Chapter 4

Aurelia’s Pov

I collapsed onto the silk sheets of our massive bed, my body sinking like a stone into the cool fabric. Every muscle ached with a bone-deep exhaustion that no amount of sleep seemed to fix. My head spun, and a fresh wave of nausea rolled through me, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut and breathe through my mouth.

Not again. Please, not again.

For the past month, my body had been betraying me. The constant tiredness, the dizziness that hit out of nowhere, the mornings where I barely made it to the bathroom before throwing up everything I’d eaten. 

I kept telling myself it was stress. The divorce papers hidden in my drawer. Dante’s cold announcement about Aisha. The way he had completely ruined me with his touch just last night, then left me trembling and confused in his arms.

But deep down, a terrifying suspicion had started growing. With shaking fingers, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and dialed the only person I trusted completely.

Mia picked up on the second ring. 

“Hey, babe! What’s up?”

The moment I heard her warm, familiar voice, the lump in my throat thickened. “Mia… I don’t feel good,” I whispered, my voice cracking. 

“I’ve been feeling so sick. Really sick.” Her tone instantly switched to full doctor mode. “Talk to me. Symptoms?”

“Tired all the time. Nauseous. Throwing up for days. My body… it doesn’t feel like mine anymore.” I swallowed hard, fighting another wave of nausea. “And I… I think I missed my period. By a lot.”

Silence stretched for two heartbeats. “Get your ass to the hospital right now,” Mia ordered. 

“I’m on shift in thirty minutes. I’ll squeeze you in for bloodwork and an ultrasound. No arguments, Aurelia. This isn’t optional.”

I let out a shaky breath, already pushing myself upright even though the room tilted slightly. “Okay. I’m coming.”

I changed quickly into comfortable black jeans and a soft cream sweater, pulling my long hair into a loose ponytail. In the mirror, I looked pale, almost fragile, but I forced a small smile. Just stress. It has to be just stress.

As I stepped into the living room, adjusting the strap of my small bag on my shoulder, I froze. Dante was already there.

He stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, phone in hand, his tailored black suit jacket perfectly in place. The morning light carved sharp shadows across his chiseled face, making him look every bit the ruthless CEO he was. 

The second I appeared, his head turned, those dark, intense eyes locking onto me like I was the only thing in his universe. My heart stuttered violently.

“Aurelia.” His voice was low, commanding, wrapping around my name like velvet chains.

I stopped mid-step, fingers tightening on my bag strap. “I… I’m just going out for a bit.”

He slipped the phone into his pocket and crossed the room in three powerful strides, stopping so close I could smell his intoxicating cologne- the same dark, woody scent that had driven me wild last night when he was buried deep inside me.

“Where are you going?” he asked, tilting his head slightly, studying me like he could read every secret I was trying to hide.

“Just to see Mia,” I said quickly, avoiding his gaze. “Girl talk. Nothing important.”

His eyes narrowed. For a moment, I thought he’d push harder, but instead, he surprised me. “I’ll drop you.”

“No!” The word flew out too fast. I shook my head, forcing a smile. “You have that big meeting today with the Dubai clients. They’re important. You can’t miss it.”

Dante studied me for a long, heavy beat. Then, without warning, he reached out and caught my hand, tugging me firmly back into his space. I gasped as my body collided with his hard chest. 

His other palm cupped my cheek with surprising gentleness, his thumb brushing the corner of my mouth.

My breath hitched. Goosebumps exploded across my skin. “Dante, I-” He didn’t let me finish.

His lips descended on mine- slow at first, almost tender, tasting me like I was something precious. Then the kiss deepened, turning hungry, possessive. His tongue slid into my mouth, claiming every corner as his hand tightened around my waist, pulling me impossibly closer. 

I whimpered against his lips, knees weakening, hands flying up to grip his biceps for support.

He kissed me like he had all the time in the world to devour me. Like he hadn’t spent three years barely touching me. Like last night’s passion had awakened something dangerous in him.

When he finally pulled back, I was panting, cheeks flushed, lips swollen. His thumb stroked my burning cheek once more as a small, satisfied smirk tugged at his mouth.

“Be careful,” he murmured, voice rough with something I couldn’t name.

Then he released me, turned, and walked away without another word, leaving me standing there breathless and trembling.

What the hell was that?

My fingers touched my tingling lips as I watched him disappear. For a second, hope flickered stupidly in my chest. Maybe… maybe things could change.

