All Chapters of Equally Ungrateful: Like Father, Like Daughter: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

I returned to the sitting room, but the chill clinging to my body refused to fade.They called a doctor to stitch me up. Blood still poured from my ankle, and when I stood, the hem of my white gown was already soaked red. The stain bloomed across the fabric like a wound that wouldn't close.Then Sofia Moretti lunged at me and sank her teeth into my arm.After she'd had her fill of biting me, she pulled back and looked at me like I was nothing."What gives you the right to wear Mamma's dress?" she hissed. "Why didn't you just drown?"Her eyes were bloodshot, and traces of my blood still clung to her lips and teeth. She looked like she wanted to tear me apart.Suppressing a frown, I asked as calmly as I could, "Sofia, didn't you lock all of your Madre's dresses away?"The color drained from her face. I had exposed her lie.She slapped me hard, then burst into tears and ran off.Years ago, Sofia had declared that I was filthy and unworthy of touching anything that had belonged to

Chapter 2

That night, I packed my belongings. I carefully pieced Mamma's shattered memorial portrait back together and placed it inside my suitcase.Vittorio stepped into the bedroom and spread his arms, silently waiting for me to help him change.He lowered his gaze, catching the storm brewing in my eyes, and let out a soft sigh. "Still angry about what happened before?"I didn't answer.He looped his arm firmly around my waist and pulled me against him. "Sofia's still just a child. Let it go." He paused, then added, "Besides, your Madre passed away years ago. They're only ashes. It's not that big of a deal."He shrugged off my grief like it was nothing, and I felt irritation bubble up inside me.As I turned to leave, Vittorio wrapped both arms around me from behind.His warm breath brushed against my neck, making my body stiffen instinctively."If you're still unhappy…" he murmured against my ear. "I'll make it up to you with a baby. How does that sound?"I knew better than anyone w

Chapter 3

My unnervingly calm reply made Vittorio's expression turn dark. He scowled and said, "Sofia is only seven years old.""She already has a mind of her own," I said evenly.That was the truth. Sofia was already capable of many things on her own—like pushing me into the sea, like tearing apart Mamma's memorial portrait and scattering her ashes like they meant nothing.Vittorio snapped, "Are you still upset about what happened earlier today?"I didn't answer. I simply turned and resumed packing my things.He strode over and seized my shoulder."You're the one who failed to raise her properly over the past seven years. You were her nanny, and you let her come to hate you. I didn't even ask why, and you should be grateful for that. What makes you think you have the right to abandon your responsibilities?"Hearing his accusations, I couldn't help but let out a cold, humorless laugh.In Vittorio's eyes, I was nothing but Sofia's nanny. That was all I would ever be.I was the Ferrari fa

Chapter 4

It took me hours to drag myself back onto my feet. Even the slightest movement sent a searing pain through my body, and I could still feel the ache in my back from the fall. The doctor had warned me to rest, but I had no time for that—not when my freedom was finally within reach.I quickly packed my belongings, then waited until the house fell silent and Sofia was asleep before I made my move.Just as I reached the front door, Padre arrived in a flurry with Rosa Ferrari, my half-sister.Rosa merely glanced at me without saying a word.Sofia, who had only just gone to bed, suddenly came running downstairs. She threw herself into Rosa's arms and pouted. "You finally came, Aunt Rosa! I want you to put me to sleep."Rosa was Lucia's full biological sister. The two of them looked so alike that most people couldn't tell them apart at first glance. Perhaps because of that resemblance, Rosa was free to come and go from Vittorio's villa as she pleased. She could roam the villa freely

