جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 30

July 11th. My birthday. I turned twenty-four today. The realization hit me like a wave. I stood there, frozen, staring at the date I had tried so hard to forget. Every year, I told myself it didn't matter...but the truth was always there, waiting for me to acknowledge it. I traced the number with my fingertip. For the past year I had hoped that at least I would get to be celebrated, but I had been disappointed. The last time anyone celebrated my birthday, I was ten years old. My grandmother was still alive then; she had baked me a cake, a simple vanilla cake with pink frosting. She hugged me tight and whispered, "You are special, Gabrielle. Never forget that." Her voice had been certain, and I had believed her completely. She died three months later. Thereafter, my birthdays became just another day. My mother started forgetting my birthday. She would rush through a quick "happy birthday" in the morning; my father never remembered it at all. But Elena's birthdays were alway

Rosa narrowed her eyes and looked between me and Sophia. Her lips pressed into a thin line. The half-eaten cupcake sat on the table between us, like evidence of a crime."What's this?" she repeated. Sophia straightened and kept her hand on my shoulder. "Nothing, Mrs. De Luca. Just a small treat."Rosa stepped closer; her heels clicked on the tiled floor as she picked up the leftover cupcake piece and held it like it was something disgusting."A treat?" She turned to me, her eyes sharp. "For what reason?"I opened my mouth, but no words came out."It's Gabrielle's birthday," Sophia said softly. "I was just…""I didn't ask you," Rosa cut her off.Her eyes stayed fixed on me. "Is that true? Is today your birthday?"I nodded... I hated how small I felt under her gaze. Rosa laughed, a short, sharp sound. "Well, isn't that sweet? A little party in my kitchen, without my knowledge and my permission."She dropped the cupcake piece back onto the plate, crumbs scattered across the white ceram

The sound of breaking glass echoed through the mansion; I could hear it even from the stairs. I froze with my hand on my bedroom door, my heart starting to beat faster. For a second, I wondered if I should go downstairs, but my feet refused to move. I slowly stepped into my room and closed the door behind me.What had happened? Had Matteo and Rosa argued?I sat on the edge of the bed, replaying every word Matteo had said in the garden. "I believe you."No one had ever said those words to me before for a long time except Sophia. A painful lump formed in my throat… I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to stop myself from crying again.Why did those three words mean so much? Because I had spent almost my whole life trying to prove I wasn't the monster everyone believed I was. For the first time... someone had listened to me instead of listening to everyone else.A soft knock came at my door. I quickly wiped my face. "Come in."Sophia stepped inside, carrying a tray with a cup of tea. "

I stopped walking and I turned to face him.My heart beat fast. Damiano stood with his hands in his pockets. His jaw moved like he was trying to find the right words as the moonlight hit his face, making him look almost soft. I had never seen him like this. "I wanted to say..." he paused. His jaw worked like he was struggling to find the right words. "Thank you." I blinked. "For what?” "For…" He stepped closer. "For handling things the way you did..." he paused and stared at me. I didn't know what to say; for months, I was just a problem to him and a mistake he had to live with. Now he was looking at me like I meant something. "I didn't do it for you," I said quietly. "I did it for myself." His lips twitched. "I know. That's why it was impressive." His words surprised me. I looked away as I felt strange under his gaze. "Gabrielle." His voice was softer now. "I know I haven't been... fair to you." I laughed, but it wasn't funny. "Are you not saying too much? He winced. "I kn

I sat in the dark for hours, replaying everything in my head. Something didn't add up, so I started putting pieces together.I grabbed my phone from the floor, the screen cracked but still working. I scrolled through Elena's messages again, reading each one carefully."Did you really think you could win?""He will always come running when I call.""You're nothing but a placeholder."She sounded smug and confident, like she already knew how everything would end before she even started.And that's when it hit me.She planned this... everything. The attack, the timing and the way she made sure Damiano would be there to see her shaking and scared. She wanted him to find her like that.I thought about the men in masks. She told Damiano they dragged her out of her car, threw her to the ground, and threatened her.But if they were really trying to hurt her, why didn't they? Why just scare her and leave?Because it was a performance, a show staged just for Damiano.My hands started shaking…