[⚠️ Chapter 41+ are paid content via Ko-fi ⚠️]
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The De Luca brothers reign supreme in the underworld, holding dominion over the ruthless realm of the Italian Mafia.
They are cold, merciless, driven by madness, their loyalty solely to blood. Yet, their lives take an unexpected turn when they discovered their thirteen years old little sister.
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"When she was choking me, is that... love?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, each word trembling as if afraid to leave her lips.
Her eyes, wide and glassy, searched mine desperately, seeking a truth that she couldn't grasp amidst the fog of confusion and despair that clouded her mind.
My heart seethed with rage, a torrent of emotions crashing against the walls of my restraint, threatening to betray the stoic facade I had carefully constructed.
I wanted to scream, to shake her out of this misguided belief.
Hestia, my little sister, stared back at me. Her innocence tainted by the cruel hands of someone who had twisted the meaning of love into something unrecognizable.
She couldn't differentiate the painfully obvious truth, the clear distinction between love and control, kindness and cruelty.
It was as if the very essence of her spirit was being suffocated, just as her breath had been.
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[⚠️ Chapter 41+ are paid content via Ko-fi ⚠️]
⚠️ Trigger Warning: This story contains sensitive and potentially distressing themes, including abuse, sexual assault, rape, psychological trauma, and mature content.
Note:
- Cover by Canva
- Update: Random
"𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭."
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"She's a fucking liability and you all know it." Damiano snarled, tossing the gun clip on the table.
Inwardly a sigh escapes me, here we go again. I couldn't catch a break from him. Why can't they ever just have a normal dinner?
Vincenzo squints, almost daring him to repeat himself. "You call her that again, and I swear to fucking God, Damiano-"
Damiano didn't bother looking up. "You heard me. She's a weakness, and we can't afford that shit right now, not with the Bravata sniffing up our ass."
Vincenzo didn't hesitate as he slammed his hand on the table, and suddenly grabbed the collar of Damiano's shirt, shoving him back into the wall so hard a frame dropped to the floor.
"Shut your fucking mouth." He grits through his teeth.
Damiano didn't flinch at all but his hands stayed down and his mouth clamped shut.
"You forgot who the fuck I am?" Vince growled, deadly and murderous. "You think you're a man because you run your mouth? I don't care, brother or not, but if you come near her with that shit again, I will put you in the fucking ground."
Damiano scoffed and turned his head away from Vincenzo's branding gaze in distaste.
"If you ever question her blood again, you're gonna see how fucking loyal I am to her over you."
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Valentina Aria De'Luca was only six when she was taken from her family. For years she lived a life that was never hers, until the day she's thrown back into the world she barely remembers.
But Valentina has secrets, ones she can't afford to spill. The truth about where she's been, and what tortuous hell she's endured. She may carry the De'Luca name but she's not the same girl they lost.