Leone
The words hang in the air, a promise to myself as much as an answer to her. She searches my face, then nods slowly.
“Then be better than him, Leone. Be better than all of this.” Her hand drops from my cheek, and she seems to shrink back into herself, the brief spark of fight dimming.
“You know I have to kill him, right?”
My voice is quiet, steady. The moment the words land, I see her brace like I’ve hit her.
“Dante…” she says, her lips barely moving.
I nod. “You know how this works. You grew up in this life; you’ve been with Dad long enough to understand the cost of mercy. If I let this go… I’ll look weak. And if I look weak, everything falls apart. This life only holds if the man at the top holds everyone accountable. Even when it’s blood.”
She doesn’t try to stop me. Doesn’t
