She doesn't want anything to do with her past. He will stop at nothing to win her heart, even if it meant taking her back to her family. **** Two people with an intertwined past. A nasty secret that could cause everything to crumble down. And a former love rekindled. When the young tortured daughter of an ex mafia lord breaks off an engagement and runs away, hiding under a different identity. She believes that she's free from that shackle until she stumbles right back into the arms of the boy she left behind. Love is formed anew. Jealous flares and buried skeletons are being revealed. The question now is; Will Estella run away again before the storm catches up to her?
Chapter 1 (...)
|TEN YEARS AGO|
I'd always been the odd one out of my family. And no, I wasn't talking about how I was the only person who loved to stay in the gardens although father had specifically warned me against it.
I meant how I looked different from my mother and sister, while they boasted of blonde hair and bright blue eyes with model like faces and body structure, I on the other hand, inherited frizzy chestnut colored hair and unnatural grey eyes. Father had always said that they reminded him of the sky when it was overcast but mother had directly told me that it was an ugly and murky color.
Either ways, I looked nothing like my mother and sister. Luckily, people always said that I had a great deal of resemblance to my father, that was the only assurance I had that I was not adopted or picked off from the streets.
"Come here, pompom," I cooed gently at the feline that had wrapped itself around the branch of the large tree in front of me.
Lately, the thought began to niggle at me. What if I was adopted? What if I was an illegitimate child? After all, I'd heard the whispers of the maids and other workers in the manor. They always looked at me the same, with pity.
"Oh, mama! I think this is beautiful!"
I recognized the voice instantly, turning my attention away from the stubborn cat and towards the walkway that led to the manor. I spotted mother and my sister, raising my hand to wave at them when I noticed the array of bags the maids carried as they trailed behind them.
The smile on my face fell slowly and my hands dropped to my side. I watched as my mother cooed and clapped at my sister. I watched as my sister twirled around, the sheer pink ball gown, that was undoubtedly new, she donned shimmering under the soft glow of the sunlight.
"You look gorgeous, my love!" Mother cheered in an ecstatic voice, her eyes filled with adoration for my younger sister, "Absolutely gorgeous!"
I remembered distinctly when I asked mother for a new set of clothes since I'd outgrown the ones I had and I could recall her response,
'If we bought clothes simply because we got too fat for our previous ones then we wouldn't have a roof over our heads, would we?'
Of course, like the good girl that I was, I nodded in agreement but now, watching them as they twirled and rejoiced over their new outfits I couldn't help the pain I felt in my heart.
My eyes slowly fell to the crème colored gown I wore, it was way past my knee, rumpled after having seen too many days and was too tight at the bodice, however it was the only decent wear I had. It was given to me by one of the maids when she saw how small my other clothes appeared on my body.
'You're a growing child,' She muttered with tears in her eyes and bitter frustration in her tone as she searched through her bags for a outfit, 'Of course, you need new clothes. What's Mr. Cruz doing anyways?'
Although she muttered the last part to herself, I caught it but pretended not to hear. I'd stopped wondering why my father never paid me much attention, maybe like mother he couldn't stand the sight of me.
I swallowed the lump that had somehow gotten stuck in my throat, lifting my gaze towards the sky to prevent the tears from falling.
"Pompom?" My voice shook as I called, lifting my arms towards my cat, "Please, come down."
You see, I would have put up with it. I would've ignored their harsh words and cruel treatment. I would've ignored the hitting and getting locked up in the cellar for days on end. I would've ignored everything because I desperately wanted to cling on to my family and because maybe deep inside, I had hope that one day, mother would look at me and smile too.
But it wasn't going to happen. I was never going to get that chance.
'You're getting married.'
My father had broken the news to me last night and the ceremony was scheduled to hold a week from now. I had no idea who the groom was or why I was going to become a wife at fourteen. But when I saw the cruel smirk on mother's face and the joyful grin on my sister's face.
I was convinced then. I didn't belong here, no matter how much I tried. I wasn't her daughter because no parent would treat their child the way mother did me.
"Good girl," I whispered when Pompom managed to untangle herself from the tree, jumping into my arms, "Very good girl."
As I stroked Pompom's soft fur, I decided in my heart then. I wasn't going to get married against my will and I wasn't going to put up with a family that didn't need me.
I was going to leave, run as far away as I can get and never look back. It was the only thing I could do to survive.
I doubted they would even notice my absence if I was gone. The only thing they would feel is embarrassment at having to cancel the wedding because of a missing bride.
"Come on, Pompom," I muttered to the feline and her ears perked in response, "We have a grand escape to plan."
The cat meowed in response, swinging her furry tail this way and that. I smiled at the reaction, stroking her fur and she snuggled closer to me.
"Where do you think we should go, Pom?" I whispered in a tone low enough for only our ears.
Pompom meowed again, stretching her back and then curling into a ball in my hands. My lips quirked and I looked upwards, gazing at the horizon in the distance.
"Well, I know where," I continued in a soft voice, my eyes drifting faraway, reminiscent of the place that I constantly marked on the globe back in my room, "America. Let's go to America, Pompom."
Pompom made a quiet sound and I took that as an agreement, my smile growing wider. It was settled then,
America, it is.
Chapter 1 (...)
03/09/2024
Chapter 2 Prologue
03/09/2024
Chapter 3 1; Lola Smith
03/09/2024
Chapter 4 2; Milk Problems
03/09/2024
Chapter 5 3; Anxiety Attack
03/09/2024
Chapter 6 4; Paintings and Strangers
03/09/2024
Chapter 7 5; Curious Cat
03/09/2024
Chapter 8 6; The Job Opening
03/09/2024
Chapter 9 7; The Mysterious Woman
03/09/2024
Chapter 10 8; The Strange Hero
03/09/2024
Chapter 11 9; The Interview
13/09/2024
Chapter 12 10; An Answer
13/09/2024
Chapter 13 11; A Goodnight Kiss
13/09/2024
Chapter 14 12; Big Brother
13/09/2024
Chapter 15 13; Family
13/09/2024
Chapter 16 14; The News
13/09/2024
Chapter 17 15; The New Boss
13/09/2024
Chapter 18 16; Second Impressions
13/09/2024
Chapter 19 17; Something Heavy
13/09/2024
Chapter 20 18; Nice To See You
13/09/2024
Chapter 21 19; Lunch Reservations
13/09/2024
Chapter 22 20; Lunch With Him
13/09/2024
Chapter 23 21; A Hint Of A Smile
13/09/2024
Chapter 24 22; Disappointment
13/09/2024
Chapter 25 23; Questions And Answers
13/09/2024
Chapter 26 24; Two of us
13/09/2024
Chapter 27 25; Surprise Guest
13/09/2024
Chapter 28 26; A Gift from a friend
13/09/2024
Chapter 29 27; New Friends
13/09/2024
Chapter 30 28; The Connection
13/09/2024
Chapter 31 29; Someone from the past
13/09/2024
Chapter 32 30; Growing Attraction
24/09/2024
Chapter 33 31; Recognition
24/09/2024
Chapter 34 Romano Cruz
24/09/2024
Chapter 35 Midnight Conversations
24/09/2024
Chapter 36 A Worried Boss
24/09/2024
Chapter 37 The Club
24/09/2024
Chapter 38 The Hotel
24/09/2024
Chapter 39 Hiding
24/09/2024
Chapter 40 A Rat and A Boss
24/09/2024
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