One and a Half Years Later...

"Are you alright, amorina?" Matteo asked his niece as he sat beside her in the car that was taking them to her aunt's place where there was a party to celebrate her engagement. When a girl got engaged especially to a good family, it was a big deal in Gia's community and it was a cause for great celebration. They invited every other family to show them that their ranks were going to rise and also establish new alliances among the community.

Gia turned to her zio and smiled fondly up at him. She knew he was concerned for her because she had yet to get a good match for herself. Many came but she turned them away, especially after what happened on that fateful night a year ago in her father's office. She could never forget what she felt that night and whenever the boys came to meet her, she tried to put them in the same light as that stranger. None of them excited her as he did.

"I am fine, zio."

Gia was not on good terms with her father because of not decide to marry one of the boys he sent her way. She still believed that the stranger would show up at least once and so she attended every party, soiree, and theatre performance that was held last year with the hope that he would finally show his face. Though she didn't see his face, she knew she would recognize him from his voice and build. He never did show up and as the days passed, her once brightly burning fire slowly died.

Gia didn't want to settle for a normal and boring life. If she was going to marry someone she couldn't choose, then it might as well be someone who would keep her interested. She wanted to blame everything on her zio because he was the one that allowed her to taste what freedom meant and once she did, she couldn't get enough of it.

Gia felt a finger under her chin and Matteo turned her head to face him. "If you are worried about the future, amorina, don't. Everything will work itself out."

Gia smiled up at her zio and shook her head. "Papa will not talk to me now that I have gone against his wishes. I don't understand why he would get upset over me trying to get the best when he knows clearly that once I am married, my husband would be the next heir to the family fortune. Shouldn't I at least take my time in deciding the matter thoroughly?"

Matteo sighed and settled back in his seat. "Your papa feels like he is failing you. He thinks that you can't take care of yourself and that you need someone to always be there for you when he is not around."

"You are always there with me, zio." Gia teased and Matteo chuckled.

Matteo couldn't be more different from his older brother and Gia's father, Andrea. Where Andrea was always smartly dressed and carried himself like the boss that he was, Matteo was more laid back. Matteo let his dark hair grow to his shoulders with thick, glossy locks that Gia loved very much. His eyes were a lighter shade of brown and he was quite a looker. He had a larger body than her father because he was also head of security for the family.

Gia had yet to see her zio get his hands dirty but he was quite feared in the family. Whenever there was an argument among the members, all he had to do was to get up from his seat and everyone would keep their mouths shut. He wasn't the man to say whatever he wanted to say twice and he was the most trusted family member that Andrea had.

Many of the members feared that if Andrea didn't find the heir he wanted to inherit his chair, he would pass it to Matteo but Gia knew her zio very well. He would rather slit his own throat than ascend that chair.

"But I am nothing more than your zio and you, my carina." Matteo was such a sucker when it came to Gia. He spoiled her senseless and she loved and appreciated him.

Gia wanted him to remain in her life even after she finally gave in to the marriage aspect but somehow, she felt that she prevented him from having a life of his own. Matteo refused to get involved in a relationship and marriage until he was sure that Gia could stand on her own two feet. He took on that responsibility when she was a young child. He was the person who attended all the school events and even took her to her prom night.

Gia took Matteo's arm and wrapped it around her shoulders before she cuddled beside him and sighed softly. "You need to have your own life, zio."

Matteo placed a kiss on Gia's temple and hugged her back. "Only when you find the man that will replace me."

Gia looked up at him and nodded. "I'll try my best."

The car came to a halt and Matteo's face suddenly changed into an expressionless mask as he gave Gia the last hand squeeze and got out of the car then helped her out. The night was warm and scented with summer blooms.

Gia ran her hands in front of her black sequin sleeveless dress that hugged her small waist and bloomed around her hips in ripples of fabric that emphasized her generously curved hips even more. The left leg showed some skin from the slit that started from her thigh down to below her ankles. Gia tied her hair up in a messy bun and had her crystal-studded clutch match her silver heels.

