Chapter 4

The next day, I wheeled my suitcase to the front gate, only to find that the security scanner no longer recognized my fingerprint.

Nearby, servants stopped and whispered, pointing in my direction.

"The security system runs on the highest Family clearance. The new Donna just updated it and deleted all unauthorized prints..."

"So Mrs. Rizzo has been cast out of the Family?"

"She brought it on herself. If she hadn't crossed the Don, he never would have turned his back on her."

I took a deep breath and turned toward the secret passage, but Caterina appeared with a wine glass in hand.

She walked closer, step by step, and her gaze lingered on my midsection.

"Julia... is that a bump? Are you pregnant too?"

I ignored her and kept walking, but she went on without waiting for a reply.

"What a shame. Salvatore still had a shred of affection left for you, but you were too stupid and threw away your last card."

She flashed a victor's smile and rubbed her own belly.

"All you can do is watch my child be born as the heir to the Rizzo Family, while yours will spend its entire life as a bastard no one can acknowledge.

"When you think about it, your father died for nothing. He couldn't even keep you safe. Isn't that pathetic?"

My feet locked to the ground. I spun around, fury surging through me.

"You don't get to talk about him!"

But the instant the words left my mouth, her body swayed and she stumbled straight into my suitcase.

My father's belongings spilled across the ground with a crash.

And the wine in Caterina's hand splashed right onto his photograph.

"Aah! My stomach!"

Salvatore came charging out of the house.

He took one look at Caterina on the ground clutching her belly, and his gaze turned cold and sharp as it locked onto me.

"Julia, will you only be satisfied when you've killed Caterina?"

He pointed at my father's shattered photo album on the ground.

"Where's the dignity and honor your father taught you? Is this what he raised you for, to bully a defenseless pregnant woman? Disgusting!"

I clenched my jaw so hard I tasted blood, and summoned every ounce of willpower to stay calm.

"If I'm so despicable in your eyes, then step aside and let me leave."

Salvatore paused. His gaze drifted to my luggage, and he looked away with obvious irritation.

"That's not what I meant. Just stop making a scene..."

Bang!

A gunshot shattered the air, cutting him off.

Several hooded men emerged from the secret passage, blades glinting in their hands.

Remnants of the Santoro Family!

My pupils contracted. Instinct took over. I rolled across the ground and drew the gun from inside my jacket.

Salvatore scooped Caterina into his arms and bolted for the foyer.

The leader spotted me immediately and barked an order. They all closed in on me at once.

In that split second between life and death, Salvatore turned back.

"Julia, you're a better fighter than anyone here. You'll be fine. Hold them off for a bit. Caterina is pregnant. I have to get her out first!"

I could only watch as he locked the front gate behind him. I stood there, stunned for a moment, then laughed quietly.

Salvatore, have you forgotten?

In yesterday's gamble, I emptied every round in this gun. You knew that.

So by locking that gate, you've left me here to die.

A blade came swinging at me, slicing through the air.

I didn't dodge. Instead, I pivoted, and in the instant the blade nearly grazed my cheek, I drove my foot into his wrist with everything I had.

He screamed. His grip gave out, and the blade clattered heavily to the floor.

My eyes narrowed. I dove for the blade and brought it down hard.

Blood pooled outward. He hit the ground and didn't move again.

I seized the handle, wiped the blood from the blade with my fingertips, and turned a cold gaze on the rest of them.

"Come on. Let's see who walks out of here."

...

Ten minutes later, after settling the shaken Caterina, Salvatore rushed back to the estate with his men.

But when his men kicked open the front door, the sight before him turned him to stone.

Inside, the attackers lay sprawled in pools of blood, crimson gashes criss-crossing their bodies.

Not a soul in sight.

Salvatore's breathing went ragged. He tore through the bedroom, the storage room, then charged straight into the secret passage.

Nothing.

He walked slowly back to the living room and saw a single sheet of white paper on the dining table.

His pupils contracted. He reached out and picked it up.

It was a pregnancy report.

[Julia Rizzo. Test result: six weeks pregnant.]