Lost and Found

No Matter What

Aurelio walked down the sterile hallway of the asylum with heavy, measured steps, the weight of his conversation with Vivienne pressing against his chest like an iron vice.

He had expected resistance from her.

Expected her to play her usual games, twisting his words, trying to unsettle him.

But what he hadn't expected was the reminder of just how deeply his wife still understood him—how she could see the cracks he had spent years trying to smooth over.

You're a fool if you think love won't destroy him the way it destroyed me.

Her words clawed at his thoughts.

Love hadn't destroyed Vivienne. Madness had. Paranoia had. And yet, as he turned a corner and reached the double doors that led outside, he couldn't shake the fear that, in some way, she was right.

Mackenzie had always been his most complicated puzzle. His son was headstrong, reckless—his mother's fire and his father's iron wrapped into one.

Aurelio had trained him to be sharp, to never hesitate. And yet, since the accident, Mackenzie had become someone different.

A stranger.

Aurelio pushed open the door, the cool evening air hitting him like a slap. His black car was waiting at the curb, the driver stepping out immediately to open the door for him.

He slid into the back seat, exhaling slowly as the door shut behind him, enclosing him in silence.

"Back to the estate, sir?" the driver asked.

Aurelio didn't answer right away. He ran a hand down his face, feeling the exhaustion settle deep in his bones. His mind was still at the asylum, with Vivienne's piercing blue eyes staring straight through him.

Finally, he spoke. "Yes."

The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror.

"I need to speak with my son."

The car pulled away from the asylum, the tires humming against the pavement.

———————————————————

The Brennen Estate – An Hour Later

The estate was dark when Aurelio arrived, the grand driveway empty except for Mackenzie's motorcycle parked near the front steps.

He entered the house and immediately went up the stairs to his sons bedroom. He knocked on the wood with a firm tap.

A moment later, the door swung open, and Mackenzie stood there, barefoot, his expression shifting from surprise to something more guarded.

The bruise on his cheek had darkened since the last time Aurelio saw him, the evidence of his visit to Vivienne still fresh.

"Dad," Mackenzie said, standing in the doorway.

Aurelio didn't wait for an invitation. He stepped inside, his sharp eyes scanning the living room—half-empty water bottles on the coffee table, a textbook left open on the couch, his son's usual mess.

Mackenzie shut the door behind him. "What do you need?"

Aurelio turned to face him. "I visited your mother today."

Mackenzie tensed.

"I know you saw her," Aurelio continued, voice low. "And I know what she did." His gaze flickered to the bruise.

Mackenzie exhaled sharply, looking away. "So, what? You came to tell me I was an i***t for going?"

"No," Aurelio said. "I came to warn you."

Mackenzie scoffed, running a hand through his hair. "Of what?"

Aurelio stepped closer, his tone grave. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into, Mackenzie. You don't remember her the way I do. Your mother is dangerous. She can turn love into a weapon, and she will use it against you if you let her."

Mackenzie's jaw clenched. "She's still my mother."

"That doesn't mean she's safe."

Mackenzie held his father's gaze, defiant. "I don't need you to protect me from her."

Aurelio sighed, shaking his head. "You think you have all the answers, but you don't. You don't even remember the things you should be afraid of."

Mackenzie's fingers curled into fists at his sides. "Is that why you're really here? To remind me of all the things I forgot?"

Aurelio was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "No."

Mackenzie frowned slightly.

"I came because of Evelyn."

The name made Mackenzie stiffen. "What about her?"

Aurelio studied his son's face carefully. "You've changed since the accident. You don't see the world the same way. You don't see her the same way."

Mackenzie's expression darkened. "What's your point?"

"My point is," Aurelio said evenly, "that you need to decide what she really means to you. Because if you care about her—even a little—then she's in danger."

Mackenzie's eyes flashed. "From you?"

Aurelio's expression didn't shift. "From this life. From the choices you were born into. From the people who will come looking, not just for you, but for anyone who stands too close."

Mackenzie swallowed hard.

Aurelio took a step closer. "You don't remember the kind of man you were before the accident, but I do. You kept people at arm's length for a reason. Because when you let them in, they become leverage. And if Evelyn Turner becomes leverage, there won't be a damn thing you can do to stop it."

Mackenzie's pulse pounded in his ears.

"She already knows about the mafia," he said quietly.

Aurelio didn't look surprised. "Yes."

"You knew?"

Aurelio nodded. "She saw something she shouldn't have three years ago. I thought it was handled. Clearly, I was wrong."

Mackenzie felt the ground beneath him shift. Three years ago. A party. His father. A deal. A girl walking in.

A flicker of a memory—Evelyn's wide, terrified eyes staring at something she wasn't meant to see.

The headache hit him like a hammer, sharp and splitting. He winced, pressing a hand to his temple.

Aurelio watched him carefully. "You're remembering, aren't you?"

Mackenzie gritted his teeth. "Pieces."

"Then you understand why this can't happen."

Mackenzie lifted his gaze. "I'm not walking away from her."

Aurelio exhaled slowly. "Then you better be ready to protect her from what's coming."

Mackenzie's jaw clenched. "I will."

Aurelio watched him for a long moment before nodding.

"I hope you're right," he said, turning toward the door. "For her sake."

And then he was gone, leaving Mackenzie standing in the middle of the room, his thoughts a storm of memories, warnings, and the one undeniable truth settling deep in his chest.

He wasn't going to let Evelyn go.

No matter what it cost him.