Chapter 3
Present
I’LL NEVER LEAVE YOU, NATALIA. I promise.
I stared at the screen.
Three days. No answer.
Maria never took this long to get back to me.
Something must have been wrong. I should probably head to the Bronx later–
With my phone in my face, I’d just walked straight into someone on the street. Granted, who the fuck stopped in the middle of the sidewalk in New York City?
It was five days until Christmas; everyone was going batshit crazy over last-minute shopping.
“’Scuse me,” I apologized, raising my eyes.
A large man in a black suit stared down at me through his sunglasses. My gaze shifted to his earpiece, a wire trailing down into the collar of his shirt.
“Natalia Moretti?”
“Do I know you?”
He didn’t respond; only looked up over my head and nodded. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed two other men closing in – all of them in black suits and earpieces.
“I’m going to need you to come with us.” The man spoke again.
I couldn’t hold in my laugh. Were they crazy? We were on a main street in Manhattan in the middle of the day, surrounded by people.
Before I could respond, I felt the other two men tower over me from behind. I was completely caged in.
“It’s not an option.”
I pushed forward, attempting to force my way through the space between them. One moment, I was lifted in the air; the next, I was shoved into a blacked-out SUV.
The two other men got in the backseat with me, one on each side, blocking my escape plan. As I was about to freak out beyond measure, the one behind the steering wheel clarified the situation.
“Mr. Salvatore Moretti has requested your attendance.”
“From the gala?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” I didn’t receive an answer as the SUV pulled off the curb and headed uptown. “Seriously? Now you’re being discreet?”
His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. “I am not authorized to discuss that, Miss Moretti.”
“But you were authorized to manhandle and grope me?”
He swallowed tensely. “I apologize, Miss Moretti. It wasn’t on purpose and won’t happen again.”
I straightened my posture and nodded, raising my chin. “Right.”
I was still scared shitless but for some reason the atmosphere in the car was non-threatening. Less than ten minutes later, the SUV pulled up in front of a high-end building.
“Where are we?”
“Moretti Enterprises,” The man on my right side answered, getting out and holding the door open for me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, getting out too and stopping on the sidewalk to admire the sight before me.
Moretti Enterprises. Luxury hotel, restaurant, gym, and spa all in a one-hundred-floor skyscraper.
“This way, miss.”
I followed behind one of the men, the other two on my back, and advanced inside the building. My breath caught as I admired the marble flooring and walls, chandeliers, and sleek finishes.
We took the elevator up to the Private Penthouse on one of the last floors where I was guided inside. After wandering through a couple of hallways we made it to what appeared to be an office. Floor-to-ceiling windows and views of Central Park. Large, impressive bookshelves covering the walls.
And a glass desk filled with folders and contracts, that Salvatore Moretti sat behind.
The moment we entered, he stood. “Natalia.”
I returned a polite smile, though quite awkward since I didn’t know what he could possibly want from me. I might have been friends with Kali but I knew close to nothing about their world – the ultra-rich; the billionaires. “Mr Moretti. You asked to see me?”
He studied me for a moment before glancing down and shaking his head. “You don’t know.”
“Know what?”
“Well, there is no easy way to say this.” He smoothed an absent hand over his tie. “The blood test you were called in to take two days ago? I set that up.”
I’d received a message from my doctor that I was overdue for a regulatory blood test. They asked if I was free that afternoon and I was… So, I went.
“Why?”
“Sweetheart… You having the same last name as me is not a coincidence.” Blood roared in my ears the longer his awfully similar brown eyes stared back into my own. “Natalia… I am your father.”
My eyes stung. My vision blurred.
“I… I don’t understand…”
I felt my knees getting weak, but within the split of a second, he was there to catch me if necessary. Salvatore Moretti took hold of my hand and guided me towards one of the armchairs.
He hunched down in front of me, holding my hands in his big ones.
“Nineteen years ago I was involved with a woman named Anabella Ricci.”
Through blurry eyes, I looked up at him.
He gave me a sympathetic smile. “Your mother.”
Anabella .
I never knew my mother’s name. I was too young to ask or remember.
“She got pregnant with you and well, here you are.”
