here new family

The car finally came to a stop in front of the Don's estate.

Lily stared through the window. The estate was enormous, much larger than she had imagined. Tall iron gates surrounded the property, and armed men stood at various points around the compound. The mansion itself looked more like a palace than a home.

Roselyn stepped out first. She adjusted her dress and smiled as though she had just brought home a beloved daughter instead of the child she had abandoned for nine years. Lily stepped out next, and Luciana followed. Veronica came behind them.

Roselyn turned toward Lily with a bright smile. "Welcome home, Lily."

Lily stared at her.

Home?

Did her mother really believe she had forgotten? Did she think nine years had erased the memory of watching her father die, or the memory of Ethan lying motionless on the floor? Roselyn had gotten away with everything, and somehow she expected Lily to walk through her doors and pretend none of it had happened.

Lily said nothing.

Roselyn's smile became slightly strained. "Come inside."

She turned toward the mansion, and Lily and Luciana walked side by side as they followed.

The moment the enormous front doors opened, Lily's eyes settled on an elderly woman sitting in the main living room. The woman had silver hair and a warm smile. When she saw Lily, she stood and walked toward them with surprising energy.

"Welcome home, Lily." Her eyes moved toward Luciana. "And this is?"

Lily looked at her. "Luciana." She paused. "My sister."

The elderly woman's eyebrows rose. "Oh." She glanced at Roselyn. "Your mother never told me you had another sister."

Lily smiled politely. "My mother sometimes has a lagging brain." She shrugged. "So don't blame her."

Roselyn, standing nearby, shot Lily a murderous look. Lily pretended not to notice.

The elderly woman burst into laughter. "I like you already. And there's no need for formalities here. Everyone calls me Grandma, and now you will too." She reached out and gently touched Lily's cheek. "Don't worry, sweetheart. You can go upstairs." She turned toward a young woman. "Veronica, show them to their rooms."

Veronica hurried over. "Come on." She took Lily's hand, then Luciana's. "I'll show you."

As they climbed the stairs, Veronica leaned toward Lily and lowered her voice. "That's my great-grandmother. She's the one who runs everything around here, even though she'll never admit it."

They followed her down a long hallway until she stopped in front of two doors. "This one is yours, Lily." She pointed to the other. "And this one is yours, Luciana."

Luciana glanced at Lily. "I think I'll stay with Lily."

Lily nodded. "Me too."

Veronica glanced between them. "I didn't know you were bringing someone along." She smiled quickly. "But it's fine. There's plenty of room."

She opened Lily's door, and Lily stopped. She had expected a small, forgotten room. Instead, she found a beautifully decorated bedroom where everything looked new. A large bed stood against the wall, and there was a wardrobe filled with clothes, a vanity, a bookshelf, and a large window overlooking the gardens.

Then Lily noticed the sign above the bed.

WELCOME HOME, LILY.

She stared at it.

Veronica smiled proudly. "I decorated it myself."

Lily turned toward her. "For me?"

Veronica nodded. "Do you like it?"

Lily studied her for several seconds. Then she gave a small smile. "Yeah." She looked around the room again. "I do." She turned back to Veronica. "Thank you."

Veronica's smile widened.

Veronica clasped her hands together. "There are clothes in the wardrobe for both of you." She pointed toward the closet. "You can change and come downstairs when you're ready. Dinner will be served soon."

Both girls nodded. "Okay," Lily said.

Veronica smiled and hurried out.

The moment the door closed behind her, Luciana turned toward Lily. "She doesn't seem harmful."

Lily's expression changed at once. "She might not look harmful." She walked to the door and checked that it was completely closed, then lowered her voice. "But don't trust her."

Luciana's smile disappeared. "Why?"

Lily looked around the beautiful room. "Because everyone here is going to smile at us." She turned back to Luciana. "That doesn't mean they're safe."

Luciana nodded slowly.

Lily looked toward the hallway. "Don't trust anyone here." Her voice became colder. "Not even the ones who seem kind."

Luciana sat on the edge of the bed, still looking confused.

