Prologue: Homecoming

Caitriona's Balboa first saw Adonis Dellucci when she was fifteen years old and fell in love with him, knowing he's an adult and she was just a teenager.

She grew up in a small rural area with her nonna. Her mother was from Africa (A Nigerian by birth), and her father was an Italian, not just an Italian but a well-known business tycoon in fabrics.

Her mother, Rhoda Williams, who was pronounced dead by her father Giovanni, was killed by breast cancer, couldn't live to see how bright her daughter was. Ona had been living with her grandma ever since.

The first time Ona and Donnie collided was the day Caitrona threw mold on him immediately he stepped out from his car on her way from school, he wanted to get angry at her, but he couldn't because Ona was an unforgettable beauty even though her skin tone was a shade of what nobody would ever imagine.

Her dark skin glowed in the eye of Donnie, but he couldn't look more because she was just a teenager.

Adonis Dellucci had been helpful towards Ona, no more till Donnie traveled without a word; she calls him uncle DD and Donnie hates it when she calls him that way because it made him seem old for his age then.

Ona's father, on the other hand, decided to bring her back to the Balboa Mansion after what seems like ages. Ona had no choice because her father threatened to take her grandma far away from her reach if she didn't comply with him.

He only wants her to come back to the Balboa Mansion because of the media and the rumors circulating about him abandoning Rhoda when she was pregnant with Caitriona in her womb because of his father.

Caitriona has to comply with her father's requests even though she knows that Avala, her stepmother, and Gracie, her stepsister, will be in the same house with her.

She knows the suffering that is about to hit her, but there is no more Uncle DD to save her adult ass as he once did with her teenage ass.

—

It was a sunny day, and Giovanni Balboa sent men in black suits, which I guessed must be his guards, to pick me up from my small rural town in Sicily, where I had lived for twenty-three years.

Now I don't have a choice but to start afresh in Milan and attend Bocconi University, a business school in Milan.

They were bringing me back to what they called home, an unfamiliar territory, to the Balboa Mansion in Milan.

I arrived at what they called my new home, my worst nightmares, and these witches won't let me be on my first day.

"Caitriona..."

I turn around to look at Graciela, Avala's daughter, who kept on yelling my name like a chihuahua dog.

"Aunty is talking to you; why are you not answering her? Are you deaf?"

"It's alright, Mia Cara Graciela,"

Avala, the mistress to Giovanni Balboa and Graciela, her daughter. Even though she is married to my so-called father, me, Avala Contenese, is still a mistress to these walls of the Balboa.

"Caitriona just came from a rural side of Sicily today, and she probably can't fit in so suddenly," Avala sheep in a fake smile.

"Humph," Graciela rolls her eyes, looking at me angrily.

Who in this world calls their mother, Aunty? This is so unthinkable and unrealistic.

Avala smiles as she twirls her dark brown hair. "There is a banquet tonight, and only distinguished guests are invited. I don't need to explain further to you, do I?"

Only distinguished guests are invited. Rubbish. I angrily thought.

"Caitriona, since you just came here, you should dress properly," Graciela voiced out with a smirk.

Who the hell do these tiny beans think she is? I am way older than her, but no manners already for her age, so wrong.

"This child," Avala giggles with her eyes closed, knowing fully well that her daughter is throwing hate speech at me.

"Just look at how poor she looks, her skin so dark, she doesn't even look like one of us, from this family,"

I gave them the deadliest glare that I could master. With my arm crossed to my chest, tapping my feet impatiently.

"Please, you all should know that you're the ones who need me more than I need you, and don't forget that it was your sugar daddy that begged me to come over,"

The looks on their face were priceless.

Graciela groans. "How dare you,"

I smirk as I walk two steps closer to Graciela. "How dare... Who?" I let out a laugh. "I am just a human. Forget about my flawless beauty, and you're just a tiny beast in a clad human form, so that means I'm nothing like you even though we bear the same surname. We might not even come from the same father."

The look on Graciela's face can kill me instantly. She roared like a wounded animal.

"You stupid wild brat," She roared like a wild animal as she walked few steps closer to my fixed point, "see if I don't rip you..."

"Stop this at once," Avala gets of Graciela before she can devour me.

Avala's frown was quickly replaced with a meek smile which I found odd.

"Mia Cara," she calls as she walks closer and holds my shoulders with both hands, "Caitriona, we will all be a family from now onwards. We should be harmonious..."

She lets go of my shoulders and lifts a pink gift bag beside the couch given to me by her.

"Here, I specially designed this dress for you from my designer since I know you will be joining us soon, so when it's time, you can wear it to the banquet,"

I raised a curious eyebrow at her. "No, thanks," I shoved the bag away from my face, and it fell to the floor. I can hear Graciela's murmurs.

Immediately, Avala puts on a sorrowful face of pity. "your Papá will hope for you to be introduced to everyone officially,"

With a tired sigh, I collected the gift back from the floor and looked deeply at her. "Okay, thanks,"

She smiled, and so did Graciela. "See you around,"

The mother and daughter both exit the door with happy faces.

Immediately the door was closed. I opened the gift bag and what I saw was so seductive; I grinned at the thought of the mother and daughter plan.

"No problemo, since you want me to wear this and embarrass myself and since you want to do the sly things too, then I'll play with you all,"

I talk to my conscience. "You think I'll destroy myself, but instead, it will be a big slap to the Balboa's face,"

Just watch and see, I am Cai, the daughter of an African woman, and so does that blood runs in my vein.

And what did you say? "See me around?"

I'll be around.