May 27

The streets of New York are nothing she expected it to be. Empty. Fires burning. Shouts and screams heard from every corner of the city. It was nothing like Kiara had described in her letters. 

Just a few weeks back her mother had written to her about the life she was living her. Comfortable and under the wing of a powerful family. She had invited Sylvia to do the same. 

Come to America, Syl. Italy has nothing for you now, not after the death of your father. Here I can take you in this nice family which has been kind to me.

There was more in the letter about the jobs she was running. There was disapproval from Syl to hear about it at first but the questions in her mind stayed to trouble her. 

Was it that bad? What was she achieving by staying here. Engaged to a man she barely knew, only because her father was in need of money and his friend was rich. Something she was ready to do when he was still alive. But now...

They had taken care of her so far. He was much older than her, a better match for her mother even than her.  But he was kind and took care of her. 

But inside she felt so empty. Like she was missing out on life by staying in this mansion. 

A week passed before she made up her mind. In the middle of the night she hurriedly packs her most needed belongings, some money and quietly sneaks out in the night. I am sorry.  He was a good man who deserved better than this, but she needed this. 

The journey on the ship was full of hopes and dreams. How she would move in with her mother until she found a new home. Maybe she would join the family business and when there was enough money, she would open a fashion store that would showcase gorgeous dresses. Her clients would be the biggest and richest in New York.

Back in the present, all those dreams seem so far away. There was regret in her mind, maybe she should never have left her marriage. She couldn't go back now. Not anymore. She was desperate, but she was even prouder than that. 

And it is not the worst. The address she arrives to is on fire. Men and women on the streets looking up at the building which in its time must have been the headquarters of a family. Her mother's family. The pavement is littered with glass and blood. Bodies here and there that she did not recognize. 

But none of her mother. 

The house is in tatters, everything riddled with bullets. And room after room she looks for any sign until she comes to one which seems familiar. The clothes flung on the bed. She knew those.

This was her room. 

Now begins a search for anything that might give her a clue of what has happened. 

And after almost an hour of frantic searching, all she has is a hurriedly scribbled note inside the envelope she had sent to her mother to inform her about coming here. 

LA

May 27th, later in the day

Her search brings her to Los Angeles, with no clue of her mother's whereabouts anymore. She could be anywhere in this town. The picture here is much different than New York. It looks peaceful and calm, untouched by whatever happened there. Where on earth would she start looking, Sylvia is out of ideas and nearly out of hope when a shadowy man walks up to her and hands her $1,320 and says "Kiara would want you to have this."

For me? 

'Sylvia Laurentis?' 

It is I. 

'Your mother is no more. Go to this church and you will find her there. A family was kind to offer her refuge but....the shadows followed her.'

Her world had collapsed. 

May 28th

The recent events were still on her mind. But out of it came an opportunity. The trail her mother had left her took her to the HQ of Alexia's Angels. Yet still she did not have any idea of what was next. There is next to nothing she knows about the business and after the conversation she is not sure what Alexia may have seen in her. 

She was part of their crew now. Hopeful but also afraid of turning out to be a disappointment. 

June 1st

It feels like almost a year. The family was welcoming and kind, there was help whenever she would ask for it. The first two days were chaotic, with the war that had taken her mother away still going on but slowly it settled down. She was starting to make money for the family, feeling happy to be able to contribute to the family in whatever small way possible. 

Most of her time was spent outside but at the end of the day whenever she got home to Detroit it felt like the one place she felt safe and comfortable in the HQ. 

The next day she had a trip out of town to buy an old establishment that she would revamp into one of her own. It would be classy, fun and seductive. Like she knew her mother to be. What it would be that she had no idea of.

Maybe she would ask the others.....