FAZER LOGIN(Celeste Morettiâs POV) âBack off.â The voice came from behind me, sharp and controlled, carrying an authority that made the air itself feel heavier. Even I felt my shoulders loosen in response without meaning to. Vincenzo crossed the courtyard in four long strides, grabbed the man by the collar, and threw him onto the grass with a clean, efficient motion. He did not waste a word on him. He simply turned away as though the situation had already ceased to matter, then crouched in front of me instead. His gaze moved over my face, then lowered to my knees. Without hesitation, he slipped one arm beneath my legs and lifted me up. âI can walk,â I said, though my voice came out steadier than I expected, with only a faint tremor hiding underneath it. âYour knees disagree.â âTheyâre fine.â âCeleste.â He said my name once, quietly, and started walking before I could argue further. I stopped arguing. Back inside the apartment, Vincenzo set me down on the sofa and disappeared without
(Celeste Morettiâs POV)Vincenzo Conti.I let the idea sit in my mind for exactly one second before dismissing it completely.âLili,â I said, staring at Carmelita, âhave you actually lost your mind?ââWhat? Iâm just saying.ââYou are not just saying anything. You are suggesting that I develop feelings for the man who signs my paychecks and also happens to be my ex husbandâs uncle.â I placed my glass down carefully. âThat is not a joke. That is a catastrophe waiting to happen.âCarmelita at least had the decency to look a little embarrassed.âFine,â she muttered. âI was only throwing the idea out there.ââThrow it somewhere else.ââI heard you.â She lifted both hands in surrender. âI take it back.âI let the conversation drop, but the thought stayed in my head longer than I wanted it to.Not because Carmelitaâs logic made sense, though there was something darkly satisfying about imagining Stefano Conti forced to watch me become his aunt by marriage. No, the real reason was simpler. V
(Authorâs POV) Adelina received the call before she had even reached the parking garage. She arrived at the hospital within twenty minutes. âStefano.â She pushed through the curtain and stopped. He was sitting up in the bed, head wrapped in white gauze, face drained of color. âYou scared me half to death.â Stefano did not respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the wall across from him. Ethanâs words on the phone still lingered in his mind, refusing to fade. âIâm fine,â he said at last. âYou are not fine. You have a head wound andââ âItâs a concussion. Iâve had worse.â Adelina pulled a chair beside the bed and sat down heavily. Her hands trembled as she pressed them against her knees, trying to steady her breathing, but emotion broke through before she could contain it. âYou could have died,â she said. âDo you understand that? Your brother is already gone. If something had happened to youââ Her voice cracked. âI donât know what I would have done. I truly
(Celeste Morettiâs POV) Adelina went completely still for one second. Then her knees weakened and she lowered herself onto the edge of the chair behind her, her mouth slightly open, her face losing its composure all at once. âIt is gone?â she asked. âThe baby is already gone?â âYes,â I said. She looked at me as though I had spoken in a language she could not understand. Then something in her expression shifted, the shock hardening into anger, and she rose again, her voice breaking into something sharper as it filled the room. âYou killed it,â she said, pointing at me with a shaking hand. âYou murdered my grandchild. You did this deliberately. I know what you are. You calculated every move from the beginning and now you think you can just walk away.â She came toward me. I caught her wrist. One motion, controlled and firm, and I turned slightly before pushing her back, enough that she stumbled into the wall and steadied herself against the windowsill. Silence settled heavily in
(Stefano Contiâs POV) I called my lawyer at seven in the morning. By eight, he had tracked down the opposing counselâs contact through the court registry. Of course it was Sebastian Sterling. My lawyer made the call while I sat across from him, and I could hear Sebastianâs voice through the phone, unhurried, almost pleasant. âIf your client wants to proceed with the divorce, we go through court mediation. Marital assets get split fifty-fifty. Thatâs the starting point, not the ceiling. Once thatâs settled, we can talk about the rest.â My lawyer cleared his throat. âMr. Sterling, perhaps we can approach this with some flexibility. There is a child involved, a daughter, and my clientâs wife is currently pregnant. Surely that warrants a more measuredââ Sebastian cut him off, but his voice stayed calm. âCeleste Moretti asked me to pass something along. She is not hiding from your client. She simply has no reason to make herself available to him. As for the child she is carrying,
(Author's POV) The Matriarch of the Conti family leaned toward Vincenzo, her voice lowered to a near whisper. âAre these people descendants of that illegitimate branch?â Vincenzo gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. The Matriarchâs expression tightened, a flicker of confusion crossing her face. âBut Chiara was the one who brought them in.â Across the room, Chiara had already gone pale. Her lips parted as she rushed to explain. âI didnât know they were going toââ One look from Arturo stopped her immediately. The rest of her words died in her throat. She closed her mouth and looked away, her face burning with humiliation. Tiziana, you complete disaster. I am never answering your calls again. The tension in the room stretched thin, like something ready to snap at any moment. Then the banquet hall doors burst open. Stefanoâs household butler stumbled inside, flushed and breathless. It was obvious he had argued his way past security and rushed all the way in. He pushed thro







