A New Beginning

Lilith narrating...

Four years had passed.

Four years since I buried my daughter.

Four years since I left Liam Vanderbilt behind.

Four years since I abandoned everything I once called home.

Today I'm twenty-six years old.

And I live in Milan.

After Victoria's death, I truly thought I'd never be able to really live again.

But time...

Time doesn't heal completely.

It only teaches you how to survive the pain.

Today the longing still exists.

Every day.

Especially at night.

Sometimes I still wake up startled after dreaming about my daughter running through the hallways of the old house. Other times, I see a girl who looks like her playing in the streets of Milan and feel my heart tighten.

But it doesn't hurt like before.

The pain stopped being an open wound.

It became a scar.

A deep scar that will always be with me.

I sighed as I watched the city's movement down below through the enormous window of my apartment.

Milan was beautiful.

Elegant.

Alive.

The busy streets, the sophisticated cafes, the golden lights reflecting off the historic buildings... everything looked like something out of a movie.

And for the first time in many years, I felt like I belonged somewhere.

As soon as I moved to Italy, my life began to change little by little.

I still remember the day I landed at that airport carrying only two suitcases, a shattered heart, and my daughter's blue stuffed bunny inside my bag.

I was lost.

Completely lost.

And it was at that very airport that I met Kiara.

Kiara Mendes

She was sitting near the international arrivals area complaining in Portuguese because they'd lost one of her bags.

I ended up laughing without meaning to.

She looked at me, outraged.

"You're laughing at my misery?"

It was the first time I truly smiled in a long time.

"Sorry... it's just that you look ready to kill someone."

She crossed her arms dramatically.

"Depending on how long this takes, I just might."

That was the beginning of our friendship.

Kiara had come from Brazil looking for opportunities in Italy. She didn't know anyone there and was looking for a hotel to stay at until she could get on her feet.

The same day I arrived at the apartment Christopher had put in my name, I realized it was far too big for one person.

It was a beautiful apartment.

Spacious.

Elegant.

With a view of one of Milan's most beautiful squares.

I tried to protest when I found out what Christopher had done, but he simply said:

"Consider it a belated apology for everything you suffered in that family."

So I accepted.

Because arguing no longer made sense.

I invited Kiara to move in with me that very same week.

And from then on, we were never alone again.

She became my best friend.

My family.

The person who held my hand on the days when I thought I couldn't go on.

Kiara was completely different from me.

Extroverted.

Loud.

Impulsive.

While I was more reserved, she was like a hurricane impossible to control.

And maybe that's exactly why we got along so well.

She made me laugh even on the worst days.

When she found me crying hidden in my room holding Victoria's stuffed bunny, she'd do something absolutely ridiculous until she managed to get at least one smile out of me.

One time she showed up wearing a pot on her head saying she was ready to fight my traumas personally.

Another time she tried to cook lasagna to cheer me up and nearly set the entire kitchen on fire.

And little by little...

Very little by little...

She brought color back into my life.

A week after we arrived in Italy, we got an interview at M.C. Holding, one of the most prestigious companies in the country.

Thanks to the opportunities Christopher had given me years earlier, I had an excellent education.

Business Administration.

A bachelor's degree in Executive Secretarial Studies.

On top of that, I spoke four languages besides English.

French.

Italian.

German.

That opened many doors for me.

I got the position as secretary and personal assistant to the company's CEO, Mr. Genaro Conti.

Genaro Morelli Conti

While Kiara became the vice president's secretary.

That was where our lives truly began.

The company was enormous.

Luxurious.

Important.

And extremely demanding.

But I liked that hectic routine.

I liked keeping busy.

Because working kept me from thinking too much about the past.

And Liam...

He almost never crossed my mind.

Sometimes I still remembered him.

Especially in the first few months in Italy.

But with time, Liam Vanderbilt became nothing more than a bad memory.

A painful page left behind.

I never looked up news about him.

I never wanted to know if he was happy.

If he was still with Emma.

If he'd had other children.

None of that mattered anymore.

Because the man I loved died the day he ignored his own daughter's suffering.

"LILITH!"

Kiara's exaggeratedly loud voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I turned my head and found my friend standing in the middle of the room wearing nothing but heels and an open robe while trying to put on an enormous earring.

I rolled my eyes immediately.

"You're going to end up breaking an ankle."

"I'll suffer with elegance."

I let out a quiet laugh.

Kiara flashed a victorious smile when she realized she'd managed to make me laugh again.

She pointed at me dramatically.

"That's what I like! Smiles! Emotion! Life!"

"You're completely insane."

"And you love me anyway."

I shook my head, smiling, before turning my attention back to the dress I'd set aside for tonight's ceremony.

Today was going to be an important day at the company.

Mr. Genaro Conti was officially retiring.

And his son would be taking over the company.

Alessandro Conti.

I'd never seen him in person.

In fact, almost no one at the company knew the future CEO.

All we knew was that he'd been living outside of Italy for many years and rarely showed up at headquarters.

But the rumors about him were practically legends within the company.

They said Alessandro was arrogant.

Cold.

Extremely demanding.

Impatient with mistakes.

And that he made experienced executives tremble with just one look.

Kiara was obsessed with the gossip.

"They say he fired a manager because his coffee was cold."

"That doesn't make sense," I replied while brushing my hair.

"They also say he never smiles."

"Kiara..."

"And that he's gorgeous."

She said it with so much enthusiasm that I burst out laughing.

"Ah, so we've gotten to the real reason for your interest."

She put her hand on her chest, feigning outrage.

"Girl, I'm Brazilian. I have a moral obligation to admire a handsome man."

I laughed, shaking my head.

Honestly?

None of that worried me.

After everything I'd been through...

No arrogant boss was going to be able to shake me.

I finished getting ready in silence.

Instead of the company's traditional uniform, we'd been instructed to wear more formal and elegant clothing because of the inauguration ceremony.

I chose a sophisticated, understated black dress that accentuated my waist without overdoing it. I paired it with thin heels and left my hair down over my shoulders.

When I was done, Kiara looked me up and down and whistled.

"If this new CEO doesn't fall in love with you today, he's blind."

I rolled my eyes immediately.

"Don't start."

She smiled mischievously.

"It's been four years since you've looked at any man, Lilith."

I picked up my bag calmly.

"And I intend to keep it that way."

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