Chapter 2

My spirit drifted to the estate on the west side of the city, the very place my father, Arthur, had built especially for me.

On the day I was born, he had been so overcome with joy that he vowed in front of everyone to make me the happiest girl in all of Sicily.

He had always doted on me, but everything changed after Hailey saved me from a fire and was welcomed into our family as my adopted sister.

“Thank you all for celebrating my birthday with me. It really means so much to me!”

“But maybe we should head back. Fiona might already be upset with us.”

Hailey looked at everyone with feigned concern, pretending to have their best interests at heart, but my father merely waved her worries away. “We agreed to return tomorrow, so tomorrow it is.”

Richard nodded in agreement. “Exactly. Fiona’s had us by her side for over twenty years. This is the first time we’ve celebrated your birthday with just you. You’re both our sisters, after all. We should treat you equally.”

Hearing everyone defend her, Hailey finally broke into a satisfied smile before turning to Lucas. “What about you? Aren’t you worried Fiona will make a scene?”

Lucas seemed to picture exactly that, his brow furrowing instinctively. “She’s the Donna. She should be more understanding. Besides, she already has more than enough. Even this estate belongs to her, so why would she begrudge me spending a day celebrating your birthday with you?”

What he had conveniently forgotten was how Hailey had burst into tears the very first time she visited this estate, claiming she envied me for having such a wonderful father.

That very evening, my father bought a plot of land in the city center and built a hotel named after her, which went on to be hailed as the most luxurious hotel in the city.

My mother had questioned whether he was showing Hailey too much favoritism, but he had simply laughed and replied, “She saved Fiona’s life, and now she’s our daughter, too. Of course we should treat her well.”

Richard had also taken Hailey’s kindness toward me as a reason to defend her unconditionally.

Little by little, however, they had forgotten why they had welcomed her into our family in the first place, and instead kept telling me to accommodate her, insisting that I stop picking on her.

The truth was, I had done nothing wrong.

Hailey turned to Lucas, her eyes shining with anticipation. “So, did you get me a birthday present?”

Rather than answer, Lucas handed her an elegantly wrapped gift box.

The moment she opened it, I froze.

Inside lay a dagger that looked exactly like the one I had clutched in my final moments.

Hailey feigned surprise. “Isn’t this Fiona’s beloved jeweled dagger?”

“I switched the daggers. The sapphire matches your eyes. It suits you better.”

Hailey hesitated, putting on an expression of reluctance as she examined the gift. “But this sapphire is one of a kind. I heard you paid thirty million dollars for it at an auction, specifically to give to Fiona as an engagement present. Are you really giving something so meaningful to me? What if people think you’ve fallen for someone else?”

Lucas didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. “Of course I love Fiona. Nothing anyone says will change that.”

Richard chimed in gently, trying to reassure her. “Go ahead and accept it. Lucas will make it up to Fiona with something else.”

Lucas said nothing, which was as good as agreeing.

A sharp ache twisted in my chest.

Not one of them cared how I felt, and none of them seemed to think there was anything wrong with Lucas taking something precious to me and giving it away without my permission.

Hailey’s smile widened as she asked, “Can we play another game like this for my birthday next year?”

My father looked at her fondly. “What do you have in mind for next year?”

Her eyes lit up. “How about Lucas showing up with divorce papers and tricking Fiona into thinking he wants a divorce?”

Lucas’s expression darkened. “Absolutely not. Knowing Fiona, she’d make a huge scene.”

“Then you could propose to her all over again and turn it into a surprise. Wouldn’t that be even better?”

Richard eagerly joined in, encouraging them. “Now that sounds exciting!”

In the end, Lucas reluctantly agreed. “Fine, but you’ll all have to help me stop Fiona from leaving when the time comes. Make sure she doesn’t actually walk out on me.”

I could only manage a bitter smile.

Lucas, I was already gone.