He Chose His Adopted Sister, I Married His Enemy

Isabella's POV:

Luca pressed his gun into my hand and held the cold muzzle against his own heart.

"Take it, Isabella.

"I swear on my life, Sofia's baby has nothing to do with me.

"But as her adoptive brother, I have to shoulder this for her."

My fingers trembled. The chill of the metal seemed to seep under my nails.

"Luca, are you insane? I'm three months pregnant too, and you're going to divorce me to cover for Sofia?"

Luca looked me straight in the eye. "Sweetheart, this is the best solution I can think of.

"If my parents find out she's carrying the child of a rival family's heir, she'll be dealt with as a traitor."

I angrily pulled away from him. "And me? How are you going to explain our marriage to everyone?"

Luca took me by the shoulders and rested his forehead against mine. The gun he'd used to prove his loyalty was now pressed against my neck, right over my pulse.

"That's why we have to divorce. Just temporarily," Luca said. "I'll handle everything. No one would go after my ex-wife."

My eyes burned. "Funny, Luca. It sure looks like you're using that gun to make me agree."

Luca stiffened and immediately holstered his gun. "No, Isabella. That's not what I meant. I'd never force you into anything. I thought you'd understand why I have to do this."

Just then, Sofia burst into the room, her eyes brimming with tears. "Luca, please don't. I can't let Isabella pay the price for my mistakes. I'll face the consequences myself, even if that man was only using me—"

"Shut up, Sofia," Luca snapped, cutting her off. "There's no way I'm going to stand by and watch you go to hell."

He turned to me, and his voice softened again. "Isabella, Sofia's parents saved my life. I have to do this. I'm asking you to put up with it, just for a little while."

Tears ran down my face, one hand on my belly.

"So what do you want me to do?"

Luca took a photo from his pocket and held it out to me.

The man in the photo was a stranger, his chest covered in blood. He looked dead.

"He was a spy the Costa family planted in our ranks. He was riddled with bullets and dumped into the sea."

I stared at the photo, my stomach churning, but I understood at once what he had in mind.

"So this is the lover you picked out for me?"

Luca stroked my neck and kissed me softly.

"Isa, I'll arrange for you to stay at a secluded estate in Sicily. You can have the baby there, away from all this. As far as everyone else is concerned, you ran off with him after our divorce."

Sofia stepped forward and took my hand. "Isabella, I'm so sorry you're being dragged into this because of me.

"Once this all blows over, I promise I'll give Luca back to you.

"I'll personally arrange an even grander wedding for you two and clear your name in front of everyone. You're still the woman he loves most. That's never going to change."

I didn't say anything more, because I knew Luca.

By the time Luca told you what he'd decided, his mind was already made up.

No one could ever change his mind.