"Legal father?"

My voice shattered. The ultrasound report in my hand was now a crumpled ball, my nails buried deep in my palm.

"Then what about me? What about the child in my womb? Your own flesh and blood?"

Matteo's face went white, a vein pulsing in his forehead. He ripped his arm from my grasp, the force of it nearly sending me to the ground.

"Ava, calm down!"

His eyes darted around, and I knew he was cornered.

The family members around us began to whisper, their voices growing louder.

"Look, that outsider is making a scene again..."

"So shameless. Carrying a bastard and still acting so entitled..."

"Why would Don Gallo ever get tangled up with a woman like her?"

Every word was a lash across my face. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks, unstoppable.

"Stella's the one carrying a bastard!" I screamed.

The moment the words left my mouth, Stella burst into a flood of tears. "My child is legitimate! He will have a legal father!"

Matteo's rage exploded.

He seized my wrist, his knuckles white.

His eyes were cold, like the gaze of death itself.

"Ava, you don't understand the rules."

"That kind of talk could start a war, do you understand?"

I could feel the killing intent in his grip, but I wasn't afraid.

"Then what do you want me to say?"

"The man I love is about to marry another woman and raise her bastard child, and you expect me to stand here and applaud?"

"Three months, Matteo!" My voice shook. "You haven't been to a single one of my appointments!"

His grip tightened, nearly snapping my wrist. "Stella's situation is more dangerous than yours."

"She's Don Falcone's only daughter. The rumors alone could kill her."

"And you..."

He didn't finish, his gaze still refusing to meet mine.

This man, who once kissed my forehead so gently, couldn't even look at me now.

A powerful Don who lacked the backbone to claim his own child.

It was absurd.

"Ava, just wait a little longer. When this is over, I will make things right."

He let go, his touch now gentle as he brushed my reddened wrist.

"Trust me. Once the alliance is secure, everything will be fine."

I had heard that promise too many times. I couldn't trust it, I didn't dare trust it anymore.

And just like always, Stella chose that exact moment to let out a weak moan.

"Matteo, I don't feel so well..."

Matteo was by her side in an instant. "We're going back to the safe house now."

He helped her toward the parking lot, leaving me behind like a piece of trash.

Stella glanced back at me over her shoulder, a victorious smirk on her lips.

The black Rolls-Royce pulled away smoothly, the setting sun glinting off its windows, obscuring the people inside.

For the first time, I truly understood what despair felt like.

Late that night, I was curled up on the sofa, the doctor's words replaying in my mind: "The baby is developing well, the due date is..."

The sound of a key in the lock broke my thoughts.

The door opened, and Matteo appeared in the entryway. His shirt was wrinkled, his tie loosened, and he looked exhausted.

My heart softened instantly. Maybe he was here to apologize. Maybe...

But he walked straight past the living room without a single glance in my direction.

I heard the sound of drawers opening and closing in the bedroom.

I ran in, barefoot, and saw him packing a suitcase.

Suits, shirts, ties. One by one, they disappeared into the bag.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Packing," he said without looking up. "I'm moving to the secure villa on the hill tomorrow."

The villa on the hill. The Gallo family's most secure safe house. Only the most important people were allowed to stay there.

"Why? Is this about Stella?"

His hands paused for a second before he resumed folding a shirt.

"She's been getting death threats. As her fiancé, it's my duty to ensure her protection."

Fiancé. The word was a venomous snake, sinking its fangs into my heart.

"What about me?" My voice grew shrill. "Have you ever thought that I'm carrying your child, that I need protection, too?"

"The baby in my belly is your own flesh and blood!"

Matteo's hand froze mid-air, the shirt falling to the floor. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You'll have bodyguards. I'll arrange it."

Seeing my stunned silence, he walked over and pulled me into his arms.

"Ava, the weight of the family is on my shoulders. I don't have a choice. You're always so understanding, Ava. You know I have to do this."

"When this is over, I promise I'll make you a Gallo."

His hands were cold as ice.

