My mother was the Donna of the Moretti Family. Her favorite saying was, “There can be no favoritism in this family.” Which was why she always treated my cousin Vivian better than she treated me. She brought home a rare pair of black opal bracelets from overseas, only to fasten them around Vivian’s wrists right in front of me. “They look better on Vivian. You’re too tanned. Don’t waste them.” When the Bellandi Family sent us two bottles of vintage wine, Mother gave both to Vivian before I even saw the bottles. “You haven’t even mastered basic table manners. Giving them to you would be a waste.” Then, at tonight’s family banquet, Donna Lucia Bellandi proposed an engagement between her eldest son and me. Mother set down her wineglass and cut Lucia off on the spot. “Donna Lucia, please withdraw your proposal. Seraphina has no manners, a terrible temper, and no sense. She isn’t worthy of your son.” Every eye in the room turned toward me. Their stares felt like needles piercing my skin. Then Mother’s thoughts entered my mind. [So Seraphina has feelings for the Bellandi heir. But if the Bellandis choose her, everyone will assume Vivian was never good enough to be considered. Vivian already has no parents to stand behind her. I can’t let her suffer that humiliation too.] [I’m criticizing Seraphina for her own good. It will keep her out of the Bellandi power struggle and spare Vivian any humiliation.] In that moment, the last shred of hope I had for her vanished. Mother protected the entire Moretti Family, and everyone under her command respected her. But she had never once protected me. So be it. I would go to the West Coast with the man who truly loved me. From now on, half a country would lie between us—and whatever bond remained between mother and daughter would end here. … “Valentina, that’s enough.” The woman who spoke was Elena Bellandi, the family’s former Donna and the current Don’s ex-wife. After Donna Lucia replaced her, Elena left for the West Coast with her younger son, the heir’s half brother. Elena gave Mother a troubled look. “Seraphina isn’t nearly as bad as you claim. If only you knew—” “Elena!” Mother cut her off. “I know exactly what kind of person my daughter is.” “Vivian is different—” She drew Vivian to her side and smoothed her hair. “She’s sensible and knows her place. I’ve already decided to transfer the family shares and territory dividends originally reserved for Seraphina to Vivian. She will represent the Moretti Family in the marriage alliance with the Bellandis.” I looked up at Mother. [Lucia only cares about the Moretti Family’s power. If one of our girls must marry into her family, Vivian will do just as well.] [Once Seraphina’s shares and territory dividends are transferred to Vivian, she’ll have every qualification to become the Bellandi Family’s future Donna.] At last, I understood. Mother had destroyed my reputation in public simply to clear Vivian’s path. My family shares, my territory dividends, and even my right to choose this alliance had all been handed to Vivian. Whispers quickly spread through the room. “I’d heard Donna Valentina favored her niece. Now I’ve seen it for myself…” “You can’t put all the blame on her mother. If her own mother speaks of her that way, the girl must have done some disgraceful things in private…” Donna Lucia frowned slightly. After a few seconds, she said, “If Donna Valentina is willing to give Vivian the Moretti shares and territory dividends, then Vivian is qualified for the alliance. She will have the engagement.” Vivian raised her glass. “Thank you for your approval, Donna Lucia.” “However…” Donna Lucia looked at me. “Seraphina is still the biological daughter of the Moretti Don and Donna. She could also move into the Bellandi residence as collateral for our families’ partnership.” Everyone understood Donna Lucia’s plan. Vivian was only a niece, so the engagement alone did not carry enough weight. If the Bellandis kept the Don and Donna’s biological daughter under their roof, the Morettis would not dare betray them. They would also be forced to support the eldest son in his struggle with his brother. Elena shot to her feet. “Donna Lucia’s concerns are understandable, but a marriage must still respect the young woman’s wishes.” Everyone looked at me again. I stood and faced Lucia calmly. “Thank you for the proposal, Donna Lucia, but I won’t accept this marriage arrangement, and I have no intention of moving into the Bellandi residence.” After the banquet, Mother summoned me to her study. She poured a cup of coffee, pushed it toward me, and spoke with surprising gentleness. “You behaved reasonably tonight. At least you knew better than to fight Vivian for that marriage.” My voice trembled. “When you humiliated me in front of everyone tonight, did you ever think about how people would see me afterward?” Mother slammed her palm on the desk, sending coffee over the rim of the cup. “Why must you compete with Vivian for everything? Her parents aren’t here, and