The Heiress You Threw Away Chapter 01

The Heiress You Threw Away Chapter 01

My mother was Don Salvatore D’Amato’s secret mistress.

After she died of illness, the D’Amato Family brought me back to the estate.

My elder brother Luca hated me with every bone in his body. He forced me to kneel outside the gates.

“Whore’s daughter. Eventually I’ll kick you out.”

Later, he cut up my dress, tossed my mother’s belongings in the trash, and locked me inside the estate’s wine cellar.

It was winter. My hands were purple with cold. I nearly stopped breathing.

But the torment didn’t end. It only got worse.

It only stopped when his mortal enemy, Dante Romano, started chasing me.

“You’ve got me now. No one will dare touch you again.” That was what Dante told me.

I thought I’d finally found salvation. The night of my coming-of-age ceremony, I gave myself to him.

The next day, I heard him and Luca laughing together.

Luca sneered. “Touching a filthy woman like that—must’ve been hard for you. You got the video, right?”

Dante flicked his cigarette ash. “Recorded her voice and everything. I can barely stomach touching a whore’s daughter.”

I stood outside the door, ice spreading through my limbs.

It had all been a lie. Every single moment.

Staring at the acceptance letter from a university abroad, I wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes.

This time, I wasn’t looking back.

…

The door to the private club wasn’t shut all the way.

I stood outside, still clutching the stomach medicine I’d bought for Dante.

He’d told me last night he wasn’t feeling well. I’d worried about it all night.

Luca’s voice cut through the music.

“Didn’t it disgust you? Touching her?”

Silence fell for a beat. Then Dante’s lazy laugh followed.

“It was fine. Once the lights are off, they all feel the same.”

Everyone erupted into jeers and laughter.

Luca asked again. “What about the video?”

Dante tossed his phone onto the table. “Got it. HD, uncensored. She’d been drinking—totally out. No fun at all.”

My fingers went slack. The medicine box hit the ground.

In that moment, it felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head.

Last night, when he held me, he’d said completely different things.

He’d kissed the tears from the corners of my eyes. Whispered my name over and over. “Elena, I love you.”

So I’d been even more eager. I didn’t slap his hand away when he held up the camera.

Luca’s voice rang out again from inside the room.

“What if she finds out and comes to fight with you?”

Dante laughed. “Doesn’t matter. I’m done playing with her anyway.”

My nails dug into my palms. The pain was sharp and numbing.

My phone buzzed. An email from the Art Restoration Institute abroad.

My advisor had told me to apply two months ago.

He said I had real talent in ancient manuscript restoration.

There was a closed project overseas. No returning home for three years, but they’d give me a full scholarship.

Back then, I’d hesitated. Because Dante had said he wanted to marry me.

Now I just felt like the biggest fool alive.

I kicked the medicine box aside and replied to the email: [Professor, I’m going.]

I walked back to the D’Amato estate alone. Soaked to the bone.

Rainwater dripped from my hair into my eyes. It stung, raw and bitter.

Luca’s Rolls-Royce pulled up beside me. The window rolled down. He frowned.

“Wipe that look off your face.”

I looked up at the man in front of me.

I used to think that if I was just good enough, Luca would eventually accept me as his sister.

Now I knew. That had only ever been my own delusion.

I didn’t say a word. I went straight upstairs.