The Lost Heiress

something changes

By eleven-fifteen, Maria-May had finished her café shift.

By eleven-twenty, she regretted agreeing to apartment hunting.

Alessandro was waiting outside.

Maria-May walked towards him.

"How many?"

"Five."

She stopped.

"Five?"

"You said you wanted choices."

"I expected three."

"I found five."

Maria-May narrowed her eyes.

"Any penthouses?"

"No."

"Any indoor swimming pools?"

"No."

"Servants?"

"No."

"Gold taps?"

Alessandro hesitated.

"Alessandro."

"One might have brass."

"That's acceptable."

He smiled.

"I've organised two apartments on the east side of the harbour, two in the middle and one on the west."

Maria-May nodded.

"Good."

"And all overlook the water."

"Even better."

She pointed at him.

"But remember, I'm choosing."

"Completely."

"Your opinion is irrelevant."

"Understood."

"And Jonathan's opinion is even more irrelevant."

Alessandro laughed.

"I won't tell him you said that."

"He already knows."

---

East Harbour — Apartment One

Maria-May walked through the front door.

"No."

Alessandro blinked.

"We've been inside four seconds."

"No."

"Why?"

Maria-May pointed towards the enormous white living room.

"It looks like a dentist."

Alessandro stared at the room.

"It does not."

"It absolutely does."

The apartment had huge windows overlooking the harbour.

Three bedrooms.

A beautiful kitchen.

Plenty of space.

Maria-May hated it.

"Too white."

"You can decorate."

"Still feels weird."

She looked through the windows.

"And I don't like this side of the harbour."

"Why?"

"Too busy."

Alessandro nodded.

"Next."

Maria-May looked surprised.

"You're not going to convince me?"

"No."

"Huh."

"What?"

"Nothing. You're learning."

---

East Harbour — Apartment Two

This one lasted longer.

Seven minutes.

Maria-May liked the kitchen.

She liked the bedrooms.

She even liked the balcony.

Then a boat sounded its horn outside.

Maria-May jumped.

"No."

Alessandro laughed.

"You wanted boats."

"I wanted to look at boats. I didn't want them shouting through my windows."

"Fair."

"Next."

---

Central Harbour — Apartment Three

Emmett would have loved it.

Maria-May knew that immediately.

From the living-room windows, she could see cranes, boats and people moving around the harbour.

There was even a little window seat.

Maria-May sat on it.

"This is nice."

Alessandro smiled.

"It is."

She immediately looked at him.

"Don't look pleased."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm neutral."

"You're terrible at neutral."

She looked around.

Three bedrooms.

Large kitchen.

Plenty of storage.

Close to nursery.

Close enough to work.

It made sense.

But something didn't click.

Maria-May stood.

"Maybe."

Alessandro nodded.

"Maybe."

---

Central Harbour — Apartment Four

Maria-May walked in.

Turned around.

Walked back out.

Alessandro followed her.

"What was wrong with that one?"

"The carpet."

"You can replace carpet."

"It offended me."

Alessandro stared at her.

"Carpet offended you."

"Deeply."

"It was beige."

"Exactly."

Alessandro rubbed his face.

"One more."

Maria-May smiled.

"You're sweating."

"I'm beginning to understand why you said you were going to make me."

---

West Harbour — Apartment Five

The moment Maria-May walked inside, she stopped.

Alessandro nearly walked into her.

"What?"

She didn't answer.

The apartment wasn't the biggest.

It wasn't the fanciest.

It had three bedrooms.

A comfortable living room.

A kitchen that actually looked like someone could cook in it without being afraid of touching anything.

And across the entire far wall were windows.

Beyond them—

Water.

The west side of the harbour was quieter.

Boats moved slowly in the distance.

The afternoon light reflected across the water.

Maria-May walked towards the windows.

For a moment, she wasn't in the city anymore.

She was eighteen again.

Newly free.

Standing near the sea with one suitcase and absolutely no idea what she was doing.

Except this time she wasn't alone.

She had Emmett.

Ivan.

And apparently an entire Mafia family who refused to disappear.

Alessandro stayed behind her.

He didn't say anything.

Smart man.

Maria-May looked around.

There was a small balcony.

She opened the door and stepped outside.

The air smelled faintly of the water.

She could hear the harbour.

But it wasn't loud.

It was peaceful.

Maria-May rested her hands against the railing.

"This one."

Alessandro blinked.

"What?"

"This one."

He stared at her.

"You want this apartment?"

Maria-May nodded.

"It feels good."

Alessandro smiled.

She immediately pointed.

"Don't."

"I'm not doing anything."

