Chapter 1

"Lilith, Antonio needs a servant. Why don't you send Raphael? It has to pay better than opening car doors!"

After changing out of her wedding gown, Cersei looked down at me as if she were offering spare change to a beggar.

"No need. Raphael isn't looking for another job."

I smiled as I turned her down. There was no point in telling them who Raphael really was.

They would find out soon enough on our wedding day.

Dad scowled at me.

"Lilith, your sister is trying to help you. Why are you always so ungrateful? Do you know how many people would kill for that job? You turned it down without even asking Raphael? You could at least find out what he thinks!"

Mom frowned and chimed in, "She's right! Cersei told me Antonio is very close to the Di Lauro family's heir. With that kind of support, Antonio is sure to succeed his father as capo. People would beg for the chance to work for him!"

I stared at Cersei in surprise.

Raphael had told me Antonio was a spoiled playboy who cared about nothing except drinking and partying.

His father had long given up on his younger son and would never name him as his successor.

A malicious gleam flashed in Cersei's eyes, but her voice remained sweet. "Lilith, being a servant may not sound impressive, but it's a job with a future. If Raphael works hard, he might even become Antonio's butler one day! Better yet, why don't both of you come work for me? I'd hate for us to be apart!"

Mom immediately chimed in, "That's a wonderful idea. You two can look after each other. Your father and I won't have to worry."

I said nothing but clenched my fists.

Cersei had been sickly since birth. The doctors blamed it on me, saying I had taken too many nutrients from her while we were in the womb.

Ever since then, our parents had showered her with love while barely sparing any for me.

I grew up believing I owed her. I gave in whenever she wanted something and took care of her whenever she needed me.

Some part of me kept hoping that if I behaved, Mom and Dad would finally notice me and love me the way they loved her.

But to them, I would always be beneath Cersei. I was someone who existed only to serve her.

This time, I was going to say no.

Before I could, the doorbell rang.

I took a breath and opened the door. Antonio stood outside.

As usual, he had brought an entire entourage. Eight bodyguards stood behind him.

The moment Cersei saw him, she threw herself into his arms.

"Darling, I missed you so much!"

They started kissing right in front of us. The loud, wet kisses made my skin crawl.

I was about to slip away to my room when Mom stopped me.

"Where are you going? Hurry up and make Antonio some tea! Use our most expensive black tea. No milk, two sugar cubes. Got it?"

From the moment Mom learned about Antonio, she had made a point of learning everything he liked.

Yet she couldn't remember a single thing Raphael liked.

Every time Raphael visited, she served him something he couldn't have.

She put milk in his coffee and loaded every meal with chili peppers.

Raphael was severely allergic to both, so he usually ended up eating nothing but plain bread.

She treated me the same way.

She remembered that Cersei loved yellow and even knew what size clothes she wore.

But she couldn't remember my favorite color or even what size I wore.

Maybe they simply disliked me, and that was why they looked down on Raphael too.

I took a deep breath and pushed down the ache in my chest. Then I focused on making Antonio's tea.

When I returned, Antonio had one arm around Cersei as he talked to our parents.

"Cersei and I will have to postpone our wedding by a week."