“A hundred million dollars has been credited to your account.”
My eyes were fixed on the message. It was surreal. My pulse raced as I read the message again, struggling to believe it.
A few hours ago, I walked out of prison with barely a plan. And now, the father of the girl whom I’d protected inside had transferred a fortune into my account.
I should have felt a thrill or even relief—but instead, the money felt like a cruel reminder of everything I’d lost.
Within seconds, I put the phone back in my pocket. At that moment, my mind was reeling, as I glanced at the grim faces of my so-called family.
Whatever hope I'd about them was quickly shattered.
“Where am I supposed to stay?” I asked quietly, already bracing for the blow.
After listening to my words, Gracia, my stepmother, smirked. She pulled out a crumpled bundle of cash—two hundred dollars, at most—and tossed it on the table as if she were handing me some spare change.
“Here, take this. Find a cheap motel. Or, if you’re smart, get out of town.”
Just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, Luca came in from the back.
There was a handgun tucked casually into his waistband. His eyes narrowed as he saw me.
The next moment, I forced a bitter smile, struggling to maintain my composure. “What about you, Luca?”
I looked at my stepbrother, hoping he’d remember everything I’d sacrificed for him.
"Victoria, you know you’re my sister. Of course, I want you here.” He reached for my shoulder, his grip firm and cool. “If you need a place to stay… Well, we’ll figure something out.” His eyes, cold and calculating, betrayed him.
Relief almost crept into my heart. "Fine! For a while, I'll stay," I replied.
At that moment, Celestia, his wife, turned towards me, her tone venomous. “ Victoria? Have you lost it? How can you even think of staying here?"
She glared at me, her eyes filled with disdain.
Then I clenched my jaw, fighting the humiliation that clawed at me, but her words struck deep. “This is still my house, Celestia. Can’t I stay for a few days?”
When Celestia heard those words, her lips adorned with a mocking smile. At that moment, I shredded the last ounce of my patience.
“Your home? This house belongs to Luca now. You don’t have a right to stay here, Victoria. You were a Mafia princess but not now. The two years of your prison made you undeserving, and honestly…” She leaned in, her voice cold as ice. “We don’t want you here.”
My gaze snapped back to Luca, hoping he’d defend me, but he looked away. He was tapping his fingers on the gun at his waist and kept silent.
The cruel gleam in his eyes made me feel even smaller. It seemed like I was a discarded pawn he’d used and tossed aside. I bit back a reply, afraid that any sign of defiance would only invite more humiliation.
Then my chest tightened as I looked at my uncle, Richard, sitting on the couch. The smoke of the cigarette curled around him like a cloud of indifference.
He barely glanced in my way, as if I was nothing more than a stranger passing through.
“So that’s it?” My voice cracked, raw with betrayal. “You’re all kicking me out because I’m not useful anymore?”
“Don’t take it personally, Victoria,” Gracia said, not bothering to look up from her magazine. “With your prison record, no mafia family will like to support or associate with you. We can't risk the Bianchi Mafia Family's fortune because of it." She paused.
"Keeping you here will be… challenging. We just don’t have the means to support you.”
But before I could respond, Celestia stepped closer, and said, “Face it, Victoria. You’re nothing but a burden now. No family, no future. So, just… leave."
