All Chapters of The Don Didn't Recognize His Own Son: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Lorenzo was still staring at me. There was cold fire in his eyes.I dropped my head and looked at my shoes.Someone grabbed both our hands and pulled them together, laughing."Liana used to get picked on in school, remember? Lorenzo, you were the first one in there swinging for her.""Everyone said you two were made for each other. How did you ever break up?"The whole group was laughing now, egging us on, telling us to give it another shot.The Underboss next to Lorenzo stepped in and shut it down.He glanced at me and sneered disdainfully, "The Don was crazy about her once. Too bad she only cares about money."The room went dead quiet.That word, Don, had a way of doing that. Everyone shut up.The Underboss saw the room fall in line and nodded. Then he said:"The Don came today to invite you all to his wedding.""The bride's name is Sofia. If I may speak out of turn..."He stopped. Looked right at me. "She's prettier than you. Smarter than you. And she's a much better fit to be the D

My son's illness flattened me. The world had me on my knees.But I wasn't giving up. I worked. I scraped. Every single dollar I could get my hands on.For money, I'd go beg classmates at a reunion. For money, I'd serve drinks in a basement bar.I didn't need my dignity. I needed enough to keep my son alive.After that night at the reunion, I didn't see Lorenzo again.I thought that was it. Last time.Then a few days later, Sofia came looking for me.She walked into the basement bar with a couple of friends and asked for me by name.One of them looked me up and down like she was checking the meat counter."You're Liana? The Don's first love?"She covered her mouth and laughed. Shook her head, disgusted."Why are you slumming it in a place like this? What's a bottle cost?"I clenched my fist, pasted on the work smile, and quoted her the price and the tip."Jesus. That tip is highway robbery."She walked a circle around me, looking me up and down. "You're half-dressed, you're caked in mak

After that, Lorenzo disappeared again.Classmates told me he threw Sofia a huge engagement party.Five-star hotel, the best ballroom. Champagne fountain. Even every guest received a gift were worth over ten thousand.He held her hand in front of everyone and announced she was the only woman in his life.The group chat lit up.“Sofia is literally the luckiest woman alive.”“God blesses people like Sofia. She knows Liana's struggling and she wants to help her financially. So sweet.”“No wonder Lorenzo loves her. She's so kind.”Staring at the messages in the group chat, something felt off.The Sofia they were describing wasn't the Sofia I'd met.Then I went to the hospital, and a nurse told me Lorenzo and Sofia had been by to see Damian.She also told me she'd let slip to Damian that he didn't have a father.I ran to his room.Sofia was stroking his hair. Her face was full of sympathy."Sweetheart. You've never met your daddy, have you?""Don't be angry at him, okay? Your mommy has to wo

The red light over the emergency doors was on, bright red as Damian's blood.I slid down the wall, holding my head. I couldn't talk.Lorenzo crouched down. Reached for me.I caught his hand and bit it.He didn't move. Just let me bite.I bit so hard I broke his skin and split my own lip.The blood mixed. I couldn't tell whose was whose.It all tasted the same. Iron, and despair.I shoved him away and stood up and screamed at him."Lorenzo, why? Why do you have to keep doing this? Can't you just leave it alone? I was fine!"He grabbed my wrists. His face was white."Liana. You don't know why I came back? Seven years! I’ve been crazy missing you!""You were fine? You think I don't know you've been begging classmates for money? You think I don't know how you've been making rent?""I didn't do anything to you. You betrayed me. Why? Just tell me why."His face was a wreck. Tears running down it.He wanted an answer. Fine. I'd give him one.He was the only son of the Moretti family. Born to

That same day, Lorenzo broke off the engagement with Sofia.I quit the bar. I moved into Lorenzo's estate.In a long conference room, Lorenzo held my hand and announced who I was to every one of the elders.He said I was his wife. The Donna of the family. My word was his word.Sofia wasn't going to take it.She made up a story and posted it online.She said I'd dumped Lorenzo for a million dollars without a second thought. That now I'd found out he was rich and rolling in cash, so I'd scraped up some kid from somewhere and called him Lorenzo's son. That right after Lorenzo got engaged, I'd come back to wreck the marriage with no shame at all.She also dug up photos of me from the bar work and posted those too.The internet swallowed her version whole. The hate came down like rain.I didn't have to do anything. Lorenzo handled it.He drove me out, found Sofia in some alley, and we cornered her.He had a gun. He tapped the barrel lightly against her temple."Sofia. After all this time ar