Chapter Two

Rosa quickly took a taxi and headed straight to the city hospital, where her childhood friend Lucy was waiting for her.

“How did it go?” Lucy asked.

“It’s done,” Rosa replied in a hushed voice, her heart still pounding with apprehension. She could hardly believe it was finally over—it felt like walking into a lion’s den and somehow making it out alive.

Lucy’s face softened with relief.

“How’s Renzo doing?” Rosa asked, already hurrying toward the children’s ward.

“He’s okay. Slept through the night,” Lucy replied.

“Hmm,” Rosa murmured as she gently pushed open the door. There he was—her four-year-old son, Renzo—chatting with the nurse, who was trying to coax him into taking his medicine.

“Hey, sweetie,” Rosa smiled, though her heart ached every time she saw her little boy in that hospital room.

“Mommy! You came!” he squealed with happiness, and Rosa hurried to scoop her son into her arms. Her racing heart finally settled, soothed by the embrace of the only reason she kept going—her son, her Renzo.

Five years ago, when Luciano divorced her and forced her to leave the country, not even her own family stood by her. She had no money, no place to go. She hadn’t even been able to finish her education. Married at eighteen, she had to drop out during her final semester because her mother-in-law insisted she handle all the house chores. So she couldn't get a proper job. But somehow, she survived.

Just a month after the divorce, when she found out she was pregnant, her entire world shifted. No matter how angry she was with her ex-husband, and no matter how strongly she had vowed never to speak to him again, she still tried to contact Luciano — only for the sake of her child.

She didn’t want her baby to grow up in such harsh conditions just because his father hated his mother.

But Luciano never answered her calls.

She then tried to contact her family — the only ones she had left: her uncles and aunts. Her parents had died in her childhood, and her grandfather was gone too.

But they spoke to her coldly and told her they wanted no relationship with her anymore. She had died for them the day Luciano loathed her and divorced her. No one wanted to end up on Luciano Mancini’s hate list because of her. 

At that time, she felt completely heartbroken and alone in this ruthless world, with no clue how to survive.  And with this little life growing inside her, she was even more terrified—for his future, and her own.

After Renzo was born, Rosa’s life changed completely. Driven by the determination to give him a better future, she worked tirelessly, building a life for herself and her son. They were happy. She was no longer alone—her sunshine, her Renzo, was with her. And for Rosa, that was more than enough.

Until one day, he fainted.

Then came the diagnosis: leukemia.

And just like that, Rosa’s world shattered all over again.

She had never been so scared in her life—not even when everyone had abandoned her, not even when she found out she was pregnant and completely on her own. But now, this fear was killing her. She couldn’t let anything happen to her son. He didn’t deserve to suffer because of her bad luck.

So she went to every doctor and discussed every possible treatment. A flicker of hope lit up her dark world when one of them mentioned that the best chance for Renzo’s recovery was a stem cell transplant. Cord blood from a newborn sibling could potentially save his life. But for that… she would need to have another child—with his father.

If she had been her old self—young, naive Rosa—she would’ve never dared to even think about it. But now—now she was a desperate mother. And a mother could fight even God if it meant saving her child’s life. Compared to that, surviving a night with that monster was something she could endure.

She returned to the city without anyone knowing and planned everything carefully, keeping an eye on her ex-husband and his schedule. Lucy was the only one she could trust in the city, and she helped her with all the resources she had. Yesterday, as she was ovulating, Rosa took the risk—it didn’t matter if it cost her life. When he asked for morning sex, she took it as a sign that luck was finally on her side. It was even better—more chances meant a higher possibility of conceiving. Once she was sure she was pregnant, she would leave the city forever.

“Mommy, I don’t want to take these yucky tablets anymore,” Renzo complained, his small face scrunching up in protest.

Rosa smiled softly, brushing his hair back.

“Just a few more days, my love, and then you won’t have to take them anymore,” she coaxed him with the sweetest smile—the one she reserved only for him.

Only him—her life, her entire world.

Oh God. She sighed inwardly, fighting back the tears that always seemed to appear without her permission—whenever her heart was overwhelmed by the love she felt for her little boy.

He was everything she had. Everything she needed to survive in this world.

But she couldn’t cry in front of him. Not when he needed her to be strong and do everything in her power to make sure his treatment worked.

She gestured for the nurse to hand her the medicine.

“Now, mommy’s good boy will quickly swallow it, okay?”

“No!” Renzo pouted stubbornly, crossing his arms.

“How about this then?” she said playfully, reaching into her handbag and pulling out a few chocolates. “If you take the medicine, these are all yours.”

His small face lit up, and he opened his mouth. Rosa gently placed the tablet at the back of his tongue and quickly gave him water so he could swallow it without even realizing.

“Good boy,” she whispered, kissing his forehead as she handed him the chocolates.

“Miss, Dr. DeLuca asked to see you once you returned,” the nurse informed her.

Rosa nodded.

“Okay, my little sweetheart, I’m just going to see your doctor. You be good and take a nap, alright?” she instructed gently.

Renzo nodded sleepily. The medicine had a mild sedative effect, and he yawned as he settled under the blanket. Rosa pulled the covers over him and stroked his hair softly a few times until his eyes fluttered shut, and he fell asleep peacefully.

The doctor had mentioned that rest was crucial for his recovery. Without it, he would tire himself out quickly and become agitated—making things more difficult for the hospital staff.

Rosa pressed a light kiss to his forehead before quietly stepping out to see the doctor.

Lucy followed her, and together, they headed to the consultation room. Rosa knocked gently before pushing the door open. Dr. DeLuca was seated behind his desk, his expression grave, eyes fixed on something on his computer screen.

“Rosa, please come in,” he said with a soft smile.

Both women stepped inside.

“Please, have a seat,” the doctor offered, gesturing to the chairs.

Rosa glanced at Lucy, and they exchanged a silent look before sitting down.

“You wanted to see me, Doctor?” Rosa asked hesitantly, her chest tightening with worry. “Is everything fine with Renzo’s report?”

“Oh, yes. He’s stable and responding well to the treatment,” Dr. DeLuca reassured her. But then he paused, his gaze sharpening with curiosity. “Did you speak with his father?”