LOGIN~ELENA~“I'll take the throne,” Vincenzo declares.The words hang heavy.Riccardo nods once. “Long live the new Mafia Lord.”Nico bows his head slightly.I swallow hard.Vincenzo has taken after his father and I just hope he doesn't turn out to be like his father.Just then, footsteps thunder down the hallway.Guards.Lots of them.They pour into the room, guns raised, faces tense, until they see the body on the floor.Murmurs ripple through them.“Don Romano is…”“He’s dead,” Riccardo completes it.Confusion, panic and fear fills the guards.Then Vincenzo steps forward. Tall. Calm. Deadly.“Lower your weapons,” he commands.Some hesitate.Riccardo raises his gun slightly.“I wouldn’t disobey if I were you,” he warns.Silence.“Lorenzo Romano is dead,” Vincenzo announces calmly. “I am Vincenzo Romano, the first son of the Romano family. From this moment forward, I am the head of this family, and the new Mafia Lord.”Nico steps beside him. “Anyone who challenges
~ELENA~The gun is still pressed to Lorenzo’s chest.Vincenzo’s arm is locked, solid, unyielding….pure control wrapped around fury so cold it terrifies me more than rage ever could.Lorenzo’s fingers loosen around my throat when Vincenzo slams him to the wall. Air rushes back into my lungs in a sharp, painful gasp, and I stagger back, coughing, my hands trembling as they clutch the diary to my chest.For a second, no one moves.Then Lorenzo laughs. It’s hoarse this time. Strained. Cracked.“You see?” he spits, eyes flicking between his sons. “This is what she’s done. She’s turned you against your own blood.”“You’ve destroyed this family,” he says, looking at me now. “Congratulations.”“You did that yourself,” Riccardo snarls.Nico steps closer, his face dark, grief and hatred battling in his eyes. “You killed them. You killed Mom. You killed Sophia.”Something ugly flashes across Lorenzo’s face.Regret? No.Annoyance.“I did what I had to do,” he says coldly. “Po
~ELENA~No one breathes.Not the guards frozen mid-step.Not Vincenzo, whose hand lifts like he wants to pull me back and doesn’t dare.Not even Nico or Riccardo, whose faces have gone rigid with pure, unfiltered alarm.Lorenzo stares at me.For a heartbeat…two…three.Then he laughs.It’s low. Soft. Almost amused.A laugh that crawls under my skin.“Killed your mother?” he repeats, tilting his head slightly. “Elena, you’re exhausted. Traumatized. You’ve just been through an attack. Your mind is reaching for something to blame.”“My mind is clear,” I say. My voice shakes now, but I don’t stop. “Clearer than it’s ever been.”I clutch the diary harder, knuckles burning.“You killed her after making her go through physical, emotional and mentally abuse,” I continue. “You made it look like an accident. You planned her death.”The silence snaps.Riccardo swears under his breath.Nico takes a step toward me, his eyes pleading.“Elena… stop. This isn't the right time f
~ELENA~I am in my room now after Vincenzo, Riccardo, and Nico finally calm me down.They don’t leave immediately.Vincenzo stands by the window, arms crossed, staring into the darkness outside like he’s expecting the night itself to move wrong. Riccardo paces the room slowly, his boots quiet against the floor, his jaw tight. Nico sits on the edge of the armchair opposite my bed, elbows on his knees, watching me like I might disappear if he blinks.No one speaks for a while.The silence feels…wrong. Heavy. Pressing.“You should sleep,” Nico finally says, his voice gentler than usual. “Tomorrow will be worse if you don’t. Because you'll be more frustrated and angrier.”I nod, even though sleep feels impossible.Riccardo stops pacing. “Lock your door,” he tells me. “If anything happens, anything at all, you scream. Don’t open it for anyone unless it’s us.”“Riccardo,” I say softly, my chest tightening. “You’re scaring me.”His gaze flicks to mine, dark and unr
~ELENA~I don’t think. I don’t breathe properly. I just move.My feet carry me down the hallway like they already know where I’m going. My blood roars in my ears, louder than my footsteps, louder than the memories clawing their way out of my chest. Every wall I pass feels too close, too suffocating, like this house itself is trying to stop me.Lorenzo Romano.My mother’s killer.He's currently at the pool.How can he be at peace and in the pool after he killed my mom? The same pool where he killed his daughter??That monster! That ruthless man! That murderer!I grip the diary harder as I storm toward the stairs, rage blinding me. I don’t care that it’s late. I don’t care who sees me. I don’t care what happens next. I need to look him in the eye. I need to hear him speak. I need him to know that I know.“Elena.”The voice stops me mid-step.I spin around sharply, fury blazing through my tears.Vincenzo stands at the end of the corridor, his broad shoulders blocki
~ELENAI wipe my tears and continue reading my mom's diary.The next pages are lighter. The handwriting loosens, becomes softer, almost hopeful.I take a deep breath before reading.I went out tonight.For the first time in years, I went out not to escape my life, but to feel alive.The club was loud. Too loud. The music throbbed through my bones. I drank more than I should have. I wanted the noise to drown my thoughts. I wanted to forget Victor. Forget the bruises. Forget the emptiness waiting for me at home.My heart pounds and my chest tightens painfully.A group of men noticed me.They laughed too loudly. Stood too close. One of them grabbed my wrist and said things that made my skin crawl. I told them to leave me alone. They didn’t listen.I was drunk. Weak. Scared. Then he appeared.My fingers dig into the pages.His name is Lorenzo Romano.He stepped between us like a wall. Tall. Calm. Deadly quiet. His voice was low but firm when he told them to leave.







