Chapter 3

"Elena's celebrating her pregnancy here tonight." Luca let go of my wrist. "She specifically asked me to bring you. So lose the attitude. Don't throw her kindness back in her face."

I smiled calmly and stopped struggling.

In five more days, my father would come for me anyway.

After that, I'd never have to deal with any of this again.

The bar was packed with members of both the Moretti and Rossi families.

Elena stood at the center of the crowd, wearing heavy makeup and a long, tight red dress.

Next to me, pale and fresh out of the hospital, she looked far too flamboyant to be pregnant.

"Ms. Rossi, you've got real guts. Raising an heir on your own? Nobody on the entire East Coast has ever done that."

"That little Don-to-be is going to be just as brave as his mom."

Someone glanced my way and laughed, making sure I heard. "Of course, some things you can't get just by wanting them. Some people have been Donna for six years and can't handle family business or even have a baby. What good are they?"

Knowing laughter rippled around the room.

Elena raised her glass and made a show of stopping them. "Don't say that. Sophia's already hurting enough."

She bought a round for everyone, then suggested a game of Truth or Dare.

On the first spin, the bottle landed on her.

I watched her performance in silence.

Sure enough, she smiled and picked truth.

Her friend Gina Marino jumped in right away. "Since Luca's the father, will you have the baby call him Dad?"

Elena stroked her belly and looked past everyone, straight at me.

"Of course the baby has a right to know who his father is. But don't worry, Sophia. I'm not going to come between you two."

She paused, and her smile grew even sweeter.

"And if you still can't have kids down the road, my son can just run the Moretti family while he's at it. Luca gave him life, after all. He can't exactly pretend Luca isn't his father."

Everyone burst out laughing and told her she was killing two birds with one stone.

I looked at Luca calmly.

"Since you two have the future all planned out, why don't we just petition the Commission to dissolve our marriage? I have no objections."

Luca's face darkened.

"Sophia, don't threaten me with divorce."

"I'm not threatening you."

Now Luca was rattled. "If you leave the Moretti family, where would you even go?"

Then he gave an amused little smile. "Fine. I know you've had a rough time lately. I'll stay at the estate with you for the next few days. Happy now?"

He wasn't trying to keep me.

He was simply convinced that a nobody who'd depended on him for six years would never have the nerve to leave him.

Someone sensed the tension and quickly spun the bottle.

This time, it landed on me.

I was about to pick truth, but Elena cut in with a laugh. "Picking truth every time is so boring. Sophia should do a dare."

Gina chimed in immediately. "Then go outside and kiss the first man you see."

The whole private room roared with laughter.

Luca's face went cold in an instant.

He pushed three shots of hard liquor in front of me.

"She's not doing that. She'll drink these three shots as her penalty."

I braced a hand on the edge of the table and stood up. "I'm not drinking. It's just a game. I'll kiss a stranger."

Everyone exchanged looks.

Luca grabbed my wrist hard.

"Sophia, do you really have to humiliate me in front of everyone?"

I looked at him, and all I could think was how absurd this was.

He could give Elena his sperm and father her child without my consent.

But I didn't even have the right to kiss a stranger in a game.

Elena walked over, playing peacemaker. "Sophia, stop treating Luca like the naive boy he used to be. You need to learn to show the Don some respect."

Even as she spoke, she nudged the glasses closer to me. "Just be a good girl and take these three shots. Everyone's watching."

"I said I'm not drinking."

Luca's eyes hardened.

"So you'd rather kiss a stranger than drink what I poured you?"

"Sophia, have I spoiled you too much?"

Luca picked up a glass and forced it against my lips.

I jerked my head aside, and the liquor splashed all over my face.

"Luca, stop!"

The more I refused, the angrier he got. He clamped a hand on the back of my neck and tried to force the rest of the liquor down my throat.

I fought him with everything I had. In the struggle, I knocked over a chair, my foot slipped, and I went down hard on the cold marble floor.

A sudden, tearing pain shot through my lower belly.

I curled up with both hands pressed protectively over my belly.

Luca froze for a moment, then reached down to help me up.

"Would you stop—"

A scream cut him off.

"Blood!"

"She's bleeding so much!"