Chapter 003

“Congratulations Mrs. Carter, you are pregnant”

Louisa almost choked on her saliva the moment those words filtered into her ears.

“I– – I am?” She found herself stuttering with a voice barely audible.

“Of course! This is great news for Mr.Alessandro” her heart skipped on hearing his name “I’ve sent words out to him. You are four weeks into” the Doctor's cheerful voice came from the other end of the line.

Her heart rammed into her ribcage as the words registered in her brain. Was she supposed to be happy? How was she meant to react to this news? This was all new to her and the weight of it pulled her to slump into the bed.

“We’ll get back to you on when to schedule your first appointment.”

The line disconnected.

Louisa subconsciously touched her stomach. Still flat but now carrying a life in it. She was neither happy nor sad. Just, uncertainty and anxiety.

Pulling herself up from the couch she walked over to where the roses sat by the window in a vase. Her fingers glided over it, feeling the soft petals against her skin.

A smile slowly formed on her lips.

She hadn't noticed this yet. For some reason, the mere sight of the flowers gave her heart the warmth it needed in that cold place that didn't feel like home.

“Who’s that from?” Colin had simply asked a few weeks ago when she had brought it home with eyes full of suspicions.

“It's from the hospital.” she had simply lied, not regretting it even for a second. He hadn't probed further and she was glad.

Louisa’s eyes caught her reflection in the glass window and her hand slowly flew to her lips where the smile that was on it just a second ago had disappeared.

No, she wasn't thinking about this man and she wasn’t just smiling because of him! It was the effect of the flowers, yes it had to be the flowers, not the sender.

She nodded her head in agreement as she hastily moved away and back to the bed while trying to fight off the conflicting emotions that were beginning to swell up in her chest.

The door immediately creaked open, startling her. Colin strolled in looking disheveled and reeking of alcohol. He paused on his track on seeing her there, watching him with scrutinizing eyes.

As they both stared at each other, a feeling of unease washed over her. Perhaps she should spill the news now, she didn't need to hide it a minute too long from him, this was all his idea anyway.

“Colin, I—”

Before the next words were out of her lips, he surged forward to where she was, grabbed her face into his palms, and crashed his lips on hers, his alcohol-reeking breath infiltrating into her nostrils.

Her stomach twisted into dread as a sickening feeling washed over her.

He kissed her forcefully and it took all the strength she could muster to pull his hands away from her face.

“What was that for?!” she queried with a horrid look plastered on her face as they both breathed heavily.

“I'm beginning to have doubts about the surrogacy–”

What? Her breath hitched as he said that.

“I can't lose you, Louisa, it seems that's what’s happening already, seeing that he now sends you flowers” He gestured at the rose through clenched teeth.

Her heart sank. He knew all along! She scoffed inwardly and fell into the bed.

“Let's back out of this, we'll think of something else—”

“Are you being serious right now? I'm pregnant! It's been confirmed today!” she blurted.

“Let's abort it, Louisa! I’ll find someone else you can be a surrogate for but not Alessandro, that man is dangerous and a devil!”

WHACK!

She was out of the bed as her hands flew fast across his face. She slapped him. With all the anger now riled up in her. Her eyes almost popped out of its socket while glaring at him in disbelief.

“Maybe you are the dangerous one here! You are the devil himself!”

She smacked his chest. Her blood boiling.

“You brought up this whole thing, I tried to talk you out of it and you never listened! Why are you suddenly backing out?!” she cried out.

“I'm not a pushover Colin! How can you say I abort this baby and go for another? Do you think I have a spare life somewhere? You don't even have a heart!”

“I'm sorry baby–” He held her elbows in a fit to coax her.

“Don't! I don't want to hear any of it! We are already deep into this, there's no backing out now” she spat into his face and stormed out of the house.

The night slowly drifted into the morning.

Louisa, still in bed, felt rays of light hit her eyelids which blinked in response. She moaned into the sheets and turned away from the light while murmuring inaudibly under her breath.

A few minutes passed and her eyes finally fluttered open. The first thing she sighted was the silver lamp on the table by the bed. That didn’t look familiar, where had it come from? She thought, jolting up from the bed.

