“I completely agree, Jorge. There’s no better time than now to be honest about what we think—so long as it’s done with respect,” I said evenly, meeting his gaze head-on.
The tension spiked, and for a brief moment, no one spoke. Clara looked at us, confused by the exchange, and Valentina quickly changed the subject, asking her about dessert.
As Clara happily rambled on about ice cream and sweets, I cast a discreet glance at Jorge, who now stared back at me with a mix of challenge and disapproval.
That dinner was far from over.
“Did you enjoy seeing the city again?” I tried to break the silence with a neutral topic before Clara noticed that no one else was talking. “What did you think of Tiradentes after all this time?”
Jorge answered, his tone serious but polite.
“The city is still beautiful, Enrico. It’s good to see that some things are being well preserved here. It’s not always easy to protect what truly matters.”
The obvious ambiguity of his words made my chest tighten slightly. Valentina quickly glanced at her father, silently asking him not to push further.
“We’re working to preserve many important things now,” I replied calmly, careful not to show how much his words had struck me.
Martina nodded, her cool, measured gaze studying me as if searching for sincerity in every small gesture.
“It’s a shame some things have to be destroyed before anyone realizes they should have been protected from the start,” she said, without looking directly at me as she adjusted her napkin.
Valentina took a deep breath, ready to step in—but once again Clara’s soft, innocent voice interrupted before the mood could darken further.
“You all keep talking about weird things,” she complained with a small sigh. “Can we talk about something fun now?”
Everyone immediately smiled at her innocence, the tension easing. Jorge looked at his granddaughter with a gentler expression.
“Of course, sweetheart. Tell me more about our walk today. What was your favorite part?”
As Clara launched into a long story, I allowed myself a brief moment of relief, even though I knew it was only a temporary truce.
There was still a lot to face with Valentina’s parents, and that dinner was only the beginning. They weren’t ready to forgive me.
But I wouldn’t give up.
Because that was my family, and I would fight for it to the end—no matter how exhausting that battle became.
***
After dinner ended and Clara went upstairs to get ready for bed, I took advantage of the moment when Valentina went with her to the bedroom to look for Martina and Jorge.
I hadn’t planned to have that conversation on their first night in my house, but the past hour had made it clear it could no longer wait.
They’d left the table too quickly for me to announce my intentions, eager to escape my company. But they’d told Valentina they would be in the library, so I gave them a few minutes before following.
The muffled sound of irritated voices warned me that whatever conversation they were having was something I probably wouldn’t enjoy hearing. Jorge spoke quietly, but irritation laced every word.
“This is all too perfect, Martina. It doesn’t make sense. Not after what happened before. I can’t just accept that everything is suddenly fine, like magic.”
“I know, Jorge. I agree. But we need to think about Clara—and Valentina too. You saw how much happier she seems now,” Martina argued gently, though concern colored her tone.
“And what if he hurts her again? Have you forgotten what we went through last time? What Valentina went through?” Jorge snapped. “I won’t let him do that to my daughter again, Martina. I won’t.”
I took a deep breath, knocking lightly before pushing the door open.
Both of them turned immediately, surprise clear on their faces.
“Sorry to interrupt,” I began calmly, keeping my gaze steady as I stepped inside. “Can we talk?”
