"I cannot?" Bella asked, seeing his expression.

Leo was quiet for a moment. The rain drummed on the umbrella, a relentless beat that seemed to echo the pounding of her heart. Water dripped from the edges, falling onto his shoulder and hers, soaking into the fabric of their clothes. Neither of them moved to adjust it.

"It is not that you cannot," he said finally. His voice was low and careful, like he was choosing each word with great care. "It is that they do not know you."

Bella’s heart sank.

"They do not know who you are," Leo continued. "They do not know why their brother died. To them, he was just a guard. A man who worked for a wealthy family. A man who died in an accident. That is all they know. That is all they will ever know, if we do this right."

Bella’s voice was sharp, cutting through the rain. "An accident? That was not an accident."

Leo’s jaw tightened. "I know. But that is what they have been told. That is what everyone has been told. The truth would put them in danger. If they knew someone targeted their brother, if they knew he died protecting someone, they would become targets themselves. The people who did this would not hesitate to use them."

Bella’s eyes burned. "So they will never know? They will go their whole lives thinking their brother died in some random accident?"

Leo’s hand found hers and squeezed gently. "Not now. Maybe someday. When this is over. When the people responsible are dealt with. When there is no one left who would want to hurt them. Then maybe. But not now."

Bella looked back at the boys. They had reached a black car at the edge of the cemetery, a sleek sedan with tinted windows. A woman was waiting there, a social worker, maybe, or a family friend. She was middleaged, with kind eyes and a gentle smile. She helped Milo into the backseat, lifting him up because he was too small to climb in on his own. Then she turned to Jordan. Jordan did not need help. He climbed in by himself, his shoulders still straight, his chin still lifted.

"Can I at least..." Bella stopped. She did not know what she wanted. To say something? To do something? There was nothing she could say. There was nothing she could do. Words would not bring their brother back. Hugs would not fill the empty space at their dinner table.

"The family will be taken care of," Leo said. "The boys will want for nothing. Education, housing, food, clothes, everything they need. They will never have to worry about money. They will never have to struggle."

Bella’s voice was hollow. "That is not the same as having their brother."

Leo’s voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "No. It is not."

Bella watched the black car drive away. The taillights glowed red for a moment, then disappeared through the cemetery gates, swallowed by the rain and the gray. The gates swung shut behind them with a soft clang.

"Take me home," she said.

Leo nodded.

He led her back to their car, the umbrella still held over her head, shielding her from the rain even as it soaked his own shoulder. He opened the door for her, helped her inside, then walked around to the driver’s side. The car door closed with a solid thunk, sealing them off from the rain and the cemetery and the two boys who were now driving away.

The rain kept falling.

Bella stared out the window as they drove, watching the gray streets pass by in a blur. The city looked different today. Every building, every streetlight, and every passing car seemed to be painted in shades of gray. She thought about two boys.

"Don’t worry," Leo said. His voice was gentle and comforting.

Bella stared at nothing.

"I wish I could take care of them," she said. Her voice was small, almost lost, like a child speaking in an empty room. "Jordan and Milo. I wish I could be there for them. Make sure they are okay."

Leo was quiet for a moment, then he shook his head slowly.

"No," he said. "That is a bad idea."

Bella looked at him, her brow furrowed.

Leo continued, his voice calm but firm. "It would trap them in this world. Our world. The mafia world. If they knew you, if they knew us, they would never be safe. People would use them to get to you, to get to me. They would become pawns in a game."

Bella’s throat tightened. She had not thought of that.

Leo glanced at her, then back at the road. "Without us, they can have a normal life. A quiet life. They can go to school, make friends, and grow up without fear."

He paused, letting the words settle.

"We can take care of them from a distance," he continued. "In Moofi’s name. Insurance, education funds, housing, everything they need. They will never know it came from us. They will never have to feel indebted. They will never have to be afraid."

Bella nodded slowly. She understood. She did not like it, but she understood.

Leo pulled her into his arms, his movements gentle and careful. He held her close, his hand cradling the back of her head, his fingers threading through her hair. He patted her gently, a rhythmic motion, soothing.

"Moofi knew the risks," Leo said quietly, his lips near her ear. "He knew what he signed up for. He knew he might not come home. Every person on my team knows that."

Bella’s voice was muffled against his chest. "Still, that does not make it better."

Leo sighed. "No. It does not." He kissed the top of her head, his lips lingering there for a moment.

Bella closed her eyes. She breathed in the scent of him, the familiar warmth, the steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek.

"I do not want anyone else to die for me," she whispered.

Leo’s arms tightened around her. "Then we find whoever is behind this and we stop them. Together."

Bella nodded against his chest, her fingers curling into his shirt.