The True Heiress They Replaced and Then Tried to Erase

"Your sister had a falling-out with Lorenzo. She wants to stay under your roof for a while. Mateo already gave his word." "Just go along with it, okay? If you don't, the sight of you only reminds her that you were once promised to Lorenzo. You know how she is..." "But, Mom, why?" I choked up, cutting her off. "Why what?" There was a brief pause before the Don's wine-thickened voice came down the line. "Sweetheart, I know you still hold it against us, letting Valentina take Lorenzo. But if we hadn't sealed that pact, the Falcone Family would have been finished..." My chest tightened. I had heard these excuses too many times before. That wasn't what I wanted to ask, though. I wanted to know why they were so willing to lay me down on the altar and keep the truth buried under Omertà. Was protecting Valentina, the false-blood daughter raised in our name, and the Family's standing, really worth more than their own blood? On the other end, my father kept rambling. It only added nausea to my headache. "I understand. I'll do as you say." The moment I hung up, I rushed to the bathroom and threw up. Staring at my pale, exhausted reflection in the mirror, I made up my mind. If everyone in the Family only cared about Valentina, then fine. I would leave. I went back to the sitting room and dialed the number of Elena Rosaria, the matriarch who had once raised me when no bloodline would claim me. "Elena, I want to go abroad with you and open a new orphanage on the Yvora coast." Then, after hearing her answer, I said, "Yes, I've made up my mind. I can leave with you at the end of next month." When the call ended, I dialed my private doctor. "Don't say a word to Mr. Graciano about the pregnancy yet. I want to surprise him." "What surprise?" Just then the door opened, and Mateo caught the back half of my sentence. "Your birthday is at the end of next month. It's a birthday surprise," I replied calmly. Mateo's face lit, and he crossed the room to pull me into his arms. "Thank you, Adriana. You don't have to do all this. I only want you happy, every day of it." Before, his words would have moved me deeply. Now I just felt cold all over. "My parents called a moment ago. They told me not to cause trouble while my sister is carrying. Mateo, I'm really upset." He tightened his arms around me. "Don't be sad. They mean well. My brother says that ever since Valentina got pregnant her temper has been impossible. He even went to ground overseas today just to keep clear of her." I shook my head slightly, my eyes turning red. "It's not that. I'm just sad... that I can't give the man I love a child, the way my sister can." At my words, Mateo went still for a moment, a flicker of disappointment crossing his eyes. Then his hand drifted to the decanter on the side table and turned it a fraction, squaring it to the edge. "I'm sorry, Mateo... I've been nothing but a burden to you." I bit my lip as the tears slipped down. His expression softened again. "Don't talk like that, Adriana. I told you two years ago. Even if you can never carry a child, I would love you just the same." "By the way, I gave my parents my word that Valentina could stay with us a while. What do you think...?" He framed it like a question, but there was a quiet plea sitting in his eyes. "Sure, that's fine. I wouldn't want to put you in a hard place with your own people." Relief washed over his face. "Adriana, you're remarkable." I forced down the bitterness rising in my throat and asked, "Remarkable how?" "You're a wonderful wife, a good sister, a devoted daughter. You're good in every way there is." I pulled my lips into a faint, bitter smile. So this is what being "good" earns me. Watching every soul of my blood take Valentina's side. Sheltering a criminal. Burying her sins under the code while the knife stays in me. Noticing the slight tremble in my shoulders, Mateo gathered me close, his voice gentle. "Are you tired? Come, let me get you to bed." Late that night, once he was certain I was sound asleep, he eased his hand away and slipped into the study.

