Loving Natalie

Rejected Proposal

I can't believe I found myself here again.

Natalie, no, the soul currently in Natalie was one that has lived 2 lives.

Her first past life was a daughter of an ambitious man in San Carlo, the very same world Natalie Diosanni exists.

Her father was one that would pursue writing the truth in hopes of fame and fortune, no matter the expense. She, along with her mother and siblings, were extorted of their free labor, slaving away at their family publishing house, printing dangerous news articles her father would bring home after weeks of disappearing without a word.

Unfortunately, it was a short life, one that ended after saving her mother after the publishing firm went into flames. Her father had crossed someone he shouldn't have, and she paid the price for that mistake.

She died at the age of 24 from suffocation.

However, whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, she had woken up in the body of a young girl who enjoyed reading fiction. In this 2nd life, she came to a rude awakening.

In this new world, San Carlo did not exist, at least the San Carlo she knew. Her name, her life and everything she knew of her world was reduced to nothing more than fiction written on paper.

Her first life was an extra- no, a nameless cannon fodder rather- in a story used as entertainment in her 2nd life.

Names and events she used to print in the daily newspaper were arcs and plot devices for a mafia romance novel, "My Beloved Anastasia".

Natalie was one of the characters in that novel.

The story revolves around a young child, Natalie, in San Carlo, Italy. Set in Europe in the mid 1990s. Natalie would find herself in a nasty gang fight. Where she caught the interest of Donna Victorina, Diosanni’s matriarch.

Natalie, who looked much alike both in regards to looks and age with the Diosanni’s missing princess, Anastasia, would soon become a doll.

With no more than those 2 similarities, the young child was adopted into the famiglia, a decision that others claim to be the matriarch’s whim.

Perhaps it was a grandmother’s selfish wish to atone for losing her grandchild, but she had truly loved Natalie.

But how could a replacement measure up to the original? Natalie became a toy that would be dressed in the finest silk, her accessories would be one of the most prized jewels of this world. She would not lack in luxury. Yet she could never be Anastasia Diosanni.

No one else in the famiglia Diosanni recognized Natalie behind the matriarch's back.

She who grew in Anastasia’s shadow slowly lost herself and heart…

Perhaps that’s why, when Anastasia reappeared after Donna Victorina's passing, Natalie had become nothing more than a vengeful villainess. One that would later die in the hands of everyone that loves the person she so desperately wanted to be.

She died on her 18th birthday. While Anastasia and her harem would live to see their happy ending.

"Damn" muttering underneath her breath, Natalie stared out her bedroom window, seeing the luxury garden. The strong smell of roses was nauseating. Now, she's back in her original world and has become Natalie Diosanni.

The proud, hateful, and arrogant Natalie who would spend billions of euros on men, drugs, and all sorts of luxury annually. One that would do everything in her power to chase after the men that had already placed the recently returned Anastasia in their hearts.

"Had I known this body was hers, I would have refused to get out of the van" groaning out in frustration, she held her face in her hands. Even when publishing the handful of news articles about Natalie's sinful acts in her 1st life, her father never dared to write about her looks, a member of the famiglia Diosanni, outright. The novel also didn't go in depth about her features save for her retched personality.

And now that Donna Victorina and Natalie had met, the novel's plot was set in motion.

I practically walked into the novel's fate.

And if things were to proceed as is. I'll die the same way she did in 3 years.

"Ha ha, I'm screwed"

"What are you babbling about now?"

Hearing a familiar voice, Natalie lifted her head to see a well dressed teenager. Far from last night's appearance, her warm blonde hair was curled and styled in a half ponytail as her side fringes framed her heart-shaped face. Her light make-up encuated her doll-like features, as an elegant white chanel dress draped her body.

"Princess!" grey eyes brightened as she hugged the girl that sat on her bed.

"Don't look at me with a face that you'll scam me again. Also didn't I tell you to just call me Bella?" scrunching her nose, Isabella still hugged her back "how are you by the way? You've no idea how shocked I was when you suddenly passed out last night"

Memories of my past lives surged at that moment. Perhaps carrying memories of 2 lives all at once was too much for this body.

"My bad", pulling away from the hug, Natalie stared at the young talking Isabella.

"I guess what matters is your fine", rolling her turquoise eyes, Isabella continued on, "anyways, my brother called me last night. He nagged so much I swore my ears would go deaf, he and father wanted to..."

Isabella Leonor Moretti. She's a year younger than Natalie. She was also the first named character to die in the story.

She and Natalie were kidn*pped by the S.Brigaiders and Unicos, as petty revenge and merchandise for the latter.

Natalie, who suspected Isabella would have a tracker, tore her dress, wearing part of the cloth that had it on herself.

Because of that, Natalie was saved in time by the Diosanni's men.

But Isabella, who's location had become unknown, became harder to find. With the perpetrators' original plan to transport her via sea torn into flames, she was transported via land instead. And by the time the Morettis and the Diosannis found her, she had taken her own life before anyone could defile her body.

Isabella's death would then cause a rift between the San Carlo's mafia, Diosanni and the Sicilian mafia, Moretti.

And Isabella's eldest brother, heir and soon to be Don Moretti, was enraged to see Natalie living a good life under the Diosannis when his good sister had to die. He would then be one of the many men that would device Natalie Diosanni's horrid death.

Feeling a shiver run down her spine, Natalie calmed herself. Although she did purposely tear Isabella's dress that night to wear the tracker on herself as a contingency plan, it didn't change the fact that she managed to escape with everyone. No one died, and Isabella is alive and well.

"Hey"

"What? Don't you know its rude to cut someone off midsentence?" Isabella snapped back, crossing her arms playfully.

