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Italy, Rome. March 8th, 2026.

Lorena Castellamari

Staying at home on a Sunday afternoon is ridiculous, if I were still in New York I'd probably be in the mall spending madly, but no, I'm here alone. Lorenzo had an appointment and swore he'd be back soon, but he hasn't yet.

That bitch took the construction company away from my family, and humiliated me in front of all the employees, that cretin can't wait, I'm going to get revenge, I'm going to end her life, Giovanna Rinaldi will wish she'd never met me.

Yesterday was the ballet performance of that girl who insists on saying she's my fiancé's daughter, when the only child he has is the one I'm carrying in my womb, because not even that spoiled child Aurora is his daughter. The doorbell rang, I got up and opened it to find my brother standing there.

- What are you doing here? - I've been asking him since he married Ana, and we haven't exchanged a word without fighting.

- I've come to talk! - he said, walking in.

- Did I invite you in?

- I don't need an invitation Lorena, I'm here to tell you something. - I closed the door of the house because knowing him as I do, I know he won't leave me alone until I tell him what I want.

- Look, if you're going to complain once again about your travels and the fact that you're not keeping up with your wife's pregnancy, thank the immaculate Giovanna, since she bought our father's share, you didn't expect it, you already knew, after all it was you who convinced our father to sell.

- That's great, but I didn't come to talk about the company. I want to ask you if the name Nicholas Copper means anything to you? - I haven't heard that name in almost six years and it's given me a lot of anguish.

- No, it doesn't.

- Are you sure?

- Of course, why wouldn't I be?

- Simple, my sister-in-law has been dating Nicholas for about five months and we met last week in New York, he's moving to Italy to be with Elisa permanently and the most incredible thing about this story is that he has a son, little Arrow. Did you know that his mother abandoned him? Arrow is so enchanted by Elisa that she already calls her mother, can you believe it Lorena? - The tone of debauchery in her words tore me apart every moment, how could this be happening?

- I still don't know what you're getting at with this story, Benjamin. Clearly, I had nothing to do with it. - I replied in the same debauched way as him.

- Is that so, Lorena? Be honest, just once in your life and tell me that you abandoned your son to chase after a married man who tempted you so much that he separated from his wife?

- I don't know what you're talking about, Benjamin. - I replied shaken, how could he know this secret. Nicholas wouldn't have told him? Or would he?

- Okay, I'll refresh your memory, Arrow was born on July 5, 2020, just one month before I returned to Italy.

- And what does this have to do with me, Benjamin? - I asked

- Be honest Lorena, you abandoned your son to run after Lorenzo. - he said, looking at me as if I were some kind of pure evil.

- Yes, I did. Are you pleased to know my darkest secret? - Debauchery has always been my greatest weapon against everything.

- How could you do that? It's too cruel, Lorena. You abandoned your own son.

- I never wanted Arrow to be born, but Nicholas filled me in until I changed my mind, in fact I couldn't bear the thought of being pregnant and I warned him that when the baby was born, I would leave without looking back and that's what I did. Arrow and Nicholas are happy, aren't they? So I have nothing more to do with them.

- How cold can you be Lorena? You didn't care about your son once, but you came home determined to take Lorenzo away from his daughters. You've hurt him so much, he's still as blinded by love for you as he was when you were teenagers, you were capable of abandoning your son.

- I never wanted Arrow, just as I never wanted to be with Nicholas.

- So you mean you never wanted any of it? You never wanted your son? You never felt any affection for Arrow?

- No Benjamin, I never wanted him. That's why I never tried to find out if he was all right or not, Arrow for me is just another child who grew up without his mother. - I said and he looked at me incredulously.

- How cold even for you, Lorena.

- I can't show feelings that never existed, Nicholas was just a diversion and we ended up neglecting each other and then Arrow was born.

- And you went back to Italy as if it had never happened?

- I've already said that I've never felt any affection for either of them and I went back because it's as if it had never happened.

- You're too cold, I wouldn't be surprised if you did the same with this baby.

