Inheritance Redefined

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Nico grunted. "Unlucky for us, but good for him."

Elara narrowed her eyes at her brothers. "Can we not do this every time someone breathes near me?"

"You'll understand when you have a daughter," Luca said, totally unhelpfully.

"I am the daughter," she muttered back.

"Exactly."

"That doesn't even make sense!"Elara groaned.  

"It doesn't have to. We're Italian."

---

Elara barely stepped out of the car when she heard her name.

"ELARA FREAKING CALVIERO!"

Anastasia came sprinting across the courtyard like a tornado in lip gloss, her platinum braid flying behind her.

Olivia wasn't far behind, struggling to keep up. "You can't just sprint at people like you’re in a Bond movie, Stasia!"

"You didn't tell me you had a hot twin!" Anastasia shrieked. "Where is he?!"

Elara's face flushed. "Can we not yell that?"

"Are you sure he's your brother? Or are we just pretending so you can keep him all to yourself?"

"Anastasia Vasiliev!" Olivia gasped.

"What? She has the genes! She owes it to the world!"

From across the courtyard, Orion called, "Hey, sis!"

Multiple heads turned. Murmurs rippled. Someone dropped a smoothie.

Anastasia's jaw dropped. "Oh. My. God."

Olivia blinked. "He's a Drakos! You're a Drakos?! And a Calviero!"

Orion strolled over casually, tossing a wink at Olivia and a smirk at Anastasia. "Morning."

Elara covered her face with her hands. "I can't do this. I saw you this morning! No need to yell."

Anastasia grabbed her arm excitedly. "You can. And you will. And also – we're telling everyone he's your twin.”

"You are not–"

"Too late, I already texted, like, fifteen people."

Orion raised an eyebrow. "She does this often?"

"Constantly," Olivia sighed.

"Cool." He grinned at Elara. "You've got good taste in friends, Lala."

She stared at the chaos swirling around her – Anastasia bouncing with energy, Olivia trying to rein her in, Orion fitting in like he'd been here all along – and something in her chest eased.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

---

That afternoon, the Calviero house buzzed as usual – barking laughter from Matteo and Nico echoing off the walls, the faint smell of espresso, and Salvatore yelling on the phone in three different languages.

Orion regretfully decided to go to his house and speak with the rest of the Drakos family and said that he would call Elara later.

Elara found her mother in the sunroom, curled on the couch with a novel in one hand and her reading glasses sliding halfway down her nose.

"Hey, Mom?"

Isabella looked up. "Ciao, amore. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I, um… need to tell you something." Elara sat beside her, tucking her legs underneath. Her heart tapped nervously in her chest.

"I'm not in trouble!" she added quickly.

Isabella arched a brow at her daughter, amused. "That's a relief."

"Coach Garcia asked if I'd do a figure skating routine at the opening of the hockey game this Saturday."

Isabella blinked. "Wait–the school's hockey game?"

"Yeah."

"Like… in front of the whole academy?"

"Yes?"

"Lara!" Isabella clutched her daughter’s hands. "That's wonderful!"

"You think?"

"Do you know how many people would dream of being asked to perform at something like that?"

"I know, but… what if I fall on my face in front of everyone?"

"You won't." Alessandro's voice came from the doorway, warm and calm. He always had a habit of appearing right when Elara needed him.

"You're very talented, Elara. You were doing toe loops before you could spell your name." Isabella smiled.

Elara grinned. "I still mess that one up sometimes."

He walked in and kissed the top of her head. "Do you want us there?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I do."

"Then we'll be there," Isabella said. "Front row. With signs. Salvatore can hold the glittery one."

"Over my dead body," came Salvatore's shout from the hallway.

"Perfect," Elara muttered, burying her face in a pillow.

Isabella smiled and smoothed back her daughter's hair. "We're proud of you, you know. Not just for skating. For how you're holding everything together. I mean, you only found out yesterday."

Elara paused. That lump in her throat came out of nowhere.

"Thanks, Mamma."

Isabella shifted slightly in her seat, eyes flickering from Elara to Alessandro, then down to her hands. "I've been thinking," she said gently, "and I've actually spoken to Leonidas."

The room went still.

Elara glanced up, heart skipping a beat.

Isabella continued, voice low but steady. "I want to get to know my son. And Leonidas… he wants to get to know his daughter."

There was a moment of silence.

"I was wondering if the four of us – just us – could have lunch this weekend. Somewhere quiet. No family drama. Just... time. To get to know one another."

Elara looked at Alessandro, who gave her an encouraging nod. Her throat tightened, but she nodded too.

"Okay," she whispered.

Isabella kissed her temple, and Alessandro gave her a wink. Elara looked out the window, where the sun had just begun to dip, casting warm gold over the gardens. She had a twin she never knew, nine protective brothers, a show to prepare for, and the Viremont world whispering about her.

It was overwhelming.
It was chaos.
But somehow… it finally felt like her life.