Second Chance With My Baby Daddy

LILIANA’S POV The moment the plane touched down at JFK International Airport, a wave of nerves crashed over me. Five years. That’s how long it has been since I left this city behind, since I ran. Now, with Callum clutching my hand, I was walking right back into the past. I swore I’d never face him again. I had left behind the blood, the deaths and betrayals, the man who once held my heart in his ruthless grip. And yet, here I was. “Mommy, are we really in New York?” Callum’s voice was filled with excitement. His dark curls bounced as he looked around, his brown eyes, those eyes that looked so much like his father’s.. Wide with curiosity. I forced a smile. “Yes, baby. We’re home.” If you could call this place home. The airport was very busy. People rushed in every direction, flight announcements blared overhead, and the air was filled with the scent of burnt coffee and expensive perfume. The city has a relentless energy that had once felt like home to me. Now? It felt like a war front. I tightened my grip on Callum’s hand as I grabbed our suitcase. Then, in one single moment of distraction, I lost him. One second, he was beside me. The next, his tiny fingers slipped from my grasp. “Callum?” My heart pounded as I spun around. Gone. Panic clawed up my throat. Not here. Not now. I shoved past passengers, my breath coming in short, frantic gasps. “Callum! Callum!” Then I heard a familiar giggle, echoing near the check-in counters. I found him standing beside a security officer, proudly showing off his little toy car. “Ma’am, is this your son?” the officer asked, raising a brow. I grabbed Callum and pulled him into my arms, heart still racing. “Mommy, look! The nice man gave me a sticker!” Callum beamed, completely unaware that I’d just aged ten years in two minutes. I shot the officer with an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry. We just arrived from Italy, and he’s a little... energetic.” The man chuckled. “No worries, ma’am. Just keep an eye on him.” Easier said than done. By the time we reached our five-star hotel in Manhattan, exhaustion settled deep in my bones. The city lights glowed through the floor to the ceiling windows, casting a golden haze over the suite. I tipped the bellboy and let Callum explore while I made a quick call. “Sí, Sophie. We landed safely.” Sophie had been our nanny in Italy, practically raising Callum alongside me. She had begged me not to return to NYC, fearing the dangers of my past, that it's still not gone, and they might harm Callum and I. Of course, she has every right to be afraid. After a few minutes of assuring her that we were fine, I hung up. Then I heard a loud splash. I turned just in time to see Callum sinking beneath the water in the hotel’s private pool. “CALLUM!” Adrenaline surged through me as I raced across the balcony and dived in, fully clothed. The water was freezing, but none of that mattered. I grabbed Callum, his tiny body limp in my arms. Panic clawed at my chest as I pulled him to the surface. He coughed, choking on water, his eyes wide with fear. “You scared me,” I whispered, pressing his soaked body against mine. “Sorry, Mommy,” he sniffled. I held him tighter. “Never do that again.” I was trembling. Not from the cold, of course, not it was from the terrifying thought of losing him. That night, as I tucked Callum into bed, I ran my fingers through his curls, my mind drifting back to our life in Italy. We had lived in a quaint villa near Florence, surrounded by vineyards and rolling hills. It had been a peaceful life, one I had built from scratch after running away from New York. I had become a private investigator, using my skills to expose corrupt business people and cheating husbands. It wasn’t the safest job, but it was better than being trapped in the mafia world I was born into. And Callum? He had been my greatest joy, even though he hadn't come in the nicest way. He loved pasta nights in the kitchen, chasing butterflies in the vineyard, and drawing little sketches of animals. He had no idea how much danger his bloodline carried. Leaving Italy had been the hardest decision of my life. But I didn’t have a choice. It was my brother's wedding. Silas, had been my best friend growing up, the only one who had ever truly protected me in a world filled with danger. When I left New York, I left him behind too. His messages over the years had been short but persistent. That last message had done it. "I’m getting married. It won’t be the same without you." Silas was the only real family I had left, and despite everything, I couldn’t miss his big day. But coming back meant stepping into the lion’s den. I closed my eyes, his name bringing a bitter taste to my tongue. Matteo Costello. The man I once loved. The man who was supposed to protect me, instead he ran away when I needed him the most. I wish he was there for me. Maybe.. Just maybe I wouldn't have run away. I left New York to escape that arranged marriage. But if he was around, maybe my father wouldn't have considered Vlad's proposal because Matteo would have married me. Every time I looked at Callum, I saw Matteo staring back at me. Those same brown eyes. That same stubborn tilt of the chin. Callum was his son. And nothing, not even my hatred, will change that. I had convinced myself for years that keeping Callum a secret was the right thing. That he would be safer that way. But I couldn’t hide forever. Matteo would find out. And when he did, there would be war because he would want to claim himself. He isn't just a man, he is a Mafia boss. And men like him? They never let go of what’s theirs. But no matter what, I will save my child from that life. Even if it meant dragging me back into the darkness, I barely escaped.