Chapter 5

Vittorio's expression softened a little. "Carla, come back inside. I'll forget this ever happened."I let out a cold laugh. Then I pushed myself up from the ground, tightening my grip around the handle of my suitcase."Don't you dare pretend nothing happened. It did happen, and there's no undoing it."Vittorio's expression darkened to a terrifying degree. Pulling Rosa into his arms, he let out a cold snort."You don't seriously believe I'll leave this villa without a woman just because you walk out, do you?"How ridiculous. He'd never treated me like I was anything. To him, I was just Sofia's nanny. Rosa had been all over him for months, and at his cue, she buried her face in his chest like some shy little thing.One of the housekeepers finally shuffled over, looking uncomfortable."Ms. Ferrari, please apologize to Don Vittorio. This isn't worth it. Where will you go after leaving the villa?""I'm begging you—don't be stubborn. Once you walk out that door, you won't be able

Chapter 6

It was drizzling the night I returned to Las Amelios. Nonna's house leaked whenever it rained, but somehow I felt a sense of peace I'd never known before.Seven years earlier, I'd managed to save a modest amount of money. Mamma and I had earned it by selling handmade hats. She had a natural talent for design, and the young ladies in town couldn't get enough of her creations. Whenever I landed a large order, it was enough to cover our living expenses for three whole months.When the weather finally cleared, I used that money to buy Mamma a proper burial plot.On the day she was buried, I placed her favorite flowers on her grave.During her life, she'd always stayed in that house Padre had given her—not out of love, but out of charity. We'd planted roses all over the yard together. When they bloomed, the whole garden turned into a sea of color. Padre's wife had torn down those roses more than once, but Mamma and I always replanted them without a word of complaint.It broke my he

Chapter 7

Vittorio sounded composed as always, but there was a gentleness in his eyes I hadn't seen before.I didn't know what had happened to him in the months since I'd left, but the fatigue on his face was undeniable.His gaze swept over me, taking in my tired, disheveled state."You've made your point," he said. "It's time to let it go. If you keep wandering around out here, you'll starve."Just as I started to wonder if he had changed, the arrogance I knew so well resurfaced."I'll say this one last time. Get in the car now, and I'll pretend none of this ever happened."That was classic Vittorio. He was the Don, a man who wielded absolute power. Even when he was trying to convince me to come back, he made it sound like he was granting me a favor.I had no idea how he'd found me, but the fact that he'd come all the way here and was willing to say these words was already the greatest concession someone like him could offer.I stopped for a moment, genuinely caught off guard."Then le

Chapter 8

Vittorio's expression darkened even further. "Dario Ricci," he demanded sharply. "Why are you sticking your nose into my business?"It finally clicked for me. Anyone who could ride a motorcycle so casually through the territory of the old-money families had to be someone important. What I hadn't expected was that he was the heir to one of those families. Someday, this entire district would belong to him.Dario glanced at me before turning back to Vittorio. "You walked onto my turf without even a greeting," he said with a smirk. "And now you're questioning me? If you leave now, I'll pretend this never happened."The words came out light, almost joking, but they were enough to make Vittorio's face darken with rage.As it turned out, he'd been standing close by, taking it all in.Vittorio swallowed his anger and turned to me. "Are you coming with me or not? I'm not asking again.""No," I said firmly. "I don't have any feelings for you anymore. I don't want to go back. I just

Chapter 9

I had only been away for a short while. I didn't believe for a second that they had changed that much.The only logical explanation was that they still needed someone to take care of Sofia—and finding a replacement wasn't easy."Please stop bothering me." I was too drained to say anything more.Dario led me to his motorcycle, and I climbed on behind him. As we pulled away, he flashed Vittorio a smug, provocative grin.He didn't press me with questions during the ride. Instead, he brought me to his family's villa and had the staff bring out something to eat. The young lady from the old-money family I'd been hoping to meet all along was his younger sister, Gia Ricci.Before I could even take a sip of tea, Gia walked through the door. She was wearing one of my hats—the very ones Dario had bought from me a few days earlier. "Everyone's been asking me where I found this!" she exclaimed.Dario shot me a knowing look. Taking the hint, I smiled and answered, "I made it."Gia absol

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