"Now, let's talk about another business entirely… her," he said, gesturing to Mara.
"W-what… what about her??" Dario stammered.
"Four hundred thousand euros," Nico replied. "That's what you sold her for. Your brother's daughter. Your responsibility." His voice was almost conversational. "You kept a roof over her head. You're right about that. And the moment a man with money came along, you put a number on her and collected it without losing a night's sleep."
"I raised her." Dario's voice was barely a sound, broken at the edges and hollow in the middle. "Everything I did for her… she owed me. She still owes me."
"She owes you," Nico said. He stopped in front of the chair and looked down at him. "You sold her to an old man to clear a gambling debt, and then tried to blackmail her when she survived it." He let that sit for a moment. "Still… you think she owes you."
Dario said nothing. There was nothing left to say.
Nico turned and looked at Mara.
