"He looks so peaceful," Luca says in a low whisper. "After everything he's seen…"
"Children are resilient," I murmur, though I wonder if it's true. Will the image of his uncle dying ever fade from his memory? Of what happened tonight?
Luca rises, giving Enzo a kiss on the forehead, and then exits the room. I follow him back to the living area.
"Uncle Matty is dead," he confirms. "It was meant for Alessandro. The wine was poisoned."
My stomach churns. "Who would?—"
"That's what we need to find out. Alessandro and I searched my father's office. We found the file Pyotr was after. At least we think it’s the file."
The mention of my brother sends a cold chill through me.
"It was a list of names," Luca continues. "People my father suspected were working with the Russians against him."
I sink onto the couch. "Was Pyotr on it?"
"No." Luca sits beside me, his body angled toward mine. "But there were others. Including someone named Eva Santoro. Apparently, Adriano's ex-girlfriend."
"Eva?" I remember her vaguely. A quiet, pretty girl who always seemed to be watching. "I thought she died years ago."
"That's what Alessandro said." Luca's eyes search mine with an intensity that makes me squirm. "Katerina, I need to ask you something."
I nod, bracing myself.
"Did you ever suspect Pyotr?" His voice is gentle but insistent. "Any unusual meetings, phone calls, behavior that seemed off?"
I think back to the months before Don Lorenzo's death and Pyotr's increasing absences, his vague explanations.
"He was pulling away," I admit. "Making excuses. I thought maybe he'd fallen back into drugs or gambling, but… well… I never imagined this."
Luca takes my hands in his. "You couldn't have known."
"I should have. He's my brother. We grew up together, survived together. How did I miss this?"
"Because betrayal from those we love is the hardest to see." He brings my hand to his lips, giving it a soft kiss. "We don't look for it because we don't want to find it."
A part of me wonders if he’s also speaking about us. About how I never saw his departure for what it was, a forced exile rather than abandonment.
Luca’s eyes turn wary. "But I need to be certain of something."
The shift in his tone is subtle but unmistakable, putting my nerves on edge.
"Your brother was working against my family. I need to know how much you knew."
The implication offends me. I pull my hand away. "You think I was involved?” I gape at him. “My son was kidnapped!"
"Which makes for a perfect cover." Luca's expression remains neutral. "I'm not accusing you, Katerina. I'm doing my job."
"Your job?" I stand abruptly, anger surging through me. "I've lived in this house for years. I've broken bread with your family. I've raised our son under their protection while you were gone."
Luca rises too, towering over me. "And your brother betrayed all of it."
"I am not my brother!" The words explode from me. "How dare you question my loyalty. I've defended the Dantes at every turn. I refused to help Pyotr get that file. I chose your family over my own blood!"
Fury courses through me. After everything, after opening myself to him again, after letting him into Enzo's life, this is what he thinks of me?
"I have given everything to maintain peace between our families," I continue, feeling the need to defend myself. "I've walked a tightrope for years, Luca. Years! While you were building your empire in Chicago, I was here, every day, proving myself worthy of the Dantes' trust."
