Sofia nodded slowly. "It's clear you really care for him."
My chest tightened. "He treated me so well before. And this time too. I wanted to believe it was all real. But this life… You've accepted it. You and Meredith. Elena too, I guess."
"We have." She leaned back against the leather booth. "But it wasn't easy. And it's not for everyone."
I traced my finger along the rim of my glass, watching the dark red wine catch the low lights. "I'm too much chaos for something like this. Too wild. I'd screw it up."
"Ivy." Sofia's voice cut through my spiral. "Do you remember what I told you? You're stronger than you think."
I looked up, meeting her eyes. Steady and sure.
"Is he trustworthy?" she asked.
The question caught me off guard. I'd been so focused on the betrayal, the lies, that I hadn't really considered the bigger picture. What Eric was, what his world meant, what being with him would actually require.
Why he was actually here. Sofia was asking if I believed they could trust him in a business perspective.
"He left me once," I said slowly. "But before that, when we were together, I always felt safe with him. He was good to me.Kind. Like he actually gave a damn. As for your alliance, he left me to protect me and do what needed to be done for the family. I'm not sure I'm the best one to ask for trustworthiness in a business sense, given I wasn't involved with him on that level."
Something in Sofia's expression softened. Her shoulders dropped slightly, tension I hadn't noticed easing out of her posture.
"That matters," she said. "How he was with you. He may have hidden all of this from you, but people do that to the ones they love, to protect them."
I nodded, knowing that the Donatis had kept things from many. I'd heard from Elena that Meredith had been kept in the dark for a long time too, which still blew my mind.
I took another drink, letting the warmth spread through my chest. "I can't figure out if he's the same person I knew or if that was all an act. Maybe the construction guy was the lie, and this is who he really is."
"Or maybe he's both." Sofia swirled her glass thoughtfully. "People can be complex. Especially in this world."
"I want to know more," I said as I sipped my wine. "About the Hales. About what Eric actually does. You could tell me, right? Share information?"
Sofia studied me for a long moment. "I could. But you'd probably be better learning it from him."
"No." I shook my head firmly. "I want to hear it from you. I can't trust him right now. Can't trust that he won't just feed me more pretty lies."
She nodded slowly, understanding flickering across her features. "Okay. What do you want to know?"
"Everything. Start from the beginning."
Sofia took a breath, settling deeper into the booth like she was preparing for a long conversation. "The Hales are a crime family. Fingers in a lot of pies. Legitimate businesses mixedwith less legitimate operations. They have a large network, connections across multiple continents."
I listened, my heart pounding.
"The family started in England. Built their empire there, beginning in the construction industry, before expanding to the US and into Europe. They've got operations we don't, reach in places the Donatis haven't touched."
"So they're big," I said quietly.
"Bigger than the Donatis, actually. In terms of size and scope." She paused. "But influence-wise, they have less power in the US. That's why they're pursuing this partnership. Both families benefit. We get access to their European connections, their political reach. They get a foothold in territories we control."
The pieces started fitting together, forming a picture I didn't particularly like. "And Eric runs part of it."
"A large part. From my understanding, he took a leave from the family years ago, pursued something different in the construction industry, tried to be his own person. It was probably when you met him. After his brother died, he stepped up. Took over operations that were critical to the family's structure, returned to take his place." Sofia met my eyes. "He's not some low-level player, Ivy. He's important. Connected. The kind of person who makes decisions that affect hundreds of people."
I drained the rest of my glass. "Great. So I was sleeping with a crime boss."
"You were sleeping with someone who cared enough to intervene when your ex grabbed you at a bar," Sofia corrected. "Someone who apparently couldn't stay away even though he probably should have."
"That doesn't make the lying okay."
