- I want to talk to your brother!
- Why do you want to talk to my brother? Our issue is only about the two of us.
I need to clear up some issues with Bernardino himself because he owes me explanations.
- Don't worry, these are matters of my interest, not about us! By the way, when are you going to tell Melina that I am her father?
- When the time is right, I will not confuse my daughter's head with this matter, don't forget that Melina is a child and I need time to explain this matter to her. So you are forbidden to comment or say anything to her, to my little girl you are just a visitor from Italy.
I found the comment strange, don't the children here have any notion of what family they belong to or what line of work supports them?
- Why doesn't Melina know about her family? With this comment you implied that our daughter has no idea that she is part of a criminal organization because of the family she belongs to!
- Melina is unaware of this and neither are my brother's children. Unlike you who take your child to mafia meetings that he certainly doesn't understand, we try to preserve the childhood of our children. Romeo doesn't talk business inside the house, mafia business is outside the door. Besides, I have never agreed with this life, my husband died because of this damned mafia and Luana was abused with the knowledge of the current Don and nothing happened to the abuser, after all, Caetano is his right-hand man, isn't he?
I knew that at some point Cecilia would bring up this subject, I was conniving with what Caetano did because at that time I thought that we should do everything to achieve our goals but as time went by I realized that everything is not worth it to get what we want.
- Caetano was wrong and so was I for having covered up his transgression against Luana but I want you to understand that at that time I was another man who thought differently than I do today so much so that I never allowed Caetano to come here to look for Luana, I noticed that he has a sick obsession with her. I never imagined that Luana would be here and on top of that married to Romeo Bernardino.
- Now you know, I really hope that you don't support Caetano, otherwise you will forget about me and my daughter. We will consider him our enemy, and we haven't forgotten our hang-ups!
Nothing would get in my way, if I need to send Caetano back to Italy to avoid any kind of discomfort with the Bernardino family I will do it without thinking twice.
- We won't be enemies, I can guarantee that, besides, I don't want anything to stand in our way.
Cecilia just nodded as if she didn't seem to trust what she was saying, I couldn't blame her, I abandoned her years ago leaving her knowing how dependent she was on me even after she confessed her love. I admit that I miss that sparkle in her eyes that only came from her but now I will have to win her over but I don't know how to begin to do this.
- Do you still have any feelings for me?
I needed to know even with the challenge I still suspect that I will have to fight to have her with me body and soul.
- Dario, many years have passed and both you and I have changed a lot during all this time. I ended up falling in love with Tomás, he was the love of my life, just like you were, with the difference that you were my first love and also my disappointment in love. With Tomas I had a family and learned what it is to really love, I won't lie and say that I still love you because I don't trust you because you are not trustworthy. I am no longer that girl in love, I have my feet on the ground because I know that I am no longer a girl but a woman and mother, I can't just give myself up without thinking, there is too much involved now.
The only thing left for me to do was to understand Cecilia, I never thought that to be rejected in this way would be so bad. Florence destroyed me but it would be very frivolous of me to compare her to Cecilia since unlike Florence, she is honest and true.
- I understand your point, but I'm not a man to give up, I'll prove that I deserve this chance, I want to see that shine in your eyes that only you had when you saw me, I'll have your love and devotion again and that's a promise.
She started to walk in front of me without saying anything else, feeling all this is so strange, I was already getting used to the fact that I would never have someone like Cecilia in my life but she appears bringing a whirlwind of emotions and sensations that I thought I would never be able to feel again, I didn't know how to start but first I need to resolve some pending issues mainly to understand what is happening to me in relation to my feelings for Cecilia.
When we arrived in the dining room everyone was already waiting for us, Bernardino had a cut on his face and it is clear that he fought with my soldier I know very well that at the first opportunity would do so.
The children played around the table while the baby laughed in the lap of mama Emilia, I went to her greeting with due respect after all she helped in my upbringing and it would not be good tone not to greet her.
When Valentine saw me, he stopped running and became serious, Melina started nudging her brother trying to get him to go back to running with her, but as soon as she noticed the way he looked at me, afraid of being scolded, my daughter quickly turned to me.
- Uncle, will you let Tim continue playing? Please, Uncle!
I went to the girl, observing every detail of her face, noticing the resemblance she had to me, but certainly her mother's personality was very present in her. Only Cecilia had the courage to face me, now Melina.
- Melina, Valentine can always play with you, my little one, but now both you and he have to have dinner.
She took Valentine's hand and sat down next to him while smiling at me sweetly, I am amazed to note how beautiful and affectionate Melina is with her brother even without knowing the bond they have.
- Mr. Albertini, feel free to enjoy dinner with us, everything was made with you in mind!
Luana as owner of the house and hostess did the honors of the dinner, the meal only had dishes that really liked including the wine that I most appreciated was being served, I know that this has the finger of Cecilia that certainly wanted to show that she has not forgotten the past or just did this as a form of affront especially for sitting next to the Colombian involved in an animated conversation that was leaving me very angry. When we finished dinner I called Bernardino to talk with my brother and needed to clarify some matters with him.
- Now I understand why you lied, it was not the right thing to do, but I will not criticize your actions. Even the fact that you made that little threat against Lydia was very clever of you, I must admit.
- Take it easy, brother, Bernardino, is there something to do with that letter and pictures sent to me years ago?
Bernardino picked up three glasses pouring a shot of whiskey for me, my brother and him. The man smiled as he sipped his drink without showing any kind of adverse action or fear.
- Yes, I had to do something to keep them away from here, but I never intended to do anything to the girl, after all, she is part of the family, isn't that right, Saul? I don't know what you have with the girl but for you to be so careful as to send a soldier to come with your family to take care of her must surely have made a blood pact with the girl. I am surprised that a blue blood wants a half-breed like her, knowing how you see us, I was really surprised by this.
Saul wanted to go after Romeo but I held him back, I don't think he would do anything against Lydia even though it's important to make things clear between us.
- Asshole, you made that dirty threat to protect Cecilia, I guess you know that she was my brother's whore for a long time, being very lucky not to have died at his hands, everyone in the family knows about my brother's fame.
- I could be offended, but since I know that Cecilia is not a whore, your offense doesn't affect me at all! You know very well how things happened, including how my sister ended up living this way, believe me she is alive and it's not luck but a blessing. Do not be offended but I would have to kill every living Albertini including your nephew to have my revenge as is prescribed in the rules, I never charged anything because I was never sure what had happened to her but I could have done something to have the honor of my family clean, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, but now my sister belongs only to the Bernardino family however I do not want you to be in the loss, I am keen to return all your investment even doubling the value, Dario!
Again this damned subject, Cecilia also wanted to return the money from the auction but I don't want that, I just want her back.
- I don't want money, Bernardino! I just want Cecilia back.
- I'm sorry to tell you, but that's Cecilia's decision, not mine. Understand, Dario, the world turns around. Before my sister was at your mercy, now you are at her mercy.
Bernardino is absolutely right, I know that I will have to face one of the biggest battles of my life, which is to win Cecilia over because I know that I have hurt her very much and that she no longer occupies the place that I once had in her heart.