Beneath the Family Name

Eleonora "Nora" was born in Italy, into a powerful family she never truly came to know. At just two years old, her life was quietly uprooted. Though her parents had separated, that was never the real reason she left. Hidden from her was a far more dangerous truth-threats from rival families that made her a target, and sending her away was the only way to keep her safe.

Taken to St. Tropez with her mother, Nora grew up believing she had simply been given a different life. She was told her father had died when she was only a baby, a story carefully crafted to protect her from a world she was never meant to see, cut off from her Italian family.

But the safety she was promised never truly existed.

Behind closed doors, under the control of her stepfather, Nora's world slowly darkened. Years of abuse were buried beneath silence, enforced by fear and threats she was too young to fully understand, yet too terrified to ignore.

When her mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Nora is faced with an impossible choice-tell the truth and risk breaking the fragile peace her mother clings to, or stay silent and carry the weight alone.

In the end, her mother makes the choice for her.

With her final act, custody of Nora is transferred to her eldest brother, Lorenzo-bringing her back to Italy for the first time since she was a toddler, and into a family she doesn't remember, yet has always belonged to.

Now, free from the man who controlled her life, Nora must confront the shadows of her past and navigate a world she was never meant to be part of. Because while her stepfather disappears the moment he loses his hold over her, the damage he left behind doesn't vanish with him.

And for the first time in her life, Nora must learn what it truly means to be safe... and to finally belong.

⚠️TRIGGER WARNINGS ⚠️
Sexual Abuse
Physical Abuse
PTSD
Self Harm
Suicidal Thoughts
Body Dysmorphia