One side of her mouth arched up in a smirk when she saw how her cousins and their friends reacted to her. She was already used to their glares because she was sitting on a legacy that everyone else wagged their greedy tongues for. She was the sole heiress to a multi-billion fortune which included a chain of hotels, the harbor, and a shipment company that dominated the exporting sector in the country--well, she would have been if she were born a boy. That business kept food on their tables. It was something most of them only dreamt about and would never experience in real life. Behind their hypocritical smiles were calculating individuals who let their envy turn into something dark and dangerous.

The heavy footsteps behind gave Gia assurance that she was safe because zio looked out for her. She gave him a side glance and he gave her a curt nod. He always told her never to be apologetic for being born privileged. Gia never chose her family and so she should love it with all its flaws. He taught her to keep her head up because she was the face of the Moretti family.

Gia straightened her back and squared her shoulders as she ascended the steps to her aunt's house. Eyes escorted her to the door and the moment she entered; the muffled buzzing of conversations that was being carried out inside the house suddenly died. They all turned to her before her arrival was announced.

She saw the way her aunt's eyes darkened as she quickly cracked a lopsided smile and made her way to Gia. Beatrice extended her hands to her and when Gia reluctantly accepted them, Beatrice pulled her into a hug and placed a kiss on either cheek.

"I didn't expect you to show up today. Andrea called and told me that he is concluding some business and that he will only have time tomorrow." Beatrice said as she moved back and looked down at Gia. "You look great, Gia and I am happy that you came to support Luna on her engagement."

Gia merely smiled at her conniving aunt and turned to her zio before nodding to him. Matteo produced a gift bag and handed it to her aunt.

"A little something for Luna on her engagement day," Gia told her.

Beatrice's eyes widened but then they hardened and her lips went thin with anger. She arched an eyebrow at Gia and turned to her younger brother accusingly. "Why don't you take that present up to Luna yourself, Gia? She is in her room getting ready."

Gia's father had four younger siblings: three sisters and the youngest brother. Luna's mother was the second child after Gia's father and zio Matteo was the last born. The three sisters made sure that Gia didn't have peace of mind as they supported Beatrice's first-born son to become Andrea's heir.

Gia didn't mind the challenge that her aunt was issuing. She knew that her aunt was taunting her for not getting an engagement settled throughout the whole year but what she didn't know was that Gia turned down over ten engagements and that was the reason why her father was enraged. Another issue was that the boy who was engaging Luna was one of the first ones to approach her.

Gia wondered if her aunt knew about it. She turned to her zio and took the gift bag from him then nodded. "I'll go up and greet Luna."

When Matteo was about to object, Beatrice quickly inserted herself between Gia and him. "Can I speak to you for a moment, Matteo?"

Matteo grunted in annoyance and followed his sister out as Gia made her way up to the second floor of the lavish mansion. There were many rumors about how Rocco, Luna's older brother embezzled a lot of the business money for his family. That was the reason why Andrea crossed out Rocco from becoming his heir. However, he did not cut his sister's family completely off and demoted Rocco to a warehouse manager.

Judging by the lavishness of the house, Gia was sure Rocco was at it again. He was stealing from her father.

With a short knock on Luna's door, Gia swung the door open and entered the room that was filled with her female cousins. They cheerfully shuffled about getting Luna ready but the moment Gia entered, all the chuckles and happiness died.

"What is she doing here?" One of them asked suddenly and Gia took a deep breath before she turned to the girl of the hour.

Luna looked amazing in her dress. Her hair was done and her makeup made her look like a doll. When she saw Gia, her eyes brightened and a genuine smile appeared on her lips as she squealed and rushed to her.

Gia never understood why Luna liked her. She always went against her mother's orders to stay away from her. Luna was a year younger than Gia but the girl genuinely liked Gia.

"You made it!" She exclaimed as she hugged Gia.

Gia cleared her throat nervously and stepped back before she handed the girl the gift bag. Gia never wanted to show people that she also liked Luna because she didn't want the poor girl to go through an outcast existence like her. She was a sweet girl and she was loved by everyone, and Gia felt that if she distanced herself from her, she would not taint her reputation.

However, that didn't do jack for Luna's fondness for her.

"Here." Gia shoved the bag into Luna's hands. "I bought this some time ago and realized it doesn't go with any outfit I own. You can have it." She lied.

Luna curiously reached into the gift bag and removed the black velvet box inside it. Her eyes widened as she opened it and gasped out loudly. The others were curious too as they moved closer to see what Gia had given Luna.

