"You seem to know too much about another man's wife," Val noted, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Ricardo more closely.
"That's because before she was married, we dated for a bit," he said plainly.
"Great," she muttered dryly. "Both I and my sister are dating leftovers of the same woman."
Ricardo let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "That's one way to look at it."
"It's the only way I'm looking at it right now," Val shot back.
Ricardo sobered slightly. "Look… she's not going to let Luca go. That's not how this works. But you don't have to worry," he continued quickly. "Your sister is under Luca's protection. She is famiglia now."
Val swallowed, processing that. It brought a strange mix of comfort and unease. Before she could respond, a knock sounded at the door.
Both of them turned instinctively. The door opened without waiting for an answer, and Marco stepped in.
"Marco!" Val exclaimed, her entire face lighting up instantly.
