Chapter 13: Cracks in the Facade
The gates of the Morano estate creaked open under Lauretta’s silent command. She stood tall beside her son, flanked by guards with raised rifles and watchful eyes. The late-afternoon sun gleamed against her dark attire, making her presence as formidable as the name she carried.
Seraphina stepped forward from one of her cars, her red heels tapping against the stone like war drums. Her snow-white coat billowed slightly in the breeze, and her lips curled into a smirk the moment her eyes met Luca’s.
"I thought you were dead," Luca said quietly, voice caught between disbelief and steel.
Seraphina’s brows arched, amused. "Oh, little nephew. Still so serious." Her gaze shifted. "And my dear Lauretta... you’ve aged gracefully. I see the family’s chaos hasn’t dulled your tongue."
Lauretta’s stare was sharp enough to slice glass. "Seraphina Alessandro," she said icily. "We buried you."
"What you buried," Seraphina replied with a sly smile, "was an empty coffin. My last wish—no one was to open it. And no one did. That’s how much you trusted me." She leaned forward slightly. "That was your first mistake."
"You wrote a letter disowning your father," Lauretta hissed. "You vanished and left behind disgrace."
Seraphina laughed, bitter and elegant. "Disgrace? No, darling. I ran from ruin. Our dear Alessandro, couldn’t afford to support my lifestyle. So, I disappeared. Reinvented. Rose. And now—" her eyes gleamed with challenge "—I’ve returned for what belongs to me."
"You are not allowed in," Luca cut in, stepping forward protectively. "Not now. Not ever."
"Yes, my son is right," Lauretta added, voice like frost. "You can’t just walk back in and claim anything."
Seraphina’s smile wavered. "I came for my late brother’s property. I won’t let you hog the empire he and I built from our youth."
"You built nothing," Lauretta snapped. "You mocked his dreams, stole from his vaults, and left him to rot when he needed you most. You only return now because there’s wealth to chase."
Seraphina’s nostrils flared. "You call this family, but you left me for dead."
"We didn’t," Luca said coldly. "You left yourself for dead."
A heavy silence fell between them.
Then Seraphina’s voice dropped, venomous and low. "Fine. Deny me. Pretend I’m a ghost. But know this—your secrets don’t stay buried forever. My eyes are already inside these walls. You’ll be hearing from me again."
She turned sharply, heels clicking, and her convoy peeled away from the estate like a storm receding—but leaving devastation in its wake.
*****
Lauretta entered the parlor slowly, her footsteps echoing through the grand silence. Since Morano’s death, she’d retreated from the estate’s affairs, choosing the solitude of her chambers. But now, the past had clawed its way to the present—and she would not remain hidden any longer.
Luca stood by the window, arms crossed, gaze still locked on the driveway.
"She’s bluffing," he muttered. "Or she’s got someone feeding her information."
Lauretta turned to him. "We need to be sure. Secrets are dangerous currency. And Seraphina knows how to spend them well."
Without hesitation, Luca picked up his phone and called Enzo.
"Double the surveillance," he ordered. "Audit every maid’s device. Every room. Every communication. I want to know who’s leaking information. If they don’t stop, I’ll make an example of them."
****
That Evening
In the ballroom, ten maids lined up nervously before Lauretta. Each one had been brought into the estate under special circumstances—family debts, orphaned ties, promises of redemption. They’d worked for years in service to the Moranos, and now their contracts were nearly fulfilled.
Lauretta’s sharp gaze moved across their faces.
"You were taken in during hardship," she began, voice calm but firm. "We sheltered you. Trained you. Protected you. Now your service is almost up, and you have a choice: leave with your debts forgiven, or stay on—under full pay and permanent protection."
There were murmurs. Then slowly, one by one, eight of the girls stepped forward.
"We’ll stay," one of them said. "The Moranos saved our lives, took as part of the family, we enjoy been here."
Lauretta gave a small nod.
But then, the ninth stepped forward—soft-spoken and timid. Her eyes gleamed with quiet hope.
