They Chose My Sister and Lost Me Chapter 09

They Chose My Sister and Lost Me Chapter 09

Don looked at me. “Are these men with your family?”

“Yes.” I nodded. I knew perfectly well that their recklessness today would bring them serious trouble.

“I don’t like having my peace disturbed. I’m sorry.” I stood and bowed deeply. “I can’t accept your offer to run the. operation. I want to stay here.”

My refusal clearly left the Don disappointed.

He stood, pulled his leather gloves back on, gave me a long, measured look, and smiled.

“If you change your mind, you can come find me anytime.”

He was about to leave when his gaze fell on the two men on the floor. He asked me, “Want me to take care of them?”

I thought about it. There were many ways to handle it.

The simplest, bloodless option was enough. I had already made peace with the past. None of it mattered to me

anymore.

Seeing that I didn’t say anything, the Don smiled faintly and motioned for his men to let them go. Then he left with his bodyguards.

The moment the Don left, my brother reverted to his old self. “Tell me exactly what you said about the Family!”

“I’m warning you, he could bring this entire Family to ruin with the snap of his fingers! If you breathe one word out there…”

Umberto added, “Adele, whatever your problems with the Family, you can’t turn against us. Your parents have almost lost their standing. They could be cast out entirely. Think about them.”

“And Beth had nothing to do with this. She’s innocent.”

So that was why they had refused to leave. From the beginning, they had always stood on the same side.

And I was the outsider. The one who had always been invisible.

“Are you leaving or not?” I asked.

“If you don’t leave, I’ll have him kill you. And if I ever see either of you again, I’ll join the Cassano Family on the spot. The first thing I’ll do is wipe out every last one of you.”

My words sent a chill through my brother. Even Umberto didn’t dare answer. The threat finally drove them out.

My brother was still seething as he walked away.

Six months passed. They never came back, and I heard nothing more about my family.

Occasionally something popped up online, just news about shifts in business territories. I didn’t know the internal details.

I wasn’t interested either.

My coffee shop was doing better than ever. More students came to me for tutoring, and the place started to feel like a little study hall.

I made many friends. Some were travelers passing through.

hers were neighbors who shared my love of flowers, especially climbing roses.

They invited me to parties. They sent me birthday wishes right on time.

I was no longer the girl who had to mirror Beth’s hobbies just to get noticed. I was no longer the one who had to be the absolute best just to be seen.

I could just be myself, and I still found people who truly got me.

I finally understood: I didn’t have to twist myself into someone else to be seen. My family had never overlooked me. They had simply never cared.

Three years later, I moved away and spent two more years in another city. I took on different work, made different friends.

On my birthday each year, I stopped waiting for someone else to give me something.

I chose a one–of–a–kind gift for myself. Sometimes a friend remembered and sent birthday wishes before I even woke up.

My savings were enough to last me comfortably for the rest of my life.

During those two years, I found wonder in ordinary days and did whatever I wanted without fear or obligation.

In the end, I came back to the little town.

I reopened my coffee shop. My new life had begun there, and when I returned, I knew I had finally come home.