Chapter 5

Lucas pushed me away and got up to meet the woman at the door. Even his voice turned soft.

"Anna? What are you doing here? I told you I was just visiting a friend."

I raised my head through the pain and finally got a clear look at that familiar face.

Anna Rossi, the cherished princess of the Rossi family, one of the Romanos' most powerful rivals.

The Rossis controlled the southern waterfront and had enough influence to stand against the Romanos. Anna had the best education money could buy. She was also the only woman who had ever turned down Lucas.

Even after all these years away, she could still pull at his heart with no effort at all.

She gave me a small, graceful smile.

"Well, she's your old friend. And Ivy and I have met a few times. Of course I came."

I politely asked her to sit down. I didn't feel a thing.

Anna's eyes landed on the pile of baby things by the bed, and she covered her mouth in surprise.

"Oh no. I didn't bring anything for the baby. Next time, I promise."

Lucas jumped in right away. "I got all this. Don't worry about it."

The second it was out of his mouth, he quickly added, "Ivy asked me to. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered."

Mrs. Romano hurried to smooth it over too. "Lucas just likes helping people, dear. Don't read into it."

Anna gave Lucas a playfully annoyed look.

Instead of getting impatient, he lowered his voice to soothe her.

"Next time, we'll go shopping together. You've been so busy with the opera. I didn't want to bother you."

Watching the two of them, I suddenly remembered the day they first met.

I had gone along to Lucas's riding practice at the family estate. He said my riding was terrible and sent me to the lounge alone to get his jacket.

On the way past the lake, I saw a girl sitting by the water. The sunlight caught the ends of her hair, and she was singing softly.

Lucas took one look at her and lost his heart completely.

To win Anna over, he put aside all his pride as the Romano heir. He was patient. He sent gifts, asked her out, and even went to the Rossi estate himself, again and again.

But Anna never gave in. Later, she went overseas to study and never gave him another chance.

Now the little princess was finally back, and Lucas couldn't wait to settle down. He had even arranged the engagement this fast.

So it was true. When someone loves you enough, they really do change.

Too bad he had never done any of that for me.

A few days later, word that I was pregnant and in the hospital had spread through the city's powerful crime families.

Someone suggested a formal family dinner, with a perfectly respectable excuse.

Ivy was pregnant, and Lucas was getting engaged.

Two pieces of good news at once. Everyone should celebrate.

I knew they only wanted to watch the drama. Chloe was so mad she wanted to tell them off for me, but I stopped her.

"It's just dinner. It'll be nice to see everyone."

She didn't trust me to be okay. Right up until we entered the private banquet hall, past the guards checking every guest, she didn't leave my side for a second.

People we hadn't seen in ages gathered around to catch up, but their eyes kept drifting to me and Lucas.

Two friends who used to be inseparable. Now one was carrying someone else's baby, and the other was about to marry a woman from a family whose power rivaled his own.

It was more than enough to get people talking.

Lucas kept Anna by his side and doted on her the whole time, soaking up everyone's envious looks.

I sat off to the side eating fruit, not bothering with the curious stares.

When they couldn't get anything out of me, someone switched to talking about old friends who hadn't shown up.

"Oh, hey. That chubby guy's not here, right? Alexander? Didn't he confess to Ivy once?"

"Oh my God, yes! She turned him down, he bawled his eyes out, and like a week later he moved to New York."

"Ugh. Falling for Ivy? Weird taste."

Laughter rose all around.

I didn't say anything, but Lucas suddenly frowned.

"She's pregnant. You're really making fun of her? That's funny to you?"

"Besides, she's got her own life now..."

He didn't finish the rest of the sentence.

I gave him a little shrug to show it didn't bother me.

"It's fine. You've all been dying to know who my husband is, right? He'll be here any minute."

The banquet hall went quiet for a second. Then someone couldn't help laughing.

"Come on, Ivy. Don't tell me you hired some guy to play your husband."

The words had barely left his mouth when the door swung open.

The guards at the doors stepped aside for a tall man with a calm, steady presence. He walked through the crowd and came straight to me.

He leaned down and adjusted the shawl on my shoulders, his eyes full of tenderness.

"Sorry I'm late, sweetheart. "

Lucas shot to his feet, his face dark with disbelief.