Chapter 4

Today was a Sterling family gathering at an estate on the outskirts of the city.

As usual, my parents took Luca and Julian around to socialize, listening to everyone praise their deeply bonded family of four.

Meanwhile, I sat in a corner, quietly nursing a drink.

"Get down!"

A piercing alarm tore through the peace of the estate. The mafia banquet instantly turned into a bloodbath.

Rival cartel members kicked the doors in with submachine guns, spraying the hall with bullets.

The moment the gunfire erupted, my eardrums screamed in pain.

I hit the floor, instinctively looking up for a familiar face.

Only to see Julian, who was much closer to me, sprinting toward Mia. He, along with my parents and brother, formed a human shield around her, protecting her completely.

I was left completely exposed in the crossfire.

Crash!

A bullet shattered the floor-to-ceiling window next to me.

Countless shards of sharp glass exploded like shrapnel, slicing deep into my right arm. A stray bullet grazed my shoulder, drawing a spray of blood.

"Ugh..." I muffled a groan, gripping my wound as I stumbled behind a Roman pillar.

Blood poured through my fingers, dripping onto the pristine marble floor. Drip. Drip. It was a gruesome sight.

After a torturous ten minutes, the gunfire finally ceased. The Soldatos secured the area.

Donna Elena pulled an unscathed Mia into her arms, bursting into tears. "Mia! My sweet girl, you scared me to death!"

Julian was half-kneeling on the floor, frantically cupping Mia's face, his hands shaking. "Mia, tell me, are you hurt? Don't be afraid, it's over, I'm here."

Not a single person looked back at me.

I leaned against the pillar, coldly watching this touching family moment.

Luca stood up, dusting himself off. As he turned, he finally saw me.

He saw my side drenched in blood, and the glaring pool of crimson at my feet.

His face changed, and he took a step toward me.

Suddenly, Mia let out a cry of pain. "My ankle hurts... I think I sprained it..."

Luca pulled his foot back immediately.

He didn't look at me again. He spun around, scooped Mia up into his arms, and said frantically, "Hold on, I'm taking you to the hospital right now!"

Don Vincent waved his hand, signaling the guards to clear the path.

They crowded around Mia, rushing toward the bulletproof SUVs outside. Julian trailed closely behind, his eyes entirely focused on Mia.

The engines roared, and the black convoy sped off into the distance.

In the massive, ruined hall, I was the only one left.

I didn't cry. I just felt that my ten years of clinging to this family had finally been completely shattered.

I took out my phone and calmly called an ambulance for myself.

I sat alone in the ER, getting eleven stitches. I didn't even flinch.

Because the pain in my heart had long surpassed anything physical.

Just as I was bandaged up, my phone lit up.

It was a text from Donna Elena: "The shooting traumatized Mia, it reminded her of her dad's death. We're taking her to a private island in Hawaii to calm her nerves. Find your own way home."

Then came Julian's belated text: "Are you okay? Sorry for ignoring you today, I'll buy you a gift to make up for it."

I stared at the screen and just replied to Elena: "Got it."

The day I left, the sky was unusually gray.

I threw all my personal belongings that I couldn't take into the trash—which wasn't much anyway.

I deleted all my social media accounts and permanently erased the contact info of my parents, Mia, and Julian from my phone.

Pulling my suitcase, I got into a cab heading to the airport.

Goodbye to this house that was never my home.

Julian’s POV

The day after Willow left, the family finished their Hawaii trip and returned to the estate.

As soon as Elena walked in, she called out Willow's name out of habit.

No answer.

She pushed open Willow’s bedroom door, only to find it so spotless it looked like no one had ever lived there.

Panic set in. She called for the butler.

The butler hurried over, looking nervous. "Ma'am... Miss Willow left yesterday with a suitcase."

"I asked her where she was going, but she wouldn't say..."

Luca and Vincent exchanged a glance, a sudden bad feeling sinking into their guts.

Just then, Vincent's Capo walked in quickly, looking grim.

He gripped a yellowed manila folder in his hands, his voice dry. "Don... We found new evidence regarding the assassination ten years ago. You need to see this."