Mateo had no idea that earlier that afternoon, I had a soldier wire a camera into the study, hidden among the squared edges of his liquor bottles. On the screen, he held a photo of Valentina tightly, murmuring to himself. "Valentina, Lorenzo didn't go to ground today just to keep his distance from you." "Why do you only ever have eyes for him? Why do you want to carry his child?" "Today, Adriana told me she wanted a child of mine too. I was actually a little moved… She really is a good woman… but she'll never be you." "If she could give me a child, maybe I'd love her a little more… But that's impossible now." I clenched my phone, my grip tightening as the truth finally sank in. He did want a child of his own. He did have some feelings for me. And yet, for Valentina, he could suppress all of it, even resisting the temptation of an heir with me. Mateo, since you love her so much, I'd make sure you'd have her. The next morning, Valentina arrived with her own men, hauling bags of luggage past my soldiers at the gate as she officially moved into my home, deep in Falcone territory. I glanced toward the kitchen, immediately understanding what was happening. In two years bound by the alliance pact, Mateo had never once stepped into the kitchen to make me breakfast. So that was it. Whatever he was cooking, it wasn't for me. It was for the woman he truly loved. At the dining table, Valentina took a bite of a shrimp dumpling, then smiled as she held it out to me. "Sis, how does Matty not know you're allergic to shrimp?" She paused, then went on. "Ah, well… I guess it's not surprising. He probably just remembers that I love eating shrimp." I clenched the spoon tightly, staying silent. "Here comes the last dish, shrimp and egg omelet!" Mateo came. He wore heat-resistant gloves while carefully setting the dish on the table, then nudged it a half-inch straighter without thinking. "Adriana, your health has always been fragile. Eat more of this. It's good for you." "Mateo, don't tell me you didn't know Adriana is allergic to shrimp? Then again, I suppose that's expected. How well can a couple really know each other in an arranged match between Families?" Valentina smirked playfully, her fingers drifting to the pendant at her throat, while Mateo's face tensed as he turned to look at me. "I'm sorry, Adriana… It's my first time cooking, so I—" Before he could finish, a wave of nausea rolled over me. I clamped a hand over my mouth and bolted for the bathroom. Mateo hurried after me, while Valentina leaned lazily against the doorframe, amusement dancing in her voice. "Tsk tsk, Sis, you look just like I did a few months ago when I was dealing with morning sickness." She let it hang, then added, "Too bad… that's not even a possibility for you, is it?" She was about to go on, but Mateo cut her off. "Valentina, did you struggle with morning sickness too?" The warmth of his hands on my back suddenly felt uncertain, like at any moment they might slip away toward Valentina instead. "Exactly! I've been through so much for your big brother, and he doesn't appreciate it at all. Instead, he picks fights with me!" Valentina huffed in frustration while reaching down to pat her belly. "Being pregnant is exhausting! So what if I have a bit of a temper? Honestly, I don't even want this baby anymore!" Mateo immediately grabbed her hand. "Don't say that. Once you give birth, this child will be the future blood-heir of the Graciano Family. Big Brother will owe you his gratitude." Hearing that, Valentina's expression brightened and she leaned into Mateo's arms. "Adriana, you're so lucky! Mateo is far more caring than Lorenzo!" Mateo's ears turned red and he quickly steadied her. "You're far along now. You need to be careful." Noticing my gaze, Valentina suddenly clutched her belly and let out a pained gasp. Mateo panicked, scooping her up without hesitation. "Adriana, I'm taking Valentina to the doctor." I said nothing, the weight in my chest growing heavier, more suffocating. Hot tears dripped into the sink. Mateo, you're not even trying to hide your feelings for her anymore... As soon as Don Falcone and his wife heard Valentina wasn't feeling well, they came at once, fussing over her, showering her with concern as though she carried the only blood that mattered to the Family. They didn't ask about me. Instead, they reminded Mateo and me to take good care of her, even insisting on bringing in the finest nurse the Family's money could buy to look after her.

Valentina lounged across the sofa like a queen accepting the homage of her court, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction. "Oh, come on, you all are acting like I'm made of glass just because I'm pregnant. Don't you think they're overreacting?" Before I could answer, Valentina arranged her face into a look of mock regret. "Oh, I forgot. You can't have children. You're not jealous of all the attention I'm getting as the little pregnant one, are you?" Seeing my expression darken, Nora Everett moved in fast, smoothing the moment over the way the Family smoothed over everything that threatened to draw blood at the dinner table. "Of course not. Adriana has always been kind. She loves you just as much as we do." Valentina narrowed her eyes a fraction, then turned to Mateo. Her fingers drifted to the pendant at her throat. "What about you, Matty? Do you love me too?" Mateo went rigid, caught off guard, his hesitant gaze flickering toward me before he could stop it. Looking at the people in front of me, every one of them wearing the same mask of false affection the way made men wear their Sunday suits, I felt nothing but coldness in my heart. "Of course. Your Mateo sees you as famiglia too, so of course he loves you." Without another word I turned on my heel, muttering