"What does birichina mean?" I asked Lily.

Her mother was Italian, and she went there for holidays, which meant she knew the language better than I did. While my parents were also Italian, they never spoke the language, and they were born in the States.

"It means little troublemaker," she said. "Where did you hear that word?"

I shrugged, refusing to answer.

Troublemaker? Did Nero know I didn't go to his house to seduce him? Obviously, the hookers who were brought to his house were not his idea.

By the time I went downstairs, there was no one else there but me. Luckily, Dominic didn't speak to me. He just dropped me off at the club, and I took a cab home.

"What happened in Nero's mansion? You haven't spoken about it."

"Nothing. His office required a fingerprint to unlock so I wasn't able to find something to link him to my parents' murder." I said.

"What would you have done if you had? He wouldn't have let you come out unscathed. Besides, he doesn't have evidence linking him to murders lying around."

Ever since my uncle told me he found a lead in my parents' death and it was linked to the DeLuca family, I became uneasy. My parents were killed when I was eighteen, and their death was ruled a murder-suicide.

Bullshit.

My father loved my mother with all his heart, and he was the mayor of New York. There was no way he killed her. The news painted my mother as the unfaithful cheater when she was anything but.

My parents taught me what love could be. And when they died, my uncle suggested the right thing to do was to flee before the people who killed my parents came for me. He was the only one who believed my parents would never kill themselves.

But without evidence, there was nothing either of us could do.

If the DeLuca family was involved in their deaths, it had to be Nero. He was the only DeLuca in New York. The rest of his family was in Italy.

"I don't know what to do..."

My uncle Lorenzo gave me the plans to Nero's mansion, and I thought I would be able to find something to solve my parents' murder. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Looking back, I was naive to think it would be that easy.

"If you really want to find any evidence, your best bet is seducing Nero but hat's almost impossible considering he's a recluse." Lily said. "That's the only way you can get close enough to snoop through all his things."

I didn't tell her that I had an interaction with Nero. I didn't know why I hid it. All I knew was that it felt like a secret I wanted to keep to myself.

"How do I do that?" I asked her, even though I knew there was no way Nero would be attracted to me.

He didn't like my body, and his preference was blonde women. I had brunette hair and green eyes. I had nothing that he would ever desire in a woman.

I could use a disguise but it wasn't a good long-term plan.

"You're not serious, are you? He's rumored to be a dangerous man. People whisper that he has ties to the mafia. If he is connected to your parents' murder, he'll kill you. Don't be stupid."

"I will do anything to solve my parents' murder," I told her. "I have nothing to lose."

Lily was about to say something to her when a group of girls approached us.

"If it isn't the orphan. I didn't know you were back in town, Serena Marino. Changing your last name doesn't change the fact that you don't have any parents." Cecilia Davenport said.

I went to high school with her and the two girls beside her, Aurora and Nadia. She was still a stuck-up bitch and bully, even at the ripe age of twenty-three.

She had made fun of me and isolated me when I lost everything. She still hadn't changed.

"If it isn't the immature brat. Making fun of orphans was understandable when you were eighteen. Now you're twenty-three. It's time to grow up." I told her.

Her smile faltered, and she narrowed her eyes at me.

I was at a golf club where I went to pass the time. It was a sport my father had taught me, and I felt connected to him when I played. I never stopped, even after his death.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you poor? Don't tell me you're banging some rich old man to get in." She said, and the girls near her laughed.

She was the definition of a blonde bimbo. I bet Nero would take a liking to her.

"I don't need to explain myself to you, Cecelia."

"I heard you speaking about Nero. You'd better stay away from him. He's going to be my fiancé soon. My father is arranging our marriage."

I rolled my eyes and glanced at Lily.

"Let's go," I said, and we got up to leave, but Cecelia grabbed my arm to stop me.

"You don't belong in this world anymore. Let's face it. You're no longer the 'it girl' in our world. That title belongs to me. No one wants to see your ugly face. Pack up and go back to where you came from, orphan."

She let me go and walked away.

"What's her problem?" Lily asked. "She's acting like she's still in middle school."

Once upon a time, I was the popular girl at school in the Upper East Side, and Cecelia kissed the ground I walked on. That was until my parents died and I got a taste of reality. Everyone turned their backs on me.

As if it wasn't bad enough that my parents died, I was broke and in debt. They all laughed in my face and made fun of me. Cecelia became the new popular girl and the one every boy dreamed of marrying.

The world of New York socialites was fickle. It was all about beauty, money, social media followers, and boys. If I wanted to fit back in, I had to care about all that stuff again.

Cecelia was threatened that I was back, and I didn't understand why. We were no longer in high school. We could co-exist in the same circle. But for her, that was impossible, and I knew a bully like her would make my life miserable.

"Do you think she'll marry Nero?" Lily asked.

"I don't know..."

As I watched Cecilia walk away, my phone rang. It was my uncle.

"Zio," I greeted. He liked it when I called him uncle in Italian.

