The room seemed smaller, the walls pressing in as Vito’s confession echoed in my mind. He cared about me. More than he ever should have. But could I believe him?
“You expect me to trust you now?” I said, my voice sharp despite the lump in my throat. “After years of lies and watching Marco betray me?”
Vito sighed. “I know you don’t trust me, Celia. But if I wanted to hurt you, I could’ve stayed quiet and let Marco destroy you.”
His words cut deeper than I cared to admit. “So what now? You tell me my marriage was a lie, Marco chose someone else, and I’m just supposed to thank you?”
“No,” he said quietly. “You’re supposed to take back what’s yours.”
I blinked. “What are you talking about?”
Vito stepped closer, his voice dangerous. “Marco didn’t just betray you. He stole from you—your love, your trust, your future—and handed it to Victoria. He used you to build his empire, and now he thinks he can walk away scot-free.”
I swallowed. “And what do you expect me to do about it?”
“You don’t have to let him win,” Vito said. “Everything Marco has, he got because of you. The Moretti empire wouldn’t exist without your family’s name. Now, he’s cutting you out like you’re nothing.”