The three men escort me inside a massive home. This mansion popped out straight from a magazine. There's an enormous fountain right in front with fish swimming in the pond at the bottom. Every single detail is illuminated. It's night, but it could've easily been daylight. A woman in a pencil skirt and silk top opens the door for them when one of the men ring the doorbell. Her movements are gracious and elegant, her voice is as smooth as honey. "Gentlemen, Don Bianchi is waiting for you."The interior is even more lavish than the outside. Golden chandeliers, white sofas, paintings that must've cost a fortune. We walk all the way to the other side of the mansion, and every room is different, yet all the different shades are harmonious. I’ve never seen anything like this, except in home decor magazines. It’s a remarkable sight; and it makes me wonder how the hell I’m related to such people when our cottage barely had enough furniture. It’s incredulous that my mother grew up in a place l

The hem of my dress is covered in blood.Not all his guests are dead. Some remain standing, breathing heavily, absolutely horrified by what has happened around them. Women were killed, too. Who were these people, and why did he kill them? Even Enzo is shocked by what we just saw. A bloodshed. A massacre.There are many bodies on the floor. It's like most of the guests were killed. The sight of all this blood is like a punch to my gut. I want to vomit so badly that my ears tear up, but I do a little trick my mother always taught me. I hum, continuously, and the urge to throw up passes. And Giotto is still dancing around by himself, stepping on the bodies, staining the soles of his shoes with their blood. He twirls around and around, bit once looking at the ground. He sighs contentedly, "This sure does clear some bad blood, doesn't it son?" I didn't see him standing there, right beside his father. Or at least, I didn't notice that it was him. There's a cigarette dangling from the corn

"Bitch!" she slaps me again. "You have a lot of audacity. Moaning my man's name in your sleep. I'll kill you!"She grabs my hair, but my reactions are slow because I'm still trying to catch my breath. She's on top of me, so she has a slight advantage. I cover my face with my arms so her blows hit my arms and not my face. I taste blood in my mouth from her slap. I try kicking, but someone holds both my legs down.She's not alone."And he lied to me about who you were!" Flavia is shouting. "You were living with him this entire time. I found it strange that he wouldn't let me come over. It's because you're here, you whore!""Flavia,” someone says. A man. I start panicking. "Take what you came here to get and let's fucking leave. I don't want to have to come across Enzo.""Just shut up, Vito!" She's hysterical. "I have to teach her a lesson. He told me she was a Don's daughter hiding out at the pension for a night, but he's fucking her in our bed!"The man sighs in frustration. "Just get

"Calm down, Enzo," Gustavo says. "I've come in peace. I have a message to deliver to you. Your...fiancée was kind enough to let me in."I know Enzo is displeased with this. He clearly doesn't want Gustavo Puglia in his house, and I understand why. He isn't 100% trustworthy. He’s Giotto’s son, and that'll never change. Also, the things he said to me downstairs adds to the suspicion. "Upstairs, Chiara." I have to walk past him to get to the stairs. He grabs my arm, "And stay there."Of course I don't. I have to hear everything they're going to say. I don't close the door all the way so I can get in the room quickly if Enzo decides to come upstairs. Without meaning to, I'm already involved. I want Giotto dead as much as Enzo does. I don't know what his motives are, but mine are justifiable. I want to hear every word, I want to know where everything stands. Gustavo has clearly come to talk about his father. "So, what is it that you wanted to say to me? You've come a long way. You could

We get inside another car to get to the dinner. A black SUV. The whole ride, I'm pinching my legs to keep them still. I'm nervous about tonight, mainly because I don't know what to expect and how everything will go. I hate that I’m doing this. This is more humiliating than ever. Having to sit next to the man who killed my family is beyond difficult, and the fact that I can show no aggression proves how unfair this all is. I can’t understand why a man as important as him chooses to waste his time with me. If there could only be a way of me not needing to deal with him, I would take it. I don’t trust myself in his presence. My throat closes up, and I get the urge to scream until my lungs go raw. I turn to look at Enzo and ask him, "Will Giotto be there?" "No," he says. "But Gustavo will. Do me a favor and don't talk to him. If he strikes up a conversation with you, ignore him.""How can I ignore Giotto’s son?" It’s a relief that he won’t be there and I can hardly believe my luck. As