Chapter 119

Ella

Logan took a deep breath, as if he were gathering the strength to lift a colossal weight.

He glanced at me, his eyes carrying a quiet plea for understanding. There was nothing that I could do; we both knew that this moment was bound to come at one point or another, and in the most Edrick way possible, my father had decided that that moment would be right now.

Something told me that my father already knew. In fact, I was almost certain of it. This was a test of Logan’s trustworthiness, his transparency about his life.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Logan met my father’s stare. “My father,” he began, his voice low and filled with an unmistakable sense of gravity, “is a mafia boss in our city.”

My mom’s hand instantly shot up to her chest as she gasped, a look of disbelief etched across her face. “You’re joking,” she said, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Very funny, Logan.”

But Logan just shook his head slowly without saying a word, his gaze firmly fixed on my father, whose face was made of stone at that moment.

There was a palpable silence at the table. Even the waiter, coming to take our orders, sensed the tension and backed away, clearly deciding to come back later. I felt my heart slowly rising into my throat as Moana’s eyes met mine. But my father’s gaze remained unwavering, fixed firmly on Logan like a silent standoff.

“Ella,” my mother murmured, her voice low and trembling. “Is this true? A… A mafia boss? Do you understand the kind of danger you're putting yourself in?”

My heart, which had been making its slow ascent into my throat, suddenly plummeted into my stomach as I saw the pained look on my mom’s face. I never wanted to see her like this. “Mom, it’s not that simple—”

Suddenly, my dad’s voice sliced through the tension, calm but unyielding. “Logan, you had better start talking. Now.”

Logan swallowed, the tension in the room so thick it could have been cut with a knife. “Sir, it’s true that I’m the son of a mafia boss,” he said, his voice surprisingly even and controlled. “I’ve lived under that shadow for a long time. But I don’t want to be a part of it, not anymore.”

“Just like that?” My father’s brows drew together, and though his eyes still pierced through Logan, there was a sliver of curiosity there. “You just plan on walking away?”

“You think it’s that easy?” Logan responded, meeting my dad’s gaze evenly. “It’s not. It’s far more complicated than that. I’m working on removing myself from that life. I’m—”

“You’re what?” my mom interjected, her voice still tinged with disbelief and a mother’s concern. “Planning a career change? Mafia to model citizen doesn’t exactly sound like an easy switch.”

Logan’s eyes fell to the table, and for a moment, I worried that he’d close up, that the barrier would snap back into place. But then he looked back up, his eyes meeting mine briefly. When he spoke again, his voice carried a new resolve.

“I’ve already started distancing myself. I’m removing myself from the illegitimate businesses as we speak. I’ve even begun reaching out to certain individuals who can help bring down some of the criminal elements in the city. Undercover work, anonymous tips, whatever it takes.”

His words caused another silence to fall over the table. These things that he was mentioning were news even to me; undercover work? Anonymous tips? Why hadn’t I heard of this yet? Was this what Logan had been referring to when he said last night that he had secrets he was waiting to tell me?

“And how do we know you’re not playing both sides here? That you’re not here to get closer to Ella for some other agenda?” My dad was leaning forward now, his hands clasped together on the table. “You’ll have to forgive an old man for being skeptical.”

“I get it, sir, I do. And I can’t prove my sincerity to you right here, right now, in this restaurant. All I can give you is my word, and my actions going forward.” Logan took another deep breath. “Ella and I, we want to do good, in any way we can. We’re planning on making our city a better place.”

My father's piercing gaze had softened only slightly. “Making the city a better place, you say? And how exactly do you plan to accomplish that, given your… family circumstances?”

Logan swallowed, the tension returning like an unwanted guest. “I’ve been giving that a lot of thought, sir. If my father designates me as the heir to the family, I intend to use that power for change.”

“For change?” My mom’s eyes widened, clearly skeptical.

Logan nodded. “Yes. First thing: shut down all illegitimate businesses. Convert them, as much as possible, into lawful enterprises that can benefit the community.”

“Shutting down all illegal businesses? Just like that?” My dd leaned forward, locking eyes with Logan.

Logan met his gaze, unwavering. “It will be complicated and risky, but I’ve started gathering evidence against competing families. Enough to keep them busy with law enforcement while I clean house.”

My dad’s eyebrows arched. “You’ve thought about the dynamics, then.”

“I have. And after all the criminal enterprises are closed, I plan to divert those resources. I want to use them to fund community programs—after-school activities for kids, public health initiatives, you name it.”

My heart swelled with a sense of awe and pride, hearing Logan lay out his plans. But he wasn’t done.

“I don’t just want to stop at community programs,” Logan continued, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “I want to move into politics. I want to run for Mayor.”

I blinked, stunned. Mayor? This was the first time he’d mentioned it, and the audacity of the ambition caught me completely off guard.

“You’re serious?” My father questioned, mirroring my own thoughts. His gray eyes met mine for a moment, and it was all I could do to hide my own surprise.

“Completely. I want to dredge out corruption from the roots. Clean up the police force, restructure the city’s budget, ensure transparency at every level of governance. It will take a long time, of course, but it’s genuinely what I want to do.”

Logan was so detailed, so exact, that I found myself grappling with this revelation. Here was a whole new facet to his character, a dimension I hadn’t seen before. The enormity of what he was planning was staggering, and I felt like I was suddenly caught up in something new altogether.

“So, you want to dismantle the criminal empire you’d inherit, pump the resources into the community, and then run for Mayor to clean up the city from the inside,” my dad summed up, sounding almost incredulous.

“Exactly,” Logan affirmed.

The room fell quiet.

I looked at my dad, his face inscrutable, his eyes distant as if he were somewhere far away. For a moment, I really thought he would tell Logan to leave, to disappear from our lives forever. And the pang that thought brought surprised me with its intensity.

But then, my dad finally broke the silence, his eyes meeting Logan’s as if for the first time. “That’s an ambitious plan. It’ll take more than just ambition to execute it, though. You realize that, right?”

Logan nodded. “I do, sir. And I’m ready to do whatever it takes.”

There was another pause, the silence stretching on almost unbearably. I felt my heart pounding, thudding in my chest.

Then, to my shock and relief, my dad extended his hand towards Logan, his gaze finally softening, as if a decision had been made.

He didn’t say anything, but he didn't have to. The outstretched hand spoke volumes.