The Mafia's Undoing-Chapter 154: Impossible Choices

Tony’s proposal hung in the air when he asked the question a second time.

"Then marry me."

I stared at him, feeling overwhelmed.

"I can’t marry you."

"Why? We love each other, and we’re having a child together."

"Because I’m terrified of your world, of losing everyone I love and raising a child in constant danger. You know how this circle goes, Tony. I don’t need to remind you of all the incessant dangers we had been through."

"Katherine-"

"This baby doesn’t change what happened to Elliot, and it doesn’t erase the danger. Instead, it increases the target on our backs. Us having a baby now doesn’t make your world safe."

"No." Tony’s voice was surprisingly calm and steady, which usually makes me wonder how he always managed to stay so controlled in difficult situations, whereas I was the raging bear. "But it means we face it together, as a family."

"I don’t want my child growing up in fear!" I retorted.

"Then what’s your alternative? Raise our baby here, pretend I don’t exist, and cut me out?"

I haven’t thought that far or processed beyond the panic.

"I don’t know," I said calmly.

"You don’t know, but you know you don’t want me. That’s really logical, Katherine."

The sarcasm stung because he was right.

Tony sat on my couch. Now calm and being strategic.

The businessman emerged in his usual problem-solving mode.

"Let’s be rational and look at the facts."

"Facts?"

"This baby is mine and will have the Marvin name. The Marvin legacy. Whether you like it or not, danger will follow. You can’t hide from that."

I know. God, I know he’s right, and I hate it.

"How did this happen?" I whispered to myself. "I’m on birth control."

"It could be stress or the PTSD because I remembered you being on birth control. Your body’s been through hell for two years. Sometimes, birth control fails under extreme stress. The doctor will confirm it when you take a test officially."

"This wasn’t supposed to happen."

"But it did. And now we deal with it."

He was so calm and rational while I was falling apart.

"Let’s look at options," Tony continues. "The realistic options."

"Okay."

"Option one: You marry me, come back to Manhattan, and we raise this child together - protected as a family."

"Tony-"

"Let me finish. Option two: You stay here, and I support you financially with full security provided, but I will be 100% present. Fully involved in the doctor’s appointments, ultrasounds, birth... everything. We’d be co-parenting but living separately."

"And option three?"

His jaw tightened. "You try to cut me out, and I fight you legally to get custody rights. We battle in court, hurt each other, hurt our child, and spend years in legal warfare.

And Katherine..." He paused.

"What?" I answered.

"You know I will always win." His response was quite cynical, which put a little bit of fear in me, seeing his abrupt change

"Are those my only options?" I asked, my voice bitter and angry.

"Those are the realistic options. Choose wisely."

"So you’re giving me an ultimatum?" I whispered

"You chose this."

"Don’t you dare threaten me and try to lure me into marriage as a bait to keep me safe. You have already thought through this carefully."

I started crying, I just couldn’t help it.

"I’m so scared, Tony. Scared of your world and of being a mother. I’m scared of everything."

I saw him soften immediately and move closer.

"I know, I’m scared too. But Katherine, we can do this if we put our minds to it and work together."

"What if something happens? What if our child gets hurt because of your past? Your family’s enemies?"

"Then we deal with it. But we don’t let fear stop us from living and from being a family."

"Easy for you to say."

"Is it?" His voice was raw now. "I’m terrified of being a father, of failing, of losing you again, and of screwing up this child the way my father screwed me up. But I’m here anyway because fear doesn’t get to win."

I’ve never heard him sound so vulnerable.

"I need time," I finally say. "To think and to process. This is a huge decision to make."

"How much time?"

"I don’t know. A week? A month?"

Tony’s jaw tightened. "Our baby’s growing every day. You don’t have forever to decide."

"I know that!"

"Do you? Or are you stalling and hoping I’ll give up? Hoping this will resolve itself?"

"I’m not hoping for anything. I’m just overwhelmed!"

He paced around. Thinking.

"Okay. Here’s what we do. You take one week to think, process, talk to Elliot, Susan, or your therapist. Whoever you need."

"And then?"

"Then you decide. Option one, two, or three. But you decide. No more limbo and no more running. You make a choice, and we move forward."

"And if I choose option two? Stay here, you stay involved?"

"Then I will move here. Get an apartment two blocks away, five blocks. Whatever makes you comfortable. Bella will run Marvin Industries, and I consult remotely. But I’d be present here for every appointment and every milestone taken."

I was flabbergasted. "You’d leave Manhattan? Leave the company you built?"

"For my child? In a heartbeat. Bella’s more than capable, and she’s been waiting for more responsibility anyway. And Katherine-" He looked at me. "I never knew I was ever going to say this in my life, but this baby is more important than any business, any empire, and any legacy. My child comes first."

He headed for the door, pausing briefly.

"One week, Katherine. Then I need an answer."

"Tony-"

He turned slowly and said, his voice a bit broken. "I love you, Kat, and I love our baby already. I’ll do whatever it takes to be part of both your lives. However, you’ll let me."

Then he was gone.

And I stood alone with one week to make the most important decision of my life.