CHAPTER 138: ANOTHER VICTIM

"Then that’s settled. Tomorrow night, let’s pack nothing and just head out," he whispered to me softly, making a promise to take me away with him.

Before I could say anything more, Raphael had already left me alone in my bedroom. My heart was still racing as I sank onto the bed and buried my face in my hands. I wasn’t sure if I was walking into another trap, but my mind felt so willing to let him take me wherever he wanted. That was how much I wanted to be with him, even though I wasn’t sure if I was ready to deal with heartbreak and the danger that might follow.

...

The mansion shrunk smaller and smaller behind us in the rearview mirror until it was completely swallowed up by the trees. I sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window while Raphael drove. His hands were steady on the wheel, his gaze fixed ahead. For once, in a very long time, he seemed at peace.

"Can’t you tell me where we’re going?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"You’ll see soon enough," he replied simply.

I decided to stop pressing for answers. There was something in the calmness and peacefulness of the atmosphere as we enjoyed each other’s company in silence that I wanted to preserve, even if just for a while. Simply being alone in the car with him soothed me and made me realize just how much pressure I had been living under while I was around my mother and Bennett.

It was a couple of hours’ drive, and we stopped here and there to rest. Time flew by, and it felt like no time had passed at all until we finally reached our destination-a quiet seaside town with a name I had never heard of before. It wasn’t a tourist destination, and the privacy it seemed to offer, along with the pleasant view of the ocean, was exactly what we needed. The air was salty and clean, and the atmosphere felt so light-a sharp contrast to the heavy silence of the mansion. I could hear children laughing in the distance and couples strolling hand in hand along the beach.

"Not exactly what you expected, is it?" Raphael asked as he glanced at me, a flicker of a smile tugging at his beautiful lips.

"Not at all. This is indeed a pleasant surprise," I replied, keeping my gaze on the view outside the car window.

Instead of staying at a luxury hotel-which might not even exist in the area-Raphael drove us to a small inn with a beautiful garden in the front. Nothing about it screamed heir to the largest mafia syndicate or son of a powerful CEO. It was just a simple, beautiful place. For once, it felt like we were just two people here to enjoy each other’s company and the sea, without having to pretend to be someone else for anyone else.

...

We spent the rest of the day as if we were lost in a dream. We took long walks along the beach, hand in hand, feeling the waves tickle our feet. We watched the sunset as it painted the sky in beautiful hues of orange and pink. I rested my head on Raphael’s shoulder as we sat on the sand, talking about nothing important.

"You know, I used to come here as a kid," Raphael said suddenly.

I looked at him with surprise. This didn’t feel like the kind of place someone like him would frequent.

"You look so surprised," he said with a soft chuckle. "Well, that was before my father got pulled deep into the business. Back then, I was younger and had no involvement in the business either. Things seemed much simpler and a lot more peaceful then," Raphael explained, clearly reminiscing about the past.

It felt like he was telling me something extremely important and private-a part of himself that I wasn’t used to seeing, and a part I didn’t know. I still found it unusual for Raphael to openly share pieces of himself, especially when it involved his past. I didn’t want to push him, but I couldn’t stop myself. I was afraid I wouldn’t get another opportunity.

"What changed?" I asked softly.

I could tell Raphael truly preferred the life he once had compared to the one he was living now.

"I guess I stopped being a kid. That’s it," he replied softly before tracing patterns in the fine sand with his fingertips.

Something in his tone broke my heart, and I wanted to comfort him. Before I could stop myself, I turned and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing his cheek softly, as if to tell him that it was okay.

Raphael looked at me with sadness in his eyes, and in that moment, I realized that perhaps, in some way, he was also a victim. Maybe Raphael never had the luxury of choosing the kind of life he wanted to lead. Being the only son, his destiny had been laid out for him since a very young age. Inheriting the family business was what he was born to do, regardless of what he truly wanted for himself.

"Shall we head to dinner?" Raphael asked suddenly as he stood up.

He bent down and offered me his hand before pulling me up to my feet. As I followed him to dinner, I had to admit that I had once again softened toward Raphael. I didn’t even have to try hard to understand him and feel for him. It seemed that the trip had already served the purpose he had in mind. However, that didn’t mean I could-or should-completely ignore the consequences of the life choices he had made. This was still the life he chose, at least to some degree.