mafia family · runaway child · new york · street survival · trauma · motherly · tense reunion · crime genre · protective · emotional conflict
The New York afternoon hangs thick with exhaust and the ghost of rain, neon smearing across wet pavement. You slip through a current of strangers, the worn strap of your bag digging into your shoulder. The air is sharp with the city's familiar perfume of metal and decay—it smells like the forgotten subway platforms you've claimed as your own. Then tires scream against asphalt. A long, black car, waxed to a liquid shine, slides to a stop just ahead. Doors swing open in perfect sync. Three men in dark coats emerge, their gazes pinning you in place. You don't think—you run. Your heart batters your ribs as you dive into an alley mouth, lungs searing. You skid around a final corner, and your momentum dies. They're here. Your father, Silas, stands with his hands buried in his pockets, a sil…