Episode 13

Speechless, Angelina looked from Stella to Mary, shocked by the confirmation that her former nanny and current penthouse governess had just made. Since Stella's birth, Mary had worked with the Castellano family, and if there was one person who could truly know about that story, it was her.

The silence in the breakfast room was heavy, and Mary decided to tell everything so that no doubts remained.

"When Mr. Joseph brought you here to live, he said that your mother had died in childbirth and that you were completely alone in the world. However, at the age of five, you became very ill and needed a blood donation. Due to a special blood condition, you could only receive blood from a close relative." Mary spoke, watching Angelina's every reaction as she listened intently. "Mr. Joseph was the donor."

As soon as Mary finished speaking, Angelina swallowed back her tears to avoid showing even more emotion in front of those two shadows and went up to her room.

There was no possibility of that weekend getting worse. She had always known she was adopted, and she was very grateful to Joseph and Olivia. A range of complex and painful emotions emerged as Angelina imagined if she had grown up completely orphaned. Like a helpless child, struggling to find her place in the world, growing up without love or family support. A deep sense of loss took over her thoughts. The feelings of loneliness and sadness would always be present, a child without care and protection, having to face daily challenges without the emotional support of a father or mother.

Furthermore, she would depend on strangers to meet her basic needs, such as food, shelter, and education. And what would it be like to attend school? Other children with families, happy, and she being excluded from those common activities experienced by children in stable families. Totally without parental references, affection, and emotional support that are so essential in healthy growth.

Contrary to all this, Angelina had always been well raised and overly spoiled. The real angel in this story was Olivia. What was it like for her mother, when Joseph arrived with her still a baby at home? How has it been for Olivia to live every day with the living proof of her husband's betrayals?

The way Olivia lived in that house, having to endure all of Joseph's betrayals, already bothered Angelina a lot, even though she knew the life of women born into the mafia was like that. First, they had to remain virgins for marriage to a practically unknown man, defined by their family. Feelings were the last thing taken into consideration. Then, regardless of a happy marriage or not, they had to procreate. The first child should preferably be a boy, and find a good reason to live in that situation. This good reason, usually, was the children. There was no mother in the world who didn't love her children unconditionally.

In Olivia's case, life was extremely unkind, as it placed in her hands the illegitimate daughter of her husband, proof of his betrayal, to raise. Completely humiliated, in addition to raising her, Olivia gave Angelina all the love and care in the world, which she herself thought she would be unable to give if she were in the same situation as her mother.

That was not a life for any woman. Now that Angelina had discovered that the love of her life was promised to another, she had no interest in respecting the rules of that cruel world. Staying a virgin, marrying a stranger, giving him children, and accepting his betrayals would never be tolerated by Angelina.

After much reflection on all of this, Angelina decided not to speak to her mother. What good would it do Olivia to know that she was aware she was a bastard? Despite all the adversities, Angelina had always been loved by Olivia, and questioning that could bring past hurts to the surface.

When it came to Joseph, everything was different. He was a cold man who thought that satisfying his daughters' material needs was enough. He was never a loving father and always made it clear that he was concerned about both daughters' marriages because of the business alliances he could make. Stella was already well on her way with that, but Angelina was not like that. Everything she could do to avoid a marriage with a stranger, without love, she would do.

By fate or by Stella's doing, she already had a reputation as an easy woman among men, although she had never given them any reason to think that. Of course, since high school, she had always been heavily pursued. All the boys were after her and made up stories of conquests to come out on top, but the only one who had her heart was Bernardo.

"Where are the girls, Mary?" Olivia inquired once she arrived home.

"Stella went to play tennis at the club with a friend and Angelina is up in her room. She came down for breakfast but didn't want lunch," Mary replied, taking some shopping bags from Olivia's driver, who was standing right behind her.

"I ended up having lunch with a friend at the mall. I'll take a shower and then please ask Angelina to come to my room. I want to know how the party was," Olivia said in that soft and calm tone that reflected her refined and tranquil personality.

"Of course, madam," Mary replied nervously. Since the argument between Stella and Angelina in the morning, she was anxious to know if the younger sister would mention anything to their mother.

Certainly, if Olivia found out, she would scold Mary for letting that story about Angelina's origins leak.

"How was the party, my dear?" Olivia asked as soon as Angelina entered her room.

"Nothing special. The same as always," Angelina replied disheartened, at the same time sitting on her mother's bed and resting her head on her lap. "We greeted Don Vito and explained that Dad was traveling, which is why you two couldn't make it."

"Great. Your father really likes Don Vito. It was important for you to go and honor the event," Olivia stroked Angelina's hair as she spoke.

"Mama, are you happy?" Angelina asked, her gaze lost, waiting for her mother's response.

"What kind of question is that, honey? You seem very melancholic... Of course, I am happy. I have two beautiful daughters, we are all healthy, and we have more than enough to live on," Olivia made Angelina lift her head from her lap so she could look her daughter in the eyes. "What's troubling that little mind of yours? Tell me."

"But... what about my father? Are you happy with him? Do you love each other?" Angelina didn't want to throw in her mother's face what was evident to everyone in the house: Joseph's infidelities.

"Angelina, my love. There are things that are not part of our lives. Some women are lucky to find true love in the husbands chosen by their families, but, in general, it doesn't work like that," Olivia took a deep breath, losing some of the sparkle in her eyes as she spoke, but regained it shortly after. "And I have you and Stella, who are my true loves. No one can take that away from me, my daughters." Olivia embraced Angelina, who felt a tightness in her heart at that moment, knowing her real origins and how wonderful her mother was.

"That's true, Mama. I love you more than anyone in the world," Angelina said emotionally, returning her mother's embrace. "Did you call me here just to ask about the party?" Quickly, Angelina changed the subject.