The Real Mafia Heiress They Left Behind Chapter 01

The Real Mafia Heiress They Left Behind Chapter 01

The summer after I graduated from prep school was supposed to be the Moretti family’s annual getaway to the Amalfi Coast.

Only the people who were welcomed into the family’s private seaside villa were considered truly accepted by the Morettis. My parents had promised I could come this year.

I’d packed my suitcase a month in advance.

Swimsuits. Sunscreen. My camera.

And the detailed itinerary I’d spent days putting together for everyone.

The night before we were supposed to leave, my younger sister, Ivy, suddenly announced that she wanted to invite Luca Santini.

My childhood fiancé.

He had grown up beside me, and he was also the heir to the Santini family. Years ago, both old-money Mafia families had quietly agreed that one day we’d marry.

Now that I’d graduated from prep school, our engagement was supposed to be formally presented before both family councils.

My father, Don Moretti, frowned as he looked over the room assignments for the villa.

“There aren’t enough bedrooms.”

My stomach tightened.

Before I could say anything, my mother reached across the table and took my passport.

“Serena, you’re staying home.”

“Ivy and Luca just worked things out. She needs this trip.”

My older brother, Marco, the Moretti heir, picked up my suitcase and dropped it at Ivy’s feet.

“She’s already packed everything. Just use her stuff.”

I turned to Luca.

He didn’t say a single word for me.

Instead, he bent down and picked up my suitcase for Ivy.

“Your sister’s always been afraid you’d steal everyone’s attention.”

“Let her feel secure this time.”

Tears welled up in Ivy’s eyes as she looked at me.

“Serena… I just want one trip where everything feels… complete.”

Complete.

I almost laughed.

So without me, they were finally a complete family.

One boarding reminder after another lit up my phone.

Three hours until departure.

I stood in the foyer of the Moretti estate and watched my suitcase disappear down the hall.

It suddenly occurred to me that I’d spent my whole life like that suitcase.

Taken along when I was useful.

Left behind the moment I became inconvenient.

I hadn’t even felt the sea breeze of Amalfi yet.

But somehow…

I no longer wanted to go.

…

“Serena, what are you standing around for?”

Marco’s impatient voice echoed from the doorway.

He leaned casually against the frame.

“Ivy’s health isn’t great. She can’t catch a cold at the beach.”

“I’ve been looking everywhere for that white windbreaker in your suitcase. Where’d you put it?”

I stared at him.

That jacket had cost me an entire month’s allowance.

I’d saved every penny just to buy it.

“It’s in the inner compartment,” I answered quietly.

Marco nodded and turned to leave.

Halfway down the hall, he stopped.

“While we’re gone, clean the entire house.”

“Especially Ivy’s room. She’s allergic to dust.”

There wasn’t the slightest attempt to hide the contempt in his voice.

As if I weren’t a daughter of the Moretti family.

As if I were nothing more than the cheapest maid in the mansion.

My mother stepped out of her bedroom carrying Ivy’s sun hat.

“Your brother’s right, Serena.”

“Those practice SAT scores you showed us weren’t anything impressive anyway. It’s not like you have anything better to do.”

“Get this place spotless before we get back.”

She paused.

“Oh, and don’t forget the imported supplements in the kitchen. Portion them out every day so everything’s ready when Ivy gets home.”

“She’ll need them to regain her strength.”

I watched her perfectly painted lips move as she spoke.

I didn’t argue.

I simply nodded.

“Okay.”

Downstairs, Don Moretti called for everyone to hurry up.

Luca was the last one to leave.

He wore a crisp white dress shirt that made his tall frame even more striking.

There had been a time when he was always the first person to stand up for me whenever I was hurt.

Now he only stopped in front of me and lowered his voice.

“Serena, don’t make this into a bigger deal than it is.”

“You know Ivy’s been under a lot of pressure with college applications. She hasn’t slept through the night in weeks.”

“This trip is really for her.”

He reached out, as though he were going to ruffle my hair the way he always used to.

I tilted my head away.

His hand froze awkwardly in midair.

A flicker of irritation crossed his eyes before his expression settled again.

“When things calm down, I’ll take you somewhere, just the two of us.”

“You’ve always been the reasonable one.”

“Please… just be understanding this time.”

Reasonable.

That single word had been my prison for eighteen years.

I met his eyes calmly.

“I understand.”

“Have a safe trip.”

Luca looked surprised.

But he didn’t think much of it.

He simply nodded.

“Be good while we’re gone.”

The front door slammed shut.

Silence swallowed the foyer.

I stood there for a long time, so long that my legs started to go numb.

My phone lit up again.

The airline had sent its final boarding reminder.

I unlocked the screen, opened my reservation, and tapped Cancel Flight.

After the cancellation fee, almost nothing was refunded.

I didn’t care.

I walked into the living room and looked at the stack of printed travel plans scattered across the coffee table.

I’d stayed up for several nights researching every detail.

I’d marked Luca’s favorite seafood restaurant.

The scenic spots my mother wanted for photos.

The deep-sea fishing charter my father had been talking about for months.

I’d even highlighted the windy areas Ivy needed to avoid because of her health.

I picked up every page.

Then I tore them into tiny pieces and dropped them into the trash.

Without looking back, I returned to my room.

It was tiny.

Before I came back to the Moretti estate, it had been nothing more than a storage room.

After I was brought home, they simply called it my bedroom.

There wasn’t even a proper desk.

I pulled a battered cardboard box out from under my bed.

Then I began packing my belongings.

A few faded outfits.

Stacks of worn study guides.

A handful of small keepsakes.

My phone vibrated.

A message from my college counselor, Ms. Green.

[Serena, congratulations. Your application for the full scholarship has been approved.

The university just needs the guardian authorization forms signed.

When can you come by the school?]

My fingers tightened around my phone.

[I’ll come tomorrow.]

After sending the reply, I tossed my phone onto the bed.

My gaze drifted to a picture frame sitting in the corner.

It was a photo from Luca’s eighteenth birthday.

He was smiling brightly.

I was looking at him like he was the center of my world.

I slid the photo out of the frame.

Then I threw it into the trash.

Right on top of the shredded travel itinerary.