Claimed by the Mafia Don-Chapter 58: Visiting Her Father

STEFANO RUSSO’S (NERO’S) POV

I drove down to the location Benny gave me the next morning, following the narrow road that cut through a quiet stretch of land. According to him, this was where Zoe’s father lived.

Beside me, Zoe sat with her eyes fixed on the dashboard—like she was staring at something only she could see. Her hands were folded on her lap, fingers idly tracing one another, the way she always did when she was overthinking.

She looked... blank. But not empty. More like her mind was crowded with too many thoughts at once. Nerves. Fear. Maybe anger she didn’t want to name.

I didn’t push her to talk. I wouldn’t have wanted anyone poking at me either if I was on my way to confront a father who abandoned me—and might also be tied to the death of my mother. Just thinking about that made something dark throb behind my ribs.

The road thinned as we drove deeper into a bushy, secluded part of town. Trees lined both sides, tall and endless, turning the path into a green tunnel. Not a single person in sight. Just the occasional rustle of leaves and the hum of the engine.

But I wasn’t worried. Benny and two of my men were behind us with two other cars, keeping enough distance to give Zoe and me privacy but close enough if anything went wrong. I never moved without a plan.

After a long stretch of silence, I finally asked, "Are you okay?" My voice sounded quieter than I intended.

She looked at me briefly, then exhaled. "I’m fine."

She wasn’t. Anyone could see that. So I tried again. "Are you... reconsidering?"

This time she actually looked at me. Like she was surprised I caught her train of thought. Then she gave a small, tired smile. "I think."

I couldn’t help a soft chuckle. Zoe was never shy about how she felt—that was one of the things I loved most about her. She didn’t pretend. Didn’t hide behind walls unless she had no choice.

"You know you can do this, right?" I said, glancing at her before returning my eyes to the road. "I’ve never known you to be soft."

She let out a shaky breath, her shoulders relaxing just a little. "I know. I’m just... uncertain of how I might react when I see him." She turned toward me, and the worry in her eyes stabbed at me more than she’d ever know. "It’s been years."

"I know," I murmured. And I did. More than she realized.

Without thinking too hard about it, I reached for her hand with my free one. Her fingers were cold.

"You can do this," I said, squeezing gently. "I trust you."

She nodded—slow at first, then firmer, like she was trying to convince herself too.

I kept her hand in mine, guiding us down the lonely road, ready for whatever waited at the end of it.

**********

ZOE DEAN’S POV

I glanced at Nero’s hand wrapped around mine.

He’d been reassuring me since yesterday—soft words, steady touches, that protective tone he only used when he knew I was close to falling apart—but none of it changed what waited for me at the end of this road.

Facing my father wasn’t something I could prepare my heart for. The man ruined my mother. Ruined me. And now, to make it worse, I was slowly realizing he might have been working for Nero’s father back then—part of the same dark world I had spent my life running from.

A bitter laugh almost slipped out. What a beautiful destiny. Full circle in the ugliest way.

I took a slow breath and sank back into the seat, forcing my mind to latch onto anything that didn’t make my chest tighten.

We drove in silence for a long time until the road narrowed and Nero finally pulled over. I straightened, blinking at the scenery.

Trees.

Bushes.

More trees.

No houses. No people. No sign of civilization.

A cold wave of confusion washed through me.

Nero was already unstrapping his seat belt, scanning the area with that face he wore whenever he stepped into his Don persona—blank, calm, unreadable. Not a single emotion in sight.

My stomach twisted.

I knew that expression.

It only came out when he expected trouble.

"Are we there?" I asked quietly, still glancing around, hoping I was wrong.

"Yes." His answer was clipped, serious. He took a deep breath before looking my way. "Are you ready?"

My brows pulled together. The tone... the weight behind the question... This was not the same calm reassurance he’d given me in the car earlier.

Something felt off.

My heartbeat picked up.

"I..." I started, but the words fell apart. I didn’t know anymore. Everything suddenly felt wrong. "But there’s no one here."

His lips twitched—something almost like a smile—but it didn’t ease my nerves.

"They’re waiting for us," he said.

A chill ran down my spine. "Who is?" My voice shook before I could stop it. "I thought... I thought we were meeting my father."

"We are." He said it with a teasing smile, like this was normal. Then he reached for the dashboard compartment, opened it—

And my breath vanished.

Guns.

At least four.

My mouth fell open as he grabbed one, cocked it, and slid it into his waistband.

I immediately grabbed his hand. "What are you doing?" My voice cracked from sheer panic.

Was this how people in his world met for conversations? Was this how he planned to "talk"? God, no. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to watch a gunfight. I didn’t want any of this.

"You said talk," I blurted, nearly shouting. "Not fight! How are you supposed to ask my father for help when you’re walking up to him with a gun?"

He looked annoyed—just a flicker, but enough for me to see it. Then he grabbed both my hands gently, holding them together in a way he had never done before.

"Will you just trust me?" he asked.

I stared at him, shocked into silence.

Not at his words—but at the way he held me. There was desperation in the way his fingers tightened around mine.

"You don’t expect me to walk to my enemies unprepared," he said, voice rising with frustration. "What if we get ambushed? How am I supposed to protect you? You think your father will let me walk up to him peacefully?"

His voice had gotten louder—sharper—and I flinched. He noticed immediately.

Nero closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and bowed his head. "I’m sorry," he whispered. His voice was soft now, raw. "I shouldn’t have raised my voice. I just... I hate when you look at me like I’m a monster. I’m doing this for you. To keep you safe. I need you to understand that."

My chest tightened.

As much as I hated guns, hated this world, he wasn’t wrong. My father wasn’t the type to welcome anyone peacefully—least of all a man connected to the people he once worked under. If anything, he’d probably attack first.

"I do trust you," I said quietly. Maybe I was still terrified. Maybe my heart felt like it would leap out of my chest. But I meant it. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

I took a breath. "Let’s do this."

His eyes softened instantly. He nodded, lifted both my hands to his lips, and pressed a soft kiss to them before getting out and circling to open my door.

The moment I stepped out, the cold air slapped my skin, making me shiver.

Without hesitation, Nero shrugged off his jacket and placed it around my shoulders. He fixed the collar, freed the strand of hair caught under the fabric, then took my hand again—firm, warm, grounding.

With his other hand, he picked up the gun.

We walked toward a narrow path, the crunch of dead leaves under our boots the only sound.

My heart wouldn’t stop racing. Every step felt heavier than the last.

As we walked, I noticed markings carved into some trunks. Small, subtle, but definitely intentional.

"What are these?" I asked.

"Their symbol," Nero answered softly. His thumb brushed over my knuckles. "We’re in your father’s territory now."

"My father has a territory?" The shock hit me harder than I expected.

Growing up, I’d only seen glimpses of the man he truly was. Only heard stories whispered by my mom or my aunt.

Now I was walking straight into his world... and it was far worse than anything I imagined.

We kept walking until Nero suddenly stopped.

I froze beside him, inching closer without even realizing it. My heart hammered against my ribs.

"What’s wrong?" I whispered.

"There’s someone here." His voice was barely audible, his grip tightening around the gun.

I swallowed hard.

I wasn’t ready.

I would never be ready for this.

And then—

"Who are you?" A deep, cold voice boomed from the bushes ahead.

I jerked my head up, eyes widening.

Oh God.

We were dead.