Chapter 3

After the doctor left, Antonio moved me out of the holding cell. For the next few days, I recovered in the Gatti family's most luxurious medical suite. The best medical team came to treat me daily.

Before long, my wound healed. Between being sick and not seeing Antonio, I'd put off confronting him about the necklace day after day. Now that I was better, it was time to settle the score.

Since Antonio refused to talk, I'd have to get answers from Camilla instead. But to my surprise, I didn't have to track her down. She messaged me first, asking to meet at a cafe.

Perhaps because she was still recovering, Camilla still looked pale from her injury, but she wore a blissful smile.

The contempt in her eyes when she looked at me, though, was as familiar as ever. "Signora Gatti, you're finally here. I thought you might be too scared to show your face."

As she spoke, she pulled out a document from the limited-edition crocodile leather bag Antonio had bought her.

It was an ultrasound image. My eyes locked onto the small line of text at the bottom of the page.

"Eight weeks pregnant."

Camilla was pregnant, and she was already two months along.

Seeing me freeze, Camilla's smugness intensified. "Signora Gatti, I'll be honest with you. I'm carrying Antonio's child. According to our agreement, as long as I can carry this baby to term, half the Gatti family assets will be mine.

"You've been struggling so hard to divorce Antonio and get what you're owed. I'm getting it all without lifting a finger."

I snapped out of it and looked away from that painful report, letting out a cold laugh. "So, you don't really love Antonio at all, do you? You're no different from all his other women. You're just here for the money."

Having her deepest thoughts exposed seemed to strike a nerve. Camilla's smile vanished, replaced by anger. "So what if I am? We're both after money, but Antonio wants me. Not you.

"You don't even know what he says about you when we're alone, do you? He says you're too ambitious, always trying to prove yourself. You could just be a carefree rich wife, but instead you have to meddle in family business."

Her words hit me hard, bitterness washing over me in waves. All those times I'd handled family business to help him, and he thought I was just power-hungry, trying to climb higher.

As Camilla gestured, her collar shifted, and something caught my eye. A familiar necklace appeared, and my eyes widened.

It was the necklace I'd been desperately searching for. Mamma's necklace. And she was wearing it around her neck.

"How did you get that necklace? Give it back to me!"

Camilla seemed surprised that I'd ignored everything she'd said and focused on the necklace instead.

But she quickly recovered, her lips curling into an arrogant smile. "Does this necklace mean that much to you? Well, Antonio put it around my neck himself.

"He said I can't take it off without his permission. If you want it back, you'll have to beg him for it. Begging me won't help.

"Signora Gatti, you've been married to him for years, and I've only known him a few months. Yet here we are. He's giving me the things you want most. How pathetic."

My eyes went red. I couldn't take it anymore and reached out to snatch it from her.

In the struggle, the hot coffee on the table went flying. It spilled onto Camilla, splashing across her stomach.

She let out a shriek and shoved me away. "Signora Gatti, I invited you here in good faith to talk things out, and you're trying to hurt my baby!"

At that moment, the cafe door flew open with a violent kick. Antonio stormed in, fury written across his face. Luca and his bodyguards were close behind.

The cafe patrons scattered in fear. Antonio rushed to Camilla's side, pulling her into his arms. "Camilla, are you alright?"

The moment she saw Antonio, Camilla's vicious look vanished. Tears instantly streamed down her face.

"Antonio, I only wanted to make peace with Signora Gatti. I didn't want to put you in this position. But she threw hot coffee at me..."

I instinctively tried to defend myself. "It wasn't me. She..."

But Antonio cut me off before I could finish. "Martina, do you really think I'd believe you? How many times have I forgiven you? When will you learn?"