The Day I Left, My Brothers Fell Apart

The day I was discharged from the hospital, I wore a face mask to conceal the massive scar on my face.

It was then that I received a call from a distant city called Lunebria. The voice on the other end sounded unfamiliar.

"May I ask if you are Ms. Sofia? Did you go missing when you were a child?" a man asked.

I froze for a moment. The memories that had been buried in the back of my mind for years suddenly came surging back.

The man continued, "The hospital reported your DNA information to us. It's been 20 years… We've finally found you!"

His voice trembled with emotion as he spoke. It seemed like he was on the verge of tears.

A tear slid down one corner of my eye, and I couldn't help but smile too. "So you're saying… I have a real famiglia now? Is that right?"

"But will your current famiglia agree to let you return to us?"

I thought of the selfie where my three adoptive brothers stood beside Bianca Rossi, smiling as they kept her company. My nose stung, and more tears slid down my face as sadness overcame me.

I replied softly, "I want to go home. There is no famiglia for me here."

The man fell silent for a moment before saying carefully, "I am the butler of the Ferro famiglia, Matteo Zanetti. I will arrange a private jet next week to bring you back. We will also schedule a skin graft surgery at a private hospital."

My heart began to race, and I bit my lip. It seemed as though the long winter gloom that shrouded me was finally starting to lift.

I took a cab back to pack my belongings. Just as I reached the gates of the castle, a luxurious van pulled up and blocked my way.

The automatic door slid open, and Bianca stepped out as though she were a princess. Three wolf fang bracelets hung from her wrist.

Bianca sneered, "Sofia, you vicious woman! How dare you come back to the Vipera famiglia's castle?"

She rolled her eyes at me. Then, she ripped the bandage on her finger and tossed it onto the ground.

"That car accident almost ruined my hand! I almost couldn't play the piano again. What was more, I nearly got killed in the accident!" she said, seething.

I didn't bother replying and walked straight toward the entrance.

Bianca rushed over and grabbed my shoulder. She ordered, "Hurry up and clear out your room. I'm moving in to recover from my injuries."

"You want my room?" I asked incredulously.

I had lived in that room for 20 years. I never even allowed the maids to enter it freely.

Bianca put on a fragile, pitiful expression. "Giuliano said I was badly shaken by the accident. He wants me to stay here and rest properly so that my hand can heal and I can play the piano for them again."

She then shoved me hard and spat, "You're just a stray who came from nowhere. You should've been kicked out of this household a long time ago!"

Bianca had pressed right on my burns when she shoved me. The pain flared instantaneously, itching and stinging all at once. It felt like ants were gnawing into my flesh.

Suddenly, Bianca collapsed onto the ground and clutched her wrist.

She cried, "I rushed over to see you the moment I was discharged. Why do you hate me so much? Were you planning to cripple my hand?"

Her loud sobbing drew whispers from the maids around us.

Hearing the noise, Giuliano Vipera got out of the car. He was the youngest of the three brothers, and he was a well-known doctor.

"Bianca, your hand hasn't healed yet. Did you hurt it again? Do you want me to take a look?" he asked worriedly.

The second Vipera brother, Bruno Vipera, glared at me. "You've gone too far, Sofia. Bianca saved you! Apologize to her right now!"

Mario Vipera, who was the eldest, stepped forward and thrust his thick arm at me. His fist stopped inches from my face.

He growled, "Sofia, enough of this nonsense! If you even think about hurting Bianca's hand again, I'll teach you a lesson with my fist."

The three of them surrounded Bianca and fussed over her. Beneath my mask, the scar on my face burned like it was on fire.