some excuse as I walked toward the door. I had no interest in playing along with their charade any longer. By the time I came back to the estate, my plans to disappear to the Yvora coast sealed with Elena Rosaria, it was already past ten at night. Nora Everett and the old Don had long since left. The whole villa sat dark, except for the faint glow bleeding from beneath the door of Mateo's study. On impulse, I pulled up the security feed for the room. And there she was. Valentina, sprawled across his desk, her clothes disheveled, very much awake. She was supposed to be asleep upstairs. Valentina wound her arms around Mateo's neck, her voice soft and teasing. "So. You married Adriana just to keep Lorenzo loyal to the alliance. To keep him loyal to me." She ran a finger down his chest, her tone all silk and poison. "You've loved me for so many years, and you ended up bound to a woman who can't even give you blood-heirs. Mateo, don't you regret it?" Mateo's breath hitched. He turned his head away. "As long as you're happy, nothing else matters." Valentina didn't let him escape. She caught his chin, forcing him to meet her eyes, then kissed him deep. "You've been so good to me. I have to find a way to repay you. Tonight, I want to be yours." Mateo stiffened, caught off guard, but before he could pull away she only smiled, the smile holding a beat too long before it smoldered. "Relax. I'm already seven months along. The doctor said as long as we take it easy, there's no danger." With those words whatever restraint Mateo had left snapped. He pulled her into his arms, and together they gave in to the moment. Outside, lightning split the sky, thunder rolling in low across the territory like something coming to collect a debt. Just as Mateo reached his peak, a thought cut through him. "Adriana is afraid of thunderstorms. I need to check on her." He scrambled into his clothes and rushed out, only to find the soft glow of the bedroom lamp. I was already fast asleep. He let out a quiet breath of relief, pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, and slipped into bed beside me. For the next two weeks he played the devoted husband by day. But at night he lost himself in Valentina's arms behind the closed doors of his study. Eventually Lorenzo came for her, ready to take Valentina back where she belonged, back under the Graciano name. When Don Graciano's eyes found me, a flicker of surprise crossed them. Maybe even something like admiration. He asked if I'd been doing well these past two years, then sighed, almost apologetic, turning the heavy signet ring slowly on his finger. "It's not that I didn't care about you," he said. "But for the standing of the bloodline, I had no choice. I hope you don't hate me." BANG. The bedroom door flew open and Valentina came down the stairs, her heels striking the marble like gunfire. "Lorenzo, I forgive you. Go up and start packing my things. I'm going home with you." The moment Lorenzo was out of sight, the sweet facade dropped clean off her face. She turned to me, her features twisting with malice. "Adriana, you pathetic leftover. You really think you can compete with me for Lorenzo?" I turned to leave, refusing to engage, and that only sharpened her fury. She lunged, grabbing my arm so hard her nails sank deep into my skin. "I actually thought you had some luck in you. Even a discarded woman, and still someone was willing to take you in." She let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "But it turns out Mateo never even loved you. Isn't that just pathetic?" Her eyes gleamed as she twisted the knife deeper, her hand brushing the pendant at her throat as though confirming a weapon was still there. "So what if you were betrothed to Lorenzo first because you're the 'real' blood-daughter of this Family? In the end he still bound himself to me, didn't he?" Then she leaned in, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "Listen to me, Adriana. So long as I exist, no one in this world will ever love you. Not the Don. Not Everett. Not Mateo. Not Lorenzo."

"You still don't know, do you? Mateo has always loved me!" Pain shot through me as I clenched my fists. "What… what did you just say?" My voice shook. "These past two years, do you even know why Mateo spends all his nights locked in that study? Because that room is full of his love and longing for me." "He even swore that even if you could carry a child, he'd find a way to make you lose it. He'd never let anyone stand between my blood and the Graciano succession. Hahaha!" Shock and fury surged through me. "Aren't you afraid Lorenzo will find out?" At that moment, Lorenzo's footsteps echoed from the stairwell, slow and deliberate, the kind of tread that made soldiers straighten in doorways. Valentina's face changed in an instant. Her practiced smile held a beat too long, then snapped flat. She seized my hand and slammed it against her own cheek. Then, as if losing her balance, she stumbled backward and fell straight into Lorenzo's arms. Almost at the same moment, Mateo and my parents' furious voices rang out from the doorway. "Adriana! Are you out of your mind?!" Valentina clutched her reddened cheek, tears streaming down her face like a fragile, weeping flower. Her fingers brushed the pendant at her throat, checking it the way a man checks a weapon is still there. "Lorenzo, I never thought… after two years, my sister would still hate me for taking you from her." "But it was never like that. You only bound yourself to me to seal the pact between the Falcone and Graciano Families. And still she's jealous that I carry your blood… She told me she wanted me to suffer the way she has. To know what it is to never bear a child." Before I could even speak, Lorenzo, Mateo, and my parents all looked at me