Episode 2

I spent the entire night in my room crying, unable to believe what my father had told us, especially the part about wanting to separate us. I cried so much that I didn’t even realize when I finally fell asleep.

The next morning, feeling slightly calmer, I made my way to the living room where my parents were having breakfast with sadness etched on their faces. That’s when I decided not to make this moment any harder for them. I would listen, and we would all look for a solution together. So, I gave my mother and then my father a kiss, and we ate breakfast in complete silence. A few hours later, we were back in the living room when my father began talking about how much he loved my mother and me. The tears wouldn't stop; my heart felt like it was breaking because I had never seen my father cry before. The idea of what he was proposing meant we would be apart for a long time, and then he told me that I had to leave with my mother for another country. We would have to start over with new identities and fake our own deaths. Meanwhile, I would receive training, get married, and be ready to take my place as CEO. With that authority, Donatello wouldn’t be able to harm me. My mother sobbed as she listened to Dad; to lighten the mood a bit, I told them that this was not an ultimatum for our family. Even if we didn’t see each other for a while, we would always know where we came from and what our place was. After this, we embraced; we could stay only a few more days under the pretense of extending our vacation. We forgot everything during those days and created beautiful family memories until the day arrived. My father left in the morning for Italy, and we were to follow after in a plane rigged with explosives to stage our deaths for the world.

Meanwhile, my uncle Fabricio, who with my father had decided he would be our guardian, accompanied us to California, United States. He would pretend to be my mother’s brother to avoid raising suspicions.

Upon arrival in California, our identities were already changed. I was now Melisa Smith, my mother was Carolina Cifuentes de Smith, and my uncle went by Raul Cifuentes. There was chaos at the airport as everyone had heard the news of the plane explosion owned by the Ledezma family with Carmine de Ledezma, Camila Ledezma, and Fabricio Bustamante on board - the family and right-hand man of the businessman Renato Ledezma - it was a significant event.

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd regarding the news on the broadcasters, we managed to quickly leave the airport and head towards an apartment my uncle Fabricio had purchased to start our new life. This apartment was not like the mansion we lived in, but it was quite nice and cozy, as we could not stand out too much in society. As we turned on the TV, an interview with my father was being broadcasted. He was in tears and refused to speak; whereas Donato emphasized that everyone on the plane had died, leaving Renato alone. He showed a smile that soon turned to a sad expression, emphasizing that my father would always have his and his daughter Fernanda’s support.

Days passed and my mother was very sad. I began studying at home until, three months later, my father showed up at our door, though only for a few hours as he didn’t want Donato to suspect anything. He had traveled for business, and although the time was short, we cherished it immensely. My father stayed with mom through the night, and by dawn, he was off, making us promise to take care of ourselves, and that he would always watch over us until the danger had passed.

From that day on, my mother decided not to fall apart. Together with my uncle, they opened a florist shop to keep busy and not raise suspicions about our finances. Days, weeks, and even years passed; my mother owned five florist shops. My father would visit us once every six months, covertly at dawn. During one visit, he revealed that Donato had been embezzling from the company but was careful not to leave evidence. However, he would get the proof he needed since Donato didn’t know that his secretary was an informant for my father.

On the other hand, Uncle Raul kept us safe and was falling for one of the girls working in the florist shop, though he denied it. As for me, I was studying and helping my mother with the shop. We had changed our looks, wearing large clothes and glasses to avoid recognition.