An Identity Reveal Leads to Regret

I've always been frail by nature. Taking two consecutive steps can make me gasp for air. If I cough, there's a chance there's blood accompanying it.

When I'm seven years old, a homeless man in Bronzeton tries to snatch a half-eaten piece of bread from me.

I lie on the ground as I convulse like a dying fish with foam gathering at my mouth. My eyes have rolled to the back of my head as well, as though my seizure is acting up.

Thinking that I've gotten infected with some sort of disease, the homeless man is so frightened that he flees from Novarra overnight.

When I'm ten years old, a delinquent tries to demand protection money from me.

I react by spitting dark blood at his face. The poor guy screams at the top of his lungs as he runs down the street, only to get mistaken as a murderer by a police officer who happens to pass by the area.

Since then, everyone avoids me like plague on the street. They aren't scared of me—they are terrified that they might get into trouble because of me.

No one knows who my parents are. I've grown up in a rundown motel, and my adoptive mother is a stripper who used to be famous.

Whenever she gets drunk, she often tells me, "Your father is a mafia Don."

I've always thought that she's just running her mouth purely out of drunkenness. That is, until a black limo stops in front of me on the year I turn 18 years old.

Three men clad in black suits get out of the limo. The leader sinks down on one knee right in front of me, his voice quivering as he speaks.

"We finally found you, Ms. Salvatore. Your father is Vittorio Salvatore, the Don of one of the biggest mafia families in Novarra."

At first, I think this is just a scamming scheme. That is, until I'm taken to the estate located on Lacreth Isle that's six acres wide and sports iron gates with the Salvatore insignia carved into them.

On my first day home, the fake heiress, Serena Salvatore, purposefully releases the fearsome family dog in the estate just to intimidate me.

That dog keeps barking at me, frightening me to the point that I spit out blood on the spot before collapsing to the ground.

My mother, Rosalina Vitelli, almost loses her mind over my collapse.

But my older brother, Marco Salvatore, shouts at me angrily instead. "Why are you playing dead? You made Serena cry because of your antics!"

His voice is so loud that I feel as though my eardrums are going to burst anytime soon. Even my heart feels as though an invisible hand is gripping it tightly.

My eyes roll to the back of my head instantly as my body crashes on the spot.

Mamma flies into a rampage and almost beats Marco to death for scaring me.

Having witnessed everything, Serena kicks up a fuss by attempting to commit suicide at the estate's clock tower just so she can apologize to me.

In order to prove his love to Serena, my fiance, Luca Moretti, drags me forcibly to the top of the clock tower so that Serena can do whatever she wants to me.

The thing is, the winds are strong on the top of the clock tower. That's when I accidentally slip and topple over the railing.

My parents, who are looking everywhere for me, happen to be around the clock tower when I crash onto the spot near them. This time, my bruised and broken body is completely drenched in blood.

Shell-shocked, they remain rooted to the spot as they stare at me in bewilderment. Then, they let out blood-curdling screams.

I struggled to open my eyes, though blood had blurred my vision. I made a raspy sound as I opened my mouth, and the moment I tried to speak, a mouthful of blood surged out instead.

My Mamma, Rosalina Vitelli, let out a primal wail and gathered me into her arms; her custom white cashmere coat immediately stained with blood.

"What's the matter, Grazia? Please don't frighten me, Grazia!"

It was then that my fiance, Luca Moretti, leaned over the edge of the rooftop and explained impatiently, "You shouldn't let her deceive you, Donna Moretti. She jumped on purpose to frame Serena. How bad could a two-story drop be anyway?"

Serena Salvatore cowered behind Luca, weeping as she said, "It's all my fault. Grazia has every right to be mad at me. After all, I've taken her place in the Salvatore Famiglia for so many years. I shouldn't remain here anymore now that she has returned."

Mamma lifted her head sharply, her eyes brimming with killing intent as she stared at the pair on the rooftop. "Shut up!"

I leaned against Mamma's embrace, feeling as though my insides were being shredded. I was in so much pain that my entire body went into spasms.

Antonio Caruso, the Famiglia doctor, came running with his medical bag, nearly tripping. He immediately went pale the moment he placed his fingers on my wrist to feel for a pulse.

"Ms. Grazia's heart has stopped beating, Donna Salvatore."

In that instant, everything around us went still.

My Papa, Vittorio Salvatore, seized Antonio by the collar, his eyes turning bloodshot with rage. "That's impossible! Grazia was speaking just a moment ago! How could her heart stop beating so suddenly?"

Antonio trembled violently while explaining, "Ms. Grazia has a heart condition to begin with, Don Salvatore. She was frightened by the dogs, then her heartbeat quickened due to the shouting, and now she has fallen from a high place—after all this, even a robust body wouldn't be able to hold up."

It was then that my brother, Marco Salvatore, arrived just in time to catch those words and went rigid. "That's impossible! Grazia was able to walk to the rooftop herself just a moment ago!"

I could feel my life slipping away. I never thought that I would meet my end in this so-called "home" less than a day after my return.

Mamma bit down on her lip until it bled. She grabbed a gun from a nearby guard and said, "I gave birth to my daughter after nine months of pregnancy, and on her first day back, you all pushed her to death, Vittorio!

"I'll make sure the Salvatore Famiglia disappears from Novarra for what you did if Grazia dies today!"

Luca supported Serena as they came down from the rooftop, his expression shifting the moment he witnessed the scene. "Have you gone mad, Donna Salvatore? How could you stop loving Serena and turn against the Salvatore Famiglia just because you brought back your long-lost daughter?

"You've raised Serena yourself! How can you be so heartless toward her, Donna Salvatore?"

Serena kneeled on the floor, tears streaming down her face. "Please don't be mad, Mamma. I'm the one at fault here. If you're upset, you can take it out on me. Please don't argue with Papa and Marco because of me."

I heard Serena's nauseating tone, my chest heaving violently in response.

In the end, my heart, which had been still, beat once more from the sheer force of my anger. I struggled to breathe, staring at her with a fixed glare.

Antonio was overjoyed. He lunged forward and injected me with epinephrine. "Ms. Grazia's heart is beating again! Hurry up and get the defibrillator!"

Mamma threw the gun aside and pulled me close, her tears landing on my face. "You have nothing to be afraid of, Grazia! I'm right here with you!"

I weakly held onto her sleeve, my vision going dark as I stammered, "I-I'm so cold, Mamma... L-Luca pushed me…"

I slumped to the side and blacked out completely after saying that. I could hear Mamma screaming hysterically just before I lost consciousness. "Drag Luca Moretti away and break both his legs!"