Chapter 3

"What are you doing here?"

"This is my house."

I looked at Reese and suddenly felt tired.

Reese's face darkened even more. He grabbed my arm and tried to drag me upstairs.

I wrenched free.

"Do you really have to do this?"

Reese's anger flared, and he lowered his voice to a hiss.

"You could've come back any other day. Why did you have to pick Layla's birthday?"

Just then, Layla came over and tugged at Reese's sleeve.

"Reese, don't be so harsh with Ivy."

Her long dark hair was loosely pinned up, and she looked the picture of innocence.

"Ivy, please don't be mad. It's all my fault. It's my birthday, and I didn't want outsiders interrupting, so Reese picked this place.

"I was being greedy. This is your home. I'm the one who should leave."

With that, she wiped her tears and started to go, but Reese caught her arm.

"I planned all of this for you. If the guest of honor leaves, what's the point?"

Reese coaxed her gently.

Then he turned, took a deep breath, and fixed me with a dark stare.

"See how considerate Layla is? And look at you—not an ounce of generosity!

"I don't have feelings like that for Layla. Stop making things hard for her. Once we're married, I'll cut ties with her. Stop being so difficult."

Since when did I need to pick a day to come back to my own home?

But I really didn't want to be around them, so I turned to leave.

Layla grabbed me.

"Ivy, since you're here, why don't you stay for dinner?"

She carried herself like the lady of the house.

I acted like I hadn't heard and kept walking.

"Can't you hear Layla talking to you?"

Reese strode forward, clamped a hand around my arm, and blocked my way.

"Layla's nice enough to invite you to dinner, and this is the attitude you give her?"

"So?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, my gaze cold.

That set him off completely.

"Ivy, when someone offers you an olive branch, you take it. Don't push this until you embarrass yourself!"

"No, thanks."

I shook off his grip and headed for the front door.

It was the first time in seven years I'd gone against Reese's wishes.

Seeing me change like this left Reese rattled.

He raised his voice and shouted at my back.

"Ivy! If you walk out that door today, the wedding's off!

"Don't forget, you're carrying my child! Where else could you possibly go?"

I stopped at the door and turned to look at him.

I'd loved Reese for seven years.

I'd fallen for him the first time I saw him.

When we first met, the De Luca family was at the height of its power, and Reese was just the Moretti family's illegitimate son, his position hanging by a thread.

I was the one who fought off fierce opposition inside my own family, poured every De Luca resource into him, and bled beside him through every fight until he earned the position he had now.

I used to think the child inside me was proof of our love.

Only now did I see that to him, this baby was just another tool to keep me under his thumb.

"Then cancel it."

I didn't look back. I walked straight out the door.

I'd longed for this wedding for so long. Every time he'd threatened to cancel it, I'd given in.

But now, I didn't care anymore. I didn't want the wedding, and I didn't want him.

Irritation gnawed at Reese. He instinctively moved to go after me, but Layla called out from behind him.

* * *

Third-Person POV

Layla looked toward the open door and sighed.

"You've really spoiled Ivy rotten."

Reese froze.

Layla lowered her eyes, looking understanding and long-suffering.

"You should go after her and calm her down. Ivy loves you so much. If your wedding fell apart because of me, I'd never forgive myself."

At that, the panic and unease in Reese's heart instantly gave way to anger.

Layla was right. He'd indulged Ivy too much, and it had made her more and more spoiled and unreasonable.

Ivy loved him so much. How could she really agree to call off the wedding?

Walking out was just the oldest trick there was—the kind of ploy women always used to make a man chase after them.