Chapter 4
Luca lost his composure for the first time in front of me.
Panic, guilt, and confusion swirled in his eyes, weaving a tangled, inescapable web.
When he looked at me, all he saw were dead, red-rimmed eyes.
No sound. Just tears sliding down my cheeks, falling one by one.
He vaguely remembered how I used to cry without holding anything back.
But since I’d lost my status as a Moretti by blood, I’d learned to cry silently, carefully, so no one would notice.
Luca dropped my arm like he’d been burned.
His voice came out rough,
“You knew this whole time?”
“Why didn’t you fight?”
“Why did you just let us go? You said you loved us.”
I didn’t understand either. They were the ones who let go first.
They’d known how deeply I loved this family, how desperately I loved Adrian, and yet they’d let him forge that report.
All they cared about was making Valentina happy. They didn’t care that I was hurting.
I had too much pride to beg for scraps. I wasn’t about to humiliate myself by clinging to them after they’d hurt me, pleading for a few crumbs of the love they lavished on Valentina.
Leave. Get out of here. That was the only thought in my head.
I knelt slowly, picked up the DNA report, and tossed it into the trash.
Silence was the only answer they deserved.
Luca’s jaw tightened, his face turning white. The paper fell lightly, but it landed on his heart like a boulder.
His voice was hard and sharp,
“Is this how you’re showing you’re angry?”
“Threatening us with the cold shoulder?”
I felt nothing but ice inside. Then I smiled, forcing a light tone,
“I’m not angry, Luca. I’ve just grown up.”
“I know forging that report was just a temporary fix to keep Valentina happy.”
“I’m sure Valentina will accept me one day. I can wait.”
Some of the tension left Luca’s shoulders. The oppressive atmosphere in the room lightened.
Any guilt they’d felt vanished instantly, replaced by relief.
Don Lorenzo and Donna Marisa praised me for being mature.
Adrian said I owed Valentina this anyway. That it was only fair I made it up to her.
He paused, then added,
“Once you’ve made amends, Valentina will forgive you.”
“We’ll all be happy again.”
“But you shouldn’t come to the family photo today.”
Valentina, who’d been sobbing like she was about to pass out minutes earlier, sniffled.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to give me the necklace back, Elena.”
“Just don’t steal from me again.”
“If you want something, just ask.”
Satisfied that she’d destroyed my acceptance letter, she added magnanimously,
“I’ll let you off the hook this time.”
Then she leaned in, her voice a mocking whisper only I could hear,
“It’s just a stupid necklace.”
“Luca will buy me as many as I want.”
“You can have it. Consider it compensation for tearing up your stupid letter.”
“A piece of trash for a designer necklace. You got lucky.”
“Aren’t I nice? You don’t have to thank me.”
She pulled back with a bright, brave smile, then linked her arms through Luca’s and Adrian’s, pulling them toward the door as she chattered about the family portrait.
Luca forgot about me instantly. He ruffled Valentina’s hair fondly.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“I’ll have my secretary send that vintage jewelry set we just bought to the studio.”
I was used to being invisible. I felt nothing.
I dug the necklace out of the mess on the floor, texted a few trust fund brats who bought jewelry for their flings, and sold it.
With part of the money, I paid for a fake death certificate.
If I was leaving, I was leaving for good.
I finished packing, dragged my suitcase out of the Moretti estate, and never looked back.
At the studio, the Morettis huddled together, smiling brightly.
Out of the camera’s view, Adrian held Valentina’s hand. Their rings pressed together.
The shutter clicked. Their happiness was frozen in time.
After the portrait, they embarked on a round-the-world trip. No one gave me a second thought. No one asked after me.
Occasionally Luca or Adrian would stare at my empty text thread. But Valentina always pulled their attention back.
They exchanged glances, convinced I was just throwing a tantrum, giving them the silent treatment like I always used to.
“Whatever. Let her cool off.”
Three months later, they came home.
“Dad, when are Adrian and I getting married?” Valentina asked, clinging to Don Lorenzo’s arm.
“I want Elena to be my maid of honor.”
Don Lorenzo hesitated, thinking it was a bad idea. But Valentina pouted and pretended to be upset, and he caved.
“Adrian, you handle it,” he said finally.
Valentina beamed. Adrian nodded eagerly.
He knocked on my door, calling for me. But there was no answer.
Annoyed, Adrian ordered the door broken down.
“Elena, being Valentina’s maid of honor is a gift.”
“Why are you throwing away this chance to make things right?”
“Don’t you want to be part of this family again?”
The door crashed open. The mess from three months earlier was gone. But the room was empty.
There wasn’t a single personal item left anywhere.
Adrian froze. Luca’s jaw tightened, a cold dread settling in his stomach.
He called his secretary immediately, demanding to know where I was.
After a long, terrible pause, the secretary said quietly,
“Miss Elena… she’s gone.”
“The last trace I could find… was a death certificate.”
