This was all Enzo’s idea?I can't begin to wrap my head around this. If I thought he was using me before, I have no doubts now. He fooled me so well. I feel horrible, and there's a hole in my chest that will never be refilled. I'm drowning in this revelation, and there's no coming up for air. "Chiara?" Gustavo says, kneeling in front of me. "I know how you feel, I know what betrayal feels like."Of course he does. His father was having an affair with his wife. But this is different. Enzo destroyed my family for his benefit. He was cruel and selfish. "I need to be alone," I say dismissively. As much as I'm glad that he came to pay me a visit, I want him gone. I wasn't expecting to feel worse, but I do. He's brought me this terrible news and I can't look at him right now, even though none of this is his fault and he just tried to warn me. Am I becoming Enzo, blaming everyone for my mistakes? Because I made the mistake of trusting him. A grave one at that. He nods. "Of course. Here’s

"Your mother was born in the beginning of winter. She was our firstborn, we—your grandmother and I—were ecstatic. We had been married for less than a year and we would be parents. It was both frightening and exciting at the same time. She was loved, our dear Vivia. She was a quiet baby, rarely threw tantrums. She was satisfied simply by being fed and bathed. No one had ever seen a sweeter baby. "However, as the years passed, she grew wild and unruly. She refused to obey us, and she preferred boy's clothes over dresses. She played with dinosaurs and wooden cars instead of the numerous dolls we bought her. She had entire collections, something other girls her age could only dream about, yet she never paid any mind to them. It's like she hated everything feminine, and no amount of disciplining could change her mind. "When she turned thirteen, we threw her a birthday party. We invited all our friends and it was meant to be a surprise. She was supposed to come straight home from school,

Gustavo is in the office with him. I thought he left. I try not to show how annoyed I am that he's here. I don't know when I started feeling this way towards him, but at the same time I do. He's taking Russo’s side in all this, as if he doesn't know who Russo is. I can blame Giotto as much as I want for my misfortune, but if he had intervened and protected his daughter, none of us would be here right now. "What do you have to say to me?""No need for all the aggression. I'm only trying to be kind to you." His voice is as smooth as the marble floor of his office, but he can't convince me."You're trying to make me feel guilty, but that isn't going to work. You're not going to change my mind. You're not the loving man you're trying so hard to portray." He doesn't fool me for a second. This might have worked on Lia, but it won't work on me. I've been through far too much to let that happen. I'm not going to be gullible and naive anymore. I'll expect the worst, always. I'll become a tru

Freedom. It's all I want. It's all I can think about as Gustavo drives me to a hotel to spend the night. I wasn't going to spend the night under that roof, especially after what I saw. I've wanted to be free from the start, and he has a point; money will give me all the freedom I need. He's explaining everything to me, concerning the Bianchi fortune. Amalia and I are the only heirs; there isn't anyone left. Distant cousins, no one that has a claim to Russo’s fortune. He's left everything to us. I never thought that something like this would happen. I never imagined myself being rich, not do I know what I'll do with all that money. A lawyer will meet us tomorrow and give us all the information. I'm anxious, I still haven't decided what to do. The smartest thing to do would be to accept the money. However, how can I take Russo’s money, after all he's done? He abandoned us, left us to die, and now that he's dead I'm just supposed to keep his money? I'm ashamed just thinking about it.

They tied me down with ropes, like an animal awaiting slaughter.I knew that this would happen, yet I don't regret my decision. I wasn't going to give up without trying, even if that attempt got me here. I'm so thirsty it's like I swallowed a mouthful of sand. With all the dust here, maybe I have. I just need a sip of water, but I guess there isn't any point in wasting water on a dead person. How long will I have to wait? Not being able to move is torturous. I don't know at this point if I should hope for the best or just give up. I've been here for a long time, if anyone had to find me, they would've already. I'm at the mercy of Flora and her brother, and once again this is all Enzo’s fault. It's getting darker because the room is pitch black at this point. Maybe one of them will light this kerosene lamp. My head is starting to hurt, either from dehydration or this stressful situation. I need to sleep, but at the same time, I can't close my eyes while I'm surrounded by people who m