“I am thinking about them,” Anna says. “I’ve always been thinking about them.”
“No. You’ve been thinking about your fear. About your anger. About punishing Luca for being who he is.” Svetlana’s voice softens slightly. “I know you’re scared. But those children need their father. Whether you like it or not.”
“He’ll hurt them.”
“Has he hurt them yet?”
“No, but?—”
“Has he threatened them? Raised his voice at them? Done anything to make them afraid?”
“No.”
“Then what are you protecting them from? Your fear isn’t their reality.”
Anna sinks back into her chair. She’s shaking.
Viktor is still standing, fists clenched at his sides. “This is a disaster.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” Svetlana says. “If both of them can act like adults instead of children.”
“Adults?” Viktor’s laugh is hollow. “Adults don’t lie about paternity for years. Adults don’t threaten to take children from their mothers.”
“You’re right. They don’t. Which is why both of them need to stop.” Svetlana looks at me. “What do you actually want, Luca? Not threats. Not leverage. What do you want for those children?”
I consider the question. “I want to be their father. I want them to know who I am. I want access to them without Anna treating every interaction like a threat.”
“And if Anna agrees to that? You won’t pursue custody?”
“If she stops blocking me? If she lets me be part of their lives? Then no. I won’t take them from her.”
Svetlana turns to Anna. “Can you live with that?”
“I don’t trust him.”
“That’s not what I asked. Can you let him be part of their lives?”
Anna’s hands twist in her lap. “I don’t know.”
“You need to know. Because if you keep fighting him, you’ll lose. Not just custody. You’ll lose everything. Is your fear worth that?”
“It’s not just fear. It’s reality. I saw him kill someone.”
“For business. Not family.” Svetlana kneels in front of Anna’s chair. “Listen to me. I know you’re terrified. But Luca is right about one thing. Those children are his. You can’t change that. And fighting it will only hurt them.”
“How do I know he won’t hurt them?”
“You don’t. You have to trust.”
“I can’t trust him.”
“Then you need to learn. Because the alternative is losing them entirely.” Svetlana stands and faces me again. “And you. If you take those children from their mother out of spite, you’ll damage them forever. Is that what you want for your son and daughter?”
“No.”
“Then you need to find a way to work with Anna. Not against her.”
“She’s been working against me since the wedding.”
