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I shook my head. “No. Not after what Layla went through. Giovanni would never.”

“Who’s Layla?”

“Giovanni’s wife. Salvatore told me about his family.” My stomach tightened around the words. “Layla was raped by her father, Sebastian Capribella.”

Mom went still. “Wait, that’s one of the names on this list.” She searched through the stack, then pulled out a page and slid it across the table. “Here it is.”

“I’ve heard those names before. Capribella worked with the Society, and so did Bianchi.” The next words dragged against my throat. “Salvatore’s cousin’s wife was taken by Bianchi. She was taken to a breeding farm.”

Mom’s face changed. “I have files on the breeding farms. Records of transactions. Do you know when she was taken?”

“It was before I knew him. Before his father was killed, but not before Grandfather died.” I looked down at the files, then back at Mom as the dates aligned. “Do you think Salvatore’s father was involved?”

“His name is in the files, Maddie,” Mom said. “He was Bianchi’s competition; I assume Bianchi was responsible for your father-in-law’s death.”

“I’m not sure if Salvatore knew any of this about his father.” I searched the stories he had trusted me to carry, looking for a warning I might have missed. “I’ve not heard anything about the Pisanos or Romanos, other than that they lived in New York.”

Mom tapped Valentino’s name. “We need to find the information on Valentino. Do you think Giovanni would tell you?”

I shook my head. “Illyria is the only one I’ve spoken to. And the last time didn’t go well.”

“What happened? I always thought Illyria was a sweet girl.”

“She was until she realized who I was. The day we moved to Boston, I went to watch Henry on the playground. Mr. Fedorov came over and spoke to me.”

Mom stiffened. “What did he say? Did he threaten you?”

“No, he was very sweet, actually. He offered to let me meet Henry.”

“Did you?” When I shook my head, her frown deepened. “Maddie, why?”

“It would be too hard to walk away a second time. It would break me.” I took a breath before continuing. “I hadn’t realized they knew who I was. But Illyria came over after Maxim, and it didn’t go well.”

I told her how Illyria had made it clear I couldn’t have Henry, questioned whether I wanted him, and accused me of abandoning my son instead of protecting him. She dismissed me as a woman Salvatore had gotten pregnant and insisted I hadn’t truly known her brother, forcing me to reveal that Salvatore and I had been married and that he had hidden Henry and me from his family until I gave him permission to tell them about our son. I explained that leaving Henry with Salvatore and asking him to name Illyria as guardian had been the only way I could protect our child when I lacked the power to keep him safe myself. Illyria’s cruelty had wounded me, but I understood it came from her love for Salvatore and her determination to protect Henry, even if understanding her didn’t make the accusations hurt any less.

“Anyway, there is someone else we can ask,” I said.

Mom looked up. “Who?”

I hesitated, watching the worry gather in her face before I gave it a name. “Mr. Sinclair.”

“Maddie, no.” The answer came too quickly. “Sinclair is not someone I want you involved with.”

“Mom, that ship has sailed.”

“Anymore,” she snapped, then caught herself and lowered her voice. “I don’t want you involved with him anymore.”

“Mom.”

She slumped back in her chair, exhausted by worry. “Information from Sinclair comes with a price. One you can never repay.”

“It’s the only option, Mom,” I said. “And besides, while I’m in New York, maybe I can see Henry.”

Hope moved through me so sharply I couldn’t hide it. I would not approach Henry or ask him to recognize a mother he had been too young to remember, but I could sit at the edge of the playground and watch him run beneath a sky Salvatore would never see.

Mom’s expression softened, then tightened again. “You know you can’t tell your father.”

I smiled into my tea. “I know.” When her frown lingered, I added, “I promise, Mom. I’ll be okay.”