The ties that bind

Chapter 5: The Dinner

Sofia's eyes met hers, wide with a mixture of surprise and something else—fear? Confusion? But Serena didn't care. She took a step forward, then another, her hands trembling as she rushed toward her sister.

"Sofia..." she breathed, her voice breaking as she reached out to her. "You're alive! You're really alive!"

But before she could even wrap her arms around Sofia, Marco shot forward, grabbing her wrist firmly.

"Stop!" Marco's voice was sharp, filled with panic. "Don't touch her."

Serena recoiled, looking at him, confused and hurt. "What? What's wrong? Sofia, she's alive, Matteo!"

"You need to stay back," Marco added, his voice cold and accusing. "Stay away from her!"

"She shouldn't even be here!" Vincenzo snapped from the side, his eyes hard and unforgiving. "She's a danger to Sofia. You shouldn't trust her!"

"You're not her sister anymore," Alessandro chimed in, his youthful face twisted with a mix of fear and anger. "I don't know who you are, but not anymore."

Sofia stood there, frozen, not moving to stop the madness that was unfolding in front of her. She wasn't trying to stop them. She wasn't reaching out to Serena.

"Why are you acting like this?" Serena asked, her voice trembling. "Why won't you let me hug her? She's my sister. She's alive."

But her brothers didn't seem to care. They were all looking at her with suspicion in their eyes, like she was a stranger to them.

"She tried to hurt Sofia before," Marco spat, his words sharp and accusing. "She's dangerous, Lorenzo. You can't let her near Sofia."

Lorenzo's gaze remained fixed on Serena, his expression unreadable. He said nothing, just watching her with the same cold detachment he always had.

Serena's chest tightened, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She looked at her sister—Sofia, standing there, eyes wide but unmoving, not reaching out to her, not doing anything to stop this madness.

But it was too much. The years of pain, the years of abandonment, the rejection she was feeling now—it all came crashing down on her. She had only wanted to find her sister again, to hold her and never let go, but her family didn't see that. They didn't see her as a sister anymore. They saw her as a monster, someone capable of hurting the very people she loved.

She couldn't take it. She turned quickly, her eyes blurring with tears, and bolted out of the room. Her heart was pounding in her chest, every step echoing the crushing weight of her self-doubt.

The hallway stretched out before her, and she ran, not caring where she went. The cold air in the house only made the tightness in her chest worse. She could still hear their voices behind her, but she didn't stop. She couldn't.

When she reached the stairs, her knees buckled, and she sank to the floor, her hands trembling as she tried to hold herself together. The tears came then, uncontrollable and raw. The fear, the hurt—it was all too much.

I'm not wanted here. They think I'm dangerous.

Her sobs echoed in the empty hallway, and for a moment, she felt like the world was closing in on her.

Then, suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder.

"Serena."

She looked up, her vision still blurred by tears, and saw Matteo standing in front of her, his expression soft with something close to concern. He didn't look at her with the same eyes as the others. He wasn't accusing her. He wasn't condemning her.

"You don't need to be afraid," he said gently, kneeling down to her level. "It's okay. You're not the monster they think you are."

"I just wanted to be with them again," Serena whispered, her voice shaking. "I thought... I thought if I came back, things might be different. But they hate me. They don't want me here, Matteo. I'm not their sister anymore. I'm nothing but a ghost."

Matteo's face softened, and he sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her. "You're not nothing. They don't see it, but I do. I never wanted you to go away. I never thought they were right."

"Then why... why did you let them do this to me?" Serena's voice cracked as the anger and pain burst out. "Why didn't you stop them, Matteo?"

He looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "I tried. I really did. But you're here now, and we'll fix this. I'll help you. I'll make them see you for who you really are."

Serena closed her eyes, the weight of his words washing over her. She wasn't alone. Not anymore. Matteo was here. He was the only one who had believed in her, the only one who hadn't abandoned her when everyone else had.

But before she could say anything more, she felt the overwhelming sense of panic building inside her. Her chest tightened, her breath coming in shallow bursts. Her heart raced as she gasped for air, unable to control it.

Matteo's arms tightened around her, and his voice was calm, soothing. "Breathe, Serena. It's okay. Just breathe with me. In and out. Slow."

She clung to him, her body shaking as the panic consumed her. But slowly, slowly, his voice anchored her, grounding her to the present. His steady breaths, his firm hold on her—it helped.

"It's okay. I'm here," he whispered again, brushing her hair away from her face.

The panic attack subsided slowly, and Serena collapsed into him, her body exhausted from the emotional whirlwind. "I don't know what's happening to me," she said quietly.

"You've been through a lot. You're not alone anymore," Matteo said softly. "You're home now. I'll help you. You're not a monster. You never were."

Serena nodded, closing her eyes, letting the truth of his words sink in. She wasn't alone anymore.

But as she stood up, ready to face the family dinner again, a cold realization swept over her. She didn't belong here. They had never wanted her. But she couldn't change that. Not now.

Not yet.