C11 Chapter 10: The price of safety

“Okay, Mom,” Daisy said, her voice brimming with curiosity. She felt like she was about to uncover a mystery, the pieces finally falling into place.

The rain tapping against the windows made the night feel even more intense, like the calm before a storm— set for the perfect scene

Lucy took a deep breath, her eyes distant for a moment as if she was stepping back into the past.

“Your father’s name is Henry Willison,” she began, her voice quiet. “When we first met, I had no idea what he really did for a living. I just knew he came from a wealthy family who ran a massive winery. They were one of the richest in the area. I thought he was just another businessman.”

Pause.

Lucy looked down at her hands for a moment, lost in the memory. “He courted me for some months and we got married, everything was perfect. And then you came along, and we were a family. But your father never told me what his job was. I didn’t push him on it. He had his secrets, and I trusted him.”

Her voice wavered for a second, but she quickly steadied herself. “It wasn’t until you were three that everything changed. You and I were driving home from school when we almost crashed. It was terrifying—thank God we were okay. The car was the only thing that got damaged.”

She chuckled softly, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Ken, still a toddler, was happily babbling to himself and waving his tiny hands in the air in his mother’s arms, oblivious to the weight of the conversation.

“When your father came home, I told him about the accident. And that’s when he told me something I’ll never forget. He said it wasn’t an accident—it was planned. That someone was after him, after us.” Lucy’s voice dropped, the memory still raw. “He said, ‘They couldn’t get me, so now they’re going after you, Lucy.’”

Lucy paused again, her chest tight with the recollection. “And that’s when he told me the truth: he was the leader of an assassin organization. I just stood there, stunned. I couldn’t believe it. I thought I was going to faint. I had no idea what kind of life I’d married into.”

Her voice faltered, but she pressed on. “It meant we’d always be in danger. Always be targets . No escaping . I didn’t know how to live like that.”

She wiped away a tear that had slipped down her cheek. “But Henry, he didn’t want that life for us. He kept saying he’d protect us, that we were his priority. He told me we were just a family—that you were just a child, and you hadn’t even had the chance to live yet. He promised he’d figure out a way to make it work, that we could get through it together .”

Lucy’s eyes filled with emotion. “But then… he came up with this plan, I couldn’t agree with. He said he wanted us to hide— to live a life of lies.He said we needed to make everyone believe I was just some fling. That you and I were nothing serious. That we were just… playing at a normal life. He thought it would confuse his enemies. But I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t live a lie. I couldn’t hide who we were. Not from the world, and not from you.”

Her voice cracked, but she pushed through the pain. “And then… he said something that made me change my mind, made me rethink everything .” She swallowed hard. “‘Lucy, I have means to protect you. I can protect our daughter. But I can’t promise you freedom. Not for you,not for our daughter . And what if something goes wrong? What if there’s a mistake,like today ? What if you die, or worse—what if it’s our daughter?I can’t bear losing you,or our daughter.

Lucy’s eyes glistened, and she shook her head as if trying to shake off the memory. “He kissed me on the forehead and said, ‘I won’t let you go, Lucy. I’ll protect you, even if it’s not the right way, even if it meant living a life full of bloodshed . He said, ‘Do it for us. Do it for our daughter .’”

Lucy wiped away the tears and looked at Daisy, her gaze steady but filled with sadness. “I didn’t want to agree. But there was no choice. It was the only way to keep us safe,even if it meant we’d never be free. And in the end, that’s all that mattered.”

Daisy laid in silence,processing her mother’s words. The weight of the truth hung in the air , the storm outside echoing the turbulence of their shared past.