The Mafia's Undoing-Chapter 107: San Francisco

The job offer sits on Susan’s coffee table, on embossed letterhead, premium paper, and with an official seal.

Vice President of Risk Assessment

Sterling Pacific Bank, San Francisco

Starting Salary: $300,000

I’ve read it twenty times and memorized every word.

It’s everything I should want. Corner office and prestige. A fresh start three thousand miles away from New York.

Away from memories, away from pain, and away from Tony.

"You’re still staring at it," Susan says, bringing coffee. "That’s not a good sign."

"It’s a great offer."

"That’s not what I asked." She sits beside me. "Do you still love him?"

"That’s not the question."

"It’s the only question. Do you love Tony?"

I close my eyes. "Yes, but love isn’t enough. Not when he’s choosing everything else over us."

"Have you told him about the job offer?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because if I tell him, he’ll make promises he won’t keep. He’ll say he’ll change. That he’ll do better and it’ll be different this time."

"And you don’t believe him?"

"I can’t afford to believe him." My voice breaks. "I can’t survive being disappointed again."

Susan doesn’t argue, just squeezes my hand.

My phone buzzes with another message from Tony. I don’t look.

"How many is that today?" Susan asks.

"I stopped counting at fifteen."

"Katherine-"

"I know. I know I have to deal with this. Just... not yet."

But even as I say it, I know I’m lying to myself.

I make a list. Pro/Con, just like I normally do when making a huge change or decision. It’s like I’m analyzing a business decision instead of my entire future.

SAN FRANCISCO:

Pros:

Fresh start

Amazing career opportunity

Distance from pain

New city, new life, new everything

$300k salary

Escape

Cons:

3,000 miles from Elliot

3,000 miles from Susan

3,000 miles from... Tony

Starting over alone

Leaving everything I’ve built

Running away

STAYING:

Pros:

Tony

Family (Elliot, Susan, Bella, even Thomas)

The life we fought so hard to build

The consulting firm

Home

Cons:

Heartbreak

Being a second priority

Watching Tony become his father

More months of late nights and empty apartments

Losing myself trying to compete with his ambition

Logically, San Francisco wins, but my heart won’t let go.

My laptop pings. It’s a video call from Elliot.

I answer. My brother’s face fills the screen, and he looks concerned - as concerned as Elliot gets, which means his eyebrows are slightly closer together than usual.

"Susan told me," he says without preamble. "San Francisco?"

"I’m thinking about it."

Silence means he’s processing.

"That’s far," he finally says.

"I know."

"It’s three thousand miles, a six-hour flight, and a three-hour time difference."

"I know, Elliot."

"Why?"

The simple question breaks something in me. "Because I can’t keep living like this. Waiting for someone who’s never there and being alone while technically being in a relationship. I just... I can’t."

"Have you talked to Tony? Like, really talked?"

"I’ve tried. He doesn’t listen."

"Or maybe," Elliot pauses, choosing his words carefully, "you’re not saying what really needs to be said."

I blink. "What do you mean?"

"You’re protecting yourself. Using anger and distance instead of being vulnerable. It’s a defense mechanism. Logical but not effective for relationship repair."

"Since when are you a relationship expert?"

"Since I watched you two almost die a dozen times and still come back to each other. That’s not normal relationship behavior, that’s something deeper."

He’s right, and I hate that he’s right.

"Elliot, I’m scared."

"I know."

"I survived Morrison, Charles Sterling, being hunted and framed. All of it but this terrifies me."

"Because external enemies are easy," Elliot says. "You fight, or you run - clear choices, but this vulnerability, trust, risk - that’s harder. No clear solution, only high probability of pain."

"Exactly."

"But Katherine, what if he changes? What if you leave and regret it?"

"What if I stay and nothing changes? What if I waste another six months, another year waiting for him to prioritize me?"

"Then you’ll know you have tried. But running to San Francisco without giving him one real chance, you’ll always wonder."

I’m crying now. Silently, but Elliot notices anyway.

"I don’t want to wonder," I admit.

"Then don’t run. Not yet. Give him a chance, a real chance, and if he fails, then go. But do it knowing you tried everything."

"When did you get so wise?"

"I’ve always been wise. You just usually don’t listen." It was a hint of Elliot’s humor. "Also, I don’t want you to move to San Francisco. I’d miss you."

That breaks me completely. Elliot doesn’t say things like that. Emotions are hard for him.

"I’d miss you too."

"Then stay. At least until you’re sure."

After we hang up, I sit with his words.

Give Tony a real chance.

But what does that even mean?

The doorbell rings.

Flowers.

I open the door to a deliveryman holding an enormous arrangement of white roses. My favorite.

"Katherine Blaire?"

"That’s me."

He hands them over. I barely get them inside before going back for the second arrangement. And the third. And the fourth.

Susan’s apartment is full of white roses.

The card is simple:

I’m sorry. I love you, please talk to me. -T

My phone has seventeen new messages. I finally read them.

Tony: I turned down the Vivian deal - business can wait. You can’t.

Tony: My dad’s in the hospital. Heart attack. He told me I’m making his mistakes. He’s right.

Tony: Please, just talk to me. Five minutes. That’s all I ask.

Tony: I love you. I know I haven’t shown it, but I do. More than anything.

Tony: I’m not giving up on us, even if you have. I’ll wait as long as it takes.

I’m crying into the roses. These beautiful, expensive, apologetic roses.

"You’re going to have to face him eventually," Susan says gently.

"I know."

"So when?"

"I don’t know. Just... not yet."

But I’m running out of time to decide.

Friday morning, I call the San Francisco firm.

"Ms. Blaire!" The HR director sounds pleased. "Have you made your decision?"

"I need one more week."

Pause. "Ms. Blaire, we have other candidates - excellent candidates. We really need an answer by Friday."

"I understand, but I need more time. One week, please."

Long silence. Then, "Fine. One week, but that’s our final extension. We need an answer by next Friday, or we’re moving on."

"Thank you. I’ll have an answer by then."

Seven days to decide my entire future.

Seven days to figure out if I’m running away or running toward something better.