Chapter 2

After hanging up, I went back to my parents' house on the Upper East Side.

When I walked into Dad's study, a will was already laid out on his desk. Matteo, Alessandro, and Dante were all there.

Dad's lawyer pushed the documents toward me. "Mrs. Castellano made arrangements for her estate before she passed."

I looked down.

The will listed Mom's twelve-percent stake in Castellano Holdings, two commercial properties in Manhattan, and her jewelry collection. All of it was to go into a newly established trust.

I turned the pages and found the jewelry trust my grandmother had left me listed too, with an assignment of my interest attached.

The sole beneficiary was Luca Whitman.

My hands went still.

"Who's Luca Whitman? Grace's baby?"

Alessandro frowned. "Yes."

I looked at Dante. "Why does he have your last name?"

Dante explained calmly. "Some asshole dumped her a while ago. The baby needed a father on paper. She's your sister, which makes her my family too. I should help her."

I pressed my lips together and said nothing. I kept reading. The last few pages included a statement waiving my right to contest the inheritance, along with documents transferring my interest in my grandmother's trust to Luca.

They were all waiting for me to sign.

I laughed suddenly. "When did Mom make this will?"

Dad's expression changed. "Last year."

"What month?"

"Serafina." His face hardened. "Your mother is dead, and you're going to pick apart the details?"

I closed the documents. "Because Mom always said her share would go to me. And Grandma's trust has had my name on it for years. Now you're using this will to make me hand over my own share to Grace's baby too?"

Alessandro shot to his feet.

"Because you'd be fine without it!"

"Serafina, you're a Castellano, and you're going to marry into the Whitman family. You have a salary, shares, a house of your own. Grace has a baby to raise. She needs some security."

She needed security.

What about me? She already had my fiancé and their baby. Now they wanted me to personally hand over what my grandmother had left me too.

I pushed the documents away with a bitter smile. "I'm not signing."

Dad slammed his palm on the desk. "This was your mother's last wish! You can't even do this one thing for her?"

I'd had enough of their lies. I stood. "Then let Mom tell me herself."

Several faces changed at once.

I turned to leave. Matteo stepped quickly in front of the door. "Serafina, don't make us do this."

"Move."

He didn't.

Alessandro snatched my phone. "You can leave when you've come to your senses."

I stared at them in disbelief. "You're going to lock me in here?"

"We're giving you time to calm down," he said coldly.

I reached for my phone. He tossed it straight to Dante. "Keep an eye on her."

I looked at the man who'd stood in the garden five years ago and promised to protect me for the rest of my life. I bit my lip. "Give it back."

Dante caught my wrist, his jaw tight. "Serafina, just sign. Whatever you want, I'll buy it for you later."

Something inside me went cold.

"You think I should give in too?"

He wouldn't meet my eyes. He swallowed. "You'll never have to worry about money. She needs to know she and the baby will be okay, even if there's no one left to take care of them."

I looked at him for a long time, then laughed. "Fine. I'll sign."

Everyone relaxed.

Dad handed me the pen again. Matteo even reached out to pat my head.

"I knew you wouldn't let us down."

I moved away from his hand, lowered my head, and signed.

Matteo finally moved out of the doorway. Dante gave me back my phone.

I took a copy of the documents, left the study, and sent them to Vincent.

"They took my phone and wouldn't let me leave until I signed these. I'm not giving them what Grandma left me. Notify the trustee to put the transfer on hold. Once I'm gone, you can take it up with them formally."