Leverage.
The word didn’t leave the room.
It clung.
To the walls.
To the silence.
To the space between all three of them.
Giulia felt it settle in her chest like something alive.
Unwelcome.
Unavoidable.
“Explain,” she said.
Her voice didn’t shake.
But it wasn’t soft either.
Alessandro didn’t look at her immediately.
His eyes were still on Matteo.
Sharp.
Accusing.
“You really didn’t think this through,” he muttered.
Matteo stepped forward.
“That’s enough.”
“No,” Alessandro snapped, louder this time. “It’s not enough.”
The tension cracked.
Finally.
“You think this is just about a child?” Alessandro continued. “About some emotional mistake, can you protect?”
“It’s not a mistake,” Giulia said.
Alessandro’s gaze shifted to her.
Dark.
Complicated.
“Of course you’d say
