Chapter 4

Luca stood frozen for a few seconds. Then he dropped to his knees and pulled me into his arms.

"Why is there so much blood?"

I tried to get up, but the pain in my belly kept getting worse. I broke out in a cold sweat.

"Call an ambulance..." I grabbed his sleeve. "Get me to the hospital."

Elena pushed through the crowd and crouched down in front of me.

After a moment, she smiled at everyone. "Relax. It's just her period."

Luca looked down at me. The worry just beginning to show on his face gave way to disappointment.

Another wave of pain tore through my stomach. I gritted my teeth against it and couldn't speak anymore.

Luca hauled me up off the floor and muttered impatiently, "I'll have someone take you back to the estate. Tonight's Elena's party. I can't just leave."

Just then, the bar door flew open.

Hans rushed in, and the first thing he saw was the bloodstain spreading across my skirt.

"Ma'am!"

He caught me as I swayed, and the blood drained from his face.

"You were only just discharged after that miscarriage scare. Why are you bleeding so much?"

Hans hadn't raised his voice, but it was enough to silence the whole private room.

Luca went rigid.

"A miscarriage scare?"

He stared at my belly in disbelief.

"Sophia, you're pregnant?"

Hans whipped around. "You're her husband, and you didn't even know she was pregnant?"

"She never told me!"

"What good is arguing about that now?" Hans roared. "Get her to the hospital!"

That was when Luca finally panicked.

He swept me up in his arms, shoved past the people blocking the door, and ran out.

By the time we reached the hospital, I was drenched in cold sweat.

The doctors rushed me into the ER. When I woke up again, it was already light outside.

Dr. Harris stood beside my bed, looking grim.

"I'm so sorry. We couldn't save the baby."

I couldn't think.

It was a long time before the tears came and slid down into my pillow.

Luca grabbed Dr. Harris by the arm.

"Check again. The Moretti family has the best doctors and the best equipment. I don't care what it costs. You have to save that baby!"

"The baby has no heartbeat."

Dr. Harris pulled free of his grip and turned on him coldly. "You knew she'd been through four rounds of IVF. So why would you take a pregnant woman with a threatened miscarriage to a bar? And force her to drink?"

Luca went white. He opened his mouth a few times, but nothing came out.

After Dr. Harris left, Luca knelt beside my bed and took my hand.

"Sophia, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, baby. I really didn't know you were pregnant."

"You had your pregnancy records deleted. There was no way for me to find out." His voice was hoarse. "If you'd told me sooner, none of this would have happened last night."

The grief churning in my chest slowly turned into hate.

Luca was the one who'd dragged me to that bar. He was the one who'd tried to force the liquor down my throat.

Now the baby was dead, and he was blaming me for not telling him sooner.

"We can try again..." Luca took my hand again, the promises tumbling out. "I'll be there with you this time. I'll find the best doctors. I won't let anything hurt you ever again."

There wouldn't be another baby.

And I wasn't going to let this go.

He was going to pay for every drop of my baby's blood.

Luca wanted to say more, but I closed my eyes and stopped looking at him.

He was quiet for a while, as if he didn't know how to face me. Then he hurried to change the subject. "Get some rest. I'll go get you something to eat."

Half an hour later, he came back with a few takeout boxes.

Everything he'd brought was heavy and greasy: creamy macaroni, beef braised in red wine, and roast chicken drowning in peanut sauce.

One look was enough. I pushed the boxes away.

"I'm not eating that."

Luca frowned. "I went out and bought this just for you. Don't start throwing another tantrum."

"I'm allergic to peanuts."

That stopped him cold.

I looked at him calmly. "We've been together eight years, and you don't even know that."

Luca's face slowly turned red.

I thought of the salad Elena had posted online, and I couldn't help laughing.

"Elena said she was sick of meat, and you knew exactly what to cook for her. But you couldn't even remember the allergy that could kill me."

"Sophia, I just forgot." He hurried to gather up the boxes. "I'll go get you something else right now."

The door opened, and Hans walked in carrying a thermos.

"Sophia, the doctor says you can only have light food for now. I had someone make you pastina, just the way you used to have it when you were little."

He opened the thermos.

Tiny pieces of pasta floated in clear broth with a little Parmesan. Steam drifted up from the thermos.

Luca stared at him.

"How do you know what she liked to eat when she was a kid?"

Hans didn't answer. He checked that the broth wasn't too hot before he handed me the spoon.

The man my father had left to watch over me knew every one of my habits. The husband I'd lived with for eight years didn't even know I was allergic to peanuts.

Luca clearly realized it too. His face darkened.