A sudden memory hit me. My mother never wore rings.
“You two never got married?”
“Your mother… She didn’t want to be a part of my world. However, when I finally had to step up and marry someone else in order to take over the family business, she lost it. She developed mental issues… And ran away with you. I spent weeks searching for both of you. When I found her in some rundown apartment in the Bronx, she was dead. Overdose. I spent years searching for you, Natalia, but with your mother gone, there were no leads–”
“I understand.”
Dead. Overdose.
I’d be lying if I said there hadn’t been a part of me that still imagined I’d one day reunite with my mother. The things I would say to her. Would I be mad? Would I cry? I guess now I’d never know.
Maria had been right this entire time. She really was never coming back for me.
“What was she like?”
“You look just like her.”
Something bloomed inside me. “Really?”
He nodded.
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Of course.”
I took a deep breath through the tears. “When is my birthday?”
Maria and I had decided a long time ago to simply celebrate my birthday on hers: March twenty-eighth. The only reason she knew hers was because CPS had gotten hold of some of her paperwork. No one ever found mine.
He smiled sadly again. “February fourteenth. Saint Valentine’s Day.” He gave my hands a squeeze. “I’m sure you have many other questions. I’m more than happy to answer them over lunch.”
“Lunch?”
Everything was happening so fast, I couldn’t breathe. Feeling the blood pumping in my veins and the throbbing in my temples; hearing every single gasp of air entering my chest; feeling the hot tears run down my face and neck.
I couldn’t have been in the room for longer than five minutes and my whole life was flipped upside down.
“Yes, sweetheart. The others are already waiting.”
“Others?”
“My wife, Ines, and your siblings.” He squeezed my shoulder. “Your family.”
Family.
The word punctured me right in the heart, and twisted its way into my chest, entangling its roots into the deepest parts of my soul.
Family.
Something I’d wished, prayed and begged for as a child every night before I went to sleep in one bed out of the hundreds in that orphanage.
Something I’d craved, missed and envied as a teenager navigating the world with nobody by my side to guide or comfort me.
Family.
Something dark and selfish took over my eyes – something a lot like greed that allowed me to relax for the very first time in my life.
Salvatore Moretti – billionaire, philanthropist, elitist of high society – was my father.
I couldn’t help but feel like I’d just won the lottery.
My eyes were still red when Salvatore and I exited the elevator on a lower floor of Moretti Enterprises. At the end of the hallway was a waiter holding menus, while a girl stood behind a small desk with a tablet. They both smiled, greeting us, though they didn’t stop or show us where to go.
As we turned the corner, we entered the luxurious, three-Michelin star restaurant, also known as Moretti’s. Known for its authentic, to-die-for Italian food, as well as three-month wait list.
I followed behind Salvatore as he headed up a fancy staircase, leading us to the VIP section with larger tables. We walked straight towards a table of five, though I slowed down as anxiety suddenly flooded throughout me. What was I doing? I didn’t even know these people–
The moment a beautiful brunette noticed us, she stood. Four kids followed, falling in line as she smiled, approaching us.
Completely ignoring her husband, apart from a light touch on the arm, Ines reached for my hands. From years of faking high-society manners, I unconsciously complied.
Her eyes watered when she saw my red ones, the aftermath of my crying still obvious, as I felt her give my hands a soft squeeze. She opened her arms, pulling me into a hug, and embracing me tightly. Despite wrongly assuming it would be robotic, her touch comforted me, warming my cold skin.
It was the hug of a mother.
Something I hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
I didn’t know how long we stayed like that, but when she pulled back, she was crying too. Her soft hands cupped my face, stilling my chin.
“ Mio Dio, posso dire che sei bella dentro tanto quanto lo sei fuori .” She spoke so honestly, I knew it came from the heart.
“ Grazie mille ,” I replied shyly at her compliment.
She gasped, followed by a small laugh. “ Parli italiano? Come mai? ”
“ Ho studiato .”
She smiled somberly, understanding exactly what I meant.
Growing up, I didn’t remember much about my mother. Though one thing I knew for certain, we were Italian.
So, as a kid, I learned the language. At the time, it made me feel closer to her somehow.
