"One of her father’s last wishes," Ms. Rossi continued, her voice full of warmth, "was that when Elena found her true love, she and her chosen partner would inherit the DeLuca legacy together. It would be a great honor for our family if one of my sons were to share this future with her."
My smile grew wider as the applause echoed through the hall, filled with elite guests who had gathered to celebrate. But even in this moment of joy, I couldn’t help the wave of emotion as memories of my late father, Don Salvatore, surfaced.
He was a powerful man, a legendary figure in the city's underworld—a true mafia leader. Strong. Fearless. Yet, life had a way of taking him from me too soon.
Since then, the Rossi family had taken me in. My eyes drifted to Ms. Rossi as she spoke again.
"Now that we’re all gathered here, let’s take a moment to pray for the soul of Don Salvatore as we celebrate his daughter’s 18th birthday," she said. "And later, I’ll be handing the microphone to Elena for her speech.”
She turned to me, a gentle smile on her face, and asked, "Elena, my dear, have you found someone you love?"