She looked around and her body froze for a few seconds. Her eyes quickly fell on her body, she wasn't in her clothes. She was in a silk night dress. Fear began to creep into her heart. Where was this place?

Her gaze fell on the queen-size bed she laid on and then silky and soft sheets covering her waist down to her legs. The floor-to-ceiling window that radiated sunlight into the room, the huge frame resting on the wall just opposite the room, the small but elegant chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the vanity table—

This wasn't the mini bedroom she shared with Colin, how had she gotten here? What happened last night? She held her head in a bid to remember.

She was out in the park–

The double door pushed open, interrupting her thoughts. An elderly-looking woman in a white and black uniform walked in. Rigid face, no smiles.

“You are awake!” The housekeeper exclaimed with a heavy Italian accent.

“Who are you?”

“I'm Teresa, the head maid” The woman introduced.

“Signore wants you in his study as soon as you are dressed up,” she added.

“Who?”

“Signore Alessandro.”

Louisa’s heart stopped beating at that moment. She was at the De Luca Estate? Her palms suddenly turned sweaty.

An hour later, as she was led through the stairways of the magnificent mansion, she gazed at the opulence of the interior. She felt out of place and inferior walking across the marble carpets on the floor. The whole place was a sight for eye sore. The mansion was functional.

As they walked through the hallway, the maids went about their duties without sparing her even a curious glance.

Approaching the study, Teresa ushered her in and slipped away before she could ask questions.

Louisa stood there, unable to move. Hands trembling slightly. She could hear her heartbeat thump loudly.

The study was magnificent! Dark even. There were barely any lights. How was he able to see in here?

“Why do you just stand there, dolcezza? I've been waiting for you.”

His voice! Gruff and deep, cut through the silence and the lights flickered on, adding a golden glow to the cold atmosphere.

Their eyes met and they held. The tension in the air thickened.

He sipped the last drop of the whiskey in hand and dropped the glass down, eliciting a soft clink.

Then he began approaching her with slow and calculative steps. His eyes, not leaving hers.

She remained glued to her feet, watching his every step draw closer to her.

Alessandro closed the gap between them.

His musk cologne filled her nostrils and with the proximity between them, she could feel his body heat. Cold shivers instantly ran through her. Her eyes caught the tattoo on his chest which was a bit exposed from his unbuttoned shirt. Her gaze stayed on it too long and when he caught her staring she threw her eyes away, her nerves now a mess.

Alessandro’s muscles tensed. Not in anger. In restraint.

She was finally here—in his home. Merely standing so close to her intoxicated him, he was barely controlling himself.

He didn't know what to name this yet, but whatever it was, he detested it and didn't fancy it. It was all an aftermath of their little brief encounter.

“You are trembling, do I scare you?” He asked, voice now dipped low and hoarse.

He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ears, his eyes flickering to her lips, lingering a second too long.

She opened her mouth to speak when a slight knock on the door cut through the tension. A man in a black suit came into view with a briefcase.

Alessandro creased his forehead in irritation at the disruption and then he moved away from her.

Breathe Louisa! Breathe!

She chanted in her head thinking it was over until he gently took her wrist in his palm and led her to the leather couch by the desk.

His touch lingered on her skin and she hated the tingling feeling it gave her.

She didn't say a word. She couldn't, she was speechless.

Was this kindness? She was expecting him to be so cold to her.

“You were found in the cold yesterday, I wouldn't want any harm to come to my child and of course, you, its mother.” He started, signaling to the man who placed the briefcase on the desk and fished out a drafted contract.

“I just took a stroll–” she muttered. Lies.

“A stroll in the cold?” He raised a questioning brow at her.

She didn't respond, instead, she bent her head to avoid his scrutinizing gaze. His jaws tightened when she did that.

“Let’s get this done with, once we finalize the contract, your husband gets paid handsomely. I'm sure he's been looking forward to this day” He smirked.

Her head snapped up.

“You won't be going back Dolcezza, you'll be here, safe with me.” His tone was sharp and final, like even if she objected he had made his decision.

Louisa took the papers from the man standing a few walks away from her.

He handed her a fountain pen.

She read through the clauses, her forehead now gathering sweat.

There was no going back now, she was with his child already—

Without another second thought, she drew her signature on the paper.