Bruno tries to wheel himself forward. "You can't just?—"
"Watch me." Lorenzo's voice could freeze blood. "You don't get to speak. Not to me. Not ever again."
The room feels too small, the air too thick. I squeeze Lorenzo's hand, feeling the tremors running through him. He's barely holding himself together.
"This is a mistake," Pietro says. "Dividing the family now, when we're vulnerable?—"
"We were vulnerable the moment we started keeping secrets from each other," Lorenzo says. "The moment we decided lies were better than truth. Well, here's the truth—I can't stand to be in the same house as him. And most of you can't stand to be near me after what I hid about Giuseppe."
No one denies it. The silence speaks volumes.
Lorenzo
Vittoria stands suddenly, her chair scraping against the floor. The sound cuts through the suffocating tension like a blade.
"Stop." Her voice carries a strength I rarely hear from my little sister. "Just... stop. All of you."
Everyone turns to look at her. Even Bruno stops his angry muttering.
"We need time." She looks at each of us in turn. "Time to process. Time to grieve what we thought we knew. Time to forgive."
"Vittoria's right," Nora says quietly.
"Time won't change what he did," I say, not looking at Bruno. "Or what I did."
"No," Vittoria agrees. "But maybe it'll help us understand why. Maybe it'll help us find a way forward that doesn't involve tearing what's left of this family apart."
"There is no forward with him." The words taste like ash in my mouth. "Not for me."
Vittoria's shoulders slump. "Lorenzo?—"
"You're right about needing time. About forgiveness. But I can't see how we get back to how we were." I look around the room at what remains of my family.
"We can't go back," Vittoria whispers. "But maybe we can find something new."
"Maybe." The word feels hollow. "But not today. Not soon."
Bruno's jaw works like he wants to speak, but my earlier warning holds him silent.
"If no one has anything else to say, I want out." I wait, counting heartbeats. One. Two. Three.
Silence.
Pietro opens his mouth, then closes it. There's nothing left to say that won't make this worse.
"Come on," I murmur to Sophia, guiding her toward the door. Her hand trembles in mine, and I realize she's been holding her breath.
We make it three steps before Pietro speaks. "Lorenzo."
I pause but don't turn around.
"The family needs you. Despite everything."
"The family needed honesty. We gave it lies instead. I'll always be here and do what's best. Now I need out." I keep walking, pulling Sophia with me.
We climb the stairs in silence. My body moves on autopilot while my mind replays every revelation, every betrayal.
When we reach our bedroom, Sophia turns looking at me.