I guess, in a way, I managed to escape my first death flag.

"I'm glad you're alive, sincerely" Natalie spoke truthfully, a small smile on her lips.

"Okay?" the other raised a bow at her sudden statement, "you're still not running a fever are you?"

Feeling a soft hand on her forehead, Natalie found herself giggling. Her nerves finally relaxed. Trapping the younger girl in a tight hug, she rubbed her cheek with Isabella's.

"Our dear princess is so cute, I'm so glad we're both alive" Isabella was proof that I could change Natalie's fate. I can escape a horrid death.

"Hey, you're scaring me here", struggling to get out of her embrace, Isabella tried to push her away. Key word, tried. "Somehow, why do I feel scammed for the third time"

The two, still in a middle of their hugging fiasco, stopped as a knock was heard. Clearing his throat, one of Donna Victorina's servants cleared his throat "Ms. Natalie, Donna have called for your presence"

So it came... The second event in the story.

...

"I'm sorry Donna", Felipe bowed, apologetically. He was in his mid 40s and had served the old matriarch for more than 20 years "the results came in. Unfortunately, that child is not Anastasia"

Seeing Donna Victorina take a puff out of her pipe instead of answering, Felipe gritted his teeth in regret. Because of her uncanny resemblance with the Diosanni's precious missing princess, he had hoped Natalie could've been her.

During the long time he had worked for the matriarch, he knew first hand of the other's guilt.

Anastasia Rosalyn Diosanni was Donna Victorina's only grandchild to her biological son. On her 8th birthday, the matriarch had agreed to the child's simple wish for a road trip around the nation along with her parents. Gifting them with the latest model around in goodwill.

No one expected it would be the last wish they would grant her. Someone had purposely tampered with their car, causing it to lose control and crash horribly. By the time Donna had known the news, her son and daughter-in-law had already passed, and Anastasia's body was nowhere to be found.

Donna wept for days on end, blaming herself for what happened.

Felipe would still remember how the rest of the family tried to convince her that Anastasia had died, but the old matriarch didn't stop her search despite 7 years having passed.

"I see" Donna Victorina finally spoke, her silver eyes staring at something far distant.

"Donna Victorina, I've brought the child named Natalie", hearing a voice beyond the door, Donna extinguished her pipe before ordering Felipe to open the windows to air the room.

"Come in"

Opening the door, silver eyes and grey once again met, similar in color yet different shades. However, this time the young pair of eyes looked determined and unshakened. It was so similar yet different to the innocent grey eyes that used to call her nonna.

Looking towards her way, Natalie took in the other's appearance. Dark brown hair curled neatly in victory curls, streaks of grey hair at either side of her temples. Sharp brows and crystal clear silver eyes, a strong nose with downturned lips. A beauty mark on the corner of her right eye.

Although 60 years old, Donna Victorina didn't look a day over 40.

"Have a sit, child" she urged, seeing the teenage girl act the same way she had always imagined her nipote would do at that age. However, she was thinner than Donna Victorina would like to be. With a wave of her hand, the servants moved like clockwork, decorating the table with tea and refreshments.

Seeing the array of sweets, Natalie fought back a tired smile.

All of these snacks were desserts young children would like. These were all Anastasia's favorite snacks in the novel before her disappearance. For the current Natalie, who has lived 2 lives, she had more of a mature taste, one that wasn't quite fond of sweets.

Seeing her not reach out for any sweets, Donna Victorina tilted her head "do you not like the refreshments, child?"

Her question made the servants sweat in anxiety. Although it was asked in a neutral tone, due to the way she carried herself, it gave off a threatening feeling, one that if she answered without thought, could lead to the death of many around her.

Just as she was about to order to have the chef punished, Natalie hurriedly said no, picking a snack that looked to be the least sweet.

Seeing her chew the sponge cake, the old matriarch couldn't help but overlap it with an old familiar image. Wondering to herself, would her sweet Anastasia look the same hadn't she disappeared? The thought clouded her silver eyes.

"You, Natalie was it? Have you thought about my proposal?"

Cough- hurriedly drinking the tea in front of her, Natalie cleared her throat. Does she want to kill me by choking?

It was Natalie's thought, as the prospect of eating seemed all the more unappetizing.

"I'm sure you recognized from last night that this is no ordinary family", unminding her appearance, Donna continued on, "if you accept my proposal, you will be recognized as a princess by one of the strongest mafia in Italy"

"Money, luxury, anything and everything you desire will be yours as long as you agree to have Diosanni as your last name"

The eyes of everyone in the room with them widened. The matriarch couldn't possibly be thinking of adopting this child because she resembled the missing Anastasia could she?

"Donna Victorina-" before he could speak in rebuttal, Felipe was silenced by cold piercing silver eyes. Forced to swallow his words, Felipe looked between the 2 women anxiously.

Should the kid agree, Victorina would already lose the tiny power she had. Don't tell me her guilt over Anastasia's disappearance had finally clouded her sound mind?- Felipe worriedly thought.

Keeping eye contact with silver eyes, Natalie was in thought.

Should she disagree and go to the Morettis instead, there was no assurance she would be treated well there just because she had become somewhat close to Isabella. I'm not sure if I could keep my head once they realize I purposely tore Isabella's dress to have the tracker for myself.

Imagining Isabella's eldest brother killing her made the hair on her body stand on end.

But, should she agree, then she would be walking down the road the original Natalie had walked and her nasty death would be one step closer.

So, taking a gamble, Natalie spoke. Saying an answer that made the room freeze.

Silver eyes glistened in a dark light, as Donna Victorina exuded a strong pressure. The silence that engulfed the room made it difficult to breathe.

"What do you mean no?"