with the same cold contempt. "Adriana, if anything happens to Valentina's child, you'll regret the day you were born." Lorenzo didn't hesitate. He scooped Valentina into his arms and swept her out the door. Mateo slammed his fist against the frame, his eyes burning red. "Adriana, I never thought you could be this cruel. Everything that was done to you had nothing to do with Valentina. Why take it out on her?" Even my parents scolded me, calling me reckless, childish, a danger to the alliance. Nothing to do with her? Mateo actually had the nerve to say that? Rage surged through me. I wanted to scream at him, to tell him everything, to name the names this Family had buried under Omertà. But before I could, my vision blurred and darkness swallowed me whole. When I woke, I was in a hospital bed, the kind the Family kept on quiet retainer where no questions were ever logged. Mateo was gripping my hand tightly. "Adriana, why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" A cold glint flickered in my eyes. So he found out after all. Well then… I might as well make this surprise even bigger. Tears welled up as I whispered, my voice trembling. "The doctor said it's barely a month along, and with my health… there's no guarantee I can carry to term. I didn't want to say anything until things were stable." My eyes reddened and tears slid down my cheeks. "Why would I be jealous of Valentina? Why would I hurt her? I'm carrying your child, Mateo. She set me up." Mateo's hand tightened over mine, and he nodded furiously. "I'll go to Lorenzo and my parents myself. Valentina has crossed a line this time." I closed my eyes and murmured, "I'm tired. I don't want to see you right now." Mateo understood. I was still upset. Without another word he rose. By the bedside table his fingers found the water glass and the prayer card someone had left, squaring them, aligning them with the edge. "Don't worry. I'll talk to Lorenzo and my parents right away. I'll clear your name." A few hours later my parents arrived at the hospital, all smiles, heaping praise on how fortunate I was. Right in front of me they even scolded Valentina, calling her reckless, a liability to the truce. Then, as casually as men discussing tribute over wine, they mentioned that if I safely delivered this child, the Graciano bloodline would have another heir. Watching their false, greedy faces made my stomach turn. I used my health as an excuse and had Mateo send them away. The moment they left, I called my consigliere and had him draw up the papers to dissolve the alliance pact. I slipped them between my prenatal reports and sweet-talked Mateo into signing without a second thought, his pen scratching where I pointed, his eyes already somewhere soft and far away. In one month, after the mandatory waiting period, the dissolution would be final. The effective date? Mateo's birthday. The same day I planned to vanish from this house, and both Families, for good. For the next month, Mateo was ecstatic. He couldn't stop talking about the baby, about our future, completely blind to the fact that soon both would be gone. He went so far as to gut two of the bedrooms in the estate and remake them into nurseries, one pink, one blue. "That way," he said, "boy or girl, everything's ready." He even began talking about a second child, already dreaming of a perfect famiglia, a son and a daughter. I sneered inwardly. Mateo, I hope you'll still be smiling on your birthday. The day finally came. Early that morning he wrapped me in his arms, saying he wanted to take me out to celebrate. But before we could leave, Valentina called. For the past month she had used the pretext of visiting me to linger near Mateo, working him at every turn. To my surprise, he had refused her each time. He told himself that since he had chosen me and the child, he owed it to us to keep faith. Just as we'd started to believe he had truly changed, Valentina played her last card. She said she only wanted to drop off a birthday gift for Mateo. On the way, though, there had been a wreck. Her stomach hurt. She was terrified. As expected, Mateo panicked. He turned to me and lied straight to my face, saying urgent Family business had come up and he'd be back soon. I smiled at him sweetly. "When you come back, I'll have a special surprise waiting for you." His gaze softened when he noticed the small gift box in my hands. With a look full of devotion, he kissed my forehead. "I can't wait. Let's open it together when I get back." The moment he walked out the door, my phone rang. Valentina. "Adriana, two years ago, I was the one who paid the men to take you." "I only learned the rest a few days ago. It wasn't your parents who got you back. It was Mateo. He spent a fortune to bury my name in it, and he bound himself to you to keep you from digging any further." "Back when I was staying in your house, he came to that study every night and took me, again and again. He said he found you disgusting, that he had to picture my face just to endure you." "Did you really think he'd ever love the child you carry?" Valentina let out a sharp, taunting laugh before the line went dead. "You will never take his love from me." I recorded the call, then glanced at the message I had scheduled to send at the perfect moment. In the silence after her laughter, the truth of Omertà settled over me at last. It was never the secrets you kept that cost you everything. It was the ones kept from you. A smirk tugged at my lips. My thumb pressed against the bare band of skin where my ring used to sit. Valentina, you won't be laughing like that for much longer. Then Mateo called. I let it ring. Then I blocked his number, and every other way he could reach me. I headed straight for the airport, my plane ticket clutched in my hand.