Luciana changed the brothers in just months. At first, I tried to be understanding because I was once in her shoes. After all, she was just helping around the estate and seemed inexperienced in doing so.
However, when she 'accidentally' smashed the only gift my late father left me right in front of me and the twins, I could not stay silent. I confronted her, complete with scolding and yelling. When Luciana began bawling, that was when Caius pushed me aside with a deep frown on both of their faces.
"Luciana's life has not been easy, Serafina," he snarled. "You are just a spoiled princess here. It's just a figurine. Why do you have to make things difficult for someone who's only helping us?"
Spoiled princess? They're the ones who 'spoiled' me!
And 'just a figurine'?! They very well knew the story behind it, that it was the last thing my father was clutching before he breathed his last breath. The hand-blown Murano glass wolf crafted in Venice. His last and first gift to me.
Milo added, "She is younger than you, Serafina. You're the adult here, you should show her a little more kindness!"
As I clutched the pieces of my broken wolf-shaped glass figurine on the floor, the feeling of hopelessness and helplessness struck my heart for the first time in twenty years.
Ever since that time, everything had been different. I was no longer the most important female in their lives. Slowly but surely, Luciana took my place as if we were in competition. To be honest, we could have just shared the compound, the privilege, and the twins. But Luciana, perhaps having lacked everything since childhood, was devoured by greed the moment she saw opportunity with the Valenti Family. She established herself as the new focus of the house and shoved me out by the throat.
Although this house had given me so many memories I should cherish, it was never truly my home in the end. For twenty years I just convinced myself it was, but deep down, I knew it wasn't.
That memory from a month ago haunted me. But that memory from a week ago... it stole the life of me.
"There won't be a next time," I once told the Valenti twins. Now, I couldn't believe myself to really make it true.
Even when I said goodbye to Donna Vittoria, a deep part of me still wanted to see the Valenti estate for one last time.
I told myself last night that there were no things there that I needed to pack. Everything had been broken and thrown by Luciana anyway.
But... it wasn't things that I wanted to pack. I wanted to see the home I had for twenty years for one last time. I wanted to pack my feelings and memories for one last time.
Since it had come to this, there was nothing left for me to hold onto. Nothing for me to have a reason to stay. I just wanted to see it for one last time and leave.
However, even as I crept through the compound on silent feet, I saw that all my belongings had been tossed into the hallway like trash that needed to be immediately taken out. A guard stationed near the corridor glanced at the pile and then at me, and looked away. He knew better than to get involved.
Caius stood by my room's door, his massive hand holding Luciana's. His eyes stared me down with a cold that could rival the winter winds. Disdain contorted his face as his mouth quivered to the side.
"Serafina, you should know your place. You're nothing more than a freeloader clinging to the Valenti Family so you have no right to look down on Lucy, let alone throw a tantrum at her," he lectured.
I arched a brow and didn't bother to put on my wicked self. "Luciana has been a freeloader too since four months ago, remember? Just because a new pitiful one entered your life, you're going to toss away the woman who'd been with you for twenty years?!" Luciana was standing behind Caius and I jerked my chin toward her. "Congratulations, whore. You've done it."
I clapped my two hands with a sarcastic laugh escaping my lips. I didn't bother to check my attitude in front of the Valenti twins. "Luciana also has no right to be cruel and scheming in front of the daughter of the Donna of the Montero Syndicate and the niece of its Don."
Milo bared his teeth at me. "You—"
"From now on, you'll be staying in the servants' quarters," Caius continued, ignoring his brother. His right hand curled into a fist at his side, the knuckles going white. "Luciana will handle all Family matters as our right hand and I'm transferring you to miscellaneous tasks. Don't worry, it's lighter than what the disgraced get. Once you learn to get along with Luciana, we can talk and maybe reconsider you."
Milo kissed one side of Luciana's cheek. She blushed. I almost vomited on the marble floor. "Serafina Nero," Milo started. "If you throw another fit and upset Luciana again, I won't let you off so easily. You'll find yourself begging for my mercy."
I rolled my eyes and Caius shouted a warning. I ignored all of them.
However, now with a plan to leave, I had no time to bicker with them. I shrugged and simply replied, "You're absolutely right, Caius. Milo. I'll move out as soon as possible. And don't bother transferring me to the servants' quarters. I'm leaving the Valenti Family."
Caius sneered, "You're still insisting and playing as a victim, huh? Fine. I'll overlook this just once for my mother's sake. However, I expect you to remember your place from now on."
"Ha! Luciana should be the one to remember her place. She only came here to help, remember? Now, she feels as if she's the equivalent of a Donna. If I were Donna Vittoria, I would have had her dragged out of this compound in front of you. Good thing your poor mother is kinder than me." I walked past them and glanced at my nails when I said, "There won't be a next time, Caius."
I looked each of them in the eye as I breathed. My fingers reached for the hollow of my throat where the pendant once hung. Nothing there. My jaw set.
"I'm returning to my mother. Now."
