I stilled, my heart stopping for a beat, the weight of his words crushing down on me like a collapsing building. My mind reeled, flashes of my own suffering intertwining with hers. And then another realization struck—Sergio wasn’t just any monster. He was the father of the woman who had orchestrated my ruin, Serena De Santis-Russo. My mind screamed at me to process, to react, but all I felt was an overwhelming numbness spreading through my veins.
“She was his niece.” The revelation was a dagger to my gut, twisting deeper with every second. My breath hitched, nausea coiling in my stomach. This wasn’t just about revenge anymore. This was about the tangled web of power and cruelty that had ruined both Francheska and me. Sergio had destroyed his own niece, and his daughter had ensured my downfall. The De Santis family had orchestrated both of our tragedies.