FAZER LOGINIt wasn't until late one night that Maeve suddenly experienced severe abdominal pain and was rushed to the hospital. Oliver panicked and called me. His voice trembled uncontrollably as he begged me to use my family connections to find the best gynecologist. "Elettra, please save her. I'm begging you! My child is innocent…"Maeve's bloodcurdling screams pierced my eardrums through the phone. Reclined in my soft leather armchair, listening to the chaos on the other end of the line, I found this situation nothing short of absurd. "Have you forgotten how she looked when she forced me to get an abortion, Oliver?""That was a misunderstanding! She only did it because she loves me!" he bellowed. I didn't hang up this time. Instead, I switched to speakerphone and silently watched the second hand on the wall clock make three full rotations.I waited until the doctor's voice cut through the chaos, clear as day. "Who's the patient's family member? That patient isn't pregnant. She's bleed
My butler, Davide Conti, escorted them to the drawing room. "This place is nice, Etta." Maeve took a seat, her eyes scanning the oil paintings on the wall and the fireplace. "Didn't you say you're a barista?" "I was fired by my boss.""Then, this house…" "My father bought it." Maeve subtly smacked Oliver's arm, shooting him a look.He forced out, "Look, I think we need to clear things up face-to-face. What evidence do you have that her ultrasound report is forged?""I checked all the examination records from St. Mary's Private Hospital for the past three months, and Maeve's name isn't there. That report was forged by her."The color drained from her face in a heartbeat. "How dare you look into my personal life? That's illegal!""Did the law ever cross your mind when you weaponized a fake ultrasound report to coerce me into abandoning my child?""I didn't coerce you! I was looking out for you! Don't you dare slander me, Elettra!" Maeve shrieked, as if she wanted nothing mo
That night, after returning to the estate Dad had arranged for me, I immediately sent someone to investigate Maeve.Three hours later, the results of the investigation were placed right in front of me. I had just perused them when Oliver called me. "Elettra, all of my company's projects have come to a standstill now. I don't want to see my business go under. Name your price. I'm yours to command from now on." "Oliver, did you know Maeve's pregnancy report is forged?"The other end of the line went dead silent for a beat. "W-What did you just say, Elettra? Maeve really is pregnant…" "The ultrasound report she showed me indicated she was eight weeks along. But she only returned from the East Coast lately. "The timing doesn't add up. Didn't you notice that, Oliver?"Another suffocating silence stretched over the phone. "You looked into her?" His voice dropped, laced with defensiveness. "Was there even a need to look into her?" I massaged my throbbing temples. "It's basic lo
Oliver blanched. This partnership was the lifeline he had secured after pulling countless all-nighters and drinking through endless business dinners. The contract had only been signed a short while ago. "N-No, you can't do that!" he rasped.Ignoring him, Dad continued to look at the tablet in Luca's hand. "Is there anything else?""The company currently leases most of its primary laboratory equipment from a firm owned by Aarone," Luca noted."Aarone? That man owes me his life," Dad remarked flatly. "Notify him that his company is no longer permitted to rent any equipment going forward. Have him terminate all existing orders and pay the breach-of-contract penalties as dictated by the terms." "Understood."Oliver's hands balled into fists, and he started shaking like a leaf. Halting the lease of the experimental equipment? How was that any different from a death sentence? "Elettra!" At long last, he turned to me, his voice filled with shock and terror. "What the hell do you wan
There was a knock on the door. Having already seen the convoy of black bulletproof vehicles parked downstairs through the window, Ophelia was so terrified that she positioned herself in front of the door, refusing to let us open it. I sidestepped her and pulled the door open. Standing outside were two rows of men in black. The moment they saw me, they bowed their heads in unison and stood at attention on either side of the entrance. The very next second, a middle-aged man in a bespoke suit walked in. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, swept over everyone in the room. A signet ring etched with our family crest gleamed on his left ring finger. The man was Edoardo Rinaldi—my father and the reigning Don of our family. "Dad," I greeted him respectfully.His gaze lingered on my face for a moment, drifted down to my belly, which was still flat, before returning to my eyes. "You've grown quite haggard." With that, he stepped into my small, dingy apartment. The men behind him poured in s
Early the next morning, Oliver showed up at the door of my apartment. Before I answered it, I already knew why he was there. His expression practically screamed, "I'm just here to take responsibility." For a moment, neither of us said a word. Then, he broke the silence. "I know.""Know what?" I played dumb."About the pregnancy."Of course, Maeve had told him.I stepped aside to let him in. As soon as he crossed the threshold, the apartment instantly felt even more cramped. He scanned the room, drinking in the tiny bed, the folding table beneath the window, and the kitchenette squeezed into the corner. Then, his forehead creased. I couldn't tell if he was judging the apartment or wondering how I could possibly live there. He took a few steps farther inside and halted by the window. "What's your plan?" he inquired."I'm going to have the baby," I answered without a moment's hesitation. He clenched his jaw. "And then what?" His voice rose an octave. "You live in a shoe
When I walked into the apartment, the divorce agreement was already lying on the coffee table. "I've prepared everything. All you have to do is sign it." Oliver Wright reclined lazily on the couch, swirling a glass of whiskey. Maeve Young sat right beside him in the seat I usually occupied. When
I received my prenatal checkup report on Thursday afternoon. I was sitting by myself on a bench outside the OB-GYN department, surrounded by the constant bustle of patients and nurses. The doctor had spent less than ten minutes reviewing the results before smiling and reassuring me that everything w
I moved into a studio apartment. The rent was 800 dollars a month. The mattress was thin, and the walls were paper-thin. Every night, the savory aroma of cooking from downstairs would drift in through the window.Moonlight lit the room as my hand rested on my flat stomach. Inside it was not only my







