Chapter 1

Antonio Gallo was assuring Silvia Bianchi in the hospital corridor. He said, "Once the baby is stable, we'll have our wedding. The child will be my only heir."

When I heard his low voice, I knew then that everything from my past life had been real.

I hid in the shadow of a pillar, clamping a hand over my mouth as I trembled uncontrollably.

The brutal image of my brother, Paolo Romano, in his final moments was still etched in my mind. So, this time, I didn't lose control and rush forward to confront Antonio.

In my past life, he had feared Silvia would discover that she was nothing more than a kept lover. When I snapped and demanded answers, he had shattered my jaw with the rear end of his gun.

With that in mind, I shrank further into the shadows.

Antonio wrapped an arm around Silvia as they turned and walked away.

Once I was sure they wouldn't return, I stepped into the examination room, clutching the medical report.

The doctor frowned at the ultrasound screen, then said, "Ms. Romano, your uterine lining is very thin. That's why you haven't been able to conceive over the past ten years. If you were to lose this pregnancy, you might never be able to have another child."

I stared in silence at the report confirming I was three months pregnant. Yet, my mind was filled with the image of Antonio pressing his ear to Silvia's belly, the tenderness and care unmistakable in his eyes.

Ten years earlier, I had been lost in that same look and had given up my dreams of becoming a pianist for him. I used the hands meant for piano keys to assemble guns and dismantle bombs.

I had followed Antonio through life-and-death missions. But Silvia's arrival turned everything I had done into a cruel joke.

When I didn't respond, the doctor went on, "Ms. Romano, your situation is unusual. Does your husband know?"

"I'm divorced. I don't want my child to be born without a father," I replied, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.

…

As the cold fluid coursed through my veins, my consciousness began to fade.

Through my haze, I saw the man Antonio used to be. He would lean close to my belly, smiling as he said he'd teach our child how to modify guns.

Then, I watched him call an astrologer, insisting on choosing the luckiest possible name for our baby.

I even saw him holding me close and promising that once he found a successor, he would take our child and me away from the underground casino. After that, we would travel the world as a family of three.

In the end, every shred of warmth I had felt was shattered the moment he told Silvia, "Only you deserve to carry my heir."

…

When I came to, I staggered into Paolo's ward. Every inch of me felt hollow.

Thankfully, this time, he had only suffered minor injuries while on a business trip and would recover quickly.

In my past life, Paolo had died horribly right in front of me. This time, I wasn't going to make the same mistakes again.

To avoid tipping Antonio off, I contacted someone in the black market and paid a high price for two tickets to Summitia. Our flight was in three days.

Next, I called my only trusted aide, Luca Gallo, and told him to secretly move Paolo to another hospital.

After setting everything in motion, I left the hospital. For the first time, I felt a sense of relief.

Just as I was about to keep walking, a man grabbed me from behind. In an instant, he clamped a hand over my mouth and dragged me backward.