But just as she pulled away, Leo shifted quickly, rolling over to face her. His eyes opened slowly, a quiet intensity in them, and before Mina could react, he pulled her close, letting her lips brush against his in a soft, lingering kiss. 
Mina’s breath caught, her heart racing in her chest as she melted into the moment. The rain continued to fall outside, but inside, there was only the warmth of their shared connection, unspoken but undeniable.
*
As the night deepened, the atmosphere in the dimly lit living room was heavy with a quiet tension. Mina had drifted off on the couch, her head resting against the armrest, while the rain outside continued its relentless assault on the windows.
Leo was seated at the dining table, nursing a glass of whiskey, when Marco walked in, his coat soaked from the rain. His expression was grim, and there was a sharpness in his eyes that made Leo instantly alert.
“You’re late,” Leo said, setting his glass down, the sound of the glass meeting the wooden table sharper than intended.
Marco didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down across from Leo. He placed a thick folder on the table, its edges worn, as if it had been flipped through a dozen times.
“What’s this?” Leo asked, eyeing the folder with suspicion.
Marco let out a slow, controlled breath, gathering his thoughts. “It’s the report... from the investigation you asked for,” he began, his voice low, almost hesitant.
Leo’s eyes narrowed. He could sense the weight behind Marco’s words, the kind of weight that meant whatever was in that folder was something he wasn’t going to like.
“Just spit it out, Marco,” Leo growled, growing impatient. “What did you find out?”
Marco leaned forward, lowering his voice as if he feared the walls themselves would betray him. “Boss... Mina isn’t who she thinks she is.”
Leo’s expression hardened. “What the hell do you mean?” 
Marco’s gaze flicked briefly to Mina, still asleep on the couch, before he turned back to Leo. “The man who raised her... the one she calls her father... he’s not her real father. He’s her kidnapper.”
The words hit Leo like a punch to the gut. He blinked, processing, but his mind was already racing. “Kidnapper?” Leo repeated, his voice a deadly whisper. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Marco nodded, sliding the folder across the table. “I dug deep into his background. The man has been living under a false identity for years. Mina’s real parents... they died when she was young, under suspicious circumstances. And not long after, she vanished. That’s when he took her.”
Leo’s jaw clenched, his eyes darting to the sleeping form of Mina. She looked so peaceful, so unaware that her entire life was built on a lie. “Why the hell didn’t we know this sooner?” he demanded, anger lacing his voice.
“The records were buried deep, Boss,” Marco explained, his voice tinged with frustration. “Whoever this guy is, he knew how to cover his tracks. It took me weeks to find anything solid.”
Leo closed his eyes, trying to steady himself. Mina, the girl who had wormed her way into his life, had been living with a monster all this time, thinking he was her father. The thought made Leo’s blood boil.
Marco hesitated before adding, “He’s been using her to collect money, Boss. Everything she’s earned, every debt she’s paid off—it all went to him. He’s bled her dry.”
Leo’s hands balled into fists. He could barely contain the rage simmering inside him. All those times Mina had smiled, had tried to be strong... it was all because she was under the thumb of a man who saw her as nothing more than a pawn.
“What do we do now?” Marco asked quietly, watching Leo with cautious eyes.
Leo stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. He couldn’t bear to look at Mina right now, not when he knew how much pain this revelation would cause her. But there was one thing he was certain of.
“We protect her,” Leo said again, this time with an edge to his voice that sent a shiver down Marco’s spine. “But first, I’m going to make that bastard pay for what he did.”
Leo’s eyes were dark, his jaw set in a way that Marco knew all too well—Leo was past the point of fury. He was at that place where he was ice-cold, calculated, and ready to strike. There was no turning back now.
“Marco,” Leo commanded, not breaking his gaze from the folder in front of him, “I want you to find that bastard. Tell him there’s a deal to discuss. Get him. Tonight.”
Marco nodded slowly, understanding exactly what Leo had in mind. This wasn’t just a confrontation—it was going to be an execution, and Leo intended to do it himself. “Understood, boss. I’ll make the call,” Marco replied, already pulling out his phone.
Leo’s fists unclenched just enough for him to take a deep breath. He needed to stay focused. Mina didn’t know any of this yet, and the last thing he wanted was for her to wake up and overhear something that would shatter her world before he could figure out how to protect her.
As Marco made the arrangements, Leo glanced over at Mina. She was still sleeping, oblivious to the storm that was about to descend on her so-called father. Leo’s heart clenched at the thought of the pain she would feel when she found out the truth, but he would be damned if he let her suffer any longer because of that bastard.
Marco pocketed his phone and turned to Leo. “He’s in. He thinks we’re meeting to discuss a new deal,” Marco said, his voice low. “He’ll be here within the hour.”
Leo nodded. “Good. Make sure he comes alone. And clear out the rest of the guys—I don’t want any witnesses.”
Marco hesitated for a moment. “You’re sure about this, Boss? Once we start, there’s no going back.”
Leo’s gaze was cold as steel. “He hurt her. He’s been using her for years, Marco. That man has no right to breathe the same air she does.” 
With that, Leo turned on his heel and headed to the basement of the hideout, where the air was damp and the walls lined with weapons. If that bastard thought he was just walking into another deal, he was dead wrong.
Tonight, Leo would make sure that Mina's nightmare was finally over. And this time, no one would ever hurt her again.
*
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