Chapter 1

Sophia Conti, Leonardo's personal assistant, stood in front of me with tears streaming down her face.

"Donna, I didn't mean to spill the whiskey into the soup...

"I grew up in the projects. Half the time there wasn't enough to eat, so when I spilled the liquor, I couldn't bring myself to throw the soup out... I never thought you'd be so fragile..."

I was too weak to move, let alone confront her.

If I'd had the strength, I would have grabbed her by the collar and demanded an answer.

She'd spilled whiskey into the soup. How could she hand it to me as if nothing were wrong?!

But I didn't want to put the baby through anything else, so I closed my eyes, exhausted.

"Handle it, Leonardo. I don't want to see her again."

He was already obsessed with keeping this baby safe.

Just a few days earlier, we'd been at a Michelin-starred restaurant when the chef sent out a plate of his special liqueur-filled chocolates.

Leonardo's face went dark. He sent his men into the kitchen and had them march the shaking chef out to our table.

He didn't relax until the chef had destroyed every chocolate in front of us. Then he sat there and watched me finish my meal.

But this time, the explosion I was braced for never came.

Leonardo pressed his lips into a thin line and stopped behind Sophia. "Julia, calm down," he said, his voice low. "The best doctor in Chicago is on his way. You and the baby are going to be fine.

"Sophia... it was an accident."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

I threw back the blanket and pointed at the blood beneath me.

"Leonardo, do you hear yourself?

"Everyone knows pregnant women aren't supposed to drink. She came over and offered to make me soup to help keep the baby healthy. You call that an accident?"

Leonardo froze for a second, then rubbed his forehead.

"It's already happened. Your health is what matters right now.

"I'll have her apologize to you."

He turned to look at Sophia, and his eyes went cold.

Sophia stumbled forward, lowering her head.

"I'm so sorry... Donna..."

But as she bent forward, I clearly saw a smile flicker across her lips.

She was practically gloating, as if one apology could wipe away everything she'd put me through. I clenched my fists, looked at Leonardo, and said each word slowly and clearly. "I don't accept it.

"Fire her, or I leave."

Leonardo was breathing hard. It was a long moment before he let out a heavy sigh.

"All right."

He looked over at Sophia, who had gone stiff beside the bed.

"You. Don't bother coming in tomorrow."

Sophia wiped her face and ran out without looking back.

A medical team came in with a gurney.

Leonardo lifted me carefully onto the gurney and gave me a small smile.

"Don't worry about anything else. Let them take you into surgery. I'll be right here waiting."

He was the man I knew again. The tightness in my chest eased a little, and I let them wheel me slowly out of the room.

But when I looked out the window, the moonlight had gone dim.

A blood-red haze crept across the moon, taking a bite out of its bright white face.

"When your marriage shines brightest, a stranger will enter your lives, and it will go dark for good, like the moon swallowed by an eclipse."

Esme's dry, rasping voice suddenly echoed in my head.

I clenched my fists and turned to look for Leonardo.

He wasn't there.