Luca turned around and found his father, Michael, standing right behind him in the hospital corridor.

"Dad," he whispered, the exhaustion finally catching up to his voice.

Michael didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward and pulled his son into a warm hug. It had been years since they had last shared a moment like this, probably since Luca was a young boy, long before the harsh realities of their world had built walls between them.

Michael patted his back before rubbing it in steady, comforting circles. "There, my boy. Everything is fine," he whispered into the silence.

After a long moment, Luca pulled away, clearing his throat to steady himself. "Dad, why are you here? You should be back at the house with Mom—"

"I couldn’t leave my son in this state," Michael interrupted gently. He checked his watch and then looked back up at Luca. "Fabio is here, so let’s go out to the garden. We need to talk."

Luca glanced at Fabio, who gave him a brief, respectful nod. Leaving Fabio to keep watch by the corridor, Luca walked alongside his father until they reached the quiet courtyard garden of the hospital. They took a seat on a stone bench, tucked away from the hum of medical equipment and passing footsteps. Luca sat with his hands clasped tightly between his knees, staring down at the pavement in absolute silence.

He didn’t even know what to say to the man sitting next to him. For years, he had built his entire identity on blaming his father, his mother, and the rest of his family for his grandfather’s ultimate demise. He had let distrust poison every interaction, turning every conversation with Michael into an argument.

The silence stretched between them until Michael looked out over the dark lawn.

"When your grandfather was alive, he sat with me like this one fine day," Michael stated, his voice softening as he recalled the early days of his life. "It was the day you were born. I begged him to leave the mafia business. I begged him not to make you a part of a world where dangers only lurk from the shadows. But he never listened to me. He said it was his legacy."

Luca looked up, unable to understand why Michael was suddenly bringing up the day of his birth, especially now.

"I wanted a safe world for you," Michael continued, his gaze fixed on the empty path ahead. "But I couldn’t leave my work behind, and the same goes for your mother. We both prioritized our careers over taking care of our son. Had we just looked after you, you would not have suffered so much. You were a wonderful child, Luca. Even as a young boy, you always excelled in academics, but at home... we didn’t make you feel like home. And as time passed, my distance grew, not only from my father but also from my son."

Michael swallowed hard, the weight of his regrets heavy in the quiet garden. "So, when Dad was sick, I didn’t come. I thought the hospital staff would look after him since they were paid for it. I failed to understand what he truly meant to you."

Hearing the confession from the man he had resented for so long, Luca’s eyes started brimming with tears.

"And I even failed to realize that you were protecting all of us," Michael asserted, his voice cracking slightly. He tilted his head to look at Luca, who still remained quiet, the tears finally spilling over his lashes.

"Forgive me, Luca. I’m sorry for not being there," Michael said, turning fully toward him. "But tonight, after whatever happened in the mansion garden, I realized a lot of things. Jameson was with you since you were a kid, and he could have harmed you at any moment. He poisoned my father right under our noses, and I couldn’t even see any of it."

"Dad, you were never at home. But I was. Jameson was always around. I couldn’t see the malice and resentment in him for us," Luca said, his throat tightening because of the overwhelming emotions.

He then turned his head to look at his father, his vision blurring. "I’m sorry for everything I did to you and Mom."

"No, don’t be." Michael shook his head quickly, refusing to accept the apology. He then placed a hand on his son’s thigh, his grip firm and grounding. "Don’t blame yourself for what happened to your grandfather. You were just a kid. You did the best for him when he was alive. You gave him everything that I couldn’t ever give him as his son. So, don’t think you couldn’t do anything when you did everything in your capacity."

Luca took a deep breath before leaning back against the bench, the physical and emotional exhaustion finally taking over him. "Dad, thanks for coming here and talking to me. Since the truth is out, I won’t be walking on this path any longer. It’s over. And the real culprit is caught too."

Michael smiled, a look of profound relief settling over his features, and hummed in agreement. "Sara is waiting for you at the house. Shall we go?"

"Yes," Luca agreed, a small but definitive nod accompanying his words. "We should go home."

This was the first time Luca acknowledged his father’s place as home. All his life, he would deliberately call it a house or his father’s estate, but never his own. He had spent years trying to run away from that place, but now, looking at his father beside him, he no longer wanted to.

Michael placed his arm around his son’s shoulder. "Luca, I have always loved you. I promise you I’ll be a better father. It’s not wrong to start late, right?"

Luca smiled and nodded at him. The duo stood up when Luca said, "I’ll be checking on Remo for one last time. Please wait for me in the car." With that, he walked ahead while thinking how everything changed so rapidly with a good note.