The neon lights along the street made Alicia’s eyes ache. Matteo did not seem to hear her. He lowered his head slightly. “What did you just say?”

Before Alicia could repeat it, his phone rang.

He looked at the screen, and his face immediately darkened. His grip on her bag loosened.

In the next second, he composed himself. He gave her an almost perfect apologetic smile. “Something came up at the port. I have to go now. Tonight is off the table. I’ll make it up to you another day.”

With that, he got into the car and left. He did not give any extra explanation.

But Alicia saw it clearly.

She had seen the name on his phone. It had been far too intimate to be a random person. The called ID was “Babe.”

She stood where she was. She suddenly felt the necklace was as heavy as a chain around her neck.

Ten minutes later, she drove to the hotel herself.

The suite at the end of the corridor was not fully closed.

Warm yellow light filtered through the gap in the door. It was like a provocative and humiliating invitation to her.

Alicia stopped outside the door. She did not push it open.

She heard Sophia’s voice. She sounded like she was smiling. “Why’re you in such a hurry today? Didn’t you say you were going to be with your wife?”

Matteo said something in a low voice. It was too soft to hear clearly.

Then, she heard the rustle of fabric. Then a woman’s breath. It was drawn out on purpose. Then, she heard the soft sound of high heels falling onto the carpet.

She heard Sophia asking, “So, what is it? You can’t bear to leave, or you just don’t want to?”

This time, Matteo said clearly, “Don’t ask pointless questions at a time like this.”

Sophia seemed pleased. She laughed even more sweetly. “Then, I’ll ask something else. When you hold me now, do you still think of her?”

The room fell quiet for a moment. Then, the man said carelessly, “No.”

The word was like a red-hot knife. It drove straight into Alicia’s heart and twisted again and again. The pain made her whole body seize. She almost lost her balance.

She knew this already. But what she saw and heard with her own eyes and ears hit far harder than she had imagined.

Her whole body turned numb. It felt as if her blood was frozen.

She took a deep breath. She could not stay there any longer. She turned and stumbled away. She almost ran from the place.

Alicia got back into the car. She started the engine and slammed the accelerator.

The sports car surged forward like a wild horse. It raced through the night.

The scenery outside the window rushed past as streaks of color.

Memories flashed through Alicia’s mind. She could not stop them.

She saw Matteo’s burning gaze when he chased her. She saw him drop to one knee when he proposed. She heard the vows he made at their wedding. She remembered the countless times he whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

Before she knew it, her vision blurred with tears.

She did not even notice the intersection ahead.

By the time she realized it, it was too late.

A sharp screech of brakes cut through the air.

Alicia jerked the steering wheel. She turned it all the way. The car went out of control and crashed into the roadside barrier.

Bang!

After the violent impact, everything went dark.

…

Alicia regained consciousness in the hospital.

She slowly opened her eyes. Jenna was by her bed.

“Alicia, you’re finally awake!” Jenna was teary-eyed. “The nurse called Mr. Vitale many times, but no one answered… That’s why I came.”

Alicia’s voice caught in her throat. She did not even have the strength to laugh at herself.

Matteo did not answer the phone.

What important matter could he be busy with? He was with Sophia, of course. He had no time for anything else.

“But there’s good news,” Jenna said. She let out a breath. She sounded relieved. “The baby is healthy. There’s no serious problem at all.”

The baby?

Alicia froze. Her hand moved to her belly.

She was pregnant!

The sudden news felt like a heavy blow crashing into Alicia’s already restless heart.

It took her about three seconds to decide. She was not keeping the baby.

It was not that she could not afford it. With her ability and income, she could easily give the child a comfortable life.

But she did not want her child to be born into the ruins of a broken marriage.

She did not want the child to become another tie between her and Matteo.

Just then, the ward door flew open. Matteo rushed in.

“Alicia!” He strode straight to her bedside. He was clearly worried. “How are you? How did you get into a car accident? Is it serious?”

His concern did not seem fake.

But Alicia only felt tired.

She could no longer tell whether he cared because he loved her or simply out of habit.

She looked at him and said nothing.

Matteo thought she was upset, so he said patiently, “My phone was on silent last night, so I didn’t hear it. I’m sorry, Alicia. This time it’s my fault.”

Every word sounded very proper. Every word felt rehearsed.

Alicia was just about to tell him she was pregnant when Matteo’s phone rang again.

He glanced at the screen, and his face stiffened for a second. Then, he lowered his voice and said, “I’ll step out for two minutes.”

He took the call at the far end of the hallway. His voice was quiet, with a clear note of reassurance.

The call lasted a long time.

Alicia did not wait. She did not mention the baby either.

For the next two days, Matteo did not show up.

He only appeared on the night she was discharged with a bouquet of white roses. It was as if nothing had happened. He even opened the car door for her.

“Let’s not go home yet,” he said. “There’s a private charity dinner tonight. It’s just our circle. It won’t be too noisy. I’ll stay with you for a while. You can get some fresh air.”

Alicia wanted to refuse, but in the end, she got into the car.

She wanted to see how smoothly he could shift between two very different versions of himself.

The event was held at a members-only club.

The guests were either heirs to major conglomerates or long-established figures with close ties to the Vitale family.

Matteo was attentive the whole time.

He kept unnecessary small talk away from her. He even had the waiter replace her wine with a fruit drink.

To others, they looked like a flawless, model couple.

Then, a sudden commotion broke out in the lounge area.

