Second Chance With My Baby Daddy

Chapter2:What’sHappening

Lilianna POV

I had been gone for five years, but nothing had changed, the same grand chandeliers, the scent of expensive cigars lingering in the air.

And then, I saw "Silas."

My brother, he stood at the top of the grand staircase, looking exactly as I remembered.

For a second, neither of us moved. Then he descended the stairs two at a time, closing the distance between us. His arms wrapped around me, squeezing the breath out of my lungs.

"Lili? Is it really you?" His voice cracked with emotion.

I choked back tears and nodded. "It’s me."

He pulled away, his hands gripping my shoulders as he scanned my face. "You cut your hair."

I let out a watery laugh. "That’s what you noticed first?"

"Well, that and the fact that you vanished without a word," he shot back, his tone light but there was pain underneath.

I swallowed hard. I had practiced this moment a hundred times in my head, but nothing could prepare me for the guilt in my brother’s eyes.

"I wanted to come back sooner," I lied, forcing a smile. "But I’m here now."

Silas studied me, his jaw tightening, but he let it go. "You’re lucky, I’m too happy to see you to be mad. You have a lot of explaining to do, little sister.

We moved to his study, a room that once belonged to our father.

"You’re really marrying Aelita Petrov?" I asked, arms crossed as I leaned against the desk.

Silas exhaled heavily and sat down, rubbing a hand over his face. "It’s complicated, Lili."

I scoffed. "Complicated? She’s the daughter of Vlad Petrov. That’s not complicated, that’s dangerous."

His jaw ticked. "You think I don’t know that? But this marriage keeps the peace. The Russians and Italians have been at each other’s throats for years. This alliance gives us power."

I clenched my fists. "Dad would never have agreed to this."

Silas’s expression darkened. "Dad’s not here anymore. And if you’d been here instead of running away, you’d know how bad things got after you left."

Guilt twisted in my stomach.

"You don’t have to do this," I said quietly. "You could walk away."

Silas’s laugh was humorless. "Like you did?"

I flinched. "Silas…"

"Forget it," he muttered. "Just promise me you’ll be at the wedding."

I forced a smile, even as my stomach churned. "Of course. What kind of sister would I be if I missed your big day?"

A dead one, probably.

Because if I knew anything about the Petrov family, it was that they didn’t forgive betrayal. And Silas was about to marry into the lion’s den.

I barely had time to breathe before Silas dragged me through the halls of the Genovese estate, eager to show me off like a long-lost treasure. I smiled, nodded, exchanged pleasantries with familiar faces, but my heart pounded in my chest. I needed to get out of here. I needed to see Callum before someone else did.

"Mama!"

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

I spun around just in time to see Callum barreling toward me, his tiny legs carrying him as fast as they could. His black curls bounced with each step, his chubby arms outstretched.

Silas froze.

Everywhere went silent, the low murmurs of the guests fading into nothing. My heartbeat roared in my ears as I stepped forward, scooping Callum into my arms before anyone could react. His little fingers clung to my dress, his big brown eyes blinking up at me with innocence.

I forced a smile, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Hey, sweetheart," I murmured, my mind racing.

Silas took a slow step forward, his sharp gaze fixed on the child in my arms. His face, once bright with excitement, darkened with confusion.

"Lilianna," he said carefully, his voice quieter now. "Who is this?"

I swallowed hard, tightening my hold on Callum. "This is Callum," I said, keeping my voice steady. "My son."

Silas’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes, those familiar, piercing eyes narrowed just slightly. I could see the gears turning in his head. The questions forming.

"Your son," he repeated, his tone darker.

I nodded, shifting Callum against my hip. "Yes."

Silas’s jaw flexed. "And his father?"

I had rehearsed this lie a hundred times. I practiced it in the mirror. I said it over and over in my head until it became second nature. But standing here, under my brother’s scrutiny, it felt like my chest was caving in.

"He's... from Italy," I said finally. "I met someone there. We were together for a while, but it didn’t work out."

Silas studied me, his gaze flickering to Callum, then back to me. I held my breath, praying he wouldn’t push further.

After what felt like an eternity, he exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair. "And you didn’t think to tell me?"

Guilt twisted in my stomach. "I wanted to. But after everything that happened... I didn’t know how."

Silas let out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head. "Jesus, Lilianna. Five years. Five damn years, and you never thought once to tell me I had a nephew?"

"I was trying to protect him!" I shot back, my voice coming out harsher than I intended.

Silas went still. His eyes softened just slightly, but the hurt lingered. "From what?"

Everything.

The mafia. The violence. The past that refused to stay buried.

But I couldn’t tell him that.

I forced a small smile, gently bouncing Callum in my arms. "It’s a long story, Silas. And right now, this is your night. I don’t want to take away from that."

Silas stared at me for a long moment before finally sighing. "We’re not done talking about this."

"I know."

His gaze dropped to Callum, and something in his expression shifted. Slowly, he reached out, hesitating before brushing his fingers over the little boy’s curls.

"Hey, buddy," he said, his voice softer now. "Guess that makes me your uncle, huh?"

Callum blinked up at him, then giggled. "Unca!"

Silas let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head. "Christ. He looks just like….”