My chest clenched so hard it hurt.
Keep it quiet?
André’s tone sharpened—indignant.
“For now?” he repeated. “Enrico, you can’t be serious. You have concrete proof Valentina is innocent and you’re still going to hide it from her?”
Concrete proof of my innocence.
My knees went weak.
“And she never cheated on you,” André continued, as if he was speaking directly into my skull. “She never deserved what you did to her.”
Enrico knew.
He knew—without question—that I had never betrayed him.
My chest started to ache as the reality sank in deeper.
“It’s not that simple, André!” Enrico snapped, his voice rising, defensive and desperate. “Do you understand what it means? It means admitting that everything I did to her—everything I put her through—was completely wrong.” His breath caught on the words. “It means owning that I destroyed my life and hers for nothing!”
The pain of that revelation cut through me like a blade.
My legs shook violently. I had to grab the wall to keep standing.
Every word hit like a blow.
“Exactly!” André fired back, louder now. “Youhaveto own it. You have to look at Valentina and tell her you were wrong—ask for forgiveness. She deserves that, Enrico.”
“And you think I don’t know that?” Enrico snapped, cutting him off, harsh and nearly aggressive. “I know! I know what she deserves.” His voice broke on the edge. “But I need to think. I need to decide how to handle this before I talk to her.”
“Think?” André’s disgust was unmistakable. “So you’d rather let Valentina keep believing you still think the worst of her… because you need time?”
The silence that followed seemed to fill the mansion, sinking into my skin like ice.
Enrico didn’t answer immediately.
And in that pause, something in me died.
Because I understood.
He had discovered the truth.
And he still wasn’t going to tell me.
Not yet.
Not when it mattered.
Not unless it fit his control.
He was going to let me keep suffering inside the lie that had destroyed my life for years—just so he wouldn’t have to face the consequences of his actions.
My breath trembled.
Without realizing it, I stepped back.
My shaky movement bumped the door.
