Chapter 1 Natalie's POV

"I warned you, Arthur. No one betrays the Don and lives." That was all I heard from the wardrobe my mother shoved me into right before the gunshots, the screams, and the shattering of glass. "Search everywhere for his daughter. I want to wipe his entire family off the face of the earth," the deadly voice came again, and I nearly peed myself. I pressed my palm over my mouth to stop any sound from escaping. Not a breath. Not a sob. Nothing. "There's no one in here, boss," one of them said after they finished searching the house. "Check this wardrobe," the voice commanded. My heart stopped.

I died and came back to life in that moment. "There's no one in here. Let's go, Dad," a younger voice replied, and a new wave of tears slipped down my cheeks. Even someone young could witness the murder of someone's parents... and feel nothing. What kind of monster was that boy growing into? The sound of their retreating footsteps faded into the night. I waited counting the seconds in my head, terrified that one of them would come back. When I was sure they were gone, I slowly pushed the wardrobe door open and stepped out. That was when I saw it. The most gruesome sight I had ever seen. My mother lay beside my father, both of them in a pool of blood, their eyes wide open... frozen in death. I dropped to my knees and screamed until my throat went raw. I crawled toward them on trembling knees. "M-Mommy... D-Dad..." I whispered, my voice barely there. I reached out with shaking hands, touching their cold skin. I shook them, gently at first, then harder. "Please... wake up. Don't leave me... please." But they didn't move. They didn't breathe. Just silence. Just blood. I don't remember how long I stayed there, screaming, begging, crying. My throat burned. My eyes stung. I thought maybe if I screamed loud enough, they'd come back. But the dead don't come back. My hands trembled as I searched their pockets, my fingers slick with blood and shaking with fear. In my father's coat, I found his phone. Thank God I knew the password. With a shaky breath, I unlocked it and dialed the only number I could think of. Mrs. Laura. My stepmother. The woman my father married was not out of love, but because she was pregnant, and he didn't want to have a child outside of wedlock. She wasn't my mother. But in that moment, she was all I had. "Hey, sweetie," her voice rang from the other end, light and carefree, completely unaware. "Aunty Lau... Laura, it's me," I stammered, struggling to keep my voice steady. "D-Dad... he was shot by some men. I... I think he's dead. He's not breathing." There was a pause. "What the hell are you saying?" she snapped. But I ended the call. I didn't have the strength for questions and answers. Not after the traumatic incident I just witnessed. I sat there, frozen, contemplating whether to go knock on the neighbors' doors. But I thought against it. I knew they heard my screams. The shots. The chaos. Yet no one came out. Probably too afraid the gunmen were still nearby. I couldn't blame them. I took a deep breath and did a quick mental calculation, Mrs. Laura wouldn't arrive until tomorrow at the earliest. My fingers trembled as I picked up the phone again. I dialed 911. "Hello there?" a calm voice answered. "P-please help me..." I whispered. "Sweetheart, I need your address. Where are you?" "Vicolo dei Lavandai..." That was all I managed to say before everything went black. The next time I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital bed I blinked against the harsh white light. The beeping of machines echoed in the room like distant war drums. My body felt heavy, but my heart... even heavier. I turned my head slowly and froze. Mrs. Laura sat beside me, arms folded, lips curled in that same familiar sneer. Anna stood behind her, chewing gum like we were in some boring classroom, not a hospital room soaked in tragedy. "So... you finally decided to wake up," Mrs. Laura said flatly, her voice devoid of sympathy. My throat burned. I forced the words out. "Where... where are my parents?" Her eyes narrowed. She let out a dry chuckle, more insult than amusement. "You're seriously asking me that?" she snapped, leaning forward. "After what happened, you still want to play the innocent child?" My chest tightened. "I–I saw them. I saw them lying in blood."I said. "No, you didn't see them lying in blood... You made them lie in blood." Mrs. Laura scoffed like I'd told a bad joke. "I've always known you were an evil child," she said, her voice low and venomous. "But I never imagined you'd go this far, to kill my husband. Your father." She paused, eyes cold and calculating. "And don't even get me started on your failure of a mother. I never cared about that woman." Her words cut through me like glass. My breath hitched. I blinked rapidly, but the fresh wave of tears came anyway, hot and fast. I turned my face to the side, away from their eyes, but it didn't matter. The ache still hollowed out my chest. I felt so small. So helpless. Like a broken piece of something no one wanted. "You better wipe those tears," Mrs. Laura sneered. "They disgust me." "Look at her, acting like a baby," Anna mocked, crossing her arms with a smirk. Mrs. Laura just rolled her eyes. "Now that you're awake and clearly strong enough to cry crocodile tears," she said, standing to her feet, "get up. Let's go. You'll be living with me from now on." I blinked, confused. "What?" "I've already placed your father's house on sale," she added casually, like it was just a piece of gossip. "Too many bad memories, you understand." "No!" I cried, my voice cracking. "I don't want to live with you. I can stay by myself, I'll manage." She let out a cold, humorless chuckle. "You don't have a say in this, darling." And that was when it hit me. My parents were gone. My home was gone. And the only people left in my life were the ones who hated me. I was truly, terrifyingly... alone.