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