ena
ghter's breakfast. Instead, I lay beneath the heavy duvet, my ear tune
taken over
ood," Donna declared loudly. "I wish y
carried easily
easant. The last time she picked me up from school, my friends th
ach of her daughter's pronouncements, a fresh wave of nausea rose in my throat. I stared
ver whether I should take Donna w
e words dissolved any
pain tore throug
I dressed and drove alone to a civilian clinic on the out
a series of tes
egnant, ma'
e sterile white wall o
mins," the doctor advised. "It
y car and pulled out my phone. I
ner?" I typed, a slight trem
ame two min
lie to the opera. Do
yped, "I am
e three words
by letter, I
g," I r
. He would tell me a child would not change his feelings for Rosalie. Or worse, he
the window and saw Vincenzo's armored SUV parked near a high-end cafe. Throu
rally passed the cup to Vincenzo. He leaned in and
m my fingertips as I d
ront doors, I walked
bloomed in my calf from the sudden tension. The static crackle of the air was t
ng on the rug, looking throu
held the private photos of me caring for th
nna mocked loudly, pointing at a
h the front door just
face hardening
's hands. His gaze dropped to the open pages, taking in the images of his a
ictures," he
concern. "Let me help you pick up the loo
t, attempting
I swatted h
e," I said, my
ckward. She hit the edge of the coffee tabl
hoved me hard in the chest. I stumbled back and
rled, his voice echoing in the ro
ring Rosalie into his arms
ur dimly lit bedroom. He wordlessly t
ll repay my debt of honor to you for a lifetime, Serena. I will take car
pathetic bandage rest
," I stated calml
d, and walked out, clos
ing a dust mote drift through a sliver of light
ld him about the cramping. And as I sat there in the dark, listening to his fo
old blood clung to th
o a freezing concrete floor. I looked up and saw a man
-brother. The man who had broken
by shattering Bastian's limbs
ilian wife," Bastian mocked, h
ees. Bastian leaned forward, his fingers diggi
eamed, but the sol
blinded me in
our later. I walked the rest of the way in the dark, my bare feet bleeding
walked into t
Rosalie were
dshot with a murderous rage. The screen d
Vincenzo roared. "Why are you
s. "They forced me. Look at my bruises. Look at my torn clot
is gaze swept over my battered face, my bleeding feet, the ra
es. He was not a stupid man. He was a Don who had survived coups
is jaw tightened, in the way his fin
e photos w
ered her mouth and let out a soft laugh. "Maybe she wa
d, the man I had saved
ect me. Because acknowledging I was innocent meant acknowledging his own
t the li
s standing by the stairs. "Tell your father what
Vincenzo righ
with Bastian," Donna lied. "I hav
ng had struck my che
ears crumbled, like timber eaten through by dr
demanded, my voice shakin
clenched, but h
e sweeping marble stai
to the top landing
happening to you," she
viciously dug her sh
way, but Rosalie
my fo
and staircase, my body slamming
eached out for me from t
amed and faked a fainting
ulled his
ed Rosalie into his arms, a
a single glance as
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