Hi guys!!!!! I know this is super random but we crossed 2k reads and I'm so happy. Even though we crossed that days ago, I'm still giving you an extra update.

Also it's my birthday today so that's a plus. Consider it my b'day treat or 2k read milestone treat but here you go!

Enjoy ❤



"Ms. Rose!"

Startled, I snapped out of my trance and turned to my secretary, Laura, who was outlining my schedule for the day. I sighed.

"Laura, cancel all my meetings after lunch. I have somewhere I need to be," I said, dismissing her.

"But Ms. Rose, it's really important and you have already been delaying the meeting with Mr. Antonio for a while now and he is getting angry because of it."

"I don't think that I asked for your opinion Laura. As far as I remember I told you to cancel the meetings. And secondly do you really think that I care about Mr. Antony or whatever the fuck his name is. This is my business, my company and I'll do whatever I want to. If Mr. Anthony is so keen on doing business with me then he needs to learn patience. You may leave now." I spoke rather calmly despite the anger I was feeling because of her dictation.

She seemed conflicted and after contemplating for a minute she opened her mouth to say something but one look from me was all it took for her to shut it close and leave.

After she left I sighed again for what seemed like the hundredth time this morning. It's been a week since I last interacted with my dear family and the conversation has been replaying in my mind like a broken recorder. I thought back to the conversation.

Flashback:

"Hello famiglia, were you waiting for me?" I taunted in an overly sweet voice with a sickly sweet smile, batting my eyelashes at them. Christina's expression faltered for a mere second before going back to that ugly smirk that she thinks makes her look like a villain, but in my opinion it makes her look ugly.

Everyone shifted in their places, clearly not expecting this. My father dearest cleared his throat before looking me in the eyes, and spoke in a cold voice that sent shivers through the spines of many but not mine.

"Valentina, we realize we've made mistakes in the past by overlooking your behavior. Being the princess of the Italian mafia, we thought it was your right to demand anything. However, after what you've done, it goes beyond mere brattiness. Your actions were severe, and while we can forgive and forget your previous acts, this cannot be overlooked. You'll need to apologize to everyone affected, as your actions caused trouble to everyone.

"Now that we've addressed the past, I want to discuss a few rules with you. These are house rules everyone follows:

1. You will respect everyone here and do as you're told, no questions asked. 2. Your curfew is 11 PM on weekdays and 1 AM on weekends. You must be back by these times and cannot leave the house after them. 3. No cursing or disrespect towards anyone. Be considerate and refrain from using foul language. 4. Most importantly, you are not allowed to have a boyfriend without permission. If you like someone, you must ask your brothers and me before dating him so we can ensure he is safe for you. 5. And most importantly, you have to dress maturely. You can't wear these slutty dresses and go out. You represent the Rossetti family. You have to dress like that.

I hope you understand these rules and will follow them."

I listened to him calmly, not showing any expression on my face even though my insides were in a frenzy. How dare he tell me what to do? He can't just barge in my life like this and tell me what I should do and what not. I have been on my own for years. I've been through hell and back. Where was he when I was going through the worst shit anyone could go? He wasn't there then and I don't need him now.

"I've listened to you, but honestly, I think most of it was complete nonsense. And what did you say? You overlooked my behavior and didn't reprimand my mistakes? You think I was spoiled as a child just because I was a mafia princess? Are you serious? Did you ever have time for me when I was younger? Can you recall a single memory of us together from my childhood? No, you can't. You know why? Because there aren't any. How could you find one? You were never there when I needed you. When you should have been making memories with me, you were busy with your mafia business. You never had time for any of your kids.

Now, let's address the next issue. You want me to apologize, right? Fine, I'll apologize, but only if I'm proven guilty. I want proof that whatever happened was my fault, that it was my doing. If you can't find that proof, then it wouldn't be me who'll be apologizing.

Moving on to the next part of the rules. I'm sorry to say this, but I'm not going to play the family game with you. I've told you before, and I'll tell you again. If it were back when I was a little, naive, innocent mafia princess who believed her family was her safe haven and would do everything to protect her, then she would have gladly followed the rules. But unfortunately for you, that mafia princess was killed by me. She's dead, and now I'm standing in front of you. I'm not going to follow your rules because, to me, they're nonsense. So no, I won't follow any rules.

And one more thing, you can keep your apology to yourself because I'm not interested in it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to catch up on some sleep." With that, I walked back to my room, leaving them all stunned. If they think they can waltz back into my life and walk all over me, then they're in for a rude awakening. I'm more than ready to show them the real me. Afterall, they're the ones who created it.

Flashback ends.

I was pulled out of my memories by the ringing of my phone. It was Alexa calling. I answered, but before I could say anything, her loud, energetic voice burst through the speaker.

"Val, it's late. Where are you? You didn't forget about our traditional family lunch, did you?"

"Calm down, Alexa. I just finished work and I'm heading home now. I didn't forget about the lunch, but I lost track of time, so we'll be a bit late. But don't worry, I've got it under control. Wait for me in my room; I'll be there in 10 minutes," I reassured her calmly.

After ending the call with her, I gathered my things and left the office. Glancing down at my casual suit, I groaned, realizing it was completely unsuitable for lunch. Ever since my first dinner with Alexa, we've made it a habit to eat together. I've also noticed that, strangely, no one else is ever home around dinner time except for Alexa and me, but I've chosen to ignore it for now.

I still feel a bit hesitant around Alexa because I'm not sure if she's spending time with me because she genuinely misses me or if my family is using her to extract information from me. Alexa is gullible and easily manipulated, so I wouldn't put it past them, especially Christina. She's exceptionally skilled at manipulating and using people to her advantage.

Nonetheless, I've spent the past week having dinner with Alexa, trying to get to know her. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying her company. She was and still is a ray of sunshine, always chatting away. Over the past week, she has told me all about her school, friends, and favorite hobbies. She also mentioned this lunch tradition where our family goes to a fancy ass restaurant to have dinner with our grandparents every once in a month.

Apparently, my grandmother came up with this idea 5 years back, because after I left everyone in the family became distant and stopped contacting or visiting our extended family. So she came up with this idea where they go to lunch every month and also spend a weekend by their home where all my uncles and aunt come with their families. Apparently the lunch was scheduled for today and everyone's presence was a must.

No one other than Alexa bothered to tell me this apparently, after my convo with them they thought it would be best if I don't come to lunch today with them. But Alexa being the sweetheart she is told me and the devil inside me was up with a new idea. Since my family considers me a pampered and spoiled child and a brat, I decided to be one and crash the lunch.

So being the totally innocent person I am, I became sad upon hearing that my family doesn't want to interact with me. Alexa told me that I could go with her because she had planned a girls day with her friends so she would be going late. This way no one would see it coming and be surprised. Keeping the drama going, I reluctantly agreed. Though, I felt a bit guilty using Alexa but my inner bitch silenced my conscience.

**********

Ninth chapter done!!!!

What do you think about this? Share your thoughts in the comments and let me know how'd you find this? And please don't hold back with your comments. Your comments give me so much happiness and I really enjoy reading and replying to them.

With love, Abeer