Chapter 128

• DANTE'S POV
• Catarina was embraced by Lucrezia, my mother, as if she were a daughter. Don Salvatore, my father, made it clear that she would be treated as part of the family, a sister to us, but to me, she was always different. Maybe it was the age difference, or maybe because from the beginning, there was something more. But how could an eight-year-old boy understand such complex feelings?
• When we were children, I called her Bambi, which she initially took as teasing. She preferred to be called Bambolina, as my father called her. But the truth is, Bambi was my favorite movie, and I wanted to compliment her sweetness and resilience. However, when Catarina reacted negatively, I began to tease her on purpose. Our childhood fights seemed constant, like cat and dog, but there was a part of me that always cared for her, always paid attention.