I guess part of me had always known the truth. Martinez wasn’t the kind of man who could love. Not really. He ruled with fear, with control, and there was no room for sentiment. Not for someone like me.
Even when I was a child, I remember how he looked at me—like I was a burden, a reminder of something he didn’t want to deal with. I was a girl in a man’s world, and that made me useless to him.
Leo, though, he thrived in that world. He was everything Martinez wanted in a son—strong, loyal, obedient. They were a team, a perfect match in their pursuit of power. And me? I was the girl locked out of their kingdom, left to wander the edges of their lives, unseen.
I used to wonder if things could’ve been different. If maybe, just once, Martinez could’ve looked at me and seen something more than just his daughter. But the truth is, I never had a chance. Not with Leo there. Leo was his favorite, the one who could do no wrong, and I was just... there.
In the end, I learned to keep my distance. It was easier that way. If Martinez didn’t want me, then I wouldn’t want him either. I built walls, put up defenses, and told myself I didn’t care. But it was a lie, wasn’t it? Deep down, I always wanted to matter to him. To be something more than just his forgotten child.
As the van carrying my body pulled away, my spirit lingered, watching the city streets pass by. I wondered if Leo even knew I was gone. Probably not. He had his own problems, his own battles to fight for Martinez’s empire. I was never part of his plans.
But there was something more to it. Something I never understood. Why did Martinez keep me at such a distance? Why did he never let me in, even when I wanted to prove myself?
Maybe it was because I wasn’t cut out for that life. Maybe he saw something in me that was too soft, too weak for the world he had built. Or maybe... maybe he just didn’t care. I’ll never know.
I thought back to the last time I saw him. It was months ago, at one of those endless family dinners where I sat in silence, picking at my food while Martinez and Leo talked business. As usual, I wasn’t part of the conversation. I never was.
"Leo’s making progress on the west side," Martinez had said, his tone full of pride. "We’ll own those streets by the end of the year."
Leo had nodded, a confident smile on his face. "I’ve got it under control."