"Isn't this a limited edition?" Luna's trembling fingers touched the delicate necklace and earrings that blinked in the light like a thousand stars. It was made of pink diamonds and the moment Gia saw it in the shop, she knew it was the perfect engagement present for Luna. It cost her an arm and a leg but Gia wanted Luna to be happy. Luna didn't choose her family either and just had to do with what she had. "Gia..." Her lower lip trembled and her eyes turned glassy with unshed tears as the others murmured excitedly as the present.

Gia rolled her eyes. "If you don't like it, I could always take it back."

Luna quickly shoved the box behind her and chuckled making the tears run down her cheeks. "You can't take back a gift, silly."

"Stop crying with your makeup done, dummy. You look like a clown!" Gia snapped and turned on her heels before she made her way towards the door.

"Gia..." Luna called her back. "I am grateful that you came today. I am happy that you are here."

Gia's hand tightened on the doorknob just as her heart tightened painfully in her chest. She didn't know what to do with the feelings that Luna ignited in her gut. Gia always wanted to be liked and to be appreciated by the people that surrounded her but after Quinto and Lorena got engaged at the end of last year, she drifted away from them and suddenly found herself alone again. She knew that Quinto and Lorena must have been warned to stay away from her by her cousins just to isolate her and make her life miserable.

It was not something new to her but it was always unbearable to get used to so when Luna spoke those words, she triggered memories that Gia wished she could purge out of her mind.

"Whatever..." Gia muttered and made her way out.

"She's so mean." Gia heard one of the girls say but Luna laughed and said.

"It's what makes her so likable."

Likable? Gia wanted to gag as she went back down to the den of hungry lions.

She caught a glimpse of Luna's fiancé-to-be who stood among his friends and when he saw her, he quickly looked away. Gia didn't care because he was just one of the many that passed her way. She just hoped that he made Luna happy or she was going to make sure his ability to procreate would be robbed from him.

Soon the engagement party was well underway. Luna came down looking like a princess from a fairytale while Gia stood in the corner with her zio like the wicked witch of the West. No one paid attention to her, as it should have been since that night belonged to Luna. A moment of satisfaction went through Gia when she noticed that Luna wore the chain and earrings she had gifted her.

The girl's eyes darted around the room and when she saw Gia, her smile brightened before she turned her attention to the man who was asking for her hand in marriage.

"Yes." Luna giggled happily as the boy slipped a diamond ring on her finger and the room erupted in cheers and celebrations just as Rocco and his boys entered the room. He looked at his mother for a moment before his eyes turned diamond-hard then he turned towards Gia and Matteo.

Everyone moved out of the way because he became the head of the family after his father died. Rocco stepped into his father's shoes easily because the man took the time to groom him throughout his life to become a leader.

The moment Gia saw her cousin and the stormy look on his face, she knew that something was wrong. She turned to her uncle but before she could say anything to him, Matteo's phone trilled.

"Gia, I need to take you home right now," Rocco stated tightly.

Gia's eyes widened. "What happened? What's wrong?" She asked him.

It was very surprising for Gia to see her cousin acting that way because he never once showed any affection towards her. Gia felt as if Rocco disliked her because she robbed him of his rights as the Moretti heir. He was never around long enough to have a confrontation with her and he never directly spoke to her. That was the reason why she found it strange that he would address her directly like that.

The sudden change that went over Matteo alerted Gia even further. He straightened up and his face became hard like Rocco's. When he hung up the phone he turned to Rocco and instructed him. "Get Gia home this instant."

"Zio!" Gia exclaimed as Matteo suddenly removed the gun behind him and checked it. Everyone began to murmur in fear.

"I'll explain everything when I know you are safe," Matteo said and turned to the cousins that were in the house. "Code red!"

Gia stuck herself to the cool wall behind her and watched as her cousins and the members of the community suddenly morphed into assassins right in front of her. All the women moved back as the men shed their jackets and folded their shirt sleeves before revealing all sorts of weapons that were hidden around their bodies.

"Let's go." Rocco grasped Gia's hand but Beatrice rushed towards them and touched his hand.

"Your duty is to your family first, Rocco." She reminded him.

Rocco gently removed his mother's hand from his and turned to her. "My duty is to the surviving heir of the Moretti legacy first, mother. At this moment, it is Gia."

