Chapter 1

Blood runs down my thighs. It soaks my dress.

"Mrs. Burke! Your vitals are crashing! The baby is in danger!" The doctor stares at my blood. His face is pale.

"Eleven weeks." I grip the stretcher. My knuckles turn white. "I am eleven weeks pregnant. Save my baby."

"We need to notify the Don! The surgery risk is too high!"

"He is unreachable right now." I grit my teeth.

But my hands are still shaking. I dial Cillian’s encrypted line.

First try. Declined. Second try. Busy.

Third try. The line finally connects.

"Ava. I gave you top-tier medical access. Do not use it to throw a tantrum."

His voice is low. Annoyed. I interrupted him.

Then, I hear it. Liliana’s pathetic whimpers in the background.

"Cillian? Is Ava hurt? We can go back. I shouldn't have grabbed you during the alarm. I can bear the pain..."

Cillian’s voice shows no emotion. But he comforts her so gently. "Hush, Lili. Stop overthinking. She just wants attention as usual. Go rest."

My heart drops into an icebox.

Next second, Cillian sighs into the phone.

"Ava. A clinic can fix a stomach bug. Why trigger the highest emergency protocol? I am already in Boston. My schedule runs by the second. I am not turning the private jet around for this."

Another sharp cramp.

Cold sweat drenches my hair.

I bite my lower lip. I survive the agony. Then I finally speak. "Cillian. I am not faking. The doctor says I might miscarry."

Dead silence on the line. One second.

But he does not stop his trip. He just sounds more exhausted.

"Ava, listen. Do not joke about the baby." Cillian sounds so calm. "I know it is our anniversary. I had to bring Lili out for an emergency. You feel wronged. I will make it up to you later. But do not use a fake miscarriage to fight for my attention. You are my chosen wife. I give you enough."

"I am bleeding out in the ER!" I scream into the phone. Despair rips me apart. "I am really losing our baby!"

"You always lose control at key moments." He sighs softly. "You are in our best private clinic. You have the top team. You will be fine. The alarm terrified Lili. She is still shaking. I have to stay with her."

In the background, Liliana lets out a weak cry of pain.

Cillian's patience completely snaps.

"Leave the hospital bill. I will handle it later. Rest up. Stop this drama." He issues a gentle but firm order. "You are stressing Lili out. She needs quiet. Hanging up."

Beep.

Call ended.

I look at the screen. The call time.

Exactly three minutes. Not a single second more.

These are his ruthless rules.

He thinks he is handling "family business" fairly. He has no idea. He just personally killed our baby’s chance of survival.

The nurse stands by my bed. Her eyes are full of pity.

I clutch my phone. My voice is hoarse. "Mute it, please."

The exams finish. Night covers the city.

The doctor walks in. He puts a report in front of me.

"Threatened miscarriage. Massive bleeding at the placenta edge." The doctor looks grave. "Strict bed rest. Absolute zero emotional swings."

"The baby... can we save it?"

"There is a heartbeat. But no guarantees." The doctor sighs. "Is your husband coming tonight?"

I shake my head numbly.

The doctor frowns. "You should not be alone right now. Hit the bell immediately for any heavy bleeding."

The door pushes open.

Gareth walks in. Cillian’s family lawyer and Consigliere.

He ignores my pale face. He ignores the smell of bleach. He just puts a designer wellness gift box on my nightstand.

"Ma'am. The Boss sent me."

Gareth pulls out a file. His tone is polite but leaves no room for debate.

"The Don says Miss Liliana feels guilty. She took up your time today. She bought this wellness box to apologize. The Don hopes you can be the bigger person. Also, guide Miss Liliana through the new drug report. Hand it to him by nine tomorrow morning. Consider it your teaching duty as the head pharmacist."

Me? A top pharmacist with elite chemical intuition.

Lying on an ER bed. Bleeding. Miscarrying.

And I need to teach a dumb girl? A girl unable to read basic chemical equations?

"Take it away." I close my eyes coldly. I lose all desire to argue.

"Ma'am. The Don just wants peace in the Family. Just give in. Write the report. The Don will be happy." Gareth steps closer. Whispering his advice.

My eyes snap open. I grab the gift box. I smash it onto the floor.

"Take this garbage! Get the hell out of my room!"

The box shatters. The false bottom breaks open.

A folded piece of paper slides out.

It has a logo. The top fertility specialist in Los Angeles.

"Liliana is having a baby?"

I throw off the blanket. I ignore the nurse’s warning. I bend down and grab the receipt.

A detailed consultation slip is inside.

Gareth’s face turns white. He reaches out to snatch it. "Ma'am! That is Miss Liliana’s privacy!"

I dodge his hand. My eyes are sharp. "Her privacy? Why is it hidden inside my gift?"

"Mr. Cillian just went with her..." Gareth panics. He hits the speakerphone button on his phone.

The call is still connected. Cillian clearly heard the crash.

"Ava."

Cillian’s voice comes through the speaker.

"Liliana has been sick lately. I took her to the best expert in the country. She is young. She values her privacy. She doesn't want Family gossip. Do not overthink it. Do not gossip. Just do your duty as the Don's wife."

Excuses. Explanations. Shameless favoritism.

He thinks this is a tiny issue. He thinks I am overreacting.

He protects Liliana's fake "reputation". But he demands me to stay generous and graceful. Right after a miscarriage scare.

I do not argue back. I do not try to prove anything like before.

Only a cold, sharp pain crawls up my spine.

My eyes are glued to the receipt.

My blood freezes completely.

The date on the receipt. It was the exact day of my first prenatal checkup.