"Serena...you're okay? How...how did yesterday go?" He asked.

He sounded shocked to the point that he stuttered. I wondered what his deal was. He was the one who had urged me to go to the DeLuca mansion to get some answers. Why was he acting like he was shocked?

"It didn't go well. I wasn't able to find anything." I replied. "Are you okay? You sound weird."

"I'm okay, thank you for the concern. Don't worry. Other chances to find out the truth will present themselves. Listen, since you're in New York, I wanted to set you up with my friend's son. Go on a blind date with him to the Governor's Ball tomorrow night."

I wanted to refuse, but I didn't. Without him, I wouldn't have survived when my parents died, and my little brother would have never gone to school. Besides, he was a Senator, and he was the only influential person I knew who could help me with my revenge plans.

"Okay, Zio."

"Good. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."

I wore a stunning floor-length gown made of pale gold satin fabric. It showed my cleavage or lack thereof since I had small breasts, and it was completely backless.

The dress didn't hug my body, but it accentuated my curves. It was scandalous enough to catch the attention of all the guests, but modest enough that people wouldn't say I was dressed like a slut.

I had my hair in a low, elegant bun, not a single strand out of place, and minimalist makeup.

For the jewelry, I chose a golden back necklace that cascaded down my spine to where the backless design of the dress stopped. It went well with my golden stilettos.

I walked into the ball, and all eyes were on me. They were all wondering who I was and where I came from, and I was eating it up. I had always loved attention since I was young. Besides, I was beautiful.

My mother had been a model before she married my father. I had inherited most of her features, and I embraced them wholeheartedly. She would have wanted me to bask in my beauty.

The Governor's ball was an event to host dignitaries. Only the richest people in New York were able to attend, like political figures, wealthy donors, corporate sponsors, celebrities, philanthropists, socialites, and members of high society.

They said it was a way for wealthy people to network, but it was just a show of wealth and influence. If you weren't invited, you weren't rich or powerful enough.

There were cameras everywhere, photo ops, designer gowns, and orchestras. It was impressive, but it was also boring and meant for older people. I didn't know how I had survived through such events when my parents were still alive.

I was already thinking of leaving, and I had just arrived. If it wasn't for my uncle, I would have been at home watching a movie.

"Zio," I greeted my uncle Lorenzo when I approached.

He was speaking to two men, an older one and a younger one.

"Cara mia," he greeted as he kissed both of my cheeks.

Lorenzo was a very affectionate man. He was short, he had dark hair like my father's, and he had brown eyes. He was a replica of my father. Maybe that was why I was so fond of him, besides the fact that he treated me like his daughter.

He was the one who sent me to France to get away once my parents died. He enrolled me in school and helped me make contact with my mother's side of the family in France.

"How are you, Zio?" I asked him.

"I'm doing well, cara mia. I would like you to meet my friend, Alexei Orlov. This is his son, Viktor Orlov."

I turned to the pair, impressed with what I saw. They were very handsome with dark hair and blue eyes. But something about the two of them didn't sit well with me. I couldn't place it, but something was off.

"Nice to meet you, Serena," Viktor said as he took my hand and kissed the back of it.

He seemed charming, but it would take more than that to impress me.

"Why don't the two of you get to each other as the grownups talk?" Lorenzo asked as he ushered us away.

Viktor grabbed a glass of champagne from a waiter and handed it to me.

"I have to admit it, when my father told me he wanted me to meet a girl, I didn't expect her to be the most beautiful woman I have seen in my lifetime."

I blushed and smiled.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

I heard his slight Russian accent. I couldn't lie, it was hot, and coming from a handsome man made it all the more alluring to listen to.

"What do you do for a living?" He asked.

"I'm an interior designer," I replied.

"Maybe you should come to my place sometime and design my walls. I need a change."

I giggled and gave him my number. I had to say, it had been a good idea for Zio Lorenzo to get me a date with Viktor. He was definitely my type, and he was twenty-seven and successful.

"What do you do?" I asked the question back.

"I'm the CEO of Orlov Energy. It's a European Energy Conglomerate. I am currently overseeing operations in New York. There's a lot to do here."

He was trying to tell me that he would be in New York for the foreseeable future, and it brought me delight. What I needed was a distraction from my plans for uncovering my parents' murder.

"I would love to take you to dinner sometime-"

Viktor was cut off when a business associate approached him, and he excused himself. He promised to find me so we could dance.

I interacted with a few people that my uncle introduced me to, but overall, the party was boring. That was until the whole room went silent when someone walked in.

All eyes were on him as he walked in like he commanded the room. Everyone whispered when they saw him, wondering why he was at a Governor's Ball when he never attended such events.

It was Nero DeLuca in an all-black tux that fit his body perfectly. He was a huge man, and he had an aura of power about him that made everyone want to bow down and kiss the ground he walked on.

This time, his neck was in view, and you could see some tattoos peeking through the parts of him that weren't covered by his collar.