- I won't, because I want the one I'm carrying and what's more, he's the son of the love of my life.

- Have you ever thought that Lorenzo might find out?

- He won't and if that happens I'll deal with it as I always do, Lorenzo is in my hands.

- You don't love him, you never have. You like having power in your hands, and you couldn't bear the thought that he could be happy without you.

- Exactly, Lorenzo is nothing without me. You're wrong about one thing Benjamin, I do love Lorenzo, I just don't show it as much as he does.

- Your sense of love is completely wrong.

- Who are you to teach me how to love someone? Even though he was the firstborn, he never gave our father what he wanted, he was never the son he wanted.

- That's great, you can be sure, our father has changed and if I had been like him, I would never have helped him to be better, you on the other hand, are hollow, you don't even feel love for yourself, thank God, today I'm an even better person, I'm happy and married to the woman I love, a happiness you'll never have.

- Now that you've said all you want and thrown what you want in my face, can you leave? I can't stand looking at you any longer.

- It'll be a pleasure, sister, but just one thing, now that I have your secret in my hands, I can do something about it. Don't even think about trying to sabotage the construction company, or doing anything bad to Giovanna, because if you do, you'll regret it. - he said, heading for the door.

- Are you going to defend the immaculate too, Benjamin?

- My sister, you don't know what you're getting into, messing with her is signing a death warrant.

- She's nobody, and I'm going to put an end to her race, you want to expose me? Do it, but I'll do a thousand times worse to her.

- She may be nobody to you, but she's everything to her family. The Rinaldi's aren't just the ones you can see.

- What? Now you're going to tell me you believe in ghosts? That her father is coming to visit me? Oh, come on, Benjamin! - I find it funny the way my brother talks about her, as if she were someone important.

- Lorena, Giovanna's family is part of the Italian mafia, so think carefully before you act, they may not be close, but they are family and family protects each other, if you don't believe me ask Lorenzo, they don't want the spotlight on them, that's why they stay away, but if they are exposed the person who does it won't see the light of day.

- Is all this to make me afraid? - I won't deny that I was a little scared, but an invisible threat isn't going to stop me.

- No, it was to warn you. But it's your life, do what you want. - he says and opens the door about to leave, but I stop him.

- One more thing, Benjamin, if Lorenzo ever finds out about Arrow, I'm going to make your life a living hell.

- You can be sure that not a word will come out of my mouth on the subject, as long as you don't do anything. As for you, I want to stay away, I hope I never see you again.

- It's a shame your wish won't come true, isn't it, darling? After all, we're still brothers. - I reply and he just looks at me and walks away.

Nicholas being here will be a hindrance to my plans, I'll deal with Giovanna later, I don't really care about Arrow or Nicholas, but I want them out of here. I picked up my cell phone and dialed his old number, which for some reason was still stuck in my mind.

- Hello?

- What's all this about coming to live in Italy? - I was direct

- Lorena. My life doesn't concern you. - she replied bitterly.

- As soon as it gets in the way of my plans, it's my business.

- Don't worry, Lorena, I didn't come here because of you. The world doesn't revolve around you, blondie. - he said, calling me by a sarcastic nickname he invented years ago.

- I hope so, Nicholas, because otherwise it'll be little Arrow who'll suffer the consequences. - I laughed

- Don't you dare go near my son Lorena or I'll kill you.

- You wouldn't have the courage, you've always been a coward.

- Don't doubt me Lorena, I'll kill and die for my son.

- Well then, think carefully about what you're doing by moving to Italy. If anyone else, apart from my stupid brother, ever finds out that Arrow is my son, you'll see what I'm capable of.

- You're not his mother Lorena, you may have given birth to him in your womb, but you've never been a mother and you never will be, so I'm telling you if you get in my way one more time and try to harm my son, I'll kill you. - he said and hung up on me.

If Nicholas gets in the way of my plans, you can be sure that he'll meet the real Lorena Castellamari, because if I have to get them out of my life, I'll kill Arrow, without even thinking twice.