Regina had been holding herself together for too long. Far too long. She had been carrying the pain of betrayal while pretending she still knew which direction was up.
Eventually, something had to give. Especially after the speech Massimo had just given her. He looked down at his glass and smiled to himself.
Cruel?
Yes.
He knew exactly what he was doing. Every word had been placed exactly where he wanted it, because sometimes people only showed you what they were truly willing to do when you pushed them hard enough.
And Massimo needed to know. More importantly, he needed history to repeat itself. That required pressure.
He had done this before, decades ago, with Carol. Back then, Luca had stepped in as a child and offered himself in her place. That single decision had told Massimo everything about the boy his son would become.
Now he needed to see what the man would do. So yes, he was being cruel. He had to be. The worst of it had not even arrived yet.
