Giacomo's POV
I paced in front of the emergency room while Pietro stood a few feet away, arms crossed, jaw tight. Nadina sat on the plastic chair nearest the door, crying into her hands.
"I really hope nothing has happened to Angela," she wailed.
"How can Liliana be so cruel as to hurt a baby?" Pietro snapped angrily.
I ran a hand through my hair and the confused face of Liliana flashed before my eyes.
"But… but Liliana has never been violent," I found myself saying.
Pietro stared at me. "Liliana? Have you forgotten we don't know her anymore? All she's done is cause pain to Nadina and ruin things for us. She's capable of anything."
"But still—" I started to say again, but Pietro interrupted me.
"This is your child, for fuck's sake, Giacomo. Liliana hurt her," he snapped.
I frowned. "But it doesn't make sense. Why would she hurt the baby when we already apologized to her?"
Pietro furrowed his eyebrows as he suddenly stared at me. "What if she found out the truth? That Angela is actually your daughter."
I shook my head. "I don't know. It doesn't matter even if she did find out. She's never going to leave me. She's been ours for fifteen years. Where will she go?" I said it the way you'd say a thing you've always believed, the way a man talks about a dog that keeps coming back no matter how many times you kick it. The fluorescent hospital lights buzzed overhead. Somewhere down the corridor, a guard we'd posted at the entrance shifted his weight. "She has no family. No allies. No one in this world who'd take her in."
Pietro nodded. "Yeah, well she better pray nothing happens to my niece, or I'll kill her."
Nadina approached me at that moment, her eyes red and puffy as she clung to my arms. "What am I ever going to do if something happens to Angela, Giacomo? I'll die," she wailed.
I hugged her, kissing her forehead and whispering reassuring words to her. "That's not going to happen. Our baby will be fine," I said to her.
Shortly after, the emergency door opened and the doctor stepped outside. We all moved toward him, concern etched on our faces.
"Doctor, how's Angela?" I asked worriedly.
The man smiled. "It's nothing serious. Angela had a bad reaction to her mother's breastmilk. I'd recommend her mother stop breastfeeding the baby until she's gotten rid of whatever diet or pills she's on."
I blinked while Pietro and Nadina heaved a sigh of relief.
"Wait… so there's no poison? Angela wasn't poisoned?" I asked, my chest tight with emotions.
The doctor laughed. "Poison? Gosh, why would you think that. If there's anyone to blame it would be the mother. She's not supposed to take certain things while breastfeeding."
I turned to Nadina, furious. "But you told us Liliana poisoned Angela."
Nadina burst into tears. "I'm sorry, Giacomo. I made a mistake and I was scared. I'll apologize to Liliana."
My mouth fell open in shock. "You made a mistake? I hit her! We insulted her and you knew all the while she didn't do anything to Angela?"
Pietro, who had gone to bring Angela from the nurse, returned and saw Nadina crying.
"Why are you crying, Nadina? See, Angela is fine," he said.
"Of course Angela is fine because she's the one who hurt her and not Liliana!" I snapped.
Nadina kept sobbing pitifully as she hid her face in her palm. "I'm sorry, I'll apologize to Liliana, it was a mistake," she cried.
Pietro glared at me. "Stop doing that, Giacomo. Everyone is watching and Nadina isn't supposed to cry. She just made one silly mistake. We can all apologize to Liliana."
Reluctantly, I pulled Nadina into my arms as I wiped off her tears. "It's alright. Just be more careful and don't go blaming others for your mistakes," I said to her.
She nodded, hiding her face in my chest. Her fingers touched the hollow of her throat for just a moment before she tucked them away.
As we prepared to leave, a nurse arrived with a courier. The man wore a plain dark suit, the kind of anonymous uniform used by the bonded delivery services the families employed when they wanted something hand-delivered with a witness.
"Mr. Russo, this courier is here for you," the nurse said.
I frowned and turned to Pietro. "Are you expecting something?"
He shook his head and turned to Nadina, who declined.
"I was sent to deliver these packages to Giacomo Russo from Liliana Valentino," the courier said.
I turned to him. "That's me. Why is Liliana sending packages when she's at the compound?"
"I have no idea," the courier said as he handed me three small boxes and a leather-bound ledger. "Please sign here."
I signed and was still frowning as I stared at the boxes.
"I've been instructed to make sure the boxes are opened before you leave," he said.
Pietro frowned. "What nonsense is this? What tantrum is she throwing again?"
Nadina shrugged. "I guess it doesn't really matter. Just open the boxes so we can go home, Giacomo."
I set the three boxes on the desk and opened the first one.
My eyes almost popped out of their sockets as I stared at the document in front of me.
Pietro gasped and Nadina inhaled sharply.
"She knows," I mumbled.
In the first box was the blood-bound union certificate between me and Liliana from four years ago, along with the marriage contract between me and Nadina from two years ago. Both documents side by side. The proof of a sham oath laid bare under hospital lighting.
There was a small note attached to it and I read it with my heart racing.
Happy fake fourth wedding anniversary, Giacomo.
My right fist clenched. Unclenched. Clenched again.
With trembling hands, I opened the second box and my breath stopped.
"What… what is this?" I gasped.
