Dom was trying hard to keep his expression as neutral as possible, but at her response he could not help how the muscles in his face tightened. Nothing. Cosmo Zabini was a fool, and this scenario was one that he had built himself. Domitian had the utmost respect for his sister — she was intelligent, a witty conversationalist, a magnanimous hostess and occasionally when one of her creative projects really suited her, a visionary — and somehow living with their father had reduced her own self-image to this. The distinction was between whore and nothing, as though there was nothing else left to her. It would have been better for all of them if Cosmo Zabini had just disowned them all the moment the news had come out, instead of pretending to love them and holding out his regard and respect as though it was something they would be able to earn — as though he was even capable of bestowing it upon them, after the revelation about their blood status. At least then they might have been freed from his expectations.

“You might at least have chosen a better man for it,” he responded, anger evident in his tone. He was not angry at her, of course, because this was all their father’s fault — but Domitian knew he was never going to be able to tell his father that, just as he hadn’t said a single sincere word to the man since the scandal ten years ago. Maybe if he lingered around as a ghost after he was dead, Dom could tell him what a fool he was… until then, he was still playing nice, for Nico’s sake more than for his own.

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