I find myself thinking about the complexity of family relationships, how love and hurt can coexist, and how the people who mean the most to us often have the greatest power to wound us.
“Maybe you don’t have to figure that out right now,” I cut in, trying to redirect the conversation. “Maybe you can start with something smaller. Like rebuilding trust. Like having honest conversations about what you both need going forward.”
Bianca nods slowly. “I need to know that there won’t be any more lies. Ever. About anything.”
“You have my word,” Matteo says immediately.
“And I need space to figure out who I am now that I know the truth about Giuseppe,” Bianca continues, her back ramrod straight. “About what that means for my future, for my role in this family.”
“Whatever space you need,” he agrees.
“But I also need…” She pauses, struggling with the admission as she looks to me. I nod at her. “I need to know that your guidance is still available. The training you gave me, the strategic thinking, the knowledge about how this world really works—I need access to that.”
Relief floods Matteo’s face. “Always. Whatever our relationship becomes, that support is always available.”
“Even if I make choices you don’t agree with?” Bianca asks.
The question hangs heavy in the air.
Even an idiot could figure out what Bianca is asking.
Matteo glances at me then back at Bianca. “You’re an adult. You get to make your own choices and live with the consequences. I may not always agree with your decisions, but I’ll respect your right to make them,” he finally says.
“Including my relationship with Alessandro?” Bianca asks archly, raising a dark brow.
The direct question forces the elephant in the room into the open.
I find myself holding my breath, waiting to see how Matteo will handle this particular landmine.
“Your relationship with Alessandro is your choice,” he says carefully, though I can hear the struggle in his voice. “But Iexpect him to treat you with the respect and care that someone I love deserves.”
It’s conditional acceptance at best.
But given everything that’s happened, it’s more than I expected.
“And I expect both of you to understand that your personal relationship can’t compromise family business or put either of you in unnecessary danger,” he continues.
“Understood,” I say, speaking for the first time in several minutes.
The conversation continues for another hour, working through practical details and emotional boundaries.
It’s not a complete reconciliation—too much has been damaged for that—but it’s the foundation for something new.
When we finally prepare to leave, Bianca stands hesitantly by the door.
“The twins,” she says quietly. “Will—will you tell them that I’m sorry? That I love them, and I was just…having a really hard time?”
“Tell them yourself,” Matteo suggests gently. “When you’re ready. They miss their big sister.”
Bianca nods then hesitates at the doorway, her shoulders hunching slightly as if she’s trying to make herself smaller.
“Can I…” Her voice comes out barely above a whisper. “Can I see them? Bella and the twins?”
I watch her brace herself for rejection, the way her hands clench at her sides and her jaw tightens.
She’s expecting him to say no, to tell her she needs to earn that privilege back, to make her wait until she’s proven herself worthy of forgiveness.
Instead, Matteo’s face lights up with relief and something that looks like joy.
