The anger inside me grows with her words. Kate makes my blood boil bitterly with her nonsense, which is nothing more than a bad joke.“Did you just say I’m his moon?” I argue skeptically. “That’s such bullshit, not even you believe it, and I’m definitely not buying it.” Before she can respond, I get out of the car, leaving Kate behind.I take a deep breath of fresh air, feeling like I might collapse and drown in all of this at any moment. Just when I think I’ll feel a bit of peace, that things might calm down or be somewhat okay, everything crumbles in front of me.“I see the ugly duckling has turned into a beautiful swan,” I hear, and my brow furrows in confusion.“What…?”“Grandma Rossi!” Kate exclaims, throwing herself into the arms of the woman who envelops her in a warm embrace. She’s incredibly elegant, with perfectly styled platinum hair, flawless white skin, and intimidating yet calm gray eyes. Her dress is pristine white, and she doesn’t stop looking at me, making me feel sma

VIOLET SWAN ITALIA. ꘎♡━━━━━━━♡꘎ I’ve been in this place for a while now. It’s time they check how my fractures are healing—at least the pain is gone. People come and go; the space is small, not your typical public hospital. Now that I think about it, I haven’t been to a hospital since before leaving Portland. “Miss Swan Violet,” I hear my name and look up. “Come this way. It’s your turn,” says the woman in a white uniform. “Right away,” I reply, standing to follow her. We walk to what appears to be her office. “Go inside,” she opens the door with a kind gesture and nods for me to proceed. “Take a seat. The doctor will be here in a minute.” “Thank you,” I say as she gives me a small smile and leaves me alone again. I glance around and, out of habit, sit directly on the exam table in the corner. The room is so small my feet dangle, swinging back and forth in the air. My height doesn’t bother me, but I’ll admit I wish I were a little taller.

VIOLET SWAN ITALIA. ꘎♡━━━━━━━♡꘎ The previous night was a complete disaster—absolutely horrible. I had constant nightmares throughout the night. When I woke up, I didn’t feel like doing anything at all. Besides, I couldn’t go back to sleep no matter how hard I tried.“Why am I feeling this way?” I murmur, picking up my phone. I see several emails—messages from my dad, Lanny, and even one from my brother.I toss the phone onto the mattress. I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but whatever this weight is in my chest, I’m trying to figure out what’s going on. What is this sharp pain that’s making it hard for me to breathe? Why hasn’t he reached out, called, or at least sent a message? I hear the door open followed by footsteps, and I pull the blanket over my head as whoever it is approaches the bed.“Good morning, Violet,” I lower the blanket slightly, only to find Kate.“Good morning,” I mutter without enthusiasm and turn to the other side of the bed to avoid looking at her. It’s no