Chương 7 - THE WOMAN ADRIAN DID NOT ASK ME TO FORGIVE
Elena came to see me after Luca was safe.
I almost refused.
Then agreed.
We met at a café.
No Adrian.
She looked exhausted.
“I owe you an apology.”
“Yes.”
She blinked.
Apparently she expected me to soften it.
I didn't.
“I kissed your husband.”
“Yes.”
“I was scared.”
“Yes.”
“My son—”
“Was in danger.”
“Yes.”
I stirred my coffee.
“All those things are true.”
She looked down.
“So is the fact that you chose my marriage as the thing you were willing to damage.”
Her eyes filled.
“Yes.”
No defense.
Good.
“I thought Adrian would stop me.”
“He should have.”
“I knew he still cared about me.”
“Did he?”
She hesitated.
“Not the way I wanted.”
I looked at her.
“And you wanted him to?”
She answered honestly.
“A little.”
That hurt.
But less than a lie.
Elena continued.
“When someone knew you before your entire life became survival, it's easy to confuse being remembered with being loved.”
That I understood more than I wanted to.
“Did you love him?”
“Once.”
“And now?”
“I love who I was before everything went wrong.”
She smiled sadly.
“Adrian happens to be standing in those memories.”
That made sense.
Still not absolution.
I said:
“I don't know if I'll forgive you.”
“I know.”
“But Luca is safe.”
She began crying.
“Yes.”
“Then make the price worth something.”
“What does that mean?”
“Tell the truth publicly.”
Her face changed.
About Matteo.
Russo shell companies.
The attempted trust theft.
All of it.
Elena eventually did.
It destroyed what remained of her family's organization.
She did it anyway.
I respected that.
May you like
From a distance.
Forgiveness and respect are not identical.
