☆Chapter 37: The Battle of the Gifts☆
Seraphina De Luca was no stranger to extravagance.
Growing up with Lorenzo, Nonno, Matteo, and Lucian constantly hovering around her, she had long accepted that their way of expressing love often came with a hefty price tag.
But this time…
It was getting out of hand.
☆☆☆
One Week Before Her 18th Birthday
Seraphina sat in the garden, enjoying the afternoon breeze, her eyes closed as the scent of flowers she had planted years ago filled the air.
"Sera."
Lorenzo's voice interrupted her moment of peace.
She opened her eyes and found her father standing over her, his arms crossed, his cold demeanor firm as always.
"Papa?"
"What do you want for your birthday?"
Seraphina blinked.
"Huh?"
"You're turning eighteen. I need to know what you want." His tone was serious, as if he were discussing a business deal.
Seraphina sighed.
"Papa, I don't need anything. I already have everything I could ever want."
"That's not an answer, Sera."
"I'm serious. I just want a quiet birthday."
Lorenzo's eyes narrowed.
"Not happening."
☆☆☆
Later that evening...
Seraphina found herself cornered in the living room by Nonno, Matteo, and Lucian.
"So, bambina…" Nonno's voice was warm, but his smile was wicked. "What do you want for your birthday?"
"Nonno, please."
"You can't stop us, princess." Matteo grinned, arms casually crossed.
"It's your eighteenth birthday. It has to be special."
Even Lucian, now taller and more composed, spoke up.
"We're not taking no for an answer, Sera."
Seraphina's eye twitched.
"Why do I feel like you're planning something… excessive?"
"Excessive?" Nonno feigned innocence, placing a hand on his chest. "Who? Us?"
"Yes. You."
"I'll keep it reasonable, I swear." Matteo smirked, barely containing his amusement.
"I don't believe you."
"And what about me?" Lucian's puppy eyes were in full force.
"You, I trust the least!"
☆☆☆
The chaos begins...
As the days went by, Seraphina's concerns grew.
Packages started arriving from all over the world.
Gucci, Prada, Cartier—brands she didn't even know existed were piling up in her room.
"This is insane," she mumbled, staring at the growing mountain of gifts.
"What did I say about keeping it reasonable?!"
"We are," Matteo said innocently, peeking into her room.
"This isn't reasonable, Matteo!"
☆☆☆
Desperate, Seraphina called a family meeting.
"Listen, everyone." She stood at the head of the table, her arms crossed, her cold aura perfectly matching Lorenzo's.
"I appreciate all of you."
"But…"
"No more unnecessary gifts."
Lorenzo, Nonno, Matteo, and Lucian exchanged glances.
"Define unnecessary, Bambina," Nonno said, his grin too wide.
"Anything that costs more than a single family house."
"That's a low bar, bambina."
"I'm serious." Her eyes narrowed.
"Fine, fine." Matteo raised his hands.
"We promise not to go overboard."
Seraphina felt a small wave of relief.
"Thank you."
☆☆☆
Her birthday arrived.
For once, Seraphina thought she might finally get the quiet celebration she had asked for.
"Happy birthday, bambina!" Nonno kissed her forehead, a gentle smile on his face.
"Happy birthday, Princess." Matteo handed her a small box, surprisingly simple.
"I kept my promise," Lucian murmured, giving her a book filled with hand-written letters from his childhood about her.
Seraphina's heart swelled.
"Thank you, guys."
But then…
"And what about you, Papa?"
Lorenzo, who had been suspiciously quiet, stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
"Come outside."
Seraphina blinked.
"Outside? Why?"
"Just come, Sera."
Her curiosity piqued, she followed him.
The night sky stretched above them, stars twinkling like diamonds.
"Look up," Lorenzo said softly.
Seraphina's eyes followed his gaze.
A single star, brighter than all the others, stood out against the velvet sky.
"That one," Lorenzo murmured.
Seraphina's brows furrowed.
"What about it?"
Lorenzo handed her a folder. A paper that states "Official Star Registry" inside.
Seraphina's eyes scanned the contents, her jaw dropping.
"Wait… what?"
"It's yours."
"Mine?"
"I bought the rights to that star."
Seraphina froze.
"You… what?"
"Legally, it belongs to you."
"You bought me a star?!"
"It's De Luca property now," Lorenzo said, his voice casual, as if buying celestial bodies was an everyday occurrence.
Seraphina gawked.
"Papa, I said no unnecessary gifts!"
"A star is necessary, Sera," Lorenzo replied, his tone dead serious.
"A real star, Papa?!"
"It's a symbol."
"A symbol of what?"
"That no matter how high or far you go… you'll always belong to us."
Silence.
Seraphina's eyes welled up.
"Papa…"
Lorenzo's expression softened, his usually cold gaze filled with warmth.
"Happy birthday, dolcezza."
Seraphina couldn't hold back anymore.
"You're impossible." She laughed softly, wiping her tears as she hugged him tight.
"But I love you for it."
As the De Luca men stood proudly, Seraphina knew…
This wasn't just about gifts.
It was about showing her that she was their world.
And now…
She literally had a star to prove it.