---- Chapter 13 Olivia POV: My life settles into a comfortable, fulfilling rhythm. My business thrives, my friendship with Maya is a constant source of strength, and my love for Ben deepens with each passing day. Our Found Family is solid. I'm starting to redefine what love means. With Ethan, it was a volatile, destructive storm, a Don's manipulative passion. With Ben, it's a steady, nourishing light, a Protector's quiet loyalty. One afternoon, a call comes through from a New York number. | almost ignore it. "Hello?" | answer. A hesitant female voice. "Is this... Ava Miller?" The name hits me like a bucket of ice water. My defenses snap into place. "You have the wrong number," | say, my voice cold. "Please, wait," the voice says, desperate. "My name is Sarah Reed. I'm Ethan's sister." A family member. From the old world. ---- "| know you're not Ava anymore," she continues, her voice trembling. "It took me years to find you. | just... | need to talk to someone who knew him. Before. Before he became..." She trails off, but | know what she means. Before he became a Dark Don. A war rages inside me. Part of me wants to slam the phone down. But another part, a curious, compassionate part, wants to hear her out. | take a deep breath. "What do you want to know?" It's Thanksgiving. Ben's parents are in town, a warm, boisterous couple who welcome me into their family without reservation. Sitting around their dinner table, listening to stories and laughter, | feel a sense of belonging I've never known before. This is a family, a real one, not a criminal enterprise held together by fear and the threat of a Vendetta. Later, as we're cleaning up, Ben wraps his arms around me from behind. "Thank you for being here," he whispers in my ear. "| love you," | whisper back, turning to kiss him. He is my Protector, my partner, my true family. A few days later, Maya calls. "You'll never guess who just won a seat on the city council back in New York," she says. "Chloe Vance." The former Associate, now a respected public servant. She ---- found her power in the legitimate world, a different kind of Mafia Queen. | smile. "Good for her." The news doesn't stir anything in me. Ethan, Chloe, the Reeds .. they are characters in a story that is no longer mine. My identity is not defined by them. | am Olivia Carter. | am whole.