I was scared of seeing him again. What if he recognized me? No. I was wearing a disguise. There was no way he realized it was me that night.

Dominic was standing next to him as usual. He looked like the dangerous one out of the two, but a smart person would tell that glasses didn't make DeLuca a nice guy.

I stayed as far away from him as possible. I knew I should have been making moves to make sure he noticed me, but I was scared of him. There was something about him that screamed silent danger.

After a few minutes, I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I needed a break from everyone, even for a few seconds. As I was reapplying my makeup, I caught movement in the mirror. Before I could react, I felt an arm around my waist.

Nero was suddenly behind me, his body pressed into me, and his hand holding my waist firmly to keep me in place. He was taller than me, even in heels, which gave him an advantage.

"This is the women's bathroom...you...you're not supposed to be here." I stuttered.

What was he doing?

"Hello, Piper. I personally think the blonde hair and blue eyes don't suit you. Brunette is more your thing. And I have to say, those mesmerizing green eyes are hypnotic, birichina."

Nero knew who I was and that I had lied to him about my name. How did he recognize me? My disguise had been solid. I had even changed my nose and worn more dramatic makeup.

It had worked so well for me in my past.

"I..."

I didn't manage to get a word out before I saw a knife pressed into my neck. My heart raced in fear because I thought I was going to die. There was no way out of the situation. Nero knew who I was.

Even if I managed to run away, he would find me.

He knew my name, and he probably knew my family background. If he and his family had anything to do with my parents' death, he was going to kill me for even being in New York.

Zio had made it clear that it wasn't safe for me in New York, and yet, I had insisted on coming back to solve my parents' murder like the stubborn person I was.

"You have five seconds to tell me what you were doing at my house, Serena Marino, before I end you, right here. And trust me, your body will be gone in ten minutes maximum. No one will even know you were here."

I saw my life flash before my eyes when he said that. I didn't want to lose my life so easily. My brother would be all alone in the world with no one to rely on.

I had to come up with a believable lie. It was a life-or-death situation, and I didn't want to die so soon. I had so much to live for.

So, I told him the first thing I could think of, keeping in mind how he had barely glanced at my naked body before. He wasn't attracted to me at all.

"I'm attracted to you, and I heard your preference was blonde women, so I decided to wear a disguise to see if I could have you, even if it was just for one night," I said weakly.

I almost gagged, having to say such a thing to an arrogant man like Nero. He clearly wasn't above murder. Who was he really? Was he just a billionaire? I didn't know many billionaires who openly threatened to kill people.

"Do you expect me to believe you're obsessed with me?" He asked.

I nodded my head, and he chuckled. I couldn't tell if he was that narcissistic that he believed I was obsessed with him, or if he was laughing at my audacity to lie to him.

He let me go and stepped back.

"Look at me."

I slowly turned to look at him. I wasn't sure what would happen, but I hoped the universe was on my side for once in my life.

"Serena Marino, or Serena Ricci, daughter of the late Giovanni and Estelle Ricci. You recently inherited a fortune from your grandparents. You could be traveling the world right now, and yet, you're here. What do you want from me?"

"I told you-"

"Liar. I saw the look of horror on your face when I asked you to take off your clothes. You weren't there for sex. Besides, I caught you trying to break into my office. Don't insult my intelligence."

Either he didn't know what happened to my parents, or he assumed I was weak and I couldn't find out what really happened to them. Either way, he didn't seem to have a clue about why I was at his house.

My uncle told me their murder was linked to the DeLuca family, and since Nero was the head of the American part of their dynasty, he had to be involved in some way. I had to find out the truth.

"I was lost. I was there to seduce you. Look at you. You're handsome, rich, and I hear your skills in bed are unmatched."

"Okay. I'll give you what you want. You want to have me? You can."

I thought he wasn't attracted to me. When I told him I wanted him, I was hoping he would be disgusted and leave me alone.

"What?" I asked, not believing what I heard.

"As I'm sure you've heard, I have certain...tastes in bed."

What did he mean by that? I hadn't heard anything.

"You look surprised, birichina. Haven't you heard? I'm dominant in bed, and I require my sexual partners to be very submissive."

I heard about BDSM, and I had always been curious about how it worked. Hearing Nero mention it so casually was concerning.

"I don't..."

He grabbed my chin and smiled, but for some reason, that smile didn't reach his eyes. It was almost taunting or condescending.

"I can already tell you'll be the perfect submissive."

He walked towards the exit and stopped when he reached it.

"At 8 p.m., a car will be waiting outside this building. You'll know it by the driver. Black suit, no name. Do not bring anyone with you. Do not ask where you're going. When you arrive, the concierge will hand you a key card. Take the private elevator to the top floor.

"Don't knock. Just come in. I don't like delays, Serena. Be on time."

The only question that remained was how far I was willing to go to find out the truth.

"Oh, and I don't have a preference for blondes. I'm much more taken with sexy brunettes with green eyes."