"I don't want your bodyguards, I want my husband!" I struggled out of his embrace and grabbed his hand.

"Matteo, look at me," I pleaded, shaking his arm. "Tell me, what does the child in my belly mean to you? Tell me you love me."

He finally looked up, his black eyes deep and bottomless, devoid of any warmth.

"This isn't a discussion, Ava. I'm telling you what's happening."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to shatter my soul.

I let go of his arm completely, my body trembling.

In his eyes, I was a subordinate, a pet, a plaything. Whatever I was, I was not his equal.

"The Falcone family is in turmoil," he said, zipping the suitcase shut, his tone all business. "I'll be staying by her side to ensure her safety."

"If you need anything, go through my underboss."

He picked up the suitcase and walked to the door without a hint of hesitation.

"Matteo," I called after him, my voice choked with tears.

He stopped at the door but didn't turn around.

Moonlight spilled through the window, casting his long shadow on the floor.

"If you ever realize this was all a mistake, will you regret it?"

His back stiffened, his shoulders twitching for a fraction of a second.

After a few moments of silence, he spoke.

He answered, his voice flat. "A Gallo doesn't regret his choices. Everything I do is for the family."

The door slammed shut with a deafening bang.

I collapsed onto the cold floor, my hand resting on my slightly swollen belly, tears soaking my nightgown.

It's just us now, little one. But Mommy won't let anyone hurt you. I swear it.

Matteo never came back.

He was busy fulfilling his duties as a fiancé, only checking in on me occasionally with a late-night text.

When I stopped responding, his messages became less and less frequent.

When it was time for my next check-up, I went to the family's private medical facility alone.

There, I ran into Matteo's sister, Claire.

When she saw me coming out of the obstetrics department, she stared at me, her eyes wide with shock, before snatching the prenatal report from my hand.

Her voice rose to a shriek.

"Ava Prescott, you cheated on my brother? You're pregnant with some other man's bastard?"

"And you have the nerve to show your face at a Gallo family facility?"

Matteo and I had agreed to keep the pregnancy a secret until it was more stable.

The web of rivalries in the underworld was too complex, and we wanted to protect the baby.

I never imagined our caution would be turned against me like this.

I frowned. "Claire, I'm just here for a check-up." I clutched my appointment slip tighter.

"A check-up?" Her laughter was a grating screech. "For what? That bastard in your belly from God knows where?"

Other patients began to whisper, and nurses paused their work. I could feel countless eyes on me, watching the drama unfold.

"I'm carrying Matteo's child."

"Matteo's child?" Claire burst out laughing, tears streaming from her eyes. "Who the hell do you think you are? You think you're worthy of carrying my brother's blood?"

"Are you trying to use this bastard to trap my brother? Do you actually think you can marry into the Gallo family and go from being a nobody to the Don's wife?"

She lunged forward, snatching the appointment slip and ultrasound report from my hand.

"Give those back!" I reached for them.

Claire stepped back nimbly and tore the papers to shreds, tossing them into the air like confetti.

The pieces fluttered down onto the marble floor.

"You bitch, you're already fourteen weeks along?" Her voice grew more hysterical.

"Everyone!" Claire turned to the crowd like a mad orator. "Look at this shameless woman!"

"She wants to pass off some bastard as the heir to the Gallo empire!"

"She should be thrown out! Banned from ever setting foot on family territory again!"

I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. Every breath was like swallowing razor blades. My face burned with shame as tears streamed down my cheeks.

"I'm not lying!" I screamed, my voice raw. "It's really Matteo's child!"

"Shut up!" Claire lunged at me.

CRACK!

A resounding slap struck my face. The force was so great I staggered backward. My mouth filled with the taste of blood, and a fiery pain spread across my cheek.

"You dare slander my brother?" Claire's eyes were as venomous as a snake's. "If you were really carrying my brother's child, do you think he'd let you come to an appointment all by yourself?"

"Ava Prescott, Stella is the one carrying my brother's true heir."

"You think you can seduce him for a while and become a princess? Dream on!"

She waved her hand, and two men in black suits immediately stepped forward.

