Chapter 3

When I got back to the estate that day, the living room was a war zone.

Father was arguing loudly with Mother. My oldest brother sat nearby, smoking. Chloe was curled up in the corner of the couch, eyes swollen from crying.

The second I walked in, all eyes shot to me.

"Aurora!" Father bolted up. "What the hell kind of spell did you put on that Vitiello boy?"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We just called Don Vitiello to call off this marriage." Mother's voice shook. "And that bastard Marcello threatened that if he doesn't marry you, he'll rip up the peace treaty and start a war!"

My heart sank.

"Don Vitiello was so mad he snapped a golf club in half!" Father's face was beet red. "He said Marcello must have lost his mind over you!"

"I didn't—"

"Enough!" Chloe suddenly stood up, tears in her eyes. "Aurora, how long are you going to keep acting?"

I turned to her. It was the first time she yelled at me directly.

"You said you wouldn't fight for anything. Said we'd stay out of each other's way. And then what?" Her voice was crying but clear. "Now you took my fiancé. You took everything that was supposed to be mine!"

"Chloe, you know that's not what happened..."

"No? Then what happened?" She sneered. "Every mob dinner, you wore slutty dresses! You shoved your body in Marcello's face!"

I froze. "When did I ever—"

"And your bike!" She kept screaming. "You know Marcello likes thrills, so you sped around in front of him on purpose!"

"Are you crazy?" I finally snapped. "What do my clothes have to do with you? What does my bike have to do with you?"

"What does it have to do with me? He's my fiancé!"

"Then go fight your fiancé!" I sneered. "You're too scared to blame the powerful Marcello, so you bully me because I have nobody backing me. You're just a coward picking on the weak!"

Chloe went pale, trembling all over.

"How... how could you say that? I treated you like a sister..."

"Sister?" I scoffed. "A real sister defends me. She doesn't point fingers."

"Aurora!" My brother finally spoke. His voice was low and furious. "That's enough!"

I turned to him. A wave of sorrow hit me.

Since I got back, every time there was a fight, he always took her side.

"Enough?" My voice started to shake. "Enough of what? Since this whole mess started, has anyone here said one fair word for me?"

The living room fell dead silent.

"Have you?" I looked around at my so-called family, my heart bleeding. "You all swore I seduced Marcello. But did anyone ask me for the truth? Did anyone believe me, even once?"

"Aurora, what's done is done—" Father tried to speak.

"Shut up!" I cut him off. "You already had your answers! To you, I'm just the wild brat from the slums. Born to use cheap, dirty tricks!"

"We didn't think that—" Mother argued.

"No?" I sneered. "Then why did you blame me from day one? Why did no one stop to think that maybe, just maybe, Marcello made his own choice?"

"Because deep down, you think Chloe is your real daughter, and I'm just an outsider!"

Everyone froze.

Chloe covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

"Am I wrong?" My voice grew hoarse. "Sixteen years of love matters more to you than blood. I get it. But I have my pride too. I will never apologize for something I didn't do!"

"Enough!" My older brother bolted up and marched over to me. "Aurora, I don't care what the truth is, your attitude right now really disappoints me!"

"Disappointed?" I looked up at him. "Brother, what are you disappointed in? That I didn't get on my knees and beg for forgiveness? That I didn't just swallow a crime I never committed?"

"I'm disappointed you're so selfish!" His voice thundered. "Chloe gave sixteen years to this home! She dedicated her youth to this family! And the second you come back, you snatch everything away from her!"

"Snatch what away?" I hissed. "What did I take that actually belonged to her?"

"Her fiancé! Her status! Her future!"

"Those were never hers!" I roared. "If she were a real Russo, if I had never existed, then yes, they'd be hers! But I do exist! I am the real Russo blood!"

Smack!

My brother's slap landed hard on my face.

The sheer force made me stumble back. Half my face swelled up instantly.

The living room was dead silent, save for Chloe's sobbing.

I slowly raised my hand, touching my burning cheek, and looked at my brother.

Not a shred of regret in his eyes. Only rage.

"You shouldn't treat Chloe like that," he said coldly. "No matter the reason. You just don't."

I nodded. The last ounce of warmth in my heart died out completely.

"I get it." My voice was terrifyingly calm. "In your hearts, I'll never be family. I'm just an accident. A nuisance. An intruder threatening your precious daughter's throne."

"Aurora—" Mother tried to speak.

"Save it." I turned toward the stairs. "I understand perfectly."

"Wait." My brother spoke from behind me. His tone dripped with disgust. "Aurora, I want you to remember one thing."

I stopped. I didn't look back.

"Our family doesn't have a daughter like you."