Chapter Ninety Two - The Sudden Sickness

Alessandro gestured to a chair. "I think that's long overdue, don't you?" Amelia sat, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. "Alessandro, I know I've hurt you, and I'm so sorry. But you have to believe me – I never meant to betray you or your family." "Then why, Amelia?" Alessandro's voice was tight with emotion. "Why did you lie to me? Why did you work with Ricardo behind my back?" Amelia took a deep breath. "I was scared. When that money appeared in my account, I didn't know what to do. I wanted to protect you, to figure out what was going on without dragging you into it. And then Ricardo offered to help, and I... I made a terrible mistake." Alessandro's eyes softened slightly. "You should have come to me. We could have faced this together." "I know that now," Amelia said, fighting back tears. "I was so focused on uncovering the truth that I lost sight of what really matters – us, our relationship, the trust we've built." For a long moment, Alessandro was silent. Then, he rea