I didn't exactly choose to be stolen at four years old.
But the French underworld isn't big on consent.
One minute I was Donatella Acardi, Mafia royalty. The next? Just another stolen kid bleeding in someone else's basement.
That's where I met Ami...
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Donatella POV:
The car rolled up the driveway like it was pulling into a damn movie set.
No.
Not a movie set.
A castle.
A real-life, towering, ridiculously extravagant stone-and-marble monster with iron gates, a damn courtyard, and pillars that screamed *we're rich, we might kill you, but we do it with class*. Amir looked out the window and gave a low whistle.
"...I thought the Vatican was dramatic," he muttered.
"I feel like if I sneeze wrong, this place'll charge me in taxes," I said flatly.
The front doors were opened before we even got out of the car. I half-expected a red carpet. Instead, I got Armando holding his arms out like he was waiting for a family reunion hug.
Yeah, no.
I walked past him, Amir glued to my side like a shadow. We stepped into the foyer, which was less *entryway* and more *Cathedral of Unnecessary Wealth*. Marble floors, gold in the fucking ceiling, a chandelier the size of my ego. Okay, maybe not *that* big. But it was close.
Leonardo came in behind us, as quiet as ever.
And then.
Then.
The stomping started.
Thuds echoed from the staircase like a herd of elephants were coming down, and sure enough, *five* grown-ass men appeared at the top of the steps like they were being summoned by a demonic bell.
"Boys!" Armando bellowed with pride. "Come meet your sorella!"
The stampede began.
Oh, hell no.
I backed up slightly as they all crowded around like a pack of golden retrievers that had never seen a girl before. All talking at once.
"*Dio mio, look at you!*"
"*She's taller than I remember!*"
"*Do you remember when she used to put glitter in my shampoo?!*"
"*I think I still have that scar from the glitter jar.*"
"*You're back, sorellina!*"
"*I missed you like crazy-*"
"*You still snore?*"
"*Didn't she used to eat pickles with chocolate?*"
"*Oh my god, she did.*"
That was a phase! I snapped inside my head.
Armando finally lifted a hand and everyone shut up like someone had cut the power. One by one, he gestured for them to step forward.
