Dear Readers,

Thank you very much for all of your kind comments. Please let me know what you think about the following chapter. Of course I should be sleeping but sleeping is for the weak.

Enjoy!

"If you need to ask it means you're not ready"

"What's with all these secrets," Sofia asked frustrated and Rosa laughed wholeheartedly. "Eat up kids. The food won't finish itself" she said in a brisk voice.

"So what are you planning to do? Will you let Denaros know that you're related to them?" Bruno asked curiously.

"No. I mean... not yet. Not now. I might do it after Ianniellos kick me out" Sofia said gloomily without bothering to look up from her plate.

"What are you talking about?" Bruno was totally confused. "They're your family they will never kick you out" Bruno assured.

"Absolutely dear" Rosa backed up her grandson.

"You can't be sure of that. They might have enough of me soon" Sofia said, revealing her deepest fear. She knew in other people's eyes it will be unreasonable and stupid for her to feel that way but did it stop her anxiety? No. Fear is often irrational.

There was a part of her that believed her fear of rejection is rational. Because she was mentally ill, she felt that her illness might be tiresome to people. She was like a burden that someone had to carry and for what she wasn't even fully related to them.

Sofia continued speaking "After all, I am only their part-sister, half-family almost a stranger. I am an offspring of a mother that has abandoned them they might never get really attached to me and I don't blame them." Sofia pointed out. She knew that if someone has told something like this to her she would hit that person for being an idiot.

"Do you care about them less because they're only your half-sibling?" Bruno asked.

"Of course not," Sofia said, offended by his suggestion.

"Then why are you saying all this bullshit?" Bruno asked annoyed.

"Bruno, language!" Nonna yelled and she gently slapped him with the kitchen towel this swiftly prompted him to apologize.

"No, it's okay. He's right" Sofia said shyly. "I know I shouldn't be afraid of them abandoning me because they were nothing but kind to me. It's just... It's unreasonable"

"Nonsense!" Rosa yelled and Sofia looked at her in shock. Sofia expected Rosa to admit that she's being unreasonable, but she didn't. Instead, she said "Some people don't trust others easily and they have their reasons. It's okay if you have your reasons honey" Rosa said gently.

That response made Sofia's eyes tear up. She nodded, unable to speak. Thankful for Rosa's words. She was so understanding, so accepting. Bruno was lucky to have a grandmother like that. It made Sofia wonder what her grandmother was like.

When she asked Rosa about Ida the atmosphere lightened up. Rosa had nothing but warm words and heartfelt stories to tell about her best friend. Both Bruno and Sofia listened with full focus because Rosa was an amazing storyteller.

Sofia enjoyed her time with the Neri family. Their house was small but cozy, the atmosphere was full of warmth and honesty. Nothing was complicated here. But everything good must end so her time with Neris' had to end as well.

"It's getting late, I need to go," she said finally.

"Stay for a longer" Bruno protested and Sofia wanted to follow his request but she couldn't, she had things to do.

"Sorry, we will talk some more in school," she said simply and smiled.

"Visit us more often," Rosa said and hugged Sofia as if she was her own granddaughter. Sofia welcomed this hug, she was craving female company after being surrounded by boys all the time.

"Do you need a lift to Catania?" Bruno suggested but she shook her head in denial.

"No, my bodyguard will take me home"

"Oh, right, you have a bodyguard now" Bruno grinned.

"Yes, it's a bit troublesome..." Sofia muttered.

"You will get used to it" Bruno dismissed her concern.

"That's what Francesco said" Sofia admitted.

"So it must be true your brother is a genius after all," he responded.

Right. A double major at Harvard. Her brother was capable of doing that while she was dumb as a shoe. Where is justice?

After heartfelt goodbyes, Sofia went out of the house. When she once again found herself on Taomrina's street in front of nonna Rosa's home the wave of cold winter air hit her. Automatically her hands traveled into her jeans pockets and she could feel a crumbled paper touching the tip of her fingers. She picked it up to see if it's a piece of trash that needs to be thrown away but no, it wasn't.

