Chapter 4

I went the next two days without reaching out to Lorenzo, and he finally seemed to feel how unnaturally quiet things had gotten.

That evening when he came back, he passed me a blue gift box. "Alessia, è per te."

Awkwardness flashed across his face. It had been a long time since he'd swallowed his pride around me.

"Sofia was out of line at the party. I'm apologizing to you and Luna for her."

A diamond necklace lay inside the box, catching the chandelier light, flawless and chillingly perfect.

"Let me put it on you."

Lorenzo stepped closer, and the familiar scent of his cologne washed over me.

"Grazie."

I lowered my head and let him fasten it around my neck. I was about to leave. I couldn't afford to give myself away.

He seemed relieved. He had no idea I'd already seen this necklace two hours earlier on Eliana's social media. She'd uploaded a selfie with the same one around her neck.

I dropped my gaze, hiding how I was falling apart inside, then carried Luna past Lorenzo and toward the door.

His eyes swept over me, and he stopped short. "Where are you headed in an outfit like that?"

I'd put on a sharp suit instead of the soft, feminine dresses he preferred. "Di niente. I'm just taking Luna out to run a few errands."

"Ti porto io," Lorenzo said, a little too eager.

I grabbed my keys. "Va bene. I drive just as well as you do."

Besides, today wasn't just another errand run. I was getting new identities for Luna and me, and he could never find out.

…

Three hours later, when I stepped out of an unremarkable law firm, Lorenzo's car was waiting at the corner. He was leaning against the door, his brow drawn tight, eyes locked on me.

"Alessia, why did you bring Luna somewhere like this?"

I smiled and tried to sound like my usual self. "Di niente. Just handling some personal trust stuff. Aren't you busy today? I heard tomorrow is Sofia's birthday. You probably have a lot to get ready."

It was the first time I'd ever brought her up this directly.

Lorenzo's gaze turned cold. He studied me for a long second. "You're avoiding me. Does pushing your own husband away make you feel good? Since you don't want me here, I'll leave."

He slammed the door, the engine roared, and his car vanished into traffic.

I shook my head, utterly confused. I'd given him room to be with Sofia and Eliana. So what was he even angry about?

I didn't understand until Dario spelled it out.

"Donna Sabella, Don cleared his whole day for you and Luna today. Why did you send him away? Now he is drunk and back with Eliana and Sofia again."

I managed a bitter smile. "Let him."

After all, Luna and I would be gone for good in one more day.

…

I hadn't expected that the very next day at school, Sofia would round up a bunch of kids to gang up on Luna and call her an unwanted kid because of the heir assessment.

Luna couldn't swallow it. She argued with them, and by accident, it triggered the heart condition she'd believed was already cured.

She came early when I gave birth to her. Her body wasn't quite ready, and she was born with a heart condition.

Lorenzo searched the world for the best specialists and had a heart transplant done for her.

The surgery turned out to be successful, but the doctors repeatedly reminded us that she couldn't afford any violent emotional swings.

And now, Luna's heart condition flared up.

I rushed into one of the hospitals the Sabellas owned with her in my arms, half out of my mind. But I was told that Lorenzo had pulled all the top doctors and equipment an hour ago to treat Sofia's allergic reaction.

Seeing how pale Luna had become and how fast her oxygen levels were dropping, I called Lorenzo in a panic, begging him to save her. I could hear Eliana's frantic sobs on the other end of the line.

When Lorenzo finally spoke, his voice was stern with impatience. "Alessia, will you stop? Sofia's condition is critical. She could go into shock at any moment. Luna's heart issue was dealt with years ago. You can't let your jealousy get Sofia killed!"

I opened my mouth to explain, but the line went dead. A crushing despair swallowed me whole.

I thought Luna would be heartbroken, but instead, she stared at me from behind her oxygen mask, strangely calm.

"Mommy, Don doesn't want me anymore, does he?"

She gave me a weak smile and lifted her hand to wipe my tears away. "Don't cry, Mommy. I don't want him either."

In the end, it was Matteo who saved Luna's life, pulling in top specialists from another city despite the risk of exposing himself.

Lorenzo never contacted me after that, but I came across another story entirely on the family's internal network.

Everyone went on about Lorenzo's devotion. For his adopted sister's daughter, he didn't hesitate to throw his weight around and lock down the best medical resources in the city.

Eliana took the chance to send me another photo. It showed Lorenzo outside Sofia's hospital room, anxious, completely absorbed, and fiercely protective.

I studied the photo, then let out a bitter laugh. Any remaining love I had for him burned out. Since he wanted a family with them so badly, I would step aside and let him have it.

After Luna was discharged, I received all the documents for our new identities.

I wiped all of Lorenzo's contact info, set the signed divorce agreement on the nightstand, and boarded a plane with Luna.