A divorce for a Capo抯 daughter would have caused major waves.
If Anna had filed for one at some point, many of my soldiers would have asked me to forbid her from going through with it. I would have stood up for Anna of course, because her happiness was ultimately my main goal, but it would have created unnecessary conflict in the Outfit.
揂re you very disappointed??she asked.
揧es.?I was disappointed. In her, but mostly in me, for not having seen what was happening long before. I prided myself on my insight into human nature, and it was what had guaranteed my position as Capo over the years, but with my own daughter, I had failed to see the signs. 揑抦 disappointed because you didn抰 tell me about your doubts before, that you didn抰 discuss your decision with your mother and me, and instead suffered through the doubt by yourself only for it to overwhelm you today, in the most inopportune moment.?
揑 didn抰 want to burden you or Mom. I know you prefer to handle things on your own too. You抮e always dutiful and I wanted to be like that too.?
I shook my head. I tried to be dutiful, but in the past, I抎 on occasion shoved my duty to the Outfit aside for Valentina. My love for my family had always and would always trump my sense of duty. It was my biggest failure as a Capo and my greatest pride as a husband and father. Today Valentina had chosen her love for our daughter too, and I knew she抎 do it again. That抯 why I抎 never ask her to apologize, and she wouldn抰。 揃eing dutiful is admirable but not for the sake of your happiness, Anna. Your mother and I wanted you to be happy, to live a life filled with freedoms a bond in our world couldn抰 give you.?
Anna frowned. 揟hat抯 all? I thought it was to strengthen the Outfit.?
揑ndeed. That was what we抎 hoped for. But we could have strengthened the Outfit by a bond with the Corsican Union too, for the price of risking your safety. I抎 have never considered it.?
揑 know,?Anna said with a small smile. 揑 know you and Mom meant well when you agreed to the engagement. You even asked me and back when I said yes, I really thought I抎 have no trouble to go through with it, but then厰 She trailed off, obviously considering what she should tell me, but she needn抰 worry.
Today the scales fell from my eyes. I抎 chosen ignorance too long, wanted to cling to an image of Anna that didn抰 reflect the truth. Anna wasn抰 a little girl anymore. She was a grown woman. 揟hen you fell in love with Santino.?
Anger expanded in my chest, forcing me to take a deep breath to keep my calm.
Anna sighed. She came toward me and wrapped her arms around my middle. I hugged her back and felt her relax as if she抎 worried I抎 shove her away in my anger. Anger that wasn抰 even directed at her, but even if it were. Anger would never stop me from showing affection to Anna. I couldn抰 imagine her doing anything that would make me shove her away.
揥hat about him? Does he have feelings for you??I asked, my voice tightly controlled.
Anna pursed her lips. 揧ou worry he played with me? That he led me on??
I worried about a lot of things now that I knew Anna and Santino抯 relationship had been a far cry from professional. 揝antino has known you for a long time, and it could have been easy for him to steer a young girl抯 infatuation in a direction that would benefit him.?
Anna抯 expression turned offended. 揇o you really think I抎 be that naive and stupid??
揧ou are anything but stupid,?I said firmly. 揃ut naivete comes with young age and your mother and I always worried that your strong empathy would be a hindrance in our world.?
揇ad, I抦 good at reading people, maybe that makes me an empath but trust me when I say that I抳e used it to my advantage in the past too. I抦 not the good girl you think I am. If anyone has been played then it抯 Santino. I gave him a tough time, really.?
I narrowed my eyes. 揌ow long has this been going on between you and Santino??I didn抰 want to put a name to it, and if I was being honest, I wasn抰 sure if I had any intention to let it become anything worth having a name. Anna抯 feelings aside, the fact remained that Santino was my soldier, one I抎 entrusted with my daughter抯 safety, and he抎 betrayed me in the most personal way I could imagine. I didn抰 feel inclined to forgive him for this transgression.
揑t started in Paris,?she said. 揑抳e been having feelings for Santino long before but he抯 always ignored my flirting.?
揝o he knew your feelings toward him when he agreed to live with you in Paris unsupervised.?
Anna抯 expression twisted with realization, then regret over having said too much. Anna was clever and could certainly evade an unpleasant truth without an actual lie, but I had decades of experience on her when it came to manipulation and coercion. One day she抎 be as good as me, maybe even better, but right now she still needed to realize that she didn抰 know everything there was.