Alicia looked up and saw Sophia standing beside a real estate developer. Sophia’s face was pale, and there was a red mark around her wrist, as if he had just grabbed her.

The man had clearly had too much to drink. He insisted that he had mistaken her for someone else.

Matteo did not rush over or start a fight.

He stopped a few meters away. His expression was cold enough to make people uneasy.

Then, he lifted a hand. The bodyguards behind him quickly stepped forward and pulled the man out of the crowd.

The whole thing took less than ten seconds.

No one dared to step in. No one dared to speak.

Matteo walked up to the man. His clothes were still perfectly in place. He said calmly, “Take him to a private room and let him sober up. Inform his board as well. Starting tomorrow, the Vitale family will end all cooperation with them.”

The man’s face went pale. The alcohol seemed to leave him on the spot. He began to apologize repeatedly.

Matteo did not look at him anymore. He took off his suit jacket and placed it over Sophia’s shoulders. Then, he quietly told a waitress to take her to the lounge.

That single gesture made Alicia stop where she was. She did not even bother to move her lips.

It felt too familiar.

In the past, when she felt unwell after a court hearing, Matteo had draped his jacket over her shoulders in the same way.

When she was surrounded by the media, he had done the same. He pushed everyone aside first, then took her away.

Some gestures done for another woman to show care and affection were painfully obvious.

As if he noticed her gaze, Matteo walked back quickly. His tone was steady and controlled. “She is the younger sister of the former underboss. I can’t ignore it.”

Alicia chuckled. “You really are good at taking care of people.”

She did not say anything else. She turned and walked toward the terrace.

The evening wind blew in from above and chilled her to the bone.

Alicia had planned to be alone for a few minutes, but Sophia quickly followed.

At the far end of the terrace was a suspended glass walkway. Below them, the club’s courtyard stretched out. Lights glittered, and people moved like ants.

Normally, this spot was a favorite for guests to take photos. Today, it was just the two of them.

Sophia wrapped herself in Matteo’s jacket. Her smug face was hard to hide. “Alicia, you saw that clearly, right? When something happens, I’m the first person he protects.”

Alicia leaned on the railing without turning her head.

“Someone who sneaks into another person’s marriage by scheming and by taking advantage of situations shouldn’t act like the attention they get is some kind of honor.”

Sophia’s face turned cold. “You really think highly of yourself. Do you know why he married you back then? It was because you could handle the Vitale family’s dirty work. You’re useful, not special.”

“Is that so?”

Alicia glared at her coldly. “Then, why hasn’t he married you yet? Doesn’t he want to? Oh, right! He told me it was just for fun. Free things are always more exciting.”

Sophia’s face twisted at Alicia’s words. She reached out to grab her.

As they struggled, a sharp crack came from the far end of the walkway.

It sounded like a heavy object had hit the glass.

The next second, cracks spread across the transparent floor beneath them like a spiderweb. Alarms blared at the same time. The sound was so sharp it made their skin crawl.

Sophia went pale and held onto the railing with all her strength.

Alicia stepped back.

The walkway began to tilt. The support beams groaned under the weight, and metal scraped against metal. The sound filled the air with alarm.

Someone shouted from a distance, “Don’t move! The walkway is failing!”

But it was too late.

With a deafening crash, the front section of the walkway collapsed.

Alicia and Sophia were thrown downward. They did not fall straight into the courtyard. Hanging steel frames and safety nets caught them first.

Alicia slammed into something with impact. Her vision darkened for a moment. Her lower back and belly felt like they had been beaten with a hammer. Sophia screamed on the other side and trembled in fear.

They were separated by twisted, broken steel beams. Below them was a drop of several floors. One wrong move could send them falling again.

People quickly crowded around.

Rescue ropes were lowered from above. The staff shouted instructions as they checked the anchor points.

Matteo’s voice came from above. It was deeper than usual. “First, check which side is more stable.”

The lead rescuer looked up. “The steel frame is bent. We can only secure one side first. There’s not enough time. We have to pull one person up first, or the whole structure will collapse.”

For two seconds, the air felt completely still.

Alicia heard her own heartbeat. She also heard Sophia crying in panic. “Matteo! I’m scared! I can’t hold on anymore!”

Matteo stood at the edge of the break. His face was pale.

He looked at Alicia first.

For a moment, it seemed that he remembered that she was his wife. He said, “Pull Alicia up first.”

Alicia felt her heart flutter.

The next second, the rope on Sophia’s side slipped again. Her body dangled halfway in the air.

She screamed until her voice nearly gave out. “Save me! Matteo, save me!”

Matteo’s expression changed instantly. Almost instinctively, he shouted, “Save Sophia first! Now!”

That tiny, foolish hope she had just felt vanished in an instant.

Alicia closed her eyes. Her heart felt painfully empty.

Soon, Sophia was secured with a safety rope and pulled up. Chaos erupted above. Everyone surrounded her.

On Alicia’s side, the weight shifted again. The steel frame beneath her sank suddenly.

Someone shouted, “This side is going to break!”

Matteo finally turned his head. His voice shook for the first time. “Alicia, hold on!”

Before he could finish, the steel frame completely collapsed.

Alicia fell with half of the safety net onto the platform below.

The moment she hit the floor, her belly felt as if it had been ripped open. Warm liquid spread down her legs.

Before she fell unconscious, only one thought crossed her mind.

Her child would never even have the chance for its father to know it existed.