she’s terrified of being looked down on. ” “You’re the only daughter your father and I have. You’ve lacked nothing since the day you were born. What is so difficult about letting her have this one thing?” I looked down at myself. I lived in the most remote bedroom in the estate, used worn-out belongings, and even wore the clothes Vivian rejected. What did I have, really? My nose stung. Ever since I could remember, I had been able to hear Mother’s thoughts. I used to make excuses for her. She was the Donna of the Moretti Family, and everyone watched her every move. Vivian had lost her parents, so it was only right for Mother to give her a little more care. That was why, every year, the moment Father’s birthday gifts for me arrived, Mother had them taken to Vivian’s room. Back then, my parents were constantly away handling family business, sometimes for months at a time. I kept telling myself they were simply busy, not that they did not care. When the family’s position finally stabilized and Mother no longer had to travel constantly, I thought everything would get better. But once she stayed home, I discovered that I still had to surrender anything Vivian wanted. On Vivian’s eighteenth birthday, Mother postponed an emergency confrontation and drove back from an out-of-town base just to fasten a diamond necklace around her neck. On my eighteenth birthday, I waited from morning until late at night. Mother never came. She sent only a message. “One of the family’s shipments was hijacked. I can’t leave. Celebrate without me.” That day, I finally understood. There was room in Mother’s heart for the family, for her people, and for Vivian. But never for me.
Mother leaned back in her chair as though she were dealing with a disobedient subordinate. “You already refused to move in with the Bellandis, so forget about marrying into their family.” She took a background file from a drawer and pushed it across the desk. “This is Marcus, a driver in the family fleet. I checked his background. He has no enemies and won’t be dragged into any power struggle. If you marry him, you’ll at least have a peaceful life.” I stared at the file and laughed. Vivian could take my shares and dividends, then marry the Bellandi heir. Yet I, the biological daughter of the Don and Donna, was supposed to marry a family driver. And Mother somehow called that doing what was best for me. Father would never agree to this. He had told me himself that no one—not even the Donna—had the right to decide my future for me. “I won’t marry him.” “Father is still overseas. You can’t decide my marriage on your own.” Mother slapped me. My head snapped to the side, my ears ringing. “Seraphina, don’t forget who your mother is.” “Your father being away is exactly why I need to settle this quickly. By the time he returns, the contract will already be binding.” I clenched my teeth and refused to let the tears fall. I turned away from the study and hurried back to my room. Mia, the personal maid who had cared for me since childhood, was the only person in the estate who truly cared about me. The moment she saw me enter with a hand over my cheek, she rushed to my side. “Seraphina! Your face—” She pressed an ice pack to my cheek, crying as she did. “Donna hit you, didn’t she? You’re her own daughter. Why does she always protect an outsider?” Only then did my tears finally fall. Mia suddenly remembered something and picked up a black envelope from the table. “Elena Bellandi had someone deliver this.” I took the letter and opened it. Inside was an obsidian ring engraved with the Bellandi crest. I recognized it. It belonged to Luca Bellandi. I closed my fingers around the ring. Luca was still waiting for my answer. Over the next few days, Moretti Estate busied itself preparing for Vivian’s engagement party. Mia stood in my room, her face red with anger. “Donna emptied the jewelry vault. She even gave Vivian the emerald necklace your grandmother left you.” Her anger rose with every word. “That was meant for her own granddaughter. What right does Vivian have to it?” Once, it would have hurt. Now, I no longer cared. I was lost in thought when footsteps sounded outside my door. It was Mother’s assistant. “Miss Seraphina, Donna would like you in the sitting room.” Mother had already instructed the lawyers to draft documents transferring all my shares and dividends to Vivian. The documents had not even been signed, yet the servants had begun calling Vivian the future Mrs. Bellandi. They treated me with even more contempt than before. The moment I entered the sitting room, Mother threw a wine-stained wedding gown at my feet. “Explain.” I remained where I was. “Explain what?” She pointed to the broad red-wine stain and fixed me with a cold stare. “Why does Vivian’s wedding dress look like this?” I gave a small laugh. “Do you handle family business without looking at evidence too, Donna?” Mother paused, then sneered. “You’ve certainly learned how to talk back.” She pointed at a maid