Lissy Romano

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Elizabeth Delgado

The wave of relief that hit me when Jose told me my father was dead was unexpected.

It sounds awful, but if you knew what he had done, you'd understand why I felt like a weight had been lifted.

Jose, my dad's friend's son, was 23 and had always been kind to me. He didn't know the truth about my father. What he was really like behind closed doors.

My dad, Miguel Delgado, was a ruthless man. He never told me what he did for a living, but he had money. A lot of money. It was obvious his wealth wasn't exactly earned honestly, but the one time I asked, he told me never to bring it up again. That was the man he was. Controlling, cold, and terrifying.

"Lissy, it's okay to be sad," Jose said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"I know," I replied, nodding.

But I wasn't sad. I wasn't anything, really. I was numb, trying to process it all. My life hadn't exactly been sunshine and rainbows with Miguel, but I still couldn't believe it was over.

Jose sat next to me, wrapping an arm around me in a gesture of comfort.

"We'll figure this out, Lissy. Don't worry," he said, his voice calm and steady.

Figure out what, though? Where would I live? My private school was expensive, and Miguel had been the one funding it. The thought of losing the stability, no matter how toxic, gnawed at me.

Jose got a phone call and stepped out of the room. I stayed where I was, trying not to think too much about the future, but the knot in my stomach tightened. When Jose came back, his calm demeanor was gone. He looked confused, almost unsettled.

"What's wrong?" I asked, immediately on edge.

"The child social services called my dad," Jose said slowly, like he wasn't sure how to break the news. "They want to see you."

My heart dropped. "I don't want to go to an orphanage, Jose," I said, panicking.

Jose sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I won't let that happen. But they were...pretty firm. They said you have to go today."

"Fine," I muttered. "Let's just go and see what they want."

"Take some clothes, just in case," Jose suggested, his practical tone calming me slightly. "I'll give you money too. You never know."

As we left the mansion I had called home my entire life, I didn't realize it would be for the last time.

When we arrived, they wouldn't let Jose come into the office with me. It made sense, he wasn't family. But being alone made me feel exposed and uneasy.

"Miss Elizabeth Delgado," a man in his forties said, gesturing for me to sit. "We need to ask you some questions and clarify a few things."

"Okay," I said cautiously, taking a seat. "What do you want to know?"

The man glanced at a file in front of him. "Did you know Miguel Delgado wasn't your biological father?"

I blinked. "What?"

The man continued calmly, sliding papers across the desk. "Miguel adopted you when you were two years old. He wasn't your biological father."

I stared at the paperwork, my mind reeling. How could this be true? I wasn't even his daughter?

"That's...not possible," I stammered, my voice shaking.

"I'm afraid it is," the man said. "We'll need to run a DNA test to identify any biological relatives."

"What is happening?" I muttered, unable to wrap my head around any of it.

The man explained the process, handing me forms to sign. "We'll take a sample today, and results will be ready in a few days."

"Can't I just go home and wait for the results?" I asked, desperate to leave.

"You're only 14. We can't let you leave. You'll stay here until we figure out the next steps," he said firmly.

I didn't argue. There was no point. I gave the DNA sample and was led to a small room with a bed, a table, and a bathroom. It felt like a prison. I had brought some things with me, but it didn't make the room feel any less suffocating.

Three days passed. They wouldn't let me see Jose, though we talked on the phone. I tried to stay calm, but the waiting was unbearable.

When the knock came, I nearly jumped. A man escorted me to an office, where the same social worker sat, looking a little stunned.

"Elizabeth, we've found your biological relatives," he said, handing me a paper with a list of names.

I scanned the document, confused. "What are these names?"

"Your brothers," the man explained. "You have eight of them."

Eight brothers?

I stared at the names.

Vincenzo Romano
Dante Romano
Domenico Romano
Davide Romano
Giovanni Romano
Santino Romano
Enzo Romano
Matteo Romano

Romano. Italian?

"This doesn't make sense," I said, shaking my head.

"Your eldest brother, Vincenzo, will be your legal guardian. He's already made arrangements to bring you to Italy."

"Wait, Italy?!" I exclaimed.

The man nodded. "You'll be leaving today. A private jet is already waiting."

Private jet? Who were these people?

"This has to be a mistake," I said, panicking.

"It's not. If you don't go, you'll have to stay in an orphanage."

I was stunned. My life felt like it was spiraling out of control, but what choice did I have?

"I want to see Jose before I leave," I said firmly.

"That's not possible," the man replied. "You can call him if you like."

I called Jose, and he picked up immediately.

"Hey, Lissy. What's going on?"

"Jose...they found my family. I have brothers. Eight of them. I have to leave for Italy today," I said, still in disbelief.

"Are you serious?" Jose sounded just as shocked as I felt.

"Yeah. I don't know what's going to happen, but...I'll call you when I can. I promise."

"Be careful, Lissy," Jose said softly. "I'm worried about you."

"Don't be. I'll figure it out," I said, though I wasn't sure I believed it.

As I hung up, I felt a mix of fear and hope. A new start. A new family. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I was about to step into the unknown again.

And it terrified me.

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