Dampyr #172 (2014) pages 57-58: Tribute for my queen

The gangster Sergio Fusco presents his wife with a nice necklace:

“Every now and then, it's good for us to leave our neighborhood.”

“Soon, we'll abandon it completely, believe me. Here, this is for you.”

“What is it?”

“Open it!”

“It's magnificent! But how...?”

“Wait, I'll help you put it on. So, do you like it?”

“Sergio, all of this is very nice. Toys for Francesco, the new car, the restaurant for lunch... But can we afford it, with your job as a salesman?”

“Business is going well. You'll be hearing more and more about Sergio Fusco! What's the matter? Aren't you happy?”

“Yes, yes, but I was happy even when we couldn't afford all of this. You are all that matters to me.”

”I love you too, Livia. But poverty can destroy even the greatest marriages. It happened to my parents… You know, a legend says that the entire Aventine Hill is an enormous ship of the Knights Templar. The part that goes down towards the Tiber would be the bow. The obelisks instead would be the masts of the ship. And it seems ready to set sail at any moment. Would you like that?”

“It's just a legend! If you believe in fairy tales too much, you risk waking up disappointed.”

“That won’t happen to us.”

Famous last words! The whole scene is drenched in dramatic irony since the reader knows what Livia does not: Her doting husband is a thug whose money comes from drugs and violent crimes done at the behest of some dangerous people. Ultimate disappointment seems a certainty.