Chapter 3

I closed my eyes and gently placed my hand over my abdomen.

The child had been Carlo’s.

I once believed that if I had his child, he would look at me and love me a little more.

I still remembered the day I found out I was pregnant. I had cried from joy.

I called Carlo immediately.

He was busy and replied impatiently, “I know. Don’t bother me.”

I thought he was just overwhelmed with work.

Now, I finally understood that he never cared at all.

When I was later wheeled out of the hospital room in a wheelchair, I learned it was the church priest who sent me here.

Carlo, meanwhile, only sent me a single message.

Carlo: [Sophia was frightened by the gunfire and fainted. I took her to Long Island to rest.]

He and Michael had applied for a private family jet overnight to escort Sophia back to Long Island.

He did not care at all whether I was injured or not.

The suffocating despair in my chest had turned into a dull, constant pain that made even breathing hurt.

The surgery was scheduled for three hours from now.

During that brief window, I finalized the notice of broken engagement with my lawyer friend.

As I exited the chat, I saw something in the family group chat that made my blood run cold.

My father, Michael, and Carlo were all taking turns to send Sophia money.

Today was Sophia’s birthday, and they all remembered it.

My father sent $50,000 and left a message: [Happy birthday, my darling Sophia!]

Michael sent $100,000 and left a message: [My dearest sister, may you always be happy!]

Carlo sent a screenshot of a $500,000 transfer. [No matter what happens in the future, I will only ever love Sophia.]

None of them had remembered my birthday.

I wanted to laugh, but I could not.

I read it all quietly, then left the group chat.

The next second, Carlo called. His tone was mocking.

“Elena, what kind of tantrum are you throwing now?

“Are you just jealous that we’re good to Sophia?

“In high school, you accused her and her mother of killing your mom, but what really happened?

“Your father already told me the truth. Your mother was mentally ill. It was suicide.”

His voice was filled with contempt.

“I’ve also had people investigate it. Sophia’s mother never abused you.

“Michael said you tricked him into going to an abandoned factory and caused him to hit his head and lose his memory.

“It was Sophia who took care of him for a month afterward.”

It was as though Carlo had finally found a place to unleash all his anger. He snapped, “Honestly, I never wanted to marry you in the first place. If you hadn’t clung to me and deliberately gotten pregnant to trap me, I would’ve broken up with you long ago.”

I listened in silence the entire time.

Then, a mechanical female voice suddenly interrupted.

“Miss Elena Rossi, please proceed to the operating room entrance.”

Carlo’s breathing suddenly quickened.

“You’re having surgery? What happened? Are you hurt? Is the baby in danger?”

I was about to speak when Sophia’s soft laughter came through the phone.

“Carlo, you’re so silly. Elena cares so much about you and the baby. How could she ever let go?”

Carlo’s tone instantly went cold again when he heard that.

“That’s true. Elena, you really disappoint me.

“I didn’t think you’d become this vicious.

“Using a child as a threat just to marry me?

“I’m telling you, I won’t fall for that. If you keep this up, don’t expect to marry me.”

He waited smugly for me to break down, to cry, to beg.

Instead, I fell silent for a few seconds. Then, I let out a soft sigh of relief.

“Okay.”

I hung up. Then, I turned around and walked into the operating room.

The moment the surgical light turned on, I felt something being taken away from my body.

It was not just about the child.

It was also the last trace of feelings I had left for Carlo.

By the time I returned to Long Island after the procedure, Carlo still had not called.

He probably thought I was just throwing a tantrum.

He continued posting on social media.

He took Sophia dress shopping, arranged their engagement photos, and helped her pick out jewelry.

I ignored all of it.

Instead, I opened the letter my mother had left me.

I had read it countless times, and every time, it broke my heart a little more.

At the very end, in her trembling handwriting, she wrote: [If one day you can no longer survive in New York, go to Don Lanza.]

[He will take care of everything for you.]

Marco Lanza was the Don of the Lanza family in Sicily.

My mother had once saved his life when she was young. After she married my father, she left Italy behind completely.

However, Don Lanza never forgot that debt.

I dialed a number I had saved for over ten years but never once dared to call.

It rang twice before it was picked up.

An old, deep voice came through, with a heavy Sicilian accent.

“Who is this?”

“It’s Elena Rossi. Maria’s daughter.”

There was a long silence on the other end.

Then, he said something that made my eyes turn red instantly.

“It seems you’ve been wronged, my child.

“Come to me. No one will hurt you here. I will always be your safety net.”

Three days later, I boarded a flight to Palermo.

Before I boarded the plane, I blocked Carlo’s and Michael’s contacts, then I removed my SIM card, broke it, and threw it away.

From this moment onward, I had nothing to do with them anymore.