The Mafia Princess They Erased

My heart sank looking at Nico's screenshot.

A surprise? A lie?

Of course. Every year on my birthday, they had the perfect excuse.

"Aurelia, your father has urgent family business."

"Aurelia, your mother has a spa day with friends. Have the chef whip up something. Be a good girl."

Ten years. I waited for them to call. Like a pathetic dog.

This year was a new low. They didn't even bother with an excuse.

They just got a new daughter.

I threw my phone on the bed. My chest ached. It was hard to breathe.

The screen lit up again. Nico. "Aurelia, don't overthink this. Dad and Mom, they…"

I typed back one word. "Whatever."

Overthink it?

How else could I think about it?

The truth was right in front of my face.

I was Aurelia Cassano. A princess of the family.

And I was just a prop to make another woman's life look perfect.

"Yes, the champagne-colored roses."

My mother's voice. Hushed, in the hallway outside my door.

"Get the biggest, most vibrant ones. Bianca loves champagne. I want her to be absolutely thrilled tomorrow."

Bianca.

So that was her name. Bianca.

I took a deep breath. Grabbed my phone. I typed her name into the search bar.

The first public profile that popped up stabbed me in the eye.

It was a new photo.

The location tag: Cassano Estate, Private Garden.

In the picture, Vincenzo Cassano, the most feared man in Chicago, and my elegant mother, Carmela, flanked a young girl.

They were smiling at her. A warm, sickeningly perfect smile.

But what really sent a chill down my spine was the sapphire brooch on Bianca's chest.

I made that. For my mother's birthday last year.

I spent three nights designing and polishing it myself.

I stared at the caption.

Bianca wrote: "Thank you, Don and Donna! So excited for my birthday party tomorrow!"

Underneath, a 'like' from my father.

Followed by a comment from my mother: "No need for thanks, darling. Your happiness is all we want."

All they want.

I saved the photo. No expression on my face. Straight to a private album.

You want to play games? Fine. Let's burn this whole house down.

Half an hour later, I went down to the dining room.

The long table was covered in food.

My mother, wearing an apron, pushed a plate of pasta toward me. A loving smile plastered on her face.

"Try this, Aurelia."

I looked at the plate. My stomach turned. Disgusting.

I didn't touch my fork. I just stared at her.

"Carmela Cassano doesn't cook." My voice was ice. I leaned back in my chair. "So why today? Playing house with your new pet? Forgot who you really are?"

The smile froze on her face.

My father, at the head of the table, slammed his wine glass down. His eyes went sharp.

"Aurelia! Is that how you speak to your mother?" His face darkened. "What Bianca? Don't make a scene."

Still acting.

I let out a cold laugh. Pulled out my phone.

I brought up the photo and slapped it down in the middle of the table.

"Who is this? Your new adopted treasure?"

My eyes darted between them. Mocking them. Daring them.

My father stared at the screen, his jaw tight. He said nothing.

My mother panicked. She reached for the phone, trying to smooth things over.

"Aurelia, you've misunderstood…" Her voice was weak. "She's… she's the daughter of an important business partner. We're just helping with her birthday party. It's good for business. For the family."

"Good for the family?"

I shot to my feet.

"You give a partner's daughter this kind of honor? Use the Cassano estate for her party? Deck it out with crystals and roses?"

I pointed at the brooch in the photo. My voice cracked, rising. "You even put the one-of-a-kind brooch I designed for you on her chest just to impress her?!"

Silence.

My father's chest heaved. He looked away, his eyes full of something I couldn't read.

"You treat someone else's daughter like a queen!" I slammed my hands on the table, leaning in, my eyes burning with rage. "And you ignore your own! For ten years! What am I to you?!"

"Sis! That's enough!"

Nico burst in from a side door.

He grabbed my arm, trying to pull me away. "Stop talking to Dad like that!"

I turned, staring at the little brother I'd protected my whole life.

I yanked my arm out of his grasp. Hard.

"Nico, are you in on this act too?" I snapped. "Is it fun? Watching you all play me for a fool?!"

Nico's hand froze in mid-air.

The color drained from his face. His lips trembled. He couldn't say a word.