Chapter 2

The next morning, I headed downstairs. I was halfway down the stairs when loud, blaring, and aggressive rock music assaulted my eardrums.

The intense sensory shock made my stomach cramp and my head spin.

I clutched my belly with one hand and the stairs' bannister with the other, screaming, "Turn that music off!"

The rest of the Famiglia members, who were dancing along to the music, merely curled their lips in disdain and paid me no heed.

Alfonso sat at the head of the table with a wineglass in his hand.

He sipped at the wine with an air of indifference, only ordering for the music to be stopped when he saw me slumping onto the stairs in pain.

"Stop the music."

The dining area went completely silent at once.

I clutched at my throbbing stomach, unable to stand up due to the extreme pain.

Alfonso just glared at me coldly and said indifferently, "I've already kicked Bianca out of the house as you wished, Debora. There is no need to keep harping on something as insignificant as this.

"It doesn't mean anything just because we're playing her favorite music at home. You are still the Donna of the Famiglia. You're still the mother of my heir. You should know better than to make a fuss like this."

I was covered in a sheen of cold sweat. I curled up on the steps to try and ease the discomfort in my stomach, looking like I was crying.

Alfonso probably still thought that I was merely kicking up a fuss like I used to in the past.

He probably thought that it was like when I lost control of my emotions and confronted him after finding a cheap cigar—a gift from Bianca—tucked among his prized collection.

Or, maybe he thought it was like when I found out he'd appointed Bianca to a position that the Famiglia had never allowed a woman to hold.

He only said, "Bianca is nothing like you. She's braver than you and worth making an exception for."

Later, I finally asked if he'd fallen in love with her.

He didn't deny it.

"I'll admit that I'm moved by her feelings for me. However, we never kissed, and we never slept together."

He then looked at me expectantly, as though he was convinced of his own candor.

"Debora, she was willing to take a bullet for me. Would you ever have done the same?"

At that moment, I suddenly didn't know how to go about salvaging our marriage anymore.

Yet, just on the verge of a breakdown, the Famiglia doctor told me that I was pregnant.

Upon hearing the news, Alfonso sat in silence all night before sending Bianca away to an outpost in another region.

I once believed that the birth of our child would be our chance for a fresh start between us.

So, I stopped arguing with him and stopped prying into his matters. I simply wanted to carry the baby to term safely and healthily.

But later on, I found out about the extra flight path Alfonso added to his private jet and caught Bianca's familiar scent on him.

I also realized that my prenatal checkups were always scheduled after Bianca's medical checks.

At that time, I understood with crystal clarity that he and I could never go back to how things used to be between us anymore.

"Al, my stomach hurts. Please call the Famiglia doctor for me," I said, trying to suppress the tremor in my voice from the pain so that I could still maintain the composure he demanded of me.

Alfonso frowned as he judged me with his gaze, scrutinizing me to see if I was feigning the pain just to escape his reprimand.

Soon, he got up and headed toward me.

Just as he was about to pick me up, his phone rang in his pocket.

His stern expression softened instantly, and he answered the call with a tenderness he probably never even knew he possessed.

"Wait, you're not feeling well? Let the medical team examine you first. I'll be right there."

Then, he strode toward the upper floors, where his private jet was parked on the rooftop.

Bianca had managed to lure him away with just a simple phone call like that.

He never even suspected her of anything nor asked any further questions.

Just as he was about to walk past me, I reached out and grabbed his pant leg to stop him.

Alfonso's face darkened at once. He glared coldly at me.

"Debora. I am going to save someone. This is not the time for you to throw a tantrum."

"No," I said, picking up the documents scattered beside me before handing them to him. My hands were still trembling hard. "I have a prenatal checkup today. I need you to sign this."

He paused at once, a rare flash of guilt crossing his eyes. He didn't say another word and quickly signed his name on every signature line.

Just before he left, he showed me a very rare moment of tenderness and said, "Wait for me to come back."