Semua Bab The Heiress Returns: Bab 1 - Bab 8

The Moretti estate was glittering with champagne and designer gowns that night.Liliana paraded around, flashing the Moretti family ring at every woman within earshot. They gasped and cooed—and then shot me looks of pure pity from across the room.Vincenzo sat at the head of the table, his eyes flicking toward me now and then, checking for a reaction.When Liliana had soaked up enough attention, she glided over with a flute of champagne. Her gaze landed on my neck—on the pink diamond necklace Vincenzo had dropped twelve million on at auction three years ago, for my birthday.She let out a little laugh, leaning in close enough that I could smell her perfume."Isabella, now that you're not wearing the family ring, don't you think it's a bit... tacky to keep wearing jewelry meant for the lady of the house?"She reached out, her nails grazing my throat. I flinched back.And just like that—whoosh—her champagne went all over my silk gown. The crystal flute hit the marble floor with a sharp c

The tray tipped in my hands. Hot broth splashed onto my skin—a red welt immediately blooming on my hand.I didn't feel a thing.I turned around, found a corner, and poured the entire thermos down the sink.Just then, Liliana appeared in that butchered gown. She saw me dumping the soup and smirked."Isabella, Vincenzo said the master bedroom has better lighting—it'll be better for my health. He wants me to move in tonight. So... you might want to clear your stuff out of there."The master suite. I'd lived there for five years. Every corner held a memory of him.I looked at her smug face and nodded."Sure. I'll go pack."I walked into the room. I didn't touch the jewelry. Didn't touch the designer bags. I grabbed a black duffel bag, stuffed it with a few changes of clothes, my passport, and my ID.My phone buzzed. A text from my father:"The process of erasing 'Isabella' from all public records is complete. The girl you were is gone."I zipped the bag, slung it over my shoulder, and walk

Luca held my hand as we stepped off the plane.Standing on the tarmac—waiting in the freezing wind—were my father, Don Salvatore, the head of the Five Families, and my mother, Donna Rosalba.The moment my mother saw me, she broke down. She ran to me, wrapped me in her arms, and sobbed like her heart was tearing apart."Isabella—my Isabella—you've suffered, my baby, you've suffered so much."My father stood behind her, his eyes red-rimmed, his hand trembling as he reached out to stroke my hair.And that's when I finally broke. The tears I'd held back for seven years came flooding out.Seven years ago, I'd been the victim of a perfectly orchestrated kidnapping. I escaped, but the crash left me with amnesia—and I wandered into the slums, where Vincenzo found me.I'd thought he was my savior. My only anchor.But here, in the Castello mansion, I found people who had spent every waking hour of those seven years trying to find me.Back at the estate, my father brought in the world's top docto

Vincenzo flew backward, slamming into the floor. Blood bloomed at the corner of his mouth.Luca looked down at him like he was a cockroach."Vincenzo Moretti. Who the hell do you think you are, speaking my sister's name?""Seven years. You made her your cook. Your secretary. Your bodyguard. You made her take a knife for you. You treated a Castello princess like a goddamn servant.""You took her ring. Gave away her dress. Threw her out into a blizzard for your little sidepiece. The Castellos will make you pay for every single thing you did."A wave of gasps rippled through the room. The whispers were deafening.Everyone in New York's underworld knew about Vincenzo's orphaned Donna. Everyone knew he'd dumped her for his childhood friend.But nobody—nobody—had realized the woman he'd thrown away was the lost heiress of the Castello family, the most powerful name in the game.Vincenzo couldn't hear the gossip. He pushed himself up, ignoring Luca, staring only at me."Isabella, this is a li