Shaking off the confusing warmth, I grabbed my keys and left before I could overthink it.

.

.

.

At the private clinic, Mia was waiting for me in the exam room, already in scrubs. The moment I walked in, her warm smile faltered into a concerned frown.

“God, you look pale. Sit down, now.”

I climbed onto the exam table, legs dangling. “I feel ridiculous. It’s probably just stress from everything going on.”

“Uh-huh. Let’s rule out the fun stuff first.” Mia drew blood efficiently, then wheeled over the ultrasound machine. “Lie back. Shirt up, pants down a little.”

My heart hammered as the cold gel hit my skin. I closed my eyes, trying to breathe steadily while the wand glided over my lower abdomen. The room was silent except for the machine’s soft hum.

Then Mia gasped softly.

“Aurelia…”

My eyes flew open. “What? Mia, what is it?” She turned the screen toward me, her expression a mixture of shock and joy.

A tiny, flickering shape appeared. A rapid, strong heartbeat filled the room- thump-thump-thump-thump. “You’re pregnant.”

The world stopped spinning.

I stared at the grainy black-and-white image, tears instantly flooding my eyes. “I… what?” My voice broke into a shattered whisper. “Pregnant?”

“About seven weeks, give or take,” Mia said gently, squeezing my hand. “That explains the nausea, the fatigue, everything.”

Seven weeks.

That night Dante had come home early. The night he had taken me so roughly, so possessively on our bed. The night I had let myself drown in him one last time.

A shaky laugh escaped my lips as tears spilled down my cheeks. “I’m… I’m going to be a mother.”

Mia’s eyes softened with worry and love. “You okay? Talk to me, babe.”

“I don’t know,” I whispered, pressing a trembling hand to my still-flat stomach. “I’m happy. Terrified. Overwhelmed. Dante… I don’t even know how to tell him. What if he doesn’t want this baby? What if Aisha-”

“Hey.” Mia cut me off gently, wiping my tears with a tissue.

 “One step at a time. You don’t have to decide anything right now. But Aurelia… this baby is real. And maybe- just maybe this could be the thing that changes everything. You should tell him. He deserves to know.”

I nodded slowly, wiping my eyes. “Thank you, Mia. For everything.”

She hugged me tightly before I left, the ultrasound printout tucked safely in my bag like the most precious secret in the world.

During the entire drive to Dante’s downtown office, my hand kept drifting to my stomach. A small, secret smile kept breaking across my face despite the fear. Our baby. Maybe this was fate’s way of giving us another chance. 

Maybe Dante would look at me differently. Maybe he would choose me- choose us- over Aisha.

By the time the elevator doors opened on the executive floor, my nerves were buzzing with a strange mix of hope and terror. I walked straight toward his office, heart pounding louder with every step.

His secretary rose from her desk, eyes wide with surprise. “Mrs. Salvatore… I’m so sorry. Mr. Salvatore is in an important meeting right now.”

I forced a smile. “It’s okay, I can wait- ”

“With Ms. Hayden,” she finished carefully. The name hit me like a bucket of ice water.

Aisha Hayden. My stomach dropped violently. She wasn’t supposed to arrive until next week. Yet she was already here. In his office. Behind closed doors.

Pain- sharp, vicious pain lanced through my chest. I took one stumbling step back. Then another. The ultrasound image in my bag suddenly felt heavier than lead.

He kissed me this morning like I mattered. He told me to come see him after. Was it all a game? A cruel way to keep his obedient little wife in line while his real love was already back in his life?

Tears blurred my vision. One slipped down my cheek before I could stop it.

“I… I’ll come back later,” I managed, my voice barely audible, cracking on every word.

I turned and fled toward the elevator, pressing the button frantically. The moment the doors closed, I leaned against the wall, pressing both hands protectively over my stomach as sobs threatened to break free.

No. He didn’t deserve to know. Not anymore.

This baby was mine. My light. My reason to finally choose myself. I would protect this child from his coldness, from his family’s cruelty, from the pain of being a second-choice mother.

As the elevator descended, something inside me hardened like steel.

I stepped out of the Salvatore building into the chilly air, shoulders squared despite the tears still drying on my cheeks. My hand stayed firmly on my stomach the entire way home.

Dante Salvatore had taken three years from me. He wasn’t going to take my baby too. This time, I was done waiting for him to love me.

I would build a life for us- me and my child far away from the man who had broken my heart one too many times.

And if he tried to stop me… God help him.