“Natalia, please meet my wife, Ines,” Salvatore spoke with a smile, from behind his wife.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! Where are my manners? I just feel like I’ve known you this whole time.”
“Me, too,” The confession escaped me so easily, it was the truth.
Ines smiled, my hand still in hers as she guided me closer to the table. “This is Carmen. She is eighteen.” She introduced me to her oldest daughter, the one with light-brown hair, just like hers, before moving on to the second, who resembled Salvatore’s dark features. “And Kimberly, fifteen.”
A smile took over my face when they both gave me a cute, excited wave, their smiles big and sincere.
“And these are the twins, Nicolas and Emmanuel. They’re turning thirteen this month.”
The boys gave me matching grins, which I returned, though they looked nothing alike. Emmanuel was nothing like his brother, with his light-brown hair and soft eyes, matching his mother and oldest sister.
But there was something dark about Emmanuel; something I couldn’t pinpoint. He had a tired look in his eyes that only I seemed to notice. I suddenly wanted to hug him and ask what was wrong. Because something was . And it broke my heart that I was the only one able to see the pain behind his perfect smile.
“We call them Nico and Manny,” Kim announced, stepping between the twins and throwing her arms around their shoulders, though I could tell her hold was slightly tighter on Manny. And I knew – whatever it was – she knew too. It lightened my chest to know they had each other’s backs.
“It is so nice to meet you all.” I smiled as Ines wrapped her arms around her babies and gave them a quick squeeze.
The picture-perfect modern American family.
For a moment, there was a sick, nasty feeling in my gut. Like that was supposed to be mine .
Not the black and grey orphanage.
I couldn’t disassociate like Maria. I couldn’t daydream with my eyes wide open like she did as a kid, seeing opportunities instead of challenges. Paris instead of the Bronx.
I was always wide awake.
And I remembered everything .
“We thought you were dead.” Nico’s confession made me burst out laughing, helping me forget and move on from the bitterness.
“Nicolas!” Ines gasped, smacking him upside the back of his head, but nowhere near enough to hurt.
When Salvatore pulled out one of the chairs and looked straight at me, I gave a quick smile and took my seat at the table.
He then did the same for his wife, while the kids sat on the booth couch across from me.
“You… Knew about me?” I asked shyly, addressing my half-siblings.
“Father told us ever since we can remember.” I turned to look at Carmen who’d just spoken up. She fixed her shoulder-length hair that fell down in soft elegant curls, just like her mother. “He’s been looking for you for a very long time.”
Kim nodded. “We’re glad you’re okay. And that we finally get to meet you.”
Tears gathered in my eyes at the way practical strangers were welcoming me so easily into their family.
Something bloomed in my chest at the fact that someone had been looking for me this whole time, justifying the never-ending feeling of being lost I always suffered from.
“Oh, dear.” Ines dabbed my tear away with a tissue which used to be an origami swan, before wrapping her arms around me and holding me close.
We pulled away and I turned to face the whole table.
“Thank you for the warm welcome. From the bottom of my heart. I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll be around more. We have years to make up for,” Kim spoke confidently, practically jumping in her seat with excitement.
“I’d love to. Of course, if your parents are okay with that.”
“ Our ,” Nico corrected me with the cutest boyish grin.
I opened my mouth. Closed it.
A blush warmed my cheeks as I looked around the table at my father and stepmother.
“Take as much time as you need, mia cara .”
I didn’t tell Ines until later that year, on Christmas Eve, that that was what my mother used to call me.
Taking in a deep breath with a light shake, I spoke my mind. “I just can’t believe this is happening. I’ve been on my own since I was four.”
Salvatore clenched his jaw, a frown overtaking his features and I swear I saw his eyes turn glossy.
“Oh, Natalia…” Tears ran down Ines’ cheeks again as she pulled me into another tight embrace.
When we pulled apart, Salvatore reached over the table, holding my hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner, cara .”
I waved it off, wiping off the fresh tears under my eyes. “It’s in the past.”
When he smiled, so did I.
