Chapter 4

Rebecca's POV

Niccolo sounded surprised. "You don't? Aren't you upset?"

I smiled. "You make a good point. This will help build the child's confidence. It really is what's best for him."

He sighed in relief. "I'm glad you understand. We'll still have our wedding together, just as planned. As far as outsiders are concerned, you're the only woman who'll ever be the Donna. It doesn't matter whose name is on the marriage certificate."

I finally made it home and settled comfortably onto the couch, listening as he continued.

"And one more thing. Jacopo says he wants to be my only child. I've thought about it, and honestly, that might be for the best. It'll save us from inheritance disputes down the road, and you won't have to go through the pain of childbirth.

"From now on, just treat Jacopo as your own son. He's a smart kid. We'll leave our empire to him, and I'm sure he'll double its value one day."

I gave a scornful smile, though unfortunately, he couldn't see it.

More than half of the Invernizzi family's empire had been built on my efforts. The second I walked away, their business would be cut in half overnight.

I wondered if Niccolo would still be talking like this when that happened.

Still, I pretended to be the understanding, sensible woman he wanted me to be.

"Sure."

He paused, a hint of unease creeping into his voice. "Why are you being so agreeable all of a sudden?"

I smiled. "We're about to be husband and wife. What's the point of fighting over these little things?"

His tone softened again. "I'm glad you see it that way. After all, you'll have me soon enough. You really should be satisfied.

"I really love you, Rebecca. As long as you keep being this understanding, I promise I won't let Margherita and Jacopo interfere with our life together."

The moment he finished speaking, I heard Jacopo crying faintly on the other end of the line, calling for his Papa. Niccolo's voice grew hurried. "Jacopo's looking for me. Get some rest, okay?"

Before I could say another word, he hung up.

I took a nice, long shower at home, then stretched out on my bed to relax. That was when two messages from Margherita came in.

"You pathetic idiot. You're neither getting a marriage certificate nor a child, and you still think he's going to marry you? He just wants you to do the dirty work and help us raise our kid!"

"But hey, it's fine. Since you're practically begging to do it, why turn down free labor? This is your only chance to get close to the Don. You'd better cherish it."

I took screenshots of the messages and saved them, then ignored her. For the next three days, with none of them bothering me, I finally enjoyed some peace and quiet.

Early on the third morning, Nathan sent someone to pick me up.

We were the first couple to get our marriage certificate that day. After we came out of the city hall, he went to get the car while I waited outside.

Just then, a red sedan pulled up in front of me. Niccolo and Margherita stepped out.

The moment he spotted me, his expression shifted. "Rebecca, what happened to our agreement? What the hell are you doing here?"

She stepped forward, deliberately raising her voice so everyone nearby could hear. "How shameless can you be to follow us here when we're about to get married?"

By then, a crowd had gathered around us. People turned to stare, whispering and pointing.

I had no intention of getting dragged into another scene with them, so I simply said, "I'm not here for either of you."

I tried to walk away, but Margherita grabbed me.

"Quit the act! You're standing right here, so don't deny it! I let you off the hook for what you did to my son, but if you try to come after my husband again, you'd better be ready to face the consequences.

"Leave! Stop ruining our special day!"

Niccolo's face was ice-cold. "Rebecca, you're making a fool of yourself today. Just leave. I don't want you humiliating yourself any further."

At that moment, a deep, commanding voice rang out from the roadside, cutting through the crowd. "How exactly is my wife humiliating herself?"