Seven Minutes Older, a Lifetime Overlooked - Episode 19

Introduction: In the Bellini Family, every Principessa received a gemstone at birth. On her eighteenth birthday, the Don set it into her induction crown, granting her the power and protection of the Bellini name. A week before my twin sister Bianca and I turned eighteen, my brother brought home our crowns. Bianca’s glittered with two diamonds. “Why does she have my diamond?” I asked. Marco shrugged. “Bianca wanted more sparkle.” Then he handed me an old crown from the family vault. It was tarnished and missing half its stones. Mother sighed. “It’s still a Bellini crown, Elena. Don’t ruin the induction over a piece of jewelry.” All my life, I had given up one thing after another for Bianca. I thought the induction would finally prove that I belonged to this family too. Instead, they erased me again. My phone vibrated with MIT’s final admission deadline. This time, I pressed ACCEPT. If the Bellinis had no place for me, I would stop sacrificing myself to to remain part of theirs.