Chapter 14 I Am Anne's Father

“Yes, Alyssa. I always dreamed of being a father. And a husband,” he adds darkly.

“So why didn’t you? I mean, after… us,” I finish lamely.

He sighs. I feel him still. It’s a good thing I’m not looking at him because when he speaks again, he says something that would have caused my jaw to drop with shock. “I wanted you, Alyssa.”

Alessandro de Rossi POV

My heart pounds after I confess to Alyssa what I have been feeling for a while.

Years.

After our separation and the events of my parents’ deaths, I did not even consider finding a new wife. For a long time, I was too busy. Running the business left no time for grief, and I also refused to linger in the sadness that consumed my days during that dark time.

I was determined to be the best head of the de Rossi Mafia family, and to honor the legacy.

However, eventually things stabilized. Nico, along with many of my other most trusted soldiers, had encouraged me to take a new wife. They had encouraged women in many other ways, of course, and f