Chapter 1
That day, everybody knew who had come to the city. It was the infamous underworld leader, Lucas De Morretti, a man who killed mercilessly without a second thought and smuggled drugs as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
He was born into one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Italy, blessed with prestige and influential connections. When he took over his father's business and was announced as the next head of the Morretti clan, he expanded its power beyond anyone's expectations. People trembled at his presence, barely dared to move when he was near, and never found the courage to speak when he was the one delivering his words.
But what the world didn't know was that he had a beautiful wife, Párisona, and a three-year-old daughter, Natasha. They were the only people before whom the feared Lucas De Morretti could never raise his voice.
When he finally announced the truth, people found it unacceptable.
Natasha was just three years old then, with bright sparkling doe eyes that nobody could resist. To her parents, she was their entire world.
But not every story begins with a happy ending.
Their happiness didn't last long. It was replaced by tears when her mother died in a tragic plane crash. Everything happened so suddenly that even recalling that moment became difficult for Natasha as she grew older.
Slowly, people forgot one of the most recognizable faces among the world's leading brands. It felt as though Párisona Natalie had never existed.
The world moved on.
And so did they.
When Natasha turned fourteen, she and Lucas moved to Milan. Though young, she was far more mature than most people her age. Life as the only daughter of one of the world's most feared men had taught her that much.
Standing before her new school, she quietly read the words written above its entrance.
"Anderson International High School."
It was the first time she would be attending a public school by herself. Most of her education had been through homeschooling and private tutors. A bittersweet feeling settled in her heart. She was nervous, yet excited at the same time.
More than anything, she hoped to make friends.
Walking through the crowded hallway, she smiled softly to herself. For the first time in her life, nobody knew who she really was. Nobody looked at her differently because of her surname. Nobody knew who her father was.
She loved that feeling.
The only thing she had ever dreamed of was having friends she could laugh and hang out with. She had never asked for the attention that constantly followed her because of who she was. To her, it was more exhausting than flattering.
Suddenly, she felt someone shove past her from behind, causing her to stumble into another student.
She looked up immediately, only to find herself staring into a pair of cold hazel eyes.
It was Matteo Vincenzo Bellini, Anderson International High School's basketball team captain.
"You're blind as hell. Move."
He growled at her before walking past as though nothing had happened.
Natasha blinked in surprise.
Back home, people treated her with nothing but respect. Being spoken to so rudely was something entirely new to her.
What an annoying person.
Still standing in the hallway, she heard the bell ring, signaling the beginning of her first class. After wandering around for several minutes trying to find her classroom, she was beginning to panic when someone approached her.
"Looking for something?"
Natasha turned around to see a beautiful girl smiling warmly at her.
"Um... where's the chemistry class?" she immediately asked, not wanting to be late on her very first day.
The girl smiled brightly.
"I'm going there too! Are you new here? I'm Sofia, by the way. What's your name, new girl?"
Natasha smiled at her friendliness.
"Oh, thanks! And yes, I'm new here."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"My name's Lily."
It was the alias she had prepared beforehand. With that name, nobody would be be able to figure out who she really was.
"It's nice to meet you, Lily!" Sofia smiled.
The two girls made their way towards the classroom together while chatting along the way.
"So where are you from?" Sofia asked excitedly.
"Italy."
"No wonder! I knew your accent sounded beautiful!"
Natasha laughed softly at the compliment.
"And what do you like to do?"
"I love singing and dancing."
"We're definitely going to become best friends," Sofia declared confidently.
Natasha couldn't help but laugh.
Perhaps attending public school wasn't going to be so bad after all.
Soon, they arrived at their classroom.
Mrs. Henderson, their chemistry teacher and class in-charge, warmly welcomed Natasha before calling everyone's attention.
"May I have everyone's attention, please?"
The chatter inside the classroom immediately died down.
She smiled at Natasha before speaking.
"Please introduce yourself."
Natasha nervously looked around the room before freezing when she noticed Matteo sitting near the back of the class.
Great. Him again.
"I'm Na... I'm sorry."
She quickly corrected herself.
"I'm Lily and I'm new here. I hope we can all become friends."
A few students smiled and waved at her while others simply nodded politely.
Unfortunately, Matteo wasn't one of them.
At this point, Natasha was quite certain that she had already started to hate him.
Mrs. Henderson gestured towards an empty seat.
"You'll be sitting beside Matteo."
Natasha nearly choked.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Is there any problem?" Mrs. Henderson asked.
"No," Natasha immediately answered.
"Yes, there is," Matteo said while getting up abruptly.
The entire class fell silent.
Mrs. Henderson raised an eyebrow before turning towards him.
"And what exactly is the problem, Mr. Bellini?"
"I don't like distractions," he replied coldly before glancing at Natasha. "And I have a feeling she'll be one."
Natasha stared at him in disbelief.
We've known each other for twenty seconds!
"And here I thought first impressions were supposed to be good," she replied sarcastically.
"They are," Matteo answered without missing a beat. "Unfortunately, yours wasn't."
