"How could I have raised such a foolish daughter?" he roared, his voice shaking with anger and disbelief. "Why the hell would you give up everything for a man like him?"
He took a step closer, his gaze burning into me.
"You already gave up your position in the Family. You gave up your womb. You handed over the deeds to our territory like they meant nothing!" His voice cracked with a mixture of heartbreak and rage. "Seraphina, you're a disgrace to the Valente name!"
Around us, the murmurs grew louder, the weight of judgment pressing in from every direction. I could feel their stares, their silent verdicts, their curiosity feeding on the collapse of my marriage like it was entertainment. Capos who had kissed my father's ring were watching his bloodline unravel in real time, and not one of them moved to intervene. That was the code. Family business stayed Family business, even when it bled onto the floor in front of a hundred witnesses.
Slowly, I lowered my gaze to the severance papers in my hands.
No one noticed the faint curve at the corner of my lips.
It was subtle. Almost imperceptible. Not sorrowful. Not broken.
Almost amused.