Chapter 78

Victoria POV

"Who are these strangers? How did they find you?" Aunt Elizabeth's voice cut through the chatter of the room. Everyone stopped and turned to look at me. I felt all eyes on me, the pressure building up in my chest.

I opened my mouth, ready to speak, but then the thought of what Vincenzo had said flashed in my mind: someone in the family might have had a hand in my parents' death. I swallowed hard. Could I really say that out loud? I wasn't ready to confront that truth yet, not with everyone here.

"Actually," I began, my voice steady despite the knots in my stomach. "The strangers... they left me when I turned eighteen. I had to learn to survive on my own after that."

I glanced around the room, avoiding eye contact with Aunt Elizabeth. I didn't want to see the judgment in her eyes. The story was half tru