being guarded by security. “She saw you enter Vivian’s dressing room last night.” “You were jealous because you couldn’t marry into the Bellandi Family, so you deliberately ruined Vivian’s dress.” I turned to the maid crouching on the floor. “What’s your name?” “Bella.” “What time did you see me last night?” “Nine… nine fifteen.” “Where?” “Outside the second-floor dressing room.” “What was I wearing?” Bella’s voice shook. “A pale purple dress…” I smiled. Behind me, Mia suddenly spoke. “You’re lying!” “The second-floor hallway lost power last night. The emergency lights weren’t restored until ten.” “There are no windows there. How could you see the color of her dress in the dark?” Bella began to tremble and immediately panicked. “Don’t turn me over to security! I spilled the wine by accident while changing the glasses. I was afraid I’d be fired, so I lied…” Vivian sprang up and slapped Bella across the face. “How dare you frame Seraphina?” Then she turned to me, her face full of remorse. “Seraphina, I’m sorry. Bella works for me, so I apologize on her behalf.” She sounded sincere, but there was no remorse in her eyes. Mother had already lost patience. She only wanted the matter over. “The misunderstanding has been cleared up. That will be all.” I looked at her. “A servant deliberately framed a member of the family. Our rules require severe punishment. If you let this pass, anyone will think they can accuse me of anything.” Everyone waited for Mother to decide. [Why is this girl so stubborn? Of course I know what happened. But that maid belongs to Vivian. If I punish her severely, Vivian will be humiliated.] [So Seraphina suffers a little injustice. It won’t kill her.] Mother raised a hand. “Bella disclosed internal information and falsely accused a family member. Terminate her employment and hand her over to security for investigation.” Bella was dragged away in tears. Vivian stood there biting her lower lip, her eyes reddening again. Then Mother spoke. “Vivian’s engagement party is in three days. There isn’t enough time to have another dress made. Give her the wedding gown your grandmother left you.”
My fingers clenched. That gown had belonged to my grandmother. Father had entrusted it to me, hoping I would one day wear it when I married someone who truly loved me. “Why should I? Her servant made the mistake. Why should I clean up her mess?” Mother frowned as though she were discussing something perfectly ordinary. “We’re family. Why divide everything into yours and hers? Vivian is marrying into the Bellandi Family. We cannot let others laugh at her. You’re only marrying a driver. You have no need for such an expensive gown.” Then she muttered, “I don’t know what Alessandro was thinking. Something that valuable should have gone to Vivian, not you…” Her words pierced my heart like a needle. In Mother’s eyes, I did not deserve anything good. Tears spilled down my face as I shouted, “Because Father knew it was meant for his daughter! If he were here, he would never let you take what’s mine and give it to Vivian!” Mother’s face went white. My voice shook. “Sometimes I truly wish… I wish you’d stayed in South America and never come home.” Then I would not have kept hoping, only to have every hope shattered again. Mother flew into a rage. “Take her to the basement. Today she’ll learn what happens when someone defies the Donna.” Mia immediately stepped in front of me and pleaded, “Donna, please stop! Seraphina has been frail since childhood. She falls seriously ill every winter. She can’t survive this kind of family punishment.” That only made Mother angrier. “Nonsense! She has lived with the Moretti Family all her life. I arrange doctors and supplements for her every year. How could she possibly be frail?” I nearly laughed. Her ledgers showed exactly how many of the supplements and gifts she sent from overseas each year were meant specifically for Vivian. Almost nothing actually reached me. The servants followed Mother’s example. Everything in Vivian’s room was the finest money could buy. When my cup cracked, no one replaced it. When the heat in my room broke during winter, the housekeeper delayed repairs for a month. No one cared about my education either. The language tutors and etiquette instructors hired by the family taught only Vivian. Mother refused even to let me sit in on their lessons. I stopped Mia, walked to the bench in the center of the basement, and bent over it. Mother’s angry voice came from behind me. “Stop acting as though you’ve been wronged. Today you’ll learn that the Moretti Family’s rules are not to be defied.” Again and again, she brought down the black leather belt a guard handed her. Within a few strikes, my shirt tore open and warm blood ran down my back. Cold sweat soaked my hairline, and even my breathing began to shake. As my consciousness blurred, only one thought remained: Let this beating be my way of giving back the life she gave me.
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