The Mafia’s Forgotten Daughter. The Desert King’s Jewel Chapter 02

The Mafia’s Forgotten Daughter. The Desert King’s Jewel Chapter 02

I spent eight years in that dump.

When hunger hit, I ate sour, rotting bread. When exhaustion hit, I slept on piles of trash. Every morning, the same stench. The same filth.

Until a Child Protective Services worker found me and brought me back to the Vescari family.

That was when I learned the truth—I was their real heiress. Born to wealth. Born to a family.

But a nanny named Elena had switched me at birth.

The first time I saw little Camille in her pretty dress, I broke down crying. I was so naive—I begged my father not to send her away.

Because I knew what hell in that dump looked like. I wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone.

And Camille? She didn’t feel an ounce of gratitude.

From day one, she saw me as competition.

That day, I was walking home with my very first ice cream cone—she walked straight into me and knocked it to the ground.

“Oops, sorry Monica, I totally lost my balance.”

I stared at the melting puddle on the ground.

In the dump, you could find anything—broken toys, rotten food, rusted metal… But you could never find ice cream.

My entire childhood, I’d fantasized about what it tasted like.

So when that Black Card landed in my hands, I bought myself a two-fifty cone. My very first luxury.

Didn’t expect it to end up in the dirt again.

Ten years later, and she was still the same—chin lifted, lips curled in that condescending smirk.

Watching me stare at the fallen dessert like the pathetic kid I used to be, Camille’s smile stretched wider.

“I was so excited when I saw you! Just last week, I told Dad we should bring you back for my wedding.”

She flashed her ring—a halo diamond. So bright it stung.

My heart dropped. That ring—I’d picked it out myself for my future sister-in-law.

My brother’s marriage alliance partner was her?

Rafael patted Camille’s head like she was something precious. “No wonder this beggar dared to sneak back. So you sent the invite. Our Camille is just too kind!”

Then his cold gaze landed on me. “Aren’t you going to thank her? No manners at all.”

I laughed, bitter and freezing.

“What manners could I possibly have? The parents who gave birth to me never raised me. A father and brother who shipped me off to a labor camp for an imposter—what exactly did you expect me to become?”

Guests were gathering at the entrance, murmuring among themselves.

“I heard the Vescari family had a lost heiress. Is that her?”

“What a shame. The imposter stole her life—today was supposed to be her wedding to the Oil Prince.”

“You—!”

Rafael’s hand shot up—

But when he met my eyes, he hesitated. His hand dropped.

“Fine. One ice cream? I’ll pay you back ten times.”

“No thanks. I don’t need the money.” My voice was flat, cold.

His jaw tightened. “If you didn’t look so much like Mom, I wouldn’t even be talking to you.”

“Even if you begged on your knees, I’d never call you my sister.”

He pulled out his phone to transfer the money—then froze.

“The card’s frozen? You haven’t touched the Vescari money all these years?”

His brows shot up, something flickering across his face—surprise. Or maybe guilt. Sympathy.

The truth was, that card had stopped working the very first day I left the country.

He didn’t actually think I’d survived on their scraps, did he?

Camille seized her opening. Her eyes glistened instantly.

“Monica, ten years ago, you deliberately let that man into my room—just to get me kicked out…”

“I’ve finally healed, I found the one I love, and you still want to destroy me? I never wanted to steal your life!”

I gave her my sweetest smile. “Thank you for stealing it. Otherwise, I’d have suffocated in that cramped little estate every single day.”

Laughter rippled through the crowd.

“This heiress is insane. The Vescari estate is out of most people’s reach, and she calls it cramped? Suffocating?”

“They were right not to claim her—that arrogance would embarrass any family.”

“She only came back because she heard about the Oil Prince alliance, didn’t she?”

“Can’t blame her though—the Al-Nassars are actual royalty. They have their own military. The Vescari family might run New York’s underworld, but next to them? Small-time.”

Rafael pulled Camille close, disgust all over his face.

“How much longer are you gonna keep up this act? Blood or not, I won’t let you bully her!”

“Today is Camille’s big day. Get lost!”

Big day?

My brother picked this date simply because I was available. And he never even wanted this alliance in the first place.

What did he say? “Just a strategic marriage alliance—mutual benefit. We need a stable North American partner. Nothing more.”

I was the one who insisted on a public ceremony. I was the one who wanted to properly respect my future sister-in-law.

Now, watching this drama queen and her deluded protectors, I almost felt sorry for them.

“You sure you want me to leave? I’m warning you—once I walk out that door, this wedding is over.”