"How did your mother manage to get a man like Don Luciano?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Your mother is beautiful. I'll admit that." Luciana paused. "But she's older than him, right?"

"She's turning forty."

Luciana's eyes widened. "Exactly. So how did she end up with the Don?"

Lily shrugged. "I don't know yet." She walked toward the wardrobe and opened it. "Maybe that's why she brought me back."

Luciana looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Tomorrow is her birthday."

Luciana stared at her. "And?"

Lily turned around. "I don't know. Something about all of this feels too convenient. She said she never wanted me near her new life, and now she's bringing me home the day before a party full of important people." She closed the wardrobe. "Either way, we need to be careful."

Luciana nodded.

Lily walked closer and lowered her voice. "Like I told you, don't trust anyone here."

Luciana sighed. "I know."

"No. I'm serious." Lily glanced toward the door. "This is a Mafia household. People here don't survive by being innocent." She looked directly at Luciana. "If someone doesn't give you a reason to trust them, don't."

Luciana nodded. "Understood."

"Veronica is the Don's daughter."

Luciana's eyebrows rose. "She's his daughter?"

"Yes." Lily sat beside her. "I've seen her before."

"Where?"

"On television."

Luciana looked surprised. "When?"

"When I was little." Lily's expression darkened. "I remember seeing her and her twin sister on the news."

Luciana frowned. "They're twins?"

"Yes."

"They don't look alike."

"Apparently they're fraternal twins."

Luciana nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll stay away from them." She studied Lily for a moment. "But how did you know all this?"

Lily smiled bitterly. "Watching news broadcasts until my eyes hurt was part of my punishment."

Luciana's expression fell.

"Rosa used to make me watch reports about Don Luciano and his family."

"Why?"

"She said it was punishment." Lily looked toward the window. "But it was also supposed to teach me how to behave like a proper lady."

Luciana shook her head. "That place was insane."

Lily gave a humorless laugh. "That's putting it mildly." She leaned back against the headboard. "So I've seen Luciano's face hundreds of times."

Luciana smiled faintly. "It's a good thing we're finally out of that place."

Lily's smile disappeared. "Yeah."

She looked down at her hands, and then her expression hardened.

"And now my mother is going to pay for everything she did to my father and Ethan."

Luciana became serious. "What are you planning?"

"I want her in prison." Lily's voice was quiet. "I want her to lose everything." She paused. "But if I can't get revenge legally..." Her eyes lifted. "I'll make the Don do it for me."

Luciana stared at her. "What does that mean?"

Lily smiled. "It means I need to find out what my mother has been hiding."

Luciana narrowed her eyes. "Lily."

"What?"

"Don't get yourself killed."

Lily laughed softly. "I'm not planning to."

"You have that look."

"What look?"

"The one you had when you decided to challenge Rosa."

Lily's smile widened. "This is different."

"How?"

"Luciano is a man."

Luciana stared at her.

Lily continued casually. "He's thirty-four." She counted silently. "Sixteen years older than me."

Luciana's mouth fell open. "Lily."

"What?"

"Are you planning to seduce the Don?"

Lily smiled. "Of course."

Luciana stared at her in disbelief. "Lily!"

"What?"

"That's your plan?"

"Not the whole plan."

Lily stood and walked toward the mirror. She studied her reflection and touched her hair. "I need access to him. I need him to trust me." Her eyes hardened. "And I need him to question everything my mother has ever told him."

Luciana remained silent.

Lily smiled at her reflection. "Besides..." She turned around. "I'm more beautiful than my mother."

Luciana sighed. "That confidence is going to get you into trouble."

"Maybe." Lily walked back toward the bed. "But my mother lied to him to get into this family. I'm certain of it."

"How do you know?"

"I don't." Lily's smile faded. "That's exactly why I'm going to find out."

She looked toward the closed bedroom door. "Tomorrow is her birthday." A dangerous glint appeared in her eyes. "And tomorrow, I'll meet Don Luciano for the first time."

Luciana stared at her. "You've already planned everything, haven't you?"

Lily smiled. "Not everything."

She reached for the light.

"But I've waited nine years."

The room fell dark.

"I can wait one more night."