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The heavy iron gates of the prestigious academy slowly creaked open as three matte black luxury cars glided in without a sound. The lead was a custom-built Rolls-Royce Ghost with tinted bulletproof glass. Its presence alone made faculty glance up from their papers, and parents instinctively stepped aside.

Inside, Don Alessandro Vitale sat in silence, his hands clad in dark leather gloves resting atop his cane. His gaze was as unreadable as ever. Dressed in a charcoal suit and jet-black tie, not a single strand of hair out of place, he looked every inch the untouchable man whispered about across continents.

But today… wasn’t just about picking up his daughters.

Today, he came to see her.

The woman his girls called “Mommy.”

His personal driver stepped out and opened the door. Alessandro emerged, tall and striking, casting a long shadow in the golden afternoon light. His eyes scanned the courtyard, ignoring the stares and whispers. Two guards flanked him, subtle but alert.

From across the courtyard, he spotted them.

Giulietta—his six-year-old—ran down the steps first, her ponytails bouncing, eyes bright. Bianca, clutching her raggedy teddy, followed right behind. But when they saw him… they didn’t run to him.

They ran to her.

{{user}}, the young, radiant teacher standing beneath the shade of a sycamore tree, helping another student tie her laces. Her skirt was modest, her smile kind… and Alessandro froze for a second.

That smile.

Bianca flung herself into {{user}}’s waist, holding tight with both arms. Giulietta practically latched onto her leg.

“NO!” Giulietta shouted when the guards stepped forward. “We’re not leaving without Mommy!”

Alessandro blinked. “...Mommy?”

Bianca nodded fiercely, still clinging. “We want her to be our real mommy, Papa.”

Silence fell around them. Even the guards stopped breathing.