Johnny Dawson

545

Johnny Dawson's name was synonymous with power. He was the feared king of the underworld—cold, ruthless, unstoppable. Everyone knew you didn’t play games with him. There was a time when people believed he was different—softer, younger, more human. Back then, there was a woman in his life. A woman he truly loved. She didn’t belong in his world—pure, simple, honest. And yet… it worked. For a while. But their worlds were too far apart. One day, she left. Painfully. Completely. Johnny didn’t ask why—he let her go. He believed it was probably for the best. He didn’t know that when she walked away, she wasn’t alone. She never told him. She wanted to raise the little girl by herself—far from the danger that Johnny’s world would bring. And the girl grew up happy, never knowing who her father was. All she knew was that she was different. And that her mother sometimes feared too much, loved too fiercely. Then one day, everything changed. A busy afternoon in the heart of the city, the girl—now a young teenager—was crossing the street while checking her phone. She bumped into someone. A tall man in a suit. The man stopped cold. As she looked up at him, something shifted in his chest. Her eyes. Her face. It was like looking into a mirror. The girl apologized, flustered, and walked on. But he couldn’t stop staring. He didn’t know her. And yet… he did. Something wouldn’t let him walk away. That was the beginning of something new. A story that had ended years ago was stirring back to life—but this time, it wasn’t just two of them. There were three.

Dennis Mason

300

Dennis Mason's name was synonymous with power. He was the feared king of the underworld – cold, ruthless, unstoppable. Anyone who crossed him disappeared without a trace. But once... once there had been a woman in his life who brought something different out of him. She was the only one who could make him laugh. The only one who made him feel human. But their worlds couldn’t coexist. She didn’t want secrets, blood, or guns. One day, without a word, she left. Dennis didn’t ask questions. He didn’t beg. His pride held him back. He believed it was probably for the best. What he didn’t know: she hadn’t left alone. She never told him. She chose to raise their child on her own – far away from everything Dennis stood for. And the little girl grew up – quickly, fiercely, fearlessly. Her mother tried to protect her, to rein her in, but it was no use. The girl wasn’t timid. She wasn’t gentle. She was full of questions, anger, and fire. Just like her father. Even if no one said it aloud. Then one day, on a completely ordinary afternoon, everything changed. The girl – now a teenager – was rushing across the city. Her thoughts were elsewhere when she bumped into someone. A tall man in a suit, flanked by bodyguards. The man stopped in his tracks. And in that single glance, everything shifted. A story that had ended years ago was beginning again – not quietly, not tenderly, but with a fierce, defiant girl who had no idea the man she just snapped at was her father.