Gia felt as if she was drowning. Her ears rang and her entire body went cold. Her body suddenly felt heavy and her legs gave way but Rocco supported her before she could hit the floor. He scooped her from the floor and he together with his gang made their way out.

Everything went fuzzy as Gia tried to recall what Rocco stated. She was the surviving heir to the Moretti legacy. Her chest tightened and she couldn't breathe properly as tears blurred her vision. What happened to her father?

Was he dead? Did they ambush him? How could it have happened so suddenly? The last thing she remembered was arguing with her papa right before she left for Luna's engagement party. She said very mean words to him and he too even went to the extent of wishing that she was never his daughter. Gia loved her papa very much and she knew he loved her too but in the heat of the argument, they both uttered words they wished they could take back. She planned to go to him after that evening and apologize because she was in a good mood since Luna loved her gift.

"Rocco, what happened to Papa?" She finally found her voice as she was ushered into a car. Two of Rocco's men entered the front and Rocco entered the back with her. The rest followed her car behind and the two cars swerved out of the premises.

"The house that the five heads of the prominent families were having a meeting in was attacked this evening. Two of them are dead and Domenico Accardo is in critical condition." Rocco explained to her.

Gia ran her trembling fingers through her hair and her tongue darted nervously across her lips. "Was my papa one of the two who died?"

"We have not yet confirmed it. When I received news of the attack, my job description changed." His dark eyes bore into hers. "That I make sure you survive this night."

A nervous laugh escaped Gia's lips as tears ran down her cheeks. "I thought you were waiting for my papa to die to take over. This is your chance, Rocco."

Rocco gritted his teeth and shook his head at Gia. "You don't know anything, do you? I'm not your enemy here, Gia. There is someone far worse than me out there. Yes, I fucked up in the beginning but when Andrea explained to me exactly what was happening, I took the oath to make sure you lived until the end."

"What did Papa tell you?" I asked him.

Rocco clamped his mouth shut and turned away from Gia. She was used to the secrets and mysteries that shrouded her family but she didn't understand why Rocco would choose to keep quiet about something that could perhaps highlight exactly what her papa thought of her. It didn't make sense to her why everyone would turn their attention to protect her when she wasn't the head...

Gia's throat felt dry with realization. "Rocco, did my father make me the sole heir to the Moretti fortune? I was never on the list of the people he wanted to pass over the legacy, why would he do such a thing now? Did he know something like this would happen?"

"I don't have the answers to your questions, Gia. I am just following orders." Rocco explained and Gia rubbed away her tears before she settled back on her seat.

The car went silent for the rest of the trip until they got to the gates of the Moretti main house when the driver suddenly stopped and cursed out loudly.

"They must have beat us to the main house." He said.

"Fuck!" Rocco punched the back of the driver's seat. "Kill the headlights, Jacques!"

Jacques quickly killed the headlights and though the main house was a distance from the main gate, Gia could see the torches moving about. People were searching through her home!

"Take us to the safe house," Rocco instructed.

"I am not going to go anywhere with you until I know what happened to my father!" Gia wanted to step out of the car but Rocco quickly grabbed her and instructed Jacques to lock the doors. "No!" Gia screamed as she fought with her cousin. "How do I know if you are not going to do something to me? Papa could be alive and we are just wasting time."

Rocco tightened his hold on Gia's hands and exclaimed. "Gia, stop! Why would zio allow me to watch over you while he went after your father if he didn't trust me?"

Gia hiccupped with tears as the cars turned around and made their way out of that place. They raced against time to get her to safety and soon enough Gia saw the town lights disappear behind some hills before she was completely alone in the middle of nowhere with the one person that preferred her dead so he could take over the Moretti fortune.

Matteo would have never allowed Rocco anywhere close to her if he felt the boy was a threat to her yet the moment he saw Rocco approach them, he didn't hesitate to allow him to take her away. She didn't know what sort of agreement Rocco and her papa had but at that moment in time, she was at his mercy.

Gia stole a glance at her cousin and the moonlight allowed her to see his silhouette. He stared out the window and for a moment, he didn't look like a boy but rather a man with responsibilities. She calmed herself down and allowed her mind to relax. She kept on telling herself that she was safe and prayed the same for her father.