"Your face is celebrating."

"My daughter just chose an apartment on Quinet territory. Allow me some internal happiness."

"Internal."

He attempted to flatten his expression.

Maria-May laughed.

She walked back inside.

"I want this one."

"Then it's yours."

Maria-May immediately looked at him.

"We still need to discuss rent."

Alessandro sighed.

"Of course we do."

"I meant what I said."

"I know."

"I pay something."

"We'll sort it out."

"Something realistic."

"Yes."

"And I want paperwork."

Alessandro blinked.

"Paperwork?"

"Lease. Agreement. Whatever."

"You don't need—"

"Alessandro."

"Fine."

She smiled.

"Good."

Then she started looking around properly.

"Ivan can have that bedroom."

She pointed.

"It's smaller, but he's two. His furniture will fit."

Alessandro nodded.

"Emmett can have the other one."

She opened another door.

Emmett's room overlooked part of the harbour.

"Oh, he's going to lose his mind."

"Dinosaur room?"

Maria-May sighed.

"Apparently."

Then she walked into the main bedroom.

It was bigger than anything she'd had before.

She opened the wardrobe.

"Bloody hell."

Alessandro leaned against the doorway.

"You like it."

"Don't get smug."

"I didn't say anything."

"Again, your face."

Maria-May walked back into the living room.

She looked at the walls.

"Hmm."

"What?"

"I don't love the colour."

Alessandro looked around.

"It's cream."

"Exactly."

He laughed.

"If you want to redecorate, let us know."

Maria-May immediately looked suspicious.

"Define 'let us know.'"

Alessandro smiled.

"It means if you want painting done, flooring changed, shelves fitted, anything like that, tell us and we'll get you the right people."

"I can paint."

"I know."

"You don't believe me."

"I absolutely believe you."

"I've decorated before."

"I'm sure you have."

Maria-May narrowed her eyes.

"You're being annoyingly agreeable."

Alessandro laughed.

"I'm not saying you can't do it yourself."

"Good."

"I'm saying you're working three jobs and raising two children."

Maria-May paused.

"If you'd rather spend your free time with Emmett and Ivan instead of painting walls, we can get people to do it."

That made more sense.

Maria-May looked around again.

"And I choose everything?"

"Everything."

"Colours?"

"Yes."

"Furniture?"

"Yes."

"Curtains?"

"Yes."

"No Jonathan deciding I need some antique table that's worth more than my entire life?"

Alessandro smiled.

"I'll keep him away from furniture shopping."

"Please."

Maria-May walked back towards the windows.

A boat was slowly entering the harbour.

She smiled.

"I think the boys will like it here."

Alessandro stood beside her.

"I think they will too."

Maria-May glanced at him.

"And family is close?"

"Very."

"How close?"

Alessandro hesitated.

Maria-May immediately became suspicious.

"Alessandro."

"Ten minutes."

"That's manageable."

"Jonathan owns a place about seven minutes away."

Maria-May groaned.

"Of course he does."

"But he knows the no-surprise-visits rule."

"He'd better."

She looked out at the water again.

For twenty-two years, Maria-May had never really had a place that felt like hers.

The orphanage hadn't.

The little room near the sea had been temporary.

The apartment with Gabriel had become somewhere she'd needed to escape.

Her current apartment had been hers, but lately it had stopped feeling safe.

This felt different.

Maria-May smiled.

"I want to move in."

Alessandro looked at her.

"How soon?"

She thought about the mould.

The overdue bills.

Gabriel knowing where she lived.

Then she looked towards the harbour.

"As soon as possible."

Alessandro's face lit up.

Maria-May immediately raised a finger.

"Internal happiness."

He pressed his lips together.

"Sorry."

His phone was already in his hand.

Maria-May narrowed her eyes.

"Who are you messaging?"

"No one."

"Alessandro."

He sighed.

"Jonathan."

"What are you telling him?"

"That you chose one."

Maria-May held out her hand.

"Give me the phone."

"Why?"

"Because I know exactly what Great Mister is going to do."

Alessandro reluctantly handed it over.

Maria-May typed:

I chose the west harbour apartment. Before you start celebrating, remember: no surprise furniture, no ridiculous gifts, no turning up uninvited and absolutely no buying Ivan an actual boat.

She pressed send.

Jonathan's reply came almost instantly.

What size boat counts as ridiculous?

Maria-May stared at the screen.

Then handed the phone back to Alessandro.

"Control your father."

Alessandro read the message.

He laughed.

Maria-May shook her head.

Maybe moving closer to her family was going to be good for her.

Or maybe she had just made the most exhausting decision of her life.

Probably both.