Three hours later, my cheeks ached from smiling and laughing so much, and my throat was sore from speaking for so long. I was all caught up on the generalities of their life, and them on mine. We’d talked about everything from how each of us was doing in school and work, to hobbies and interests, music and culture. It was one of the most stimulating, yet comforting conversations I’d had in a long time.
At five in the afternoon, in December, it was no longer light outside when we finally rose from the table. New York City sparkled on the other side of the two-story, floor-to-ceiling windows.
“Thank you so much for lunch. I can’t even explain how grateful I am. Truly.” I smiled, addressing Salvatore and Ines.
“You’re not leaving, are you?” I lowered my eyes to find Nico tugging on my hand.
“I’m afraid I have to. It’s already dark, and I need to get back to campus on the other side of the park.”
“Not fair.”
I crouched down to give Nico a hug. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
I was about to stand back up when suddenly Manny was there too, reaching for me – even though he hadn’t spoken a word the entire lunch. So, I hugged him too, with equal force, surprised that he was showing me such affection. Then, I of course turned to Kim and gave her a hug too.
“Please do.” Carmen smiled at me, hugging me close in the same way her mother did.
Before I knew what was happening, Kim joined the hug, and then so did the twins. My heart was so full, tears burned in my eyes for the millionth time that day.
“I’m going to miss, you guys, so much.” I smiled sadly after I pulled away from my brothers and sisters.
“I mean…There is an easy solution to that, of course.” Ines smiled at me, a secret message behind it which I couldn’t understand.
Turning back, I saw all four kids sharing it too. So I looked to Salvatore.
“Just like my Kimberly said, we have many years to make up for.” He stepped forward and rested a hand on my shoulder, leveling his eyes to mine. “How would you like to come live with us, cara ?”
The record scratched, pressing pause.
“ Wow . That– I uh… You’re serious?”
He squeezed my shoulder. “You’ve been separated from your family for almost two decades. I think it’s time you come home.”
I looked around at everyone else. “You just met me.”
“You’re family,” Ines explained simply.
“We don’t abandon family,” Manny spoke for the second time that afternoon.
“Plus, we’ve been looking forward to this day for what feels like forever!” Kim argued, a slightly whiny tone to her voice that made me smile.
“It’s true!” Carmen chimed in, matching her sister’s excitement, slipping away from her perfectly curated version of the young lady she usually stuck to.
“This is a lot,” I confessed, turning to the parents.
“I understand,” Salv– My father replied, though disappointment was obvious even when he tried to hide it.
“ But …” Ines smiled hopefully, wrapping her arm around her husband’s. “It is the holidays. Christmas is five days away…”
“You said you don’t have plans. Or anyone to celebrate with,” Nico interjected, making me laugh yet again, and earning an elbow shove from his oldest sister.
“You can’t be alone on Christmas!” Kim threw her hands in the air.
“We forbid it,” Carmen backed up, her tone final.
“Yeah!” The twins joined their sisters.
I opened my mouth. Closed it.
I mean I couldn’t possibly…
This was crazy .
“ Dai , Natalia. è Natale ,” Ines smiled giving my hands a squeeze.
As I looked through their hopeful faces, I realized I didn’t know why I was holding back. This was what I’d been praying for, for years.
All my life, all I’d wanted was a family.
And now, I was being offered it on a twenty-four-karat gold platter.
I took a deep breath, exhaling a laugh. What the hell? “Yeah, okay.”
They all erupted in happy Italian cheers.
The first to hug me was my father. “ Bene, cara. Sono felice. Molto felice .”
I smiled in return, holding back more tears.
A weight thumped into my body. I looked down to find Nico hugging me. I hugged him back, making sure to ruffle his dark hair.
Manny followed, approaching me slowly and hugging my other side. I rested my hand on his back but when he looked up at me expectantly, I ruffled his hair too, earning a huge, boyish grin from him that I hadn’t seen before.
“Okay! Our turn, pooh bears!” Kim announced, dragging her sister towards us.
The twins laughed, though made no effort to move when Carmen and Kim giggled their way into the hug.
I laughed too, glancing up to find the adults watching us.
Ines had the most beautiful smile on her face; her head resting on dad’s shoulder, his arm protectively around her waist. Both, admiring us with nothing but parental love in their eyes.
Famiglia.