ena

thrown open, rebounding fr

, bringing the chaotic ener

longed in a cheap nightclub, her makeu

ind her w

an oversized track jacket and gold

arting around the luxurious room, as if calculat

ke the low-level str

threw herself at

s frail hand and pre

man. Look at what th

on a sickening displ

ate pet names, complete

r with a mixture of

s it started, Ales

d glared at me, her ey

a queen with my son, while I rotted in the slums with

orward, pushing

lance at the dyin

looked str

s I own half your stuff." Rocco p

nt the offshore accounts. And I want the Syndicate

ce punctuated only by the sudden, franti

head, looking at

is life cultivating

d, unrefined thug m

ieve this was hi

uted, kicking the leg of the hospita

I ate garbage while your fake son wore c

fake tears and n

ly do so much. You need to step up, Serena. Take respon

the noise and the vulgarity were dra

Show mercy. He is your blood. Tolerate hi

ling, not blinking until my eyes burned and a sing

n at Alessia, and fina

t, hunching my shoulders to ap

from me?" I asked softly

her greed stark

true son. He needs to know who his real mother is, and he nee

ed weakly. "

phone and open

y body, I blind-typed a qui

hospital. T

id the device bac

ractically vibrating with the anticipation of reuni

ght she

out to become the new

ont of me, keeping my h

re the hospital cafeteria was, and I list

s, and I savored the knowledge that a vendetta, twenty-s

ok at her with eyes as cold as the grave. Alessia had spent twenty-six years dreaming of t