But even as he said it, both of them knew it was not that simple. Santiago had never been just a man. He had built his entire life around control and around removing weaknesses before they could take root. A child was exactly the kind of weakness he had always avoided.
Dante exhaled slowly. "That's exactly why I'm asking."
Mateo glanced at him briefly before looking forward again. "He has two choices," he said calmly. "He either learns to live with it… or he removes the problem."
Dante's jaw tightened. "And by 'removes'…"
"Not like that," Mateo cut in quickly, his tone turning firmer and sharper. "Not anymore."
That made Dante look at him more closely. The words felt new coming from Mateo.
Mateo's expression stayed even, but his voice dropped lower. "If he wanted the child gone, it would have happened before today."
Silence stretched between them again, longer this time. It carried the weight of shared understanding.
Dante nodded slowly. "So… Daniella stays."
