His Debt, My Revenge

THE RETURN The rain had just stopped when Valentina's car entered the streets of Rome. The city looked almost exactly as she remembered it—old stone buildings beside narrow cobblestone streets, balconies hanging over the roads, and warm lights glowing from cafés. People hurried beneath umbrellas while scooters passed between cars. Somewhere nearby, the smell of freshly made pasta filled the air. Rome was beautiful. But Valentina hadn't returned for its beauty. She had come for revenge. I didn't come back for Rome, she thought, her fingers tightening around the edge of her seat. I came back for him. Her mind flashed back to six years ago, when life had still been rosy and colorful. She remembered the little ice cream stand where she and her friends used to have ice cream dates, paid for, of course, with her father's credit card. Back then, life had been simple. She had been happy. Or at least, she had thought she was. Six Years Earlier Don Epifanio was a force to be reckoned with in the Mafia world. He was ruthless toward his enemies and capable of ordering hundreds of deaths without blinking. Yet, when it came to his only daughter, Valentina, he was completely different. He was tender, protective, and almost ridiculously overprotective. The man who terrified half of Italy could easily be teased by his wife and daughter. "C'mon, Dad. Stop scowling like the entire planet conspired against you," Valentina would often say, making both her parents laugh. Life was pleasant. Valentina had been carefully shielded from the gruesome world she had been born into. But not for long. Disaster was already coming. --- "Rosa, please run the bath for me. I have a party with my friends," Valentina called to her personal maid as she stood in her walk-in closet. She stared at herself in the mirror, torn between two dresses. One was a beautiful red evening gown that made her long, tan legs look elegant. The other was a deep-blue fitted gown that accentuated her curves and made her blue eyes stand out. She had graduated from high school, and tonight she was celebrating with her friends. More importantly, she had decided to confess her feelings to Roberto, her longtime crush. "Just pick the evening gown, bambino mio," her father said after watching her deliberate for fifteen minutes. Valentina turned toward him. "Ahh, Papà, you just don't want me to wear the blue gown because you're afraid of the attention I'll attract." Don Epifanio's expression hardened. "Let them look at you for one second too long and I'll have their eyes gouged out." A small chuckle interrupted them. Lucia, Valentina's mother, stood at the door with an amused smile. "Already at your father's throat, eh, bambino mio?" "Father still thinks I'm five," Valentina replied, trying not to smile. "Of course you're my little principessa. No matter how old you become, I'll always protect you," Don Epifanio said. "Well, I'm still wearing the blue dress, Papà. I've decided to tell Roberto how I feel." His expression changed. "A woman shouldn't be the first to approach a man." Lucia laughed. "Oh, bambino mio, you've finally decided to move forward with confidence." "That's not what I meant," Don Epifanio protested. Valentina rolled her eyes. "Papà, what age do you think this is? Men and women have the same right to decide who approaches whom first." She paused. "Don't you have paperwork to sign?" "You girls know nothing about the norms of society," he grumbled before leaving. Lucia and Valentina laughed. "Your Papà is just a big baby, Vally. He likes protecting his own." "I know, but sometimes he's impossible." "Come on. Let's glam you up for your party." Neither mother nor daughter knew it would be their last happy evening together. --- The Party "Oh my God! This place is huge!" Valentina's best friend, Isabelle, exclaimed as they entered the enormous hall. "I asked Dad for the other hall, but he wanted it for his annual party." "Shut up and be grateful. Some of us can only dream of having a party like this." Isabelle's father was Don Epifanio's third-in-command. He was wealthy, but nowhere near as wealthy as Don Epifanio. Valentina smiled. "Let's just enjoy the party." The girls wandered through the hall with flutes of non-alcoholic champagne. Don Epifanio would never allow his daughter to drink alcohol. "Val, I think I just saw Roberto." Valentina immediately turned. "Where?" "At the bar. But there's a girl beside him. Probably his sister." Valentina looked toward the bar and saw him. Roberto. Her heart fluttered. They decided to give him some space and check on him later. Thirty