Candles trembled on the long mahogany table, their soft glow catching the slightest raise of Rebecca’s glass before she set it down with care. The food lay untouched, wine untouched, conversation stalled under the weight of expectation. Rebecca cleared her throat softly before speaking, her tone measured but firm: “Since everyone is present, perhaps we need not hide it any longer.” Rebecca looked at Valentina fixedly, then turned her attention to Bianca and her own husband seated across ...