As soon as the car stopped in the airport parking lot, Liora stepped out, closing the door behind her. She adjusted her shirt absentmindedly before moving aside, slipping her headphones into her ears.
Behind her, Ricardo opened the trunk, pulling out their suitcases.
David leaned against the car, his voice tired."So… I guess you'll be staying in Italy for quite a while."
Ricardo nodded slightly."Yes. I hope to come back sooner than expected."
"How long?" David asked.
Ricardo paused, his gaze drifting toward the sky."Two to four years."
Liora froze.
Her fingers stopped on her phone as her eyes widened. She slowly turned around."Excuse me?!"
Ricardo looked at her, slightly surprised by her reaction.David chuckled softly."You didn't know?"
"I thought it was just for a few days…" Liora said, panic rising in her voice.
She stepped closer, her heart racing."I'm coming back home in two weeks, right? Right, Dad?"
Ricardo avoided her gaze."You don't like Italy?" he said calmly. "I even bought a house there… so everything would be easier."
Liora stood there, speechless. Her mouth slightly open, she ran a hand through her hair, frustration building.
"You said it was a vacation in Italy…not moving there for years!"
Ricardo's expression hardened."Liora, think about it. I'm not leaving you alone at home while I'm abroad for years."
"And my studies?" she asked, stepping closer to face him directly.
"You'll enroll in a school next year. Don't worry."
Liora knew it was useless.Her father had already made his decision.
The silence inside the plane felt louder than the engines outside.
Throughout the flight, Liora stared ahead, lost in her thoughts.A life in Italy… leaving everything behind… her friends, Sophie…
An unfamiliar future she wasn't ready for.
"I'm going back home when I turn eighteen" she said quietly, without even looking at him.
Ricardo barely lifted his eyes from his phone."I can't promise that. You're not even sure yourself."
She didn't respond.Instead, she turned away, focusing on her music and the clouds drifting outside the window.
Hours later, after a long drive, the car finally came to a stop.
Liora stepped out slowly… and froze.
In front of her stood a magnificent mansion. Elegant, vast, almost unreal.Horses roamed freely in the courtyard, while children ran and laughed in the distance.
She blinked, unsure of where she was.
Silently, she removed one of her earbuds.
"Do you like it?" Ricardo asked, walking up beside her with the suitcases, his eyes fixed on the same view.
"It's… nice," Liora said softly."…Is this our house?"
"Yes."
Ricardo had already started walking toward the entrance."Take the last suitcase next to you, please."
Still stunned by the place, Liora took a second before realizing what he had asked.
"Oh-... and who are those kids?" she said, grabbing the suitcase and hurrying to catch up with him.
"They're your aunt Giulia's children."
Liora frowned slightly."Aunt Giulia? I don't know her."
"That's normal" Ricardo replied."The last time she saw you… you were just born."
Ricardo rang the doorbell.
They waited a few seconds.
And in that moment…Liora had no idea how much her life was about to change inside that house...