Chapter 4

Two black cars followed me from the Vescari estate.

One stayed behind me while the other forced me toward the edge of the rain-soaked road. I called Rafael, but he rejected the call.

A moment later, the car behind me struck my bumper.

The seat belt tightened across my stomach. My phone fell to the floor, and the baby kicked hard beneath my hand.

"Don't be afraid," I whispered. "Mommy will get you out."

The second car scraped against mine. At the next curve, my tires lost their grip. The car broke through the barrier and overturned.

When I briefly regained consciousness, my legs were trapped beside the crushed door. Blood soaked my dress, and something warm ran down my thighs.

"My baby…"

Then everything went dark.

At the hospital, the doctors discovered severe internal bleeding and placental abruption. My baby still had a heartbeat, but he was rapidly losing oxygen. I needed an emergency C-section.

I remained unconscious, so the hospital called Rafael as my emergency contact.

"Mr. Vescari, your wife has been in a serious accident. She is hemorrhaging, and the baby is in distress. We need you to come sign the surgical consent forms immediately."

Rafael was still at the estate with Sloane.

"Elodie walked out because I asked her to apologize. Now she is using the baby to frighten me into chasing after her. Tell her I'll come when she stops pretending."

He hung up.

The hospital called again, but he refused to answer.

When my baby's heartbeat began to fail, the doctors proceeded under emergency authority.

...

An hour later, Marco brought Rafael photographs of the crash. My car lay upside down beside the road, with blood covering the driver's seat.

Sloane glanced at the photographs and shook her head.

"Elodie knew you wouldn't follow her, so she staged something dramatic enough to frighten you. Using the baby to force you to come running is cruel even for her."

Rafael threw the photographs back at Marco.

"Did Elodie pay you to participate in this?"

Marco stiffened. "Don, the hospital confirmed the accident."

"Who do you answer to?"

"You."

"Then stop helping my wife perform for me. If you would rather take orders from Elodie, go make her your Don."

Rafael ordered Marco out. He was still threatening to punish me for using our child to manipulate him when the television behind Sloane interrupted with a breaking-news report.

A reporter stood beside the destroyed guardrail.

"A pregnant woman remains in critical condition after two black SUVs forced her vehicle off Westbridge Road earlier tonight. Witnesses reported that one vehicle repeatedly struck her car before it broke through the barrier. Police are investigating the crash as attempted murder."

The screen changed to footage from the scene.

Paramedics lifted a stretcher into an ambulance. One bloodless hand slipped from beneath the emergency blanket, and the diamond wedding ring on its finger caught the camera light.

Rafael stared at the hand on the screen as the ambulance doors closed. The color drained from his face.

He had designed that ring himself.