Chapter 3

I thought of the obligation clause in our contract. "During the marriage, both parties shall fulfill marital duties."

The divorce proceedings would take time to finalize, and the contract hadn't fully expired yet. With that in mind, I nodded slowly. "Va bene."

That night felt endless. Tommaso was more intense than usual. I simply endured it quietly, my mind occupied with tomorrow's schedule.

The next morning, Tommaso had already left to handle family business. Apparently, there was trouble at the docks. A shipment needed his personal inspection.

I sat alone at the dining table. An elaborate breakfast was laid out before me, but I had no appetite.

I'd just taken a sip of coffee when my stomach suddenly churned violently. A wave of nausea surged up my throat. I hastily set down the coffee cup and rushed to the powder room, leaning over the sink as I dry heaved.

The marble counter was ice cold. I gripped the edge tightly, my knuckles turning white.

"Are you pregnant?" Gelsomina's voice came from the doorway. I turned to see her dark expression.

She was wearing clothes Tommaso had bought her. Her hair hung loose and messy, and her eyes burned with unrestrained fury.

"No." I wiped the corner of my mouth, struggling to stay composed.

"It's just an upset stomach."

"Liar!" Gelsomina suddenly shrieked, completely losing control. "I will never allow you to carry Tommaso's heir! Never!"

Her voice echoed off the marble walls, sharp as nails scraping across glass. I tried to walk past her, but she blocked my path.

"Move, Gelsomina." My voice was calm, but inside, I was already on alert.

"No!" She rushed to the doorway and shouted down the hall. "Someone! Hold her down!"

Two family enforcers hesitantly approached—Elio Benedetti and Salvatore Conti, both veterans who'd served the Volpe family for years.

They looked at me with conflicted expressions, not daring to actually lay hands on me. After all, I was the daughter of the Gallo family. Even in an arranged marriage, I wasn't someone they could casually assault.

"Ms. Volpe, this..." Elio tried to dissuade her.

"Shut up!" Gelsomina stormed toward Tommaso's study like a madwoman. "Useless, all of you!"

A few minutes later, she returned with a small bottle. The bottle contained a clear liquid that looked harmless, but I knew what it was.

"Gelsomina, calm down." I took a step back, my voice still even.

"I'm not pregnant. I can go to the hospital for a test."

"I don't believe you!" She lunged at me with surprising strength.

"You bitch! You want to trap Tommaso with a baby!"

She forced my jaw open, her nails digging deep into my skin. I tried to struggle, but she'd already poured the liquid down my throat.

Searing pain instantly consumed my entire body. It felt like countless knives were scraping my stomach from the inside. My stomach and esophagus burned like fire, and every breath was torture.

I curled up on the floor in agony, cold sweat soaking through my clothes.

"Signora!" A maid rushed over to help me, but it was already too late. My vision began to blur, and my consciousness faded.

Before I lost consciousness, all I heard was Gelsomina's deranged laughter and the wail of ambulance sirens.

When I woke again, I was lying in the family's private hospital. I stared at the white ceiling, breathing in antiseptic while machines beeped steadily around me.

Tommaso sat beside the bed, his face pale as paper. His eyes were filled with guilt and fear. His hand gripped mine tightly, and his palm was slick with sweat.

"Mi dispiace, Alessia." His voice was hoarse. "I didn't know she would... I thought she was just jealous. I never imagined she'd do something like this."

The family doctor, Giuseppe Mancini, approached with a grave expression.

"Don Volpe, was the Signora attacked by an enemy? How could someone use Veritas? That's one of the most caustic substances there is." He shook his head helplessly, his voice tinged with reproach.

"If we'd been any later, the Signora's stomach and esophagus would have been permanently scarred. We managed to save her life, but she'll need at least a month to fully recover."