“She’s right, sir,” Marco said without turning around.

“Running only delays the inevitable.”

“Caterina will find them eventually.”

“She has the resources to search every corner of the country.”

Dominic rubbed his face with both hands, his fingernails scraping against his dark stubble.

“If we fight this here, it means war,” Dominic said, his voice laced with exhaustion.

“It means going public with the family secrets.”

“It means destroying the Valenti name.”

“I don’t care about your family name,” I said.

“I care about my daughter.”

“You have to choose, Dominic.”

“Either you dismantle your mother’s corrupt influence once and for all.”

“Or you walk away from us right now.”

“You leave this apartment, you take your money, and you never look at Lucia again.”

The silence in the room was heavy and suffocating.

The only sound was the steady patter of rain against the glass.

Dominic stared at me, his dark eyes searching my face for any sign of hesitation.

He looked tired, older than the man I had married.

But beneath the fatigue, I saw the hard edge of determination return to his eyes.