Tainted Faith

The humid air of Belize hung heavy, a stark contrast to the tightening knot in Liliana's stomach. She slumped into the uncomfortable aisle seat of the plane, her eyes darting nervously, catching glimpses of her father's associates, ever-present shadows since she'd left Sicily. When it wasn't them, it was Marco, her eldest cousin, his watchful gaze a constant reminder of the life she couldn't escape.

She sighed, retrieving her mobile from her jeans pocket. Two years. It had been two years since she'd last seen her papà. Despite his stern public persona, Antonio Fiorenza had always held her best interests at heart, even if those interests now led her to this fifteen-hour flight, followed by a short boat ride to a secluded island her grandfather had rented.

Her nineteenth birthday was fast approaching, and her father had orchestrated this 'vacation' as a prelude to her return to New York. The thought of seeing him again was a mixture of longing and an inexplicable dread. She knew her grandfather, Nonno Valentino, would be there, a comforting presence amidst the uncertainty.

But as the plane finally touched down and the small boat cut through the turquoise waters, Liliana’s anxiety only mounted. She hated traveling. After airport delays, a frustrating search for her grandfather’s driver, and now the agonizing thought of sharks beneath the waves, she was at her breaking point. All the death threats and dangerous situations of her life, consequences of her family's business, paled in comparison to this stomach-churning journey.

She stepped onto the soft, white sand, almost collapsing in relief. The only thing that snapped her out of her daze was the sight of her grandfather, Nonno Valentino, striding barefoot across the scorching sand, a welcoming smile on his face. "Nonno!" Liliana cried, abandoning her bags to sprint towards him, her excitement overriding her earlier trepidation. He embraced her tightly, his words a familiar balm to her weary soul.