"Stay out of this, Siobhan," he snaps. "This is between me and our disobedient daughter."
He turns back to me, eyes blazing. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"
I swallow hard, trying to keep my voice steady. "I didn't mean any disrespect, Father. I was just?—”
"Just what?" he interrupts. "Just throwing away everything we've worked for? Do you have any idea what's at stake here?"
"I do," I insist. "I understand the importance of this alliance."
My father laughs, harsh, humorless. "You're nothing but a pawn in this game, Vittoria. Your only job is to do as you're told and keep Cesare happy. Is that clear?"
His words sting, but I force myself to stand tall. "Yes, Father."
He steps closer, hand raised like he's going to hit me. I flinch, but the blow doesn't come. Instead, he grabs my arm, fingers digging painfully into my skin.
"If I hear one more word about you causing trouble," he hisses, "I'll make you regret the day you were born. Do you understand me?"
I nod, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. He releases me with a shove, and I stumble backward on my heels. I try to steady myself, but I can't. I fall hard, the back of my head smacking against the coffee table.
Pain explodes through my skull, and I cry out as dark spots cloud my vision.
"Go to your room," he orders like nothing happened. "Don't even think about coming out until dinner."
I scramble to my feet and flee upstairs, vision blurred by tears and pain throbbing in my head. As I reach my room, I hear my mother's muffled voice pleading with my father. Their argument fades as I close the door and finally let myself break down.
I sink to the floor, back against the door, and let the tears flow. The weight of everything crashes down: the loveless marriage ahead, losing my freedom, constantly fearing I'll disappoint Father or anger Cesare.
It's too fucking much.
For a moment, I wallow in self-pity. But as the tears subside, familiar anger rises inside me. Anger at my father for treating me like property, at Cesare for his cold indifference, at the entire system that lets women be traded like cattle for men's benefit.
I stand, wiping my face roughly. Mam's words echo in my mind: "Don't let them extinguish that fire inside you."
I won't let them break me. I refuse to lose myself completely. Mam managed to survive. I know I can too.
A soft knock interrupts my thoughts. "Vittoria?" Mam's voice calls softly. "Can I come in?"
I quickly open the door. Her face is tear-stained, but her eyes burn with a fierce determination that matches my own.
"Are you alright, love?" she asks, gently touching the back of my head where it hit the table.
I wince but nod. "I'm okay, Mam. Just a bump."
She sighs, fingers coming away with blood. "You're not okay," she says, pressing a kiss to my head. "Let me fix this."
Mam guides me to sit on the bed and then fetches the first aid kit from my bathroom. Her gentle hands clean and bandage the cut, her touch soothing some of the pain.
"I'm so sorry, Vittoria," she whispers, voice thick with emotion. "I never wanted this life for you."
I lean into her touch, allowing myself vulnerability. "I know, Mam. It's not your fault."
She finishes with my wound and sits beside me, taking my hands in hers. "Listen to me, Vittoria. What your father said... you're not just a pawn. You're strong, intelligent, and capable of so much more than they give you credit for."
I nod, trying to believe her words. "But how do I survive this world, Mam? How did you do it all these years?"
My mother's eyes cloud with pain and determination. "It wasn't easy, love. But I found ways to carve out space for myself, to hold on to who I am despite everything. And you will too."
She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small, ornate key. "This was given to me by my grandmother on my wedding day," she explains, pressing it into my palm. "It's been passed down through generations of women in our family. It doesn't open any physical lock, but it's a reminder that we always have the power to unlock our own strength, no matter how trapped we feel."
