Chapter 3

It didn't take long for Stefano's apology to arrive.

He said he wanted to take Niccolo and me to the mansion in the suburbs for a short getaway, that it was his way of making up for the way he had treated us lately.

I was ready to refuse, but Niccolo agreed before I could.

Ever since we returned from the banquet, Niccolo had stopped mentioning Stefano altogether. Instead, he quietly helped me pack our bags.

I knew what he was doing. He wanted to give Stefano one more chance. If nothing else, it would be a goodbye.

So I nodded and said nothing.

On the day we were leaving, Niccolo woke up early. Before the sun was even fully up, he was already pressed to the window, waiting for Stefano.

I could see how nervous he was.

When the black Bentley finally came into view, Niccolo grabbed my hand and ran out, only to see Camilla sitting in the front passenger seat.

Stefano was carefully supporting her pregnant belly.

The light in Niccolo's eyes faded instantly. He let go of my hand and climbed into the back seat, settling quietly into the corner.

Stefano's voice carried a trace of guilt as he explained it away, "She's pregnant and can't be alone right now. If she comes with us, it'll be easier to look after her."

I watched the way he shielded Camilla and let out a cold, humorless laugh.

This was his idea of making it up to us—bring the woman he truly meant to honor, and let Niccolo and me follow along.

The car made its way up the mountain road. The path wound tightly along the slope, rock rising sharply on one side and open air beyond the guardrail on the other.

Halfway up, the car jolted violently. The engine let out a grinding roar, and the steering wheel slipped out of control.

The car spun toward the guardrail, crashed through it with a sharp crack, and plunged down the steep incline.

In the instant the world flipped upside down, I wrapped my arms tightly around Niccolo, my back slamming hard against the interior.

Pain exploded through me, as if something inside had shattered. Glass sliced across my arm and cheek, and warm blood ran down my skin.

The car rolled twice before finally coming to a stop. The air reeked of gasoline, and twisted metal groaned around us.

Niccolo's forehead was cut, blood streaming down his face. Meanwhile, my entire body was throbbing in pain. My vision blurred at the edges, and a loud ringing filled my ears.

I gathered the last bit of my strength and shoved the warped door open, stumbling out and onto the ground with Niccolo in my arms.

When I turned to look for help, I saw Camilla in Stefano's arms. She had nothing more than a scrape.

"Daddy, help Mommy! She's bleeding so much!" Niccolo cried.

Stefano was just about to come to us when Camilla screamed and clutched her stomach, saying it hurt.

His gaze swept toward us, hesitation flashing across his face. In the end, he turned away.

He lifted Camilla into his arms and said, his voice tight, "She's pregnant. I can't risk anything happening to the baby. I'll get her to the hospital first and come back for you."

With that, he left without looking back.

As my consciousness began to fade, I saw Camilla resting against his shoulder, her lips curving into a mocking smile as she looked at me.

At that moment, whatever relationship had once existed between Stefano and me fell apart completely.

Then, everything went dark.

…

When I opened my eyes again, Stefano was sitting beside the hospital bed. His eyes were bloodshot, like he hadn't slept all night.

Relief flickered across his face when he saw that I was awake, but his expression quickly turned cold.

I didn't understand why, but the first thing I asked about was Niccolo. Upon realizing he was fine, I finally felt a sense of relief wash over me.

All of a sudden, Stefano tightened his grip around my wrist, a jolt of pain radiating up my arm.

His face was grim as he spoke in an interrogating tone. "The rescue team says the car was tampered with. We found the person responsible, and he claims you were the one who told him to do it.

"Alessandra, I told you that once the wedding ceremony was over and once she had the baby, I'd come back to you and Niccolo. Why couldn't you just wait?"

I stared at him in disbelief and yelled, "I didn't do that! Someone framed me. After all these years together, do you honestly think I'm capable of something like that?"

His expression twisted with pain. He looked at me as if I were a misbehaving child.

Then, he let out a long breath and pulled me into his arms. "It doesn't matter anymore. I've arranged a cruise for you and Niccolo. You're leaving tonight. When you come back, I swear everything will be over."

My heart sank.

He had already decided I was the culprit—a traitor and a criminal who would harm a pregnant woman and the unborn child in her belly.

If he had already made up his mind, there was nothing left to explain.

I turned away and didn't look at him again.

That evening, several men escorted Niccolo and me to the entrance of the dock. A small, plain bag was tossed at our feet.

One of Stefano's men sneered. "Once you leave, don't come back. You're not welcome in the Calderone family!"

I held Niccolo back when he tried to fight back. Without another word, I bent down, picked up the bag, and limped toward the cruise ship.

When the men behind us had withdrawn, I turned and walked toward another vessel.

Several men in black suits quickly approached and bowed respectfully. "Principessa, Don Accardo sent us to escort you and Mr. Niccolo home."

…

The ship pulled away from the dock, the city growing smaller behind us.

Niccolo leaned against me and asked softly, "Mommy, are we not coming back anymore?"

I stroked his hair and answered just as softly, "No. We're going home. We're never coming back."

The ship headed toward Sirelia. The sea breeze brushed against my face, sweeping away the despair that I had been carrying for the past five years.

At that moment, back in the city, the Calderone family's wedding ceremony was unfolding in full splendor.

Stefano stood beside Camilla, holding her hand as they accepted everyone's blessings.

But just as the celebration reached its peak, one of his men stumbled in, his face drained of color.

"Don Calderone, the ship Donna Calderone and Mr. Niccolo were on has exploded! It blew up shortly after entering international waters. There were… no survivors."