1: The Family banquet

Immediately I entered the banquet charity room, all eyes were diverted to my dress first, before me. I was putting on a black knee-length dress with my back exposing my bare skin to the waist. My hair was up in a ponytail and a silver stiletto.

I felt a little bit embarrassed as I walked down the stairs, and it was not going well with me at all; I was uncomfortable.

Everyone dressed in suits and gown and all, but my appearance caught everyone’s attention. Some people didn’t hide their disgust others raised questioning eyebrows at me.

My eyes landed on Benita Balboa. The great grandmother of the house.

“Someone who came from an unsocial town, what more do you expect from her?” Avala giggles slightly.

“Of course, she can't play the part of a Balboa Clan,” Graciela adds.

I groaned immediately. I walked closer to the Balboa. “You...” looking at Avala and her so-called daughter, I whisper.

The flame in great-grandma Benita's eyes was not appealing at all. “You're a disgrace to our family,” she yells. “Get out,” She didn’t even let me take a step to the room.

“The Balboa family is getting from bad to worst, and I don't know where they picked this large animal from,” Grandma Benita murmurs in between her breath.

“Dressing like a prostitute, a cheap whore,” Avala adds with a smile.

I became speechless and weak, I wanted to cry, but I willed myself not to. I won’t give them the satisfaction of seeing they’ve won.

“You're the one that is telling me to get out now. When today is over, you all better not beg me to come back here again. You guys will pay for this, and I swear” I turned to Avala and her daughter.

Avala and her daughter started laughing at me, but who cares. I groaned as I leaned back a bit to remove my heels, then I threw them on the floor. Immediately I got up, the breast part of my dress was ripped from the side because it was not my size.

I gasped. “Go, why ain't you leaving?” Avala asks. “You can't bear to apart from the wealth of this family?”

I was swelling with anger and hatred. “Avala Contenese!” I yelled in resentment.

Avala smirks, looking at the faces of the stunned people who have gathered around us. “According to the family rules, you have to call me Mamá obediently,”

I spit. This made her raise her hand to slap me, but I stopped her with my word. “According to the rules of a Deltan, you have to go to Nigeria and kneel in front of my mother's grave and present flowers and sweets to her,”

Everyone gasps. “Who is this girl.”

“The Balboa family is old-fashioned. When the great grandmaster was alive, his son married a Nigerian woman, which was the first wife. This dark-skinned girl is the official daughter to the current master, Giovanni De Pino Balboa,”

“That means, according to the rules, since she was buried in Africa, she needs to present flowers and sweets, but who will dare to tell Mia Signora to her face,” someone whispered out loud for everyone to hear.

Avala felt her pulse rise from hearing the little gossips from the guests.

She then fakes a smile. “Caitrona, you're still young, and I will not hold it against you,”

“Then what will you do? Do it as revenge?” I look resented at her.

Avala smirks, twirling her hair. “You should go back. First, today's event is a massive one, and we cannot let your immaturity act ruin it because it's part of your father's company program.”

I frowned and shook my head. “This unpresentable dress and shoes were given to me by the Balboa family, so I wonder if I'm the one ruining this event or the Balboa family,”

Avala boils. “Don't forget that your surname is Balboa as well, you dark monster,”

“Do you think I care about the titles?” I barked at her.

“If we continue to let her talk, it will ruin our name and this charity before it will even start.” Avala murmurs beside her daughter.

Then she fakes a faint.

“Mia Signora, Are you okay?” One of the guards caught her before reaching the floor.

What a fake actress. When I pretended to be sick to skip school, my acting skills were way more convincing than yours. I thought.

“You slut, you still dare to act up here?” Graciela rush and slaps me.

Immediately, I grabbed her on her dress, pushing her to the floor, not minding the guests, and I climbed on top of her and started slapping her from left to right. How dare she, she's just nineteen years of age, and I am twenty-three.

“You crazy woman,” Graciela screams as she struggles to get me off her

“Guards...guards... Chase her away from here,” grandma Benita yelled in anger.

A fat lady in guarded uniform rush's out with few other men in suits. “Understood,"

The subsequent pain I felt was a hot slap to my face and pulled on my arm. By this, my dress ripped more, exposing so much skin from my breast part.

“Whore...” She cussed.

I didn't know when tears started dripping from my eyes. Feeling embarrass enough, I bow down in shame as I kneel to kiss the cold tile floor. I felt like dying.

The big door opened, and a faint shadow to the crystal floor. “The Balboa De Pino family is a famous clan known to the world. However, today we can see that it's just so...so...”

With my head still looking at the crystal floor with tears and my kneel to the floor. I stopped crying, and so was my sobbing.

“Who is it?”

Hearing this voice and footsteps, I raise my head and watch the dark hair, transparent grey eyes, plain black bodysuit, meek face that leans forward to look at me in the eye.

“Here..."

I slowly grab the black handkerchief and wipe my running nose and eyes.

He looks deep into my eyes. “What a rebellious look, she looks like my aunt's child, she holds so many similarities to Yasmine at home, a simple disagreement and she will make trouble.”

He sniffs and remove his suit and circle it around my body. He stands firm and looks around. “Pazzi”

“This is Adonis Dellucci, and they hold a huge position in Milan. We cannot cause the two families to fall out in disgraced because of this good for nothing Caitrona,”

“Stand back first,” Benita yells to the guards, who are already sweating.

“Balboa family did not teach this girl well. Sorry for making young master from the Dellucci family see this,” Avala fakes a smile.

“It is fine,” he smiles as I return his handkerchief to him, then he wipes his face with it then take fewer steps to the guests. “I've seen many dogs bite humans, but to see a human bite a dog once in a while is fascinating,”

“What?” Avala was speechless, and she looked scared at her daughter.

“You can go home first. I'll send someone to tell the master of Balboa something,” he says as he walks past me again.

But this time, even in my kneeling position, I pull the Hem of his pants trouser. “You...”

He stops and looks deeply at me. “What is your name?” is asked, to be sure if he's the person I Knew.

He frowns. “Adonis Dellucci,” Then he walks around.

Leaving me panicking. “Adonis...” I muttered. “Adonis Dellucci?” I repeat. “Uncle DD, he's back!” I whispered.

I manage to stand up as if gaining back my lost strength. “My name is Caitrona Balboa...the same Cai-trona,” I managed to voice out.

Everyone started to murmur all sorts of things. “How shameless, she dares to seduce young master Dellucci in front of many guests,” Someone yelled from the crowd.

“Has she looked at herself? What a shame. A wild bird wants to fly like a mighty one,”

Avala frowns. “Mother, if this continues, the Balboa family will be the laughing stock of Milan,” she whispers to Benita.

She groans.  “Guards, bring her to her room,”