Liliana clung to him, burying her face against his neck, her shoulders shaking as she cried openly, without restraint or shame. And Dante… Dante didn't pull away. He held her, one hand resting protectively against her back, his gaze lowered to her with unmistakable concern.
I had never seen him look at me like that.
Not once.
He leaned down slowly, his lips brushing the shell of her ear, lingering there just enough to blur the line between comfort and something more until suddenly, she pushed him away.
"We can't," she said, breathless, her eyes red and glistening. "Mr. Falcone, you're married. We can't do this."
For a brief moment, I thought, hoped, that would be the end of it.
But Dante didn't get angry. He didn't step back.
Instead, he moved toward her again.
His voice dropped, softer this time, deliberate and almost coaxing. "Lily, if this is making you unhappy… I can have the union dissolved."
The words hit me like a physical blow.