Chapter 1

"Ms. Bellandi, your fever won't go down. It could cause a miscarriage." Lorenzo Abbiati, the private doctor traveling with us, looked serious as he searched his medical bag for fever medicine.

The temporary medical station at the dock was packed with Soldati from the Venturi family.

Arturo Venturi pushed through the crowd, calling my name again and again.

I turned away without saying a word.

An unknown number appeared on my phone.

It was Arturo's voice. "Rachele, where are you?"

I hung up right away.

Lorenzo looked at me. "Was that the Don? Should I call him over?"

I stared at my bare ring finger. "That's not necessary."

The diamond ring that marked me as Arturo's future wife had cut my finger during the escape, so I took it off and hid it in my coat pocket.

Arturo called again, and I still didn't answer.

Elena Donati was the first to find me.

She wore Arturo's suit jacket and carried the life jacket she had just taken off.

Elena was bundled up from head to toe and didn't feel the cold at all.

She said, "Rachele, Don Venturi couldn't find you, and he's worried sick. Why aren't you answering his calls?"

When she saw me covered in cold sweat, she reached out to touch me.

When I pulled away, Lorenzo frowned and stopped her. "The patient is still being monitored. Please step back."

Elena bit her lip, looking hurt. "I'm sorry. I was just worried about Rachele."

As soon as she finished speaking, Arturo pushed through the crowd and pulled me tightly into his arms.

"Why did you run off? I've been looking for you for an hour!"

My voice was weak. "I didn't run off. I was getting treated. Elena is the one you should be worried about, isn't she?"

Arturo pushed me away and sighed. "She was terrified. I had to make sure she got safely to the medical team. Rachele, don't be unreasonable."

Elena hid behind him. "It's all my fault. Please don't fight because of me. I'll give the life jacket back to Rachele right now."

As she held out the life jacket, she swayed on her feet.

Arturo rushed to help her up, then turned to confront me. "Elena is young and can't swim. Are you really going to let her drown over a life jacket?"

Lorenzo held up the thermometer, his face grim. "Don Venturi, Ms. Bellandi is in critical condition. She is severely hypothermic, and her fever is almost 104 degrees Farenheit. She's in serious danger."

Arturo's eyes widened as he looked at my pale face. "How did you get sick?"

I smiled bitterly. "After spending that long in the sea, how could I not have a fever?"

His eyes were filled with guilt as he held my freezing hands in his.

He took the hot water bottle from Lorenzo and used it to warm me.

Only then did I notice that his arm had also been cut by shrapnel during the yacht attack. His clothes were stained with blood.

But Arturo didn't care about his injury. He was only concerned about me.

As I watched his focused expression, a small flicker of hope rose in my heart.

Maybe he had only chosen Elena because she was closer to him on the yacht.

Perhaps when he snatched the life jacket, he had planned to come back for me.

After a while, Arturo held out his arms to me. "I'll carry you. We're going to the hospital."

Suddenly, Elena's phone rang.

When she answered, her face turned deathly pale. "Don Venturi, Mrs. Venturi Sr. had a heart attack when she heard what happened on the yacht. She specifically asked me to come with you and get you home right away."

Arturo stopped and frowned. "Rachele, I'll have my Underboss take you to the hospital. Madre can't handle another shock. I'll take Elena home to calm her down, then I'll stay with you in the hospital later."

I looked into his eyes. "You just said you'd carry me there."

There was a hint of impatience in his voice. "Rachele, I'm not abandoning you. This is just more urgent."

Elena took his uninjured arm and tried to reassure him. "Don Venturi, don't worry. Rachele is very understanding. She won't make things difficult for you."

I said nothing more.

My fever kept getting worse, and I was too weak to walk.

The Underboss brought over a wheelchair, and Arturo lifted me into it.

He gently stroked my hair and ordered the Underboss to get me the best room in the hospital.

After that brief moment of warmth, he left with Elena.

Outside the dock, a huge crowd had gathered.

A reporter broke through the security cordon, raising his camera and aiming it at them.

"Don Venturi! We heard you're planning a lavish wedding. Will this attack affect the wedding plans?"

Before Arturo could answer, the suit jacket over Elena's shoulders slipped down, revealing the watch on her wrist that belonged to Arturo.

It was one of a matching pair of watches I had custom-made for Arturo and me.

The reporter shoved the camera right in Elena's face. "Oh, my God! You're Don Venturi's fiancee, aren't you?"

The crowd erupted, and everyone raised their cameras to take pictures.

Arturo pulled Elena into his arms and raised a hand to shield her from the camera flashes.

He didn't deny it.