Shiyu
A body was pulled from the sea, waterlogged and swollen. The woman was two months pregnant.
Her face was unrecognizable, but I recognized the ring I had given her immediately. The dead woman was my daughter, Cecily Moretti.
I had once been the most powerful Mafia Donna on the West Coast, with enemies everywhere. To protect Cecily, I staged a shipwreck ten years ago. I jumped into the sea clutching a doll and faked my own death.
I left her in the care of the Griffiths family, whose son I had chosen to be her husband. I gave them money, power, and every advantage so my daughter could live a peaceful, happy life.
But my investigation uncovered the truth. Five years after I disappeared, Cecily's intended husband, Selwyn Griffiths, fell in love with Iliana Valmont, the daughter of a noble family.
"Donna, Selwyn broke his promise to marry Ms. Cecily. He also believed Iliana's lies and had Ms. Cecily tied to a reef as punishment. The abrasions on her wrists and ankles suggest she struggled to free herself as the tide came in. Then... then a wave swept her out to sea."
As my lieutenant gave his report, my fingernails dug into my palms.
I had lifted the Griffiths family to the top, yet my beloved daughter had been treated worse than a slave!
Fighting back my grief, I slowly wrapped my hand around Cecily's scarred fingers.
"Rest now, Cecily. I swear I'll avenge you."