Chapter 12
The family blamed Dante for letting the case become public.
That was predictable.
What he had not expected was how many people blamed Leo.
At a private meeting, one older relative said:
“The boy should have kept family business inside the family.”
Dante stood so slowly the room went silent.
“My son was face-down in the grass.”
“I’m only saying—”
“No.”
Dante removed the man from every Romano-controlled board that afternoon.
Then he changed the household rules.
No adult family member had automatic authority over Leo or Mia.
No capo could discipline them.
No relative could remove them from school, activities, bedrooms, or vehicles based on rank.
Bodyguards were instructed that child safety outranked family hierarchy.
Several old-school relatives considered the rules insulting.
Dante considered that useful.
Leo and Mia continued therapy.
The therapist told Dante not to force forgiveness toward Javier.
So he did not.
Leo was angry.
Mia was more complicated.
She missed Javier.
Before the barbecue, he had been the uncle who brought ridiculous birthday gifts and taught her card tricks.
Children did not divide people cleanly into monsters and loved ones.
Mia asked Dante one evening:
“Can somebody be nice before and still do something really bad?”
“Yes.”
“Then which one are they?”
Dante struggled with that question.
“Both.”
Mia frowned.
“That’s confusing.”
“Yes.”
Dante wished adults found it equally confusing.
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The family had spent generations turning complicated people into simple excuses.
He would not teach his children to do the same.
