05. Heiress Of The Lombardi family

MELANIA…..

“Mel, why don’t you go on a vacation? Just for a while, to refresh your mind.” I was sitting in the garden, my fingers wrapped around a warm cup of chamomile tea, inhaling its faint, calming fragrance as the afternoon breeze brushed softly against my skin.

The garden was quiet and peaceful, too peaceful for the chaos swirling inside my chest.

Mamma joined me moments later, settling into the chair beside mine. My maid silently poured her a cup of tea and stepped away.

Mamma held the porcelain cup in her hands, but she didn’t take a sip. Instead, her eyes stayed fixed on me, studying my face as if she were searching for the daughter she used to know.

“It’s been weeks since you came back home,” she said gently.

“But look at you… you’re not the Melania I raised.” Her voice wavered just a little.

“That cheerful, lively girl she’s lost somewhere, and it breaks my heart to see you like this.” I lowered my gaze to the tea in my hands, watching the steam rise and disappear into the air.

“Mamma…” I murmured, but the words caught in my throat.

“You can’t punish yourself forever,” she continued softly.

“What happened wasn’t your fault. Shutting yourself away, carrying all this pain alone, it won’t heal you.” I could hear the worry in her voice, raw and undeniable.

I wanted to reassure her, to pretend I was getting better, but I didn’t have the strength to lie. How could I explain that some wounds don’t fade just because time passes?

“I’m trying,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“But it’s not that easy to forget everything. My life isn’t just mine anymore.” My hand instinctively moved to my stomach.

“I have a responsibility now,” I added, swallowing hard. “A life depending on me.”

Understanding dawned in her eyes, followed by tenderness. She reached out and covered my hand with hers. “I know,” she said gently.

“And that’s exactly why you need to take care of yourself too.”

I took a deep breath, my chest tightening.

Being a single mother isn’t easy.

“Pull yourself together and start afresh,” Mamma said gently, though there was quiet firmness beneath her words.

“You can’t keep drowning yourself in this pit of sorrow, la mia principessa. I know it hurts but life doesn’t stop here.” She shifted closer, her hand resting over mine.

“You have to move forward now. If not for yourself, then at least for your child. What you feel, what you carry inside you, it reaches the baby too.” Her thumb brushed my knuckles in a soothing motion.

“You deserve happiness in this phase of your life. And so does the little one growing inside you.” She offered me a soft, hopeful smile, the kind only a mother could manage even in the face of her child’s pain.

“Let yourself breathe again,” she added quietly. “Let yourself live.”

“I know it won’t be easy to move on,” Mamma said softly, her eyes filled with hope, “but you have to try. For yourself.”

Then, after a brief pause, she added, almost eagerly, “Now tell me where do you want to go?”

I hesitated. Truthfully, I didn’t want to go anywhere. All I wanted was to stay hidden in the safety of home. But I also knew that refusing her would only deepen her worry, and I couldn’t bear to do that to her.

Maybe she was right. Maybe I needed a breath of fresh air, something new to help me begin again.

I thought for a moment before finally speaking. “I want to go to Norway,” I said slowly.

“I want to see the Aurora.” A faint smile curved my lips. “I’ll talk to my friends and plan the trip with them.”

Her face lit up instantly, pride and relief shining in her eyes. “That’s my girl,” she said warmly.

“I’m so proud of you.” She leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead before pulling back to look at me, as if memorizing this small sign of strength.

“I’ll go tell your Papà this good news,” she added with a happy little squeal. “He’s been worried about you, even if he doesn’t show it. This will make him so happy.”

With that, Mamma hurried inside, leaving me alone in the garden, hopeful, uncertain, but finally ready to try.

I went back to my room, grabbed my iPad, and flopped onto the bed before starting a group video call with my best friends. It didn’t take long for their familiar faces to fill the screen, and for the first time in weeks, my chest felt a little lighter.

“Are you feeling better, Red?” Simona asked immediately, her brows knitting together with concern.

“Yeah,” I replied with a small but genuine smile. “I’m feeling much better now.”

“Glad to hear that, girl,” Livia chimed in happily. “We were getting worried about you.”

I exhaled softly, letting their warmth sink in. “Actually… I wanted to talk to you both about something.”

Their expressions instantly sharpened with interest.

“I’ve decided to take a trip,” I continued. “A proper one. I need a change of air, and I am thinking about Norway. To see the Aurora.”

For a second, there was silence. Then,

“Norway?” Simona gasped. “Oh my God, yes!”

“That’s perfect,” Livia added excitedly. “Cold weather, magical skies, and just what you need to reset.”

I laughed quietly, feeling something I hadn’t felt in a long time, anticipation. “So,” I said, tilting my head, “are you two in?”

“Always,” Simona said without hesitation.

“Where you go, we go,” Livia agreed with a grin.

“Alright,” Simona said, clapping her hands dramatically. “If we’re doing this, then we’re doing it properly. When do you want to leave?”

