Chapter Seventy Six - The Unmasking

Uncle Marco, Dante's older brother, bristled. "Now, Lucia, let's not jump to conclusions. We don't know all the facts yet." "Facts?" Alessandro's cousin Francesca interjected. "Were you not in the same courtroom as the rest of us, Uncle Marco? The facts seem pretty clear to me." As voices began to rise, Giorgio raised his hand for silence. "Please," he said wearily. "We're here to discuss how we move forward as a family, not to assign blame." "Move forward?" Uncle Marco scoffed. "How can we move forward when the family name has been dragged through the mud? And for what? Because of some petty rivalry?" Amelia felt Alessandro tense beside her. Before he could respond, she placed a calming hand on his arm and stood up. "If I may," she began, her voice quiet but firm. All eyes turned to her. "I know that many of you are angry, hurt, and confused. I understand that. But the fact is, Dante's actions have affected all of us. He didn't just attack me; he betrayed this entire family's tru