"Get this crazy woman out of here!"

"What are you doing? Let go of me!"

Their hands clamped around my arms like iron vises, and they began dragging me away.

"Claire, you have no right to do this to me!"

"No right?" she sneered, following behind me, her face a mask of triumph. "I am a princess of the Gallo family. What are you?"

"A low-class commoner with no status. How dare you cause a scene here?"

"Take her to the estate. Let my brother see for himself the rabid dog he's been keeping."

The black armored sedan ate up the highway.

I was wedged between two large men, my wrists bound behind me with a plastic zip tie that cut into my skin, choking off the circulation.

Claire sat in the front passenger seat, glancing back at me periodically with the smug expression of someone who had just won a great victory.

"You know," she began, her voice filled with a sick excitement, "my brother is at the villa on the hill right now, personally cooking dinner for Stella."

"They look so in love, so perfect for each other."

"And you?" She turned, her face close to the partition. "You're nothing."

I closed my eyes, trying to block out her words, but her voice slithered into my ears like a venomous snake.

"You think you can threaten him with a baby? You're so naive."

"The Gallo family bloodline will not be tainted by the likes of you!"

The iron gates of the main residence looked particularly grim in the setting sun.

They creaked open slowly, and the car proceeded up the gravel drive to the main house.

The bodyguards dragged me from the car and shoved me toward the front doors.

Inside the grand hall, the crystal chandelier cast long, dim shadows.

"Take her to the dining room," Claire's heels clicked sharply on the marble floor. "Let her see what the real lady of the house looks like."

The air in the dining room was thick with the aroma of roasted beef and red wine.

Candles flickered, creating a warm, romantic atmosphere.

Matteo sat at the head of the table, focused on cutting a piece of rare steak for Stella.

His movements were gentle as he brought the fork to her lips.

"Careful, it's hot," he murmured, his voice soft as a feather.

Stella looked at him with adoration. "Matteo, you're so good to me. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Her hand rested on her swelling belly, her face glowing with happiness.

The sight felt like a fist clenching around my heart.

He had never done anything like this for me, never cared for me with such tenderness. Not even once.

"Look what the cat dragged in, brother." Claire strode into the room.

"She was making a scene again today! Trying to use the bastard in her belly to threaten the family!"

Matteo looked up and saw me, disheveled and held captive by his men.

My hair was a mess, a clear handprint was still visible on my cheek, and my clothes were torn from the struggle.

His brow furrowed, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes, gone as quickly as it appeared.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice calm.

"She had the nerve to go to the family's private clinic for a check-up!" Claire threw the shredded pieces of my report onto the dining table. "I also heard she's been telling everyone the baby is yours! She's disgracing the family name!"

Stella shrank into Matteo's arms, feigning fear, her body trembling. "Matteo, I'm so scared... The way she looks at me... What if she tries to hurt our baby?"

"She won't," Matteo said, pulling her closer, his hand stroking her back soothingly. "I won't let anyone hurt you or our child."

Then he looked at me, his eyes as cold as a frozen lake.

"You disappoint me, Ava. Why must you always make things difficult?"

"I told you to lie low. To wait for me to handle things."

I opened my mouth to explain, to tell him the truth, to tell him I had done nothing wrong.

But seeing him shield Stella, seeing the disgust and disappointment in his eyes, the words died in my throat.

He wouldn't believe me. In his mind, I was already a crazed woman, an obstacle threatening his "true love."

"Since she can't behave," Matteo said, putting down his knife and fork, making no move to defend me, "put her in the cellar."

"Let her cool off."

"No one is to let her out without my direct order."

The iron door of the cellar slammed shut.

The heavy clang of the lock echoed in the darkness like a death knell.

I was shoved into this cold, damp cage, the air thick with the stench of mold and rat droppings.

Water seeped from the walls, dripping onto the floor with a monotonous rhythm.

This was the cage Matteo had chosen for me, so I could "think things over."

I curled up in a corner, my arms wrapped tightly around my stomach.

I've failed you, my sweet baby.