揌e did. But he抎 never had any intention to give in to my advances that抯 why he could say with full confidence that he could protect me in France. He was sure of it. He didn抰 lie.?
I smiled bitterly. 揑 admire your attempt to protect Santino but I fail to see how his behavior doesn抰 constitute betrayal. If he suspected you had feelings for him, he should have told me during our conversation before I allowed you to leave. I am his Capo and your father, it should have fallen upon me to decide if I was willing to entrust him with your safety despite your feelings for him, and I would have definitely said no. I抦 left with no other conclusion but that Santino already harbored feelings for you and had every intention to pursue them and that was why he omitted to tell me about the risk a shared trip to Paris would pose.?
Anna pulled away. I could see that she was weighing her options. I抎 suspected that there was more to the story that she didn抰 want to share. Her hesitation told me I was right and that she tried to decide if divulging more of the truth would help Santino or not. I had to admit it made me furious to see Anna cherry-picking what truth she wanted to tell me. As a father, you didn抰 want to be lied to.
揧ou too have lied to me for years, and I think it抯 time for you to be honest with me. You aren抰 protecting anyone by omitting part of the truth. It抣l only make me assume the worst option, and that抯 definitely not a version that抯 in favor of Santino. Don抰 I deserve the truth??
Anna closed her eyes briefly. 揑抦 not even sure I抦 protecting Santino by not telling you what happened before Paris, because I acted like a real厰 She searched for the right word, then shrugged. 揃itch. Sorry Dad, there抯 really no other way to put it.?
Valentina had always taken more offense at curse words than me. Yet, hearing Anna call herself by a term that would have me punish anyone else severely if they used it for any of my daughters or my wife still made me cringe inwardly.
揕et me be the judge,?I said neutrally.
Anna nodded but I still caught her hesitation. 揑 blackmailed Santino, or he wouldn抰 have come to Paris. He didn抰 want to, trust me, but he had no choice.?
揑 assume what you had on him must have been a major betrayal or he wouldn抰 have chosen the risk of being alone with you in Paris.?
Anna flushed. 揥ell, it wasn抰 really a betrayal of you, Dad. I caught Santino with Mrs. Alfera.?
I raised my brows. It wasn抰 uncommon for men to cheat on their wives, and word about that often reached my ears. It was something that was tolerated in our world, naturally, as we were a male-oriented world. I wasn抰 naive so I抎 always known that many women weren抰 faithful either, only more clever to keep it hidden. In a world of arranged marriages and unfaithful husbands, it was only natural that wives would look for attention elsewhere. But I expected my soldiers not to sleep with another Made Man抯 wife. It added conflict to the Outfit that I found absolutely unnecessary. 揥as that all??I asked, my instinct telling me that Anna hadn抰 yet divulged all there was to me.
Anna made a face. 揥ell, I also caught him with Mrs. Clark.?
I shook my head. 揥hile this is troubling behavior when it comes to the good of the Outfit, I find it even more concerning when it comes to him being the man you obviously have feelings for.?
Anna deserved to be respected and cherished. A man that considered cheating a valid hobby wasn抰 someone I considered capable of either.
揝antino has been faithful since we started?dating.?Anna抯 cheeks turned red, and I decided that I preferred the term dating to whatever else she might have called it.
I nodded. 揑 understand. Still, I have to say that Santino抯 behavior requires a punishment.?
揝antino抯 protected me with his life. He抯 in a coma because he protected me. No matter what you might think of him, or his behavior in the past, he抯 the man who抎 do everything for me. I don抰 have a single doubt about that.?
I wished I could share her conviction, but Santino and I had a lot to discuss before I could decide about his future梠nce his health allowed it naturally. I抎 give him a fair chance to defend himself, for Anna and for Enzo.
Anna pressed her cheek against my chest. 揇ad, please don抰 punish Santino, not for loving me.?
揂s you described it, there are plenty of other misconducts I can punish him for.?
揇ad!?Anna said with a pout. She, like her mother, had a miraculous talent to get her will. I抎 long given up fighting it. 揚romise you won抰 punish Santino too badly. Please.?
I kissed the top of her head. 揑 can抰 promise anything yet, but I抣l certainly keep in mind that your well-being is on the line as well. For now, we have to wait for Santino to get better.?