The Mafia Princess Who Lived In A Bubble Chapter 01
When the chemical warehouse exploded, Mom carried my crying little sister, Livia, out first.
was surrounded by highly concentrated toxic chemicals. By the time I was rescued, I had aplastic anemia and would have
to live in a sterile environment for the rest of my life.
The family converted an entire villa into a sterile environment, and my parents spent one hour alone with me
every day. The celebrities I liked would appear at my birthday parties. All the capos knew the family had a “fragile
bubble princess,” but none of them knew Claire.
But my temper only grew stranger. I would throw jewelry on the floor, grab scraps of food and hurl them at the maids, and
scream so loudly I scared the nurses away.
Then Livia scored 1500 on the SAT, and Mom asked her what reward she wanted.
Her eyes red, she said, “I want a family trip. Just the three of us. Just this once, okay?”
Mom and Dad’s hearts melted at the sight of Livia’s red, swollen eyes.
Before they left, Mom locked the villa from the outside.
“Be a good girl, sweetheart. When we come back, we’ll bring
you your favorite strawberry cake.”
I bore the ache inside me, nodded, and sat stubbornly by the
door, waiting for them to come back.
But that very day, crews repairing the nearby power lines cut the villa’s electricity.
Within three days, the refrigerator started to stink, and every bit of food in the house went bad.
I was so thirsty, so hungry. I wanted to run out and find Mom and Dad.
But Mom said that if I left the house, she wouldn’t want me anymore.
I curled up beside the stinking refrigerator, clutching Mom’s coat, and never lived to see the day they came back.
At dinner, Lívia suddenly took out her report card and looked
at our parents pleadingly.
Dad, Mom, I want a real family trip. Just the three of us. Can we?”
The dining room fell silent.
flew into a rage and swept my plate off the table.
Three of you? You’re going to leave me behind? When you go
on your trip, do you ever think about me, trapped here?”
Livia jumped to her feet, knocking her chair over.
“What’s a little hardship like yours next to mine?”
She broke down screaming at me, ner eyes red.
“Do you know what I’ve been through for thirteen years?
Yesterday a bodyguard even asked me if I was the
housekeeper’s daughter!”
“Even when I’m at the top of my class, all Mom and Dad care
about is whether you ate on time and whether you have a fever!”
gripped my knife and fork as uncontrollable regret spread
through me like venom.
I… I just wanted to come on the trip with you too.”
I don’t want you to come!”
Livia hurled her plate to the floor, white shards flying everywhere.
Dad frowned and pulled her behind him.
Livia, respect your sister. When the attack happened all
those years ago, your mother carried you out first, which is
why Fiorella was trapped in that gas for so long. How can you resent her?”
Mom pulled me into her arms, her heart aching,
“Fiore, don’t be afraid. Mommy’s here.”
But when she turned to look at Livia, there was blame in her eyes.
“Your sister can’t be away from her family. If we all leave,
what will she do alone?”
Livia was crying, tears streaming down her face.
“She doesn’t need such a strict sterile environment anymore!
She can eat normally, she can move around her room, she
can even post videos online. What’s the difference between
her and an ordinary person?”
“You’d only be gone for a few days. Can’t you? Just once.”
“For as long as I can remember, you’ve given her all your love.
What about me? I’m your daughter too. Don’t I deserve one
complete, undivided taste of parental love?”
Her shoulders shook violently.
In the fall I’ll be leaving for Auremont University. After that,
I’ll rarely come home.”
“All I want is one trip where my family cares about me, a trip
that isn’t arranged around the patient the whole time. Is
that too much to ask?”
Dad fell silent.
He was the Don of the Cattaneo family, a man whose word
was law, but facing his weeping younger daughter, genuine
conflict flickered across his face for the first time.
“Dear, these past years we really have focused too much on
Fiore and neglected Livia. Fiorella’s condition has stabilized a
lot, and she doesn’t like strangers staying at the villa anyway.
We’ll stock up on nutritious meals, keep the surveillance and
communication systems running, and have the family
medical team on remote standby. A few days away should be fine.”
Mom’s resistance slowly crumbled.
Seeing this, Livia came over at once, crouched in front of me,
and held my hand tightly.
Sis, I shouldn’t have been so harsh just now. But I really do
want to go out with Mom and Dad once. I’ll send you
postcards. I’ll bring you presents. Please, Fiore. Just this once.”
Mom let out a long sigh and asked me tentatively.
Mom and Dad will go out with Livia for a few days. Will you
stay home and wait for us like a good girl, okay?”
Everyone’s expectant eyes landed on me, piercing my chest like blades.
How I wanted to say no.
But I couldn’t bear to disappoint them, so I squeezed out a smile.
“I can stay here by myself.”