Enemies to lovers with a family twist!
Alora Frank has been living her life under the abuse of her mother and father. Hiding secrets and unimaginable pain behind her perfect smile. Except one day she finds her father isn't her father, she had family...
"Alora, sweetheart, wake up," a soft voice coaxes me from sleep. My eyes flutter open to find Nicolo at my side. "Hi, sweetie, we're about to land. Come on," he says gently.
"I'll join you in a bit," I reply, my voice still heavy with sleep.
Lying in bed, I ponder why his wake-up call was so gentle. Perhaps it's because I'm accustomed to harsh awakenings - a punch in the face or a kick in the stomach. Maybe they are different. After all, they share my blood. But so did my mother. She was my blood too, yet she loathed me. She abused me, stole my childhood, and even sold me. I quickly shut my eyes, trying to block out the painful memories.
Deep breaths, Alora. Deep breaths.
I sigh, rising from the comfortable bed. After a quick check of my hair in the bathroom, I head towards Nicolo and Bruno. As I approach the door, I hear my name. They're in the middle of a serious conversation about me. Eavesdropping is generally frowned upon, but they're discussing me, so technically it's acceptable.
"Quando glielo diciamo?" Bruno questions in Italian, I believe.
(When do we tell her?)
"Quando è il momento giusto," Nicolo responds.
(When the time is right)
What are they talking about? My Italian is limited, so I can't fully understand.
"She's gonna leave when she finds out," Bruno says sadly, switching back to English.
"That's why I'm not telling her about it, dumbass. She won't find out about the m-" Before he can finish his sentence, I feel a hand press against my shoulder, causing me to scream. I whirl around to find an air hostess behind me.
The door flies open, revealing a worried-looking Nicolo and a confused Bruno. "What happened?" Nicolo asks.
"Nothing, I just got scared," I reassure him.
He nods as I follow him inside. I take the same seat as before. Bruno stares at me for a long minute, causing me to look away in guilt. If I don't see them as my family, then I have no familial rights, meaning I can't listen to their conversations.
"You okay?" Bruno whispers.
"Fine," I lie, but he doesn't question it. I don't know how they will react if I tell them I can't live with them or meet the rest of this family.
As the plane lands, we make our way outside towards a black Mercedes parked a short distance from the plane. The sun shines brightly in the cloudless sky. As we get seated in the car, a wave of nervousness washes over me. The rest of the family might not be as welcoming as Nicolo and Bruno, but why should I care? It's not like I plan to stay at their house for long.
But oh, how wrong I was. They don't just have a house; they have a mansion! The architecture is as beautiful as every brick that makes up this place. Now, I'm having second thoughts. Who would want to leave a house as beautiful as theirs?
The house :
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