"Where is he going?" Marco's voice cut through the stillness, his anger evident in every word. "To the DeLucas, I assume? You're going to let him throw everything away, Father?"
Don Vincente's expression remained unreadable, his eyes cold and calculating. "He's made his choice. I won't stop him. But he'll regret it. The Vincente name means nothing to him now."
Emilia, who had remained silent, her eyes red from unshed tears, spoke softly. "We've fought so long to keep the family together, but sometimes, we have to let go."
"Let go?" Marco's voice rose in disbelief. "This isn't about letting go, Emilia. This is about betrayal. Giovanni has betrayed us, betrayed everything we've worked for. And now, you want to sympathize with him?"
"I don't sympathize with him," Emilia said, her voice steady but filled with sorrow. "But I can't just ignore the fact that Sophia is dying. We've never faced something like this before."
Don Vincente's gaze shifted to Emilia, his expression hardening. "You're too soft, Emilia. The DeLucas will use this against us. They'll control us, make us weak. And you want to give them the upper hand?"
"I'm not giving them anything," Emilia replied, her voice strong. "I'm thinking about saving Sophia. About what Giovanni has done. He may be wrong in his actions, but his heart is in the right place."
Marco slammed his fist on the table, the sound echoing through the room. "Enough with this nonsense! Giovanni's actions are unforgivable. And if you're going to keep making excuses for him, then you're no better than he is."
"Watch your mouth, Marco," Don Vincente warned, his voice low but dangerous. "Giovanni has crossed a line. But there's still time for us to make things right. We won't give in to the DeLucas, not now, not ever."
Giovanni's words from the previous night rang in Don Vincente's ears. "I don't care about the empire anymore. I don't care about the legacy. I care about her."
Don Vincente clenched his jaw, his anger simmering beneath the surface. How had it come to this? How had his own son chosen love over loyalty, over family? The DeLucas had always been enemies, and now, Giovanni had crossed that line. There was no turning back. His son had chosen Sophia.
The tension in the room reached a boiling point, and Alessandro, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke, his voice calm but filled with concern. "We need to think about what happens next. Giovanni has made his decision, but we have to consider the consequences. If the DeLucas accept his offer, if they use this to their advantage, we'll be forced into a war we may not survive."
"You're right," Don Vincente said, his voice heavy. "But we cannot back down now. We've built this empire, and we will protect it. Giovanni may have abandoned us, but we won't let the DeLucas win."
"Then what?" Marco demanded. "What do you propose we do, Father? Do you think we'll simply sit here while Giovanni makes a fool of us? While he lets the DeLucas control our future?"
"We'll make them pay," Don Vincente said coldly, standing up from his chair, his hands gripping the edge of the table. "But we'll do it on our terms. Giovanni has made his bed, and now he'll lie in it. But we're not giving up the Vincente legacy. Not to the DeLucas. Not to anyone."
The room fell silent again, each person processing the gravity of their situation. The family was divided, their loyalties torn. Giovanni had made his choice, and now they had to decide how to move forward.
But before anyone could speak, the door to the room opened, and a familiar figure stepped inside. It was Alessandro, his face pale, his eyes wide with alarm.
"What is it?" Don Vincente's voice was sharp, his patience running thin.
"There's a message," Alessandro said, holding out a piece of paper. "It's from the DeLucas."
Don Vincente's eyes narrowed as he took the paper, his fingers curling around it as if it were a weapon. He unfolded the note, his eyes scanning the words quickly.
The message was simple but chilling.
"There's only one way to save her. But it comes with a price. Are you willing to pay it?"
The room fell deathly silent as everyone processed the implications. The DeLucas were making their move. They were offering salvation, but at what cost?
Don Vincente looked up, his expression hardening with a mix of fury and determination. "Giovanni's choices have consequences. But now, it seems, we have a choice of our own."
"Do we trust them?" Emilia whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of it all.
"Trust the DeLucas?" Marco sneered. "Never."
Don Vincente stood tall, his gaze dark with the knowledge of what was to come. "We'll play their game. But on our terms. We'll take what they offer and turn it against them."
The tension in the room was suffocating. Giovanni had set off a chain of events that no one could undo. The DeLucas had made their move, and now the Vincente family had to decide how to respond. Their world was on the edge, teetering between war and peace, and every choice they made from here on out would determine the future.
Giovanni's decision had fractured them, but now the DeLucas were forcing their hand. A war was coming, whether they were ready for it or not. And as Don Vincente stared at the note, he knew that the price for peace might be higher than any of them could pay.