I shifted on the bed, hugging a pillow to my chest. “As soon as possible,” I admitted. “Before I overthink it and talk myself out of going.”

“That’s fair,” Livia nodded. “You need momentum. Waiting too long will only give your mind time to spiral.”

Simona leaned closer to her screen. “What about two weeks from now? That gives us enough time to book flights, arrange accommodations, and plan everything without rushing.”

I thought about it. Two weeks felt close enough to keep my courage intact, yet far enough to prepare myself mentally and physically. “Two weeks sounds… doable,” I said softly.

“Good,” Livia smiled. “Now, where in Norway? Tromsø would be perfect for the Northern Lights.”

“Yes!” Simona agreed instantly. “Tromsø has amazing viewpoints, and there are guided Aurora tours too. Plus, it’s cozy and not overly crowded.”

I nodded, imagining it, the quiet snow, the freezing air biting my cheeks, the sky alive with colors I had only seen in pictures.

“Tromsø it is.”

“Okay, next question,” Simona continued. “How long are we staying?”

“Not too short,” I replied without thinking. “I don’t want to feel rushed.”

“Seven to ten days?” Livia suggested.

“Enough time to relax, explore, and actually breathe.”

“Ten days,” I decided. “I want this to feel like a pause from life, not a quick escape.”

Simona grinned. “Look at you, making decisions. I like this version of you.”

I rolled my eyes but laughed, a real laugh this time. “Don’t get used to it.”

They both smiled, and for a moment none of us spoke. Then Livia’s gaze softened. “We’ll take it slow, Nina. No pressure, no expectations. Just us.”

My throat tightened. “Thank you,” I whispered. “For being here. For not giving up on me.”

“Never,” Simona said firmly. “You’re stuck with us.”

“Forever,” Livia added.

We spent the next hour discussing warm clothes, cozy cabins, snow boots, and even silly things like matching scarves and midnight hot chocolate under the stars. With every plan we made, a little bit of the heaviness inside me loosened its grip.

When the call finally ended, I set the iPad aside and lay back, staring at the ceiling.

For the first time since everything fell apart, I wasn’t just surviving. I was planning to live again.

*********************

“Your Mamma said you’re going on a vacation?” Papá asked casually as we sat down for dinner. “When are you leaving?”

My spoon froze midway to my mouth before I slowly set it down on the plate instead. I lifted my gaze to him. “We’re leaving in two weeks,” I replied. “For Tromsø.”

He nodded, taking a sip of water before his sharp eyes settled on me again, the same eyes that can terrified the entire Mafia world. His name was alone to tremble people in fear.

“I know moving on isn’t easy,” he said quietly. “It takes courage. And courage… you have always had plenty of that.” I stayed silent, listening.

“When you chose Alpha Cyrus,” he continued, his voice steady, “when you decided to marry him and hide your true identity from him, I allowed it. Not because I was blind but because I trusted you.” He placed his glass down with deliberate calm.

“You are my only child. The only Heiress of the Lombardi family. Everything I have, every empire, every responsibility belongs to you.” His words weighed heavily on my chest.

“One day,” he went on, “you will have to take over. Lead the pack. Lead the Lombardi family. I know you won’t disappoint me.” His lips curved into a proud smile.

“Because I didn’t raise a fragile daughter. I built you like a warrior, an Alpha and a Capo.” That was when my heart skipped.

I took a slow breath. “Papá,” I said carefully, “there’s something I need to tell you.”

He leaned back slightly, studying me. “Go on.”

“I will take responsibility for the pack,” I said firmly. “I am an Alpha by blood and by training. That part of me, I will never deny.”

Relief flickered briefly in his eyes—before I continued. “But the Mafia…” I shook my head. “That world is not for me anymore.”

His expression hardened, not in anger, but in surprise.

“I’ve lived too close to death, betrayal, and bloodshed,” I said quietly.

“I don’t want my child to grow up surrounded by that darkness. I won’t raise my baby in fear or violence.” Silence stretched between us.

“I’ll protect our pack,” I added. “I’ll lead them, fight for them, and make them stronger. But the Mafia empire, you need someone else to handle it.”

Papá watched me for a long moment, his gaze unreadable. Then he sighed slowly, leaning back in his chair.

“You sound like your mother,” he said at last.

I blinked. “Is that a bad thing?”

A corner of his lips lifted. “No. It’s the reason I’m still alive.”

He nodded once, decisively. “Very well. You will be the Alpha. But the Capo position will remain with me or someone I choose until further notice.”

I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Thank you for understanding.”

He softened then, his voice losing its steel.

“You are carrying the future in more ways than one. Protecting your child doesn’t make you weak, Melania.” His eyes shone with pride. “It makes you stronger than any throne.”

I placed my hand over my stomach instinctively.

For the first time, I knew this much for sure I wasn’t running away. I was choosing a different kind of power. And this time, it was for my child.