Several students laughed quietly at his response.
Mrs. Henderson pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Mr. Bellini, unless you've suddenly become the principal of Anderson International High School, Miss Lily will be sitting wherever I decide."
The class burst into laughter while Matteo silently sat back down in his seat.
"And Miss Lily?"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Please try not to kill your deskmate before lunch."
Natasha laughed awkwardly before taking her seat beside him.
"So," she whispered quietly, "are you rude to everyone or am I just special?"
"Mostly everyone."
"Glad to know."
For the remainder of the class, Natasha discovered two things about Matteo Bellini.
The first was that he was incredibly intelligent.
The second was that he was incredibly annoying.
Whenever Mrs. Henderson asked a question, he answered correctly without even looking up from his notes.
When Natasha answered one of the more difficult questions correctly herself, he quietly spoke beside her.
"At least you have a brain."
She smiled sweetly at him.
"And at least you've learned basic human communication."
He looked at her for several moments before returning to his notebook.
By lunch break, Sofia immediately dragged Natasha towards the cafeteria.
"Everyone!" Sofia smiled brightly. "Meet Lily!"
Two boys sitting at the table immediately looked up and smiled.
"I'm Leonardo Romano, but everyone calls me Leo."
"And I'm Alessandro Conti! Though Alex sounds much cooler."
"It doesn't," Leo immediately interrupted.
"It absolutely does."
"It doesn't."
"It does."
Natasha couldn't help but laugh at their childish argument.
"And finally..." Sofia spoke awkwardly before glancing towards the last person at the table.
Natasha already knew who it was before she even looked.
Matteo Bellini.
"Unfortunately," Natasha smiled sweetly, "we've already met."
"Unfortunate is certainly one way to describe it," Matteo replied flatly.
Alex slowly looked between the two before raising an eyebrow.
"What happened?"
"They hate each other already," Sofia sighed dramatically.
"Oh." Alex paused before breaking into a grin. "This is going to be entertaining."
The cafeteria buzzed with conversations as students laughed with their friends, exchanged stories from their summer vacations, and complained about their teachers on the very first day of school.
Sofia sat beside Natasha while Leo and Alex sat across from them. Unfortunately for Natasha, Matteo sat directly opposite her.
He didn't even bother looking up from his phone.
"Trust me," he spoke flatly, "I'm equally disappointed."
"What an honor," Natasha replied sweetly.
Alex slowly looked between the two of them before turning towards Sofia.
"It's been approximately four hours since they met and they're already arguing."
"I'm starting to regret introducing them," Sofia sighed dramatically.
Natasha smiled innocently at her.
"It wasn't your fault."
"It was entirely her fault," Matteo immediately responded.
"And somehow, I'm not surprised you said that."
The remaining three immediately decided it would be best not to get involved.
Perhaps they'll stop fighting eventually, Leo thought hopefully.
They're never stopping, Alex thought excitedly.
The first few minutes of lunch passed surprisingly peacefully. Leo asked Natasha about her hobbies while Sofia happily explained some of Anderson International High School's traditions and upcoming events.
"So, Lily," Sofia smiled, "what made you transfer here?"
Natasha paused for a moment before answering.
"My father moved here because of work."
"What does he do?" Alex immediately asked.
Natasha nearly sighed.
Throughout her entire life, that was perhaps the question she hated answering the most.
Runs one of Italy's most feared criminal organizations.
"Business," she replied with an awkward smile.
"What kind of business?"
"Successful business."
"That's not very specific."
"It's specific enough."
Alex narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her.
"That's exactly what someone involved in something suspicious would say."
Leo sighed softly.
"Alex, she's been here for half a day. Leave her alone."
"I'M JUST CURIOUS!"
Natasha laughed quietly before taking a sip of her juice.
Before anyone could continue questioning her, loud whispers suddenly began spreading throughout the cafeteria.
"Did you hear?"
"No way!"
"Seriously?"
"He's back?"
"The entire city's talking about it!"
"What happened?" Sofia asked curiously.
One of the girls sitting at the neighboring table immediately turned towards them excitedly.
"Lucas De Morretti is back in Milan!"
The entire table immediately fell silent.
Natasha slowly put down her fork.
Well... this is unfortunate.
"THE Lucas De MorreTTI?" Alex nearly yelled, causing several students to look towards their table.
"You don't have to scream every five minutes," Matteo sighed.
"HE'S LITERALLY ONE OF THE MOST FEARED MEN IN ITALY!"
"And?"
"AND?!" Alex looked utterly offended. "HE COULD PROBABLY BUY THIS SCHOOL!"
Natasha quietly looked down at her lunch.
Papa already donated to it.
"Oh my God!" Sofia whispered dramatically. "People have been talking about him all morning!"
"I heard almost every major businessman in Milan attended his welcoming gala yesterday," Leo added.
"They say politicians and celebrities were invited too," Sofia continued excitedly.
And Papa complained for three hours because he hates attending his own parties.
