ROSALINDA. Although I was immensely grateful to Antonio for saving Carlo, I hated that he claimed me as his substitute bride. I was just a replacement pawn in their business agreement, and I so much hated that. I was livid and didn’t utter a word to him on our way to his mansion, even though he tried talking to me a few times. I had a lot of things to say to him, but I just couldn’t put them out in words. “Bath him and feed him. Take his things to one of the guest rooms; he’ll stay there pending when his room gets set up. While Rosalinda’s things would go to my room.” He instructed his maids once we got out of the car. He just decided that I would stay in his room without asking me first. Fine. I walked inside the main building, and I could feel him walking behind me, but I didn’t bother to look back. I didn’t need to be given directions to his room; I had been there before and knew my way. The moment I walked inside his room, he slipped right behind me and shut the

ANTONIOI was sick and tired of hearing that phrase over and over again. Carlo was my son, my blood and flesh, and it was my duty as his father to save him. I didn’t need to be thanked for merely performing my duties. It was high time Rosalinda knew about the secret I had been hiding all this time. I didn’t know how to put it out to her; I don’t even know how she would take it. But she deserved to know the truth, and I needed to find a way to give it to her.When Carlo called me ‘daddy’ earlier, the warmth that filled my heart was immeasurable. I wanted to be able to tell him that I was really his daddy, and I planned to do that soon. I had a lot of work to do, so I went to my office to get it done. But my work was cut short as soon as I started with a call from an unknown number. “Who is this?“ I said into the phone when I picked up. “Figlio di puttana!” The person on the other end of the phone groaned, and I instantly knew who he was. I had been waiting for his call. Sergio. Lo

ROSALINDAFrom the moment our lips collided to when we tumbled on the bed and made love like never before, everything was a blur. I had done this with him multiple times, but it seemed like a new experience each time. His hands on my body were magical. He knew just the right spots to touch. He knew exactly how to satisfy me. Oh, how I loved him so much.We had just finished having sex, and we were both naked on the bed, staring lustfully into each other’s eyes."The look in your eyes..." A small, charming smile touched his lips. "You want more?"I quickly averted my gaze before I delved into his arms again. "No." Clearing my throat, I continued. "You came inside me.""I know." The next thing I felt was his fingers beneath my chin, forcing me to look at him.As my eyes met his, my heart skipped a beat. Oh, damn, he was so handsome."I need to take the pills, or else I will get pregnant." I told him what he already knew, my voice a whisper."I want a baby with you. Perhaps a baby girl

ROSALINDAThe air in the car thickened with tension as Antonio, Camilla, Carlo, and I rode in the same car. None of us were on speaking terms, so I just peeked through the window all through the ride with my earpiece plugged to my ear to avoid unnecessary and uncomfortable conversations. Five other men, whom Antonio claimed to be his most trusted men, rode in another car while we all made our way to the safe house. I didn’t know where exactly it was, but he said it was a coastal hideout. We circled locations meticulously to make sure we weren’t being followed before finally making our way to the pier, where we took a boat to a large white beach house that was nestled among swaying palm trees, creating a tropical paradise vibe. In front of the building was a private swimming pool that glistened with sunlight. It was the perfect escape I sought, only that it would have been better if Camilla wasn’t in the picture. Carlo was in my arms as we all silently entered the house. The interio

ANTONIOI sped to the safe house, worried and hoping that nothing had happened to them. I tried to shut the dream out of my head, but I couldn’t. The more it replayed in my head, the more I lost my mind, and the more I desperately wished I could just teleport to the coastal hideout. It seemed so much farther than I remembered it to be. When I finally got to the beach house, I found the men I took there to guard them stationed around the house.My presence and the look of perplexity that saturated my features surprised them, as one of them, Jasper, quickly approached me and asked. “Do we have a problem?”“Where are they?” I impatiently asked. “They’re inside.” He raised a brow as he asked again. “Do we have a problem?”“No.” I responded. I was so paranoid that I had totally forgotten to call the men guarding them to confirm if everything was fine. All I could think of was getting there to make sure they were okay. Even though Jasper had assured me that they were okay, I still had t