes shining with tears as she kneeled beside me, one hand pushing my hair from my face.

I caught the edge of the blanket she had laid over me, the little E embroidered in the corner catching my attention, and just like that, I was lost.

I clutched onto my baby's blanket, staring down at the plush they had left behind to fool me with. I hunched over, curling into the floor until my forehead hit the wood below me. My knees ached from the pain of being in this position, but it was nothing compared to the way my heart had just snapped into pieces.

"Elio." I choked on his name and all my emotions came pouring out of me all at once. I let out a muffled scream into the floor, breaking apart fully.

I didn't know how long we were sitting there, how long I had screamed my son's name, sobbing until my voice was hoarse and my tears had run dry, but Dahlia didn't leave me, not once. She kept a solid hand on my back, offering whatever support she could despite her own tears, her pain.

Eventually, I folded over onto my side, staring blankly at the little rabbit I had painted on the walls, his empty crib looming there as a reminder of what we had lost... what they had stolen from us. I could still hear the echo of his little laugh, his cry as he whined to be picked up.

'Mama.' He'd hold his arms out to me, little eyes filled with tears as some masked shadow stole him away.

And I had let it happen.

I had failed to protect him.

But Gio would make things right. He would come bursting through the door, holding our baby in his arms, and all of this could be a bad dream.

It felt like an eternity, just curled up there on the floor, waiting for a miracle that would never come, but the door slammed open, hitting the wall with a bang and I jolted from the loud sound, my eyes immediately connecting with the one who stood in the doorway.

Gio stood there, a dark look on his face. He glanced around the room, at the crib, the open window and finally, me. He shot into action, falling to his knees beside me. His arms were unbearably warm, and I hadn't realized how cold I was until he was lifting me from the floor and pulling me into his body.

He cradled me against his chest, holding me tightly like I would disappear if he ever let go. I didn't even notice Dahlia pulling away and getting to her feet or the sad, worried look she sent me before leaving us alone. I was too consumed with the misery of losing Elio.

"He's gone. They took him," I mumbled into his neck, feeling numb.

The tear tracks on my face felt like ice against my skin as they dried up. I couldn't cry anymore even if I wanted to.

"I'll replace him, carina," Gio whispered to me, his voice low and restrained. "I'll get our son back, I swear to you, and I'll make whoever took him pay for this."

Numbly, I shut my eyes, fully going limp in his embrace as the thought raced around my head. I hadn't had time to consider it, but somebody had taken Elio, had known when his bedtime was, where his room was. Someone who had seen it before.

"It was my father," I stated numbly. "That's why he was looking around Elio's room. He was trying to see how to get in to take him. This is what he'd been planning from the beginning."

The truth was bitter on my tongue, but the burning scorn that followed was relief. It chased away the numb misery I had been feeling, letting me latch onto it.

It wasn't my fault.

It was Salvatore's.

Hatred like I had never known filled every piece of my broken heart and I dug my nails around Gio's shirt, clenching my teeth down until it hurt. The anger was intense, like wildfire in the middle of August.

It spread into my veins, infecting me until every part of me agreed on one thing.

"I hate him," I hissed, pulling from Gio's arms to gaze him firmly in the eyes. "Make him pay. Hurt him. Kill him. Do whatever you want with him. I don't care. Just bring me back our son."

Despite the surprise in Gio's eyes, it quickly melted into a steely determination and he pressed his forehead against mine, never moving his eyes away as he vowed to me, "I will burn the city down to replace him, Olivia. And I'll take care of everyone who gets in my way."

At that moment, I knew he would do exactly what he said he would. There was no doubt in my mind that he would replace our baby and bring him home.

Because that was the kind of man I had married.

My husband scooped me off the floor and carried me like a princess. I wrapped my arms around his neck to stabilize myself as he carried me from the nursery to the couch. He gently sat me down, taking the seat beside me, and I barely heard him as he demanded, "Go bring Dahlia back," to the door.

That was when I noticed Gabriele standing there with his arms crossed, a pissed look on his face. He nodded once, turning back around and heading to replace my best friend. I felt terrible for not stopping her when she'd walked away. She had been there for me when I fell apart. And she was suffering too.

My attention was taken away by Gio, however, as he gently brushed his thumb underneath my cheeks, wiping away the tear tracks still visible there.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to me, guilt shining in his eyes. "I let this happen."

"No." I shook my head immediately, gripping him as I buried myself in his arms. "I let Salvatore into our home. I trusted him, and now look what happened. You were right about everything but I refused to listen and now I've put our son in danger! This is my fault, not yours!"

"Olivia," he said sternly, cupping my face in his hands. His eyes flickered back and forth in mine, searching for something. "This is not your fault. It's his. He will pay for this. I will make sure of it."

I nodded, believing him with all of my heart as I curled into his embrace. I had to hope that everything was okay, that Elio would be okay.

"Olive!" Dahlia cried.

I whirled around to face her, whimpering softly at the fear in her eyes, the sadness boring holes into me, and Gio pulled away from me, gently waving a hand toward Dahlia.

I was grateful for him as Dahlia rushed over and took his place, hugging me as tightly as she could. I could feel the slight tremor in her body, the sobs she kept biting down, and I held her back just as tightly, hoping to bring her even the slightest bit of comfort.

I hardly noticed Gio walking out the door, but I knew he had to go replace our son.

Dahlia pulled back from our embrace with teary eyes. She choked on the words, but pushed forward anyway, biting out, "Elio...."

It hurt all over again to hear his name, like picking a scab and a new wound opening up. I choked on the emotions building in my throat, slamming down on them hard. I couldn't fall apart again, not now.

Elio would be safe. Gio would make sure of that. I repeated that like a mantra in my mind.

"He did it, Dolly," I told her, gritting my teeth with anger. "This was his goal from the beginning, and I just let it happen. I was so goddamn stupid to trust him."

"You're not stupid," Dahlia reassured me, looking just as furious as I was. "He is. Once Gio gets done with him, there'll be nothing left of him. We'll take him down, and he will regret ever coming back into your life."

I nodded, finally releasing the tension from my body as I collapsed onto the couch beside my best friend. I still couldn't believe my father would do this to me, but all the warning signs had been there.

I had trusted him and believed him despite all the evidence pouring against him, and look where it had gotten me.

Well, he couldn't fool me any longer, I thought. I hoped with every corner of my heart that Gio would replace him. He would replace him and once he was in front of me again, he would be answering to me. I had some questions left for him.