minutes later, Valentina felt a sharp ache in her stomach. "Bell, I need to use the restroom." She hurried inside. A few minutes later, she heard muffled moans from the stall beside hers. She rolled her eyes. "Teenagers and their raging hormones." She deliberately made some noise, hoping the couple would realize they weren't alone. It worked. She heard movement and footsteps. Curiosity got the better of her. Valentina peeped outside. She immediately regretted it. Roberto stepped out of the stall with the same girl from the bar. His clothes were slightly disheveled. Valentina's breath caught. A sob threatened to escape, but she bit her lip. Betrayal. All those years of crushing on him. All the boys she had rejected because she was waiting for Roberto. And this was what she got. She quickly left the restroom and headed for the underground garage. She called her personal driver, El Dorado. He arrived almost immediately, confusion on his face. She wasn't expected to leave so early. He asked no questions. Instead, he raised the partition separating the front and back seats, giving her privacy. Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the garage of their thirty-room mansion. El Dorado opened the door. Valentina stepped out silently. She entered the mansion with one thought: Get to my room and cry until sleep takes me. She didn't want to tell her parents about Roberto. Not because they would ridicule her, but because she didn't want to create trouble for him and his family. Even heartbroken, she still cared about him. One word from her father could destroy Roberto's family. Valentina reached the hallway when she heard raised voices. She froze. Her father rarely raised his voice. Curiosity overcame her caution. She crept toward his study and pressed herself against the wall beside the huge oak doors. "...the dividends were unevenly distributed, causing shortages in some areas," her father's voice said. Another man replied calmly, "I will do whatever I want without interruption from an old man like you, Don Epifanio." Valentina's eyes widened. Nobody spoke to her father that way. "Salvatore, I will not condone—" A gunshot exploded. Valentina stumbled backward, knocking down a carved statue. "Who's there?" "Vally, run!" Her father's voice was urgent. She ran. Unknown men chased her through the corridors until they cornered her. An old man stepped forward. "Ahh, so this is the priceless jewel of Don Epifanio." Valentina raised her chin. "Fierce, are we? Seems Don Epifanio forgot to teach you that females should bow before men." "Finish her off," he ordered. "Wait." A calm voice stopped him. Valentina turned. Salvatore. His deep green eyes seemed to pull her in. His jet-black hair was slicked back, except for one stubborn curl near his left eye. His appearance was striking, but his cold expression terrified her. "What is it, Salvatore?" the old man asked. "We could use her as leverage against Don Epifanio." The old man considered it. "That's true." Valentina knew she had to think quickly. Her father had always told her she was a true heiress, possessing the courage and determination needed to rule a Mafia organization. She spotted a carved elephant statue beside her. Slowly, she reached for it. Before she could grab it, another hand caught hers. "Don't do that, principessa." Salvatore. "She's not worth much," the old man argued. "She's just a girl." "Kill her now." The men raised their guns. Valentina closed her eyes. She waited for the bullet. But it never came. She opened her eyes. And screamed. Her mother's blood was splattered across the walls. Lucia's lifeless body lay on the floor. "Mama..." Her voice broke. Salvatore and his men were already gone. Valentina fell beside her mother's body, trembling. "No... no, no..." Then she remembered her father. She stumbled toward the study. But when she reached it, flames engulfed the room. Smoke filled the air. Everything she had ever known was burning. Her father's study. Her home. Her family. Everything. Valentina slid down the wall and cried. In one night, she had lost her mother, her father, her home, and her innocence. As the flames consumed her childhood, something inside her changed. Her tears stopped. The grief remained, but beneath it grew something colder. Hatred. She looked toward the burning mansion. "I will find you," she whispered. "Salvatore... I will find you." She clenched her fists. "And I will make you pay for everything you took from me." Six years later, Valentina had returned to Rome. She was no longer the little princess her father had protected. She had returned for revenge.