It was her unused drug prescription.

And she had a credit card with money.

But there was a catch. If she uses it to buy drugs her brothers might find out she's insane quicker and throw her out sooner. That was a risk she couldn't take. When she stared at the piece of paper suddenly a wave of sadness washed over her. Those meds weren't helping her anyway, Sofia desperately wanted to believe they do, she was lying to herself, convincing that meds are enough and she doesn't need therapy, acting like they were making her better than she was. But they didn't and that realization came only after she was forced to stop taking them due to her financial situation.

They weren't curing whatever was deeply wrong with her but they didn't. She was a hopeless case.

"Don Alessandro didn't mention you take medications" Sofia got startled when she noticed that Raul has just seen her prescription. Oh fuck.

Oh fuck, oh shit.

"I mean it's nothing just an old thing... stuff... thing" Sofia laughed nervously. Oh damn, could she be more obvious that she's hiding something?

"Okay" Raul seemingly accepted her explanation but she didn't trust that expression.

Shit. She had to be more careful around Raul.

"Are you ready to come back home?" Raul asked.

"Can we stay for a little longer?" Sofia pleaded.

"We can stay as long as you want" Raul assured, "I asked because it's getting cold"

"Wait are you cold?" Sofia asked panicked and Raul started laughing.

"No, I am fine but thank you for your concern"

In that case, Sofia started walking in the desired direction. She had one more important thing to do in this city.

"What's so funny?" she asked, not understanding what Raul finds so amusing about her.

"You weren't raised rich so you're just a normal kid. Kids from weathly families behave quite differently than you, so pardon my amusement. It's just refreshing to see unspoiled youth who treats their guardian's employees as human.

"Have you been working as a bodyguard for a long time?"

"10 years"

After this polite exchange, Sofia went quiet again. She got lost in her own thoughts, it happens more often than she would like.

Rosa was speaking about some sort of war but it didn't make any sense. Like a war between their companies or something? Ianniello's and Denaro's both owned multimillion dollars companies which made them the richest families on this island. But was the fight between normal businessmen would be a reason good enough to abandon three children? Maybe her mother was worried the company will go bankrupt that way?

What if they have ties with the mafia world?

No, shut up. Stupid brain. Stupid stereotypes. What mafia? Ridiculous. Sofia wanted to bang her head on the wall to punish her brain for coming up with the most idiotic ideas but she stopped herself. What if she was onto something? Let's speak facts: Valentino pointed a gun at her, the Police feared her brothers, so did her criminal step-father, her brothers hijacked a car as if they were above the law, her custody case went suspiciously smoothly and extremely fast for social services standards.

Now that she was thinking about it there were many concerning signs but she just assumed her brothers are the spoiled, out-of-touch billionaires with enough money to cause trouble if they wanted to and that was all true but what if there was more to it?

More and more questions. No answers.

Sofia lost her focus the moment she saw a bakery that was selling a focaccia. bread She bought several types with different toppings. When she purchased what she needed and started walking towards her destination once again she noted how the sky from bright white turned into greyish-blue color, soon it's going to turn black and she will really have to go home. She didn't want to push her brothers with her first day out on her own.

The park Sofia entered with Raul walking right behind her gave her a nostalgic feeling. She was here not so long ago. Alone and lost. No family, no food, no clothes, no roof under her head. She was so lucky to be saved that day by Anastasio. What would have been done to her if he didn't show up like a guardian angel to save her? She shuddered at the scenarios that entered her head.

"Sofia, we should go back to the car. You shouldn't be in this neighborhood" Raul asked.

The neighborhood they entered didn't look very appealing, that's true. It was really scared now that Sofia thought about it. But at the night she was here with Anastasio it was the safest place she could afford.

When she knocked at the door of the abandoned building she could feel the aura of discomfort Raul was emanating. She felt bad for him. Too quickly he started having a good opinion about her.

"Don't be mad, I am here to visit a friend" Sofia explained while waiting for the door to open.