Chapter 52

I smacked my head on the table multiple times in a row— while Luna glared at me.

“I told him I loved him!” I mouthed. It was the day after I had embarrassed myself and confessed my feelcould not understand how one could go from liking someone to loving someone.

What was even more embarrassing was that he did not have a single reaction, not one.

“Baby that’s the least of your worries, worry about important stuff like meeting your parents.” Luna triedattention. Today was the day I would be meeting the Alfonzo’s once again— and I had expected to be newasn’t.

I had dreamed of this moment for years, but now that it was here I did not feel a single nerve.

“Thanks fome, I really can’t do this alone.” I sighed at Luna.

Faith was busy with her own life, and Olivia was a bit too close to Vincenzo— so I had also taken my distbut luckily I had Luna instead. Today I would officially be meeting the Alfonzo’s and Luna had agreed to Even though I was not exactly nervous, I did not want to do this on my own. “Speaking of the devil.” Lunlooked up at Christian who had walked in.

After his breakdown, he acted as if nothing happened, just how he had completely ignored the fact that him—but there was nothing I could do to take it back. The truth was that I did love him, and I was not emadmit it.

“Are you guys ready?” Christian asked me and avoided all eye-contact. The fact that I didn’t know whethbecause I had confessed my feelings or because he felt embarrassed about me seeing the vulnerable sidmatters even worse.

“Yes,” Luna told him and dragged me from the chair. “Did you still not tell him about Beau?” She whispewhile I punched her in her flanks. Beau had texted me and told me not to trust anything Vincenzo said ana trap, just like Christian had told me—but I had yet to tell him the truth.

I knew Beau told me not to tell our parents anything, but he seemed broken and lost which was why I waconsidering going against him and tell the Alfonzo’s the truth. Fabio was obviously an abusive, controllinneeded him to be saved. “Right, sorry,” Luna whispered.

We followed Christian to the car and sat down in the back, while he was at the front with Johnny.

“You diwas coming!” Luna whispered in my ear. What did she expect? He was his cousin.

The only thing going through my head was Christian. Why was he not saying anything to me? Did I scare“Serena, how are you feeling?” Johnny asked—completely ignoring Luna’s existence. It had appeared to me and Christian also they had their own issues.

“Good, nervous— but excited,” I told him. The only thing that did worry me would be their opinion.

Whalike me? I remembered Emmanuella told me that they had two more children after I was born, a set of twCarmen. Would they like me?

I was not worried about Matteo or about Emilio and Marcello— because I knew they liked me, but I had rest of my family and did not know how they would receive me, but it could not be any worse than the Lright?

After a long drive, we had finally arrived at the huge Alfonzo estate. I stepped out of the car with sparklinthought about what my life would’ve been like if they had never sent me away. “Still not nervous?” Chrislocked his hand with mine.

I felt my heart beat and looked down at our intertwined hands. This was the first time since I told him I lohad actually acknowledged me. “I’m good.” I managed to get out and looked the other way.

Before we had even reached the door, a man I recognized as Matteo ran out and made his way over. Whfront of me he froze for a few seconds and stared into my eyes. With each second he got more and morehad finally broken down and grabbed me from Christian to pull me into a tight hug.

“My Angelica, I knew it was you.” He cried into my arms while I awkwardly hugged him back. I did not knhave parents or to be loved—so this was all new to me.

I knew it was you, those were the words I had been waiting for my entire life but now that it was here I dthing. Did I feel happy? Yes, I did—but I was not emotional.

“I won’t ever let go of you again, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” He repeated over and over. After he had pulmy arms. “Let me look at you, you’re beautiful.” He told me while I was still unsure of how to react.

“How has Christian been treating you?” He looked behind me. I turned around and also looked at Christiuncomfortable look on his face. “He’s been amazing.” I smiled at Christian.

Our relationship did not start off well, but it had grown a lot and I had considered him someone I could rto the point that I had told him I loved him.

“Johnny, nice to see you.” Matteo greeted him before he focused his attention on Luna. “Uhm, that’s myLuna,” I told him.

Matteo immediately walked towards her and grabbed both of our hands. “Thank you, thank you for beinfriend.”

Angelica…

Even though it was supposedly the name I was given I did not like that name. My name was Serena and tname I felt comfortable with. “Come on, let’s go inside— everyone wants to meet you.” He grabbed my “E-everyone?” I stuttered. I was still a bit traumatized from meeting the Lamberti’s and did not want to gthat again. “Just your mom and your siblings, I would like to introduce you to the entire family but considcircumstances…”

“Right.” Christian agreed. Matteo led us inside and walked us through the house. “I’ve dismissed everyotold me as if it was the most normal thing to have people walking around your house.

He stopped at a door and turned around to look at me one last time. “Your mom has waited on this verythe day we gave you away.” He smiled at me with a tearful look in his eyes. In the past, I had a list of quewhat I wanted to ask my parents, if it was hard for them and why they never came looking for me—but aof this felt overwhelming.

The moment Matteo opened the door I counted five people staring at me. Emilio, Marcello, a woman anwho I had yet to meet. I awkwardly stepped forward while the woman pushed the others aside so she co“Am I dreaming?” She whispered to herself and looked into my eyes. Her shaking hands moved to my chgently caressed my face while tears were streaming down her face, but crazily enough I had no reaction.“Can I give you a hug?” She asked and once I nodded my head—

she did not hesitate and pulled me intbeen waiting for so long.” She sobbed.

Emilio and Marcello walked over to me and joined the hug, while the two in the back had their arms crosright through my soul. I had not expected everything to go perfect so I was completely prepared. “From go anywhere.” Emilio stroke his hand through my hair.

Matteo also joined the hug and pushed Marcello and Emilio a bit to the side so he could hold me again. a family felt like—it was definitely suffocating.

“Sir, I think we should let her and the baby breathe.” I heard Christian’s voice as they all pulled away in uhurt you?” They all started throwing questions at me with worried looks on their faces.

Christian being worried for me and the baby was actually kind of cute.

“No, I’m fine.” I smiled and looked at my family. My family. They seemed like nice people who would accopen arms. “Carmen and Luke— come and say hi to your big sister.” Matteo walked to the two teenagertheir hands to pull them forward.

Luke gave me a fake smile and an awkward nod—at least he tried, while Carmen’s face said enough, shehere. “They look alike, don’t you think?” Emilio asked Marcello who agreed.

“I’m Lita…I’m your mother.” The woman pushed her own children to the side to hold my cheeks again. “Yand giving me another…grandchild, is all so much at once—but I wouldn’t want it any other way.” She lomy belly.

Why wasn’t I feeling anything?

They were nice people and I was happy but where was this so-called ‘family bond’ I had always dreamedMatteo looked behind me to look at the others. “For today, let’s not talk about any business or what’s abwant to spend all the time we have on getting to know Serena.”

“Yes, we want to hear all about you and Christian—and that baby of yours.” Lita spoke while I turned aroChristian, but no matter what he would not look me in the eyes.

“I’m sure Serena has a lot of questions, come on.” Matteo grabbed my hand and guided all of us to the all I could think of was Christian.

I told him I loved him, only for him to avoid me like this.

“You guys go ahead, I’ll be right there.” I smiled at the others and pulled Christian back to the hallway soprivacy, and only one sentence could leave my mouth.

“Are you not going to say anything back?”