"I want to study abroad," she said. "It’s all I’ve ever dreamed of."
Lauretta didn’t hesitate. "Your dream will be funded by us. You were loyal. That deserves reward."
Then came the tenth girl.
She stepped forward with her usual brightness dulled, a strange seriousness in her eyes. Her hands were folded in front of her, and when she spoke, her voice didn’t tremble.
"I want to leave."
The room went still.
Alessia, standing just behind Lauretta, gasped.
Even Luca stepped forward, brow furrowed.
mrs lauretta Morano, was even more shocked.
The tenth girl is... "Daisy".....
*******
The sun filtered through the velvet curtains, casting golden streaks over the marble floor of the Morano estate. Silence sat heavily in the room, even as the weight of goodbye hung unspoken in the air.
Daisy stood at the edge of the hallway, suitcase in hand, a bittersweet smile on her face. "I think I need to step outside," she said, her voice soft but certain. "In case anything happens with the Morano family... I should be close enough to hear whispers, but far enough not to burn with the flame."
Mrs. Lauretta Morano—elegant in her deep green silk gown—nodded solemnly. "You’ve always been loyal, Daisy. Not just to this house... but to me. You were my personal maid once, and I trusted you to run our family dinners. I don’t forget loyalty." She stepped forward, slipping a small white envelope into Daisy’s palm. "This is just a token. A beginning."
Daisy blinked back sudden tears and gave a short curtsy. "Thank you, ma’am."
Luca’s voice came steady and low behind them. "Continue to be the Daisy we’ve always known."
A soft laugh escaped Daisy’s lips as she looked at him. "I’ll try not to disappoint, Don."
Her gaze turned to Alessia, who stood silently beside the staircase. Their eyes locked. Alessia’s lashes trembled with unshed tears, her chest rising and falling with emotion.
"I’ll miss you," Daisy whispered.
Alessia rushed forward, and they embraced tightly.
"I’m not crying," Daisy said, though her voice cracked. "It’s the dust in this mafia house. Makes everyone emotional."
Alessia chuckled through her tears. "Liar."
They held each other a moment longer before Daisy pulled away, wiping at her cheek. Then she turned to go—but paused, rummaging in her handbag. She pulled out a small, sleek silver flash drive and pressed it into Alessia’s hand.
"This..." she said carefully, voice lowered to a hush, "is not just a gift. It’s a secret. Use it only when you’re alone. And don’t tell anyone you have it."
Daisy said fully aware no one heard them.
Alessia’s brows drew together. "What’s on it?"
"We’ll talk," Daisy replied with a mysterious smile. "After all... if I told you now, someone might try to shut us both up."
Then, just like that, Daisy turned and walked away.
*****
Moments later, Luca’s phone buzzed. One glance at the screen and his jaw tightened.
"I need to go. Emergency meeting at the office," he muttered, already reaching for his jacket.
Lauretta fussed behind him. "Don’t keep late nights, Luca. Not with all that’s happening."
He paused at the door and gave his mother a nod, then turned briefly to Alessia. Their eyes met, and something unspoken passed between them.
"I’ll be back soon," he said.
Alessia only nodded.
But inside... she wasn’t fine.
As the house quieted, she walked slowly back to the bedroom she now shared with Luca. The walls felt colder. The space emptier. She sank onto the edge of the bed, clutching the flash drive in her hand.
Her fingers traced its edges as her thoughts drifted—to her parents, whom she hadn’t seen in months. A fresh wave of longing swept through her. I’ll visit them tomorrow, she decided. I need their warmth... their wisdom. I miss home.
Just then, her phone buzzed.
A message from Luca lit up the screen:
"Let’s go out on a date, babe. I’m done with the meeting. Come meet me at Donald’s Restaurant. Wear something red for me."
A small smile curled on Alessia’s lips. It was unlike Luca to ask her out like that—sweet, playful, even romantic. But before she could type a reply, another message came in...
From an unknown number.
"Don’t trust anyone. Not even the man asking you to wear red tonight. Check what’s inside the flash before you go anywhere.".....