"What's so special about him?" Natasha asked innocently.
Four pairs of eyes immediately turned towards her.
"You don't know who Lucas De Morretti is?" Sofia questioned in complete disbelief.
"I've never really been interested in mafia leaders."
Alex immediately pulled out his phone and placed it on the table.
"Allow me to educate you."
Natasha looked down only to find a photograph of her father wearing his usual expressionless face while dressed entirely in black.
Papa somehow looks more intimidating in photographs.
"They say he's terrifying," Sofia informed her dramatically.
"One look from him is apparently enough to make grown men cry," Alex added.
That happened once.
"They say he never smiles," Leo commented.
Unless I do something embarrassing.
"I heard he once threatened an entire organization because they disrespected him," Sofia whispered.
Natasha immediately spoke without thinking.
"That's not true!"
The entire table slowly turned towards her.
"...I mean," she quickly corrected herself, "the media exaggerates things all the time."
"How would you know?" Matteo suddenly questioned.
Natasha mentally apologized to herself for whatever excuse she was about to invent.
"I'm Italian?" she smiled awkwardly.
"That's hardly convincing."
She had officially decided that arguing with Matteo Bellini was equivalent to arguing with a wall.
"He does have a daughter, though," Sofia suddenly spoke excitedly.
Natasha quietly froze.
"Really?" Leo asked curiously.
"Mhm! Apparently she's around our age."
"What if she's secretly attending this school?" Alex suggested dramatically.
"Impossible," Matteo immediately replied.
"How do you know?"
"Because she's Lucas De Morretti's daughter."
"And?"
"And do you seriously think the daughter of one of Italy's wealthiest and most powerful men would attend an ordinary high school?"
"...That's actually a fair point," Leo admitted.
Natasha quietly continued eating her lunch.
I'm literally sitting right here.
"What do you think she's like?" Sofia asked curiously.
"Spoiled," Matteo immediately answered.
Natasha nearly dropped her fork.
"What?"
"The daughter of Lucas De Morretti?" he continued flatly. "She's probably spoiled, arrogant, and incapable of doing anything by herself."
"You're judging someone you've never met?" Natasha questioned.
"I'm making an educated guess."
"No," she corrected him immediately. "You're making assumptions."
"They're usually accurate."
"No, they're rude."
"So?"
"So people generally don't like rude people."
"People survive."
Alex slowly looked between them before turning to Leo.
"Should we stop them?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I'm curious to see who wins."
"What if they start throwing food at each other?"
"Then I'm changing tables."
Sofia sighed dramatically before looking at Natasha.
"I promise he's usually less rude."
"No, I'm not," Matteo interrupted.
"See?" she replied, pointing at him.
"What if she's actually nice?" Sofia suggested hopefully.
"What if she has two hundred bodyguards?" Alex asked dramatically.
"What if she owns a tiger?" he immediately added.
"What is your obsession with tigers?" Leo sighed.
"YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND!"
Natasha laughed softly before looking towards Matteo once more.
"What if she's just a normal girl?"
"She's not."
"How do you know?"
"Lucas De Morretti isn't normal. Neither is his life."
For the first time during their conversation, Natasha didn't immediately know how to reply.
He wasn't entirely wrong.
She had spent her entire life wishing for normality. Wishing people would simply look at her and see Natasha instead of Lucas De Morretti's daughter.
Or perhaps, for once, simply Lily.
"Besides," Matteo continued coldly, "being his daughter sounds exhausting."
She quietly laughed at that.
"You have absolutely no idea."
"What?" he questioned.
"Nothing."
Perhaps normal wasn't as ordinary as she had imagined.
It was noisy and chaotic. It involved dramatic conversations over lunch, arguing with annoyingly intelligent boys, and laughing at ridiculous theories about owning pet tigers.
For once, nobody cared about the De Morretti name.
To them, she was simply Lily.
And perhaps, for now, that was enough.
Only one thing remained certain after her first lunch at Anderson International High School.
Matteo Bellini was intelligent, talented, handsome...
...and absolutely insufferable.
For the first time in fourteen years, Natasha found herself laughing among people her own age.
Perhaps this was what normal felt like.
When the final bell rang, Natasha returned home smiling softly.
Lucas immediately noticed her expression when she entered his study.
"How was your first day?" he asked.
"It was nice."
"You made friends?"
"I did."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"And?"
"There was one annoying boy."
Lucas slowly placed his cup of coffee down onto the table.
"...Name?"
Natasha laughed softly.
"Papa, you can't threaten fourteen-year-olds."
"I wasn't going to threaten him."
"You literally put your coffee down."
"That is merely a coincidence."
"It never is."
For the first time in years, Natasha smiled genuinely.
Standing beside her bedroom window later that night, she looked towards the moon shining brightly above Milan.
She didn't know it yet, but Anderson International High School wouldn't only give her friends.
It would give her powers beyond imagination, enemies she never expected, and a destiny intertwined with four other teenagers.
This was only the beginning.
Her story had just begun.
