Chapter 2

I stared at Vincent, sobs ripping out of me.

"You monster! My father's in a coma because he saved you—and now you threaten me with his life?"

He waved me off like I was nothing. "As long as you take care of Lucy and the baby, I won't touch him."

Then he walked away, Lucy curled in his arms. "Lucy, thank you for giving me an heir. You'll be rewarded."

Blood kept spilling as I begged the guards in the hall to get me to a hospital. To save my babies.

That's when Vincent's mother—Maria—stormed in. One look at the ruined ballroom, at me drenched in blood, and her face went white.

"Get her to the hospital! If anything happens to my grandbabies, you'll all be sleeping with the fishes!"

They dragged me to the Family's private hospital—yet no doctor ever came.

Maria's rage shook the walls. She demanded to know where my medical team had gone.

The nurses stammered, trembling. "Madam Maria, Don ordered all the doctors to the beach villa. Ms. Benini cut herself trimming her nails, and he feared infection... so he sent everyone to standby. There are... no doctors here."

Maria's fury burst out. "Cazzo! Insane. Absolutely insane! The wife he once begged for on his knees is bleeding out with his children, and he sends every doctor away—for a mistress with a scratch?"

It took ten calls before Vincent picked up, his tone dripping annoyance.

"What? Is Avila throwing another tantrum?"

Maria's voice shook. "Avila's bleeding out! She's unconscious! The babies' heartbeats are weakening! And you pulled her doctors? Are you trying to kill your wife and children?"

Vincent let out a cold laugh. "Did Avila put you up to this? She already gave birth yesterday. Now she's pretending to be critical? Whatever. I'm in the middle of a newborn photo shoot with Lucy and our son. She wants a doctor? Fine. I'll send someone."

Maria slammed the call shut and gripped my hand tight. "Don't be scared, Avila. The doctors are on their way."

I clutched my stomach, feeling the lives inside me slipping.

In my last life, both my babies had died in my arms.

Shaking, I gripped Maria's hand. "Maria... three years ago, my father took a bullet for Vincent. He's been in a coma ever since.

"You promised you'd treat me like your own daughter—that if Vincent ever mistreated me, you'd help me leave him.

"Please, let me divorce him. I won't fight for the heir's title. I just want my babies safe."

Tears streaked down her face as she squeezed my hand. "I owed your father my life. At first, I only meant to make you my goddaughter.

"But Vincent—he chased you so desperately, begged you to marry him. He loved you so much. How did it come to this?

"It's that bitch Lucy's fault. If she hadn't slithered in, none of this would've happened."

I gave her a shattered smile. Right—how had the man who swore under Sicilian stars to love me forever, who vowed if he betrayed me he'd die riddled with bullets, turned into this?

Now, for another woman, he'd thrown me straight into hell.

"Please, Maria," I whispered, jaw tight.

She heard the desperation and finally nodded. "Fine. When you married him, I had him sign a divorce agreement—just in case. I've kept it all these years. I'll make it official.

"Tomorrow, I'll announce you as the sole heir to the Corleone estate. As for that ungrateful son of mine—I no longer recognize him."

Maria rushed off to handle it.

I lay on the hospital bed, pain tearing through my belly in waves. My screams echoed down the sterile halls.

Maria's assistant stood frozen at the door, eyes brimming, waiting for the doctor Vincent had promised.

At last, someone came.

Not a doctor. A delivery guy.

He stepped into the blood-soaked room, stunned, and handed over a bag. Out spilled a pack of sanitary pads and a Band-Aid.

"Don said it's just postpartum bleeding. Not fatal. Handle it yourself. Stop bothering him with this."

The assistant's eyes flared red as she slapped the bag away. "Mrs. Corleone, I'm getting you out of here. Another city. Please—hold on."

I screamed until the world went dark. Finally, I blacked out.