Aria’s POV
His warning echoed in my ears long after he finished speaking.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The doctor’s words—miracle… your only chance—collided violently with everything that had happened over the past few days. My heart hammered so hard it hurt.
My hand drifted instinctively to my stomach again.
I thought about the nights I had cried alone in the Russo estate, staring at the ceiling while Enzo slept beside me. I remembered the hollow ache every time another mafia wife announced her pregnancy at some formal gathering, the way I would excuse myself before anyone noticed the tears in my eyes. I remembered praying in silence for something—anything—that would fill the emptiness I carried.
And now that miracle was here.
And I had been ready to erase it because of a man who had already erased me.
The realization shattered whatever restraint I had left. Tears spilled freely as I covered my mouth, my shoulders trembling. The thought of willingly ending the only life that had chosen me felt unbearable.
“No,” I said hoarsely, shaking my head. “I can’t.”
The doctor studied me carefully. “You’ve changed your mind?”
“I’m keeping this baby,” I replied, my voice unsteady but resolute. “I don’t care if I have to do it on my own. This child isn’t a mistake. It’s the only blessing I’ve been given.”
A faint smile touched his face. “Then we’ll make sure you receive proper care. With your history, we’ll monitor you closely.”
When I stepped out of the hospital later, the air felt lighter somehow. For the first time in days, I felt something stronger than despair.
In three days, I would walk away.
And this time, I wouldn’t be alone.
“Aria!”
The sharp call of my name froze me mid-step.
Enzo.
I turned slowly, tension coiling through my body. He crossed the hospital entrance in long strides and grabbed my arm before I could speak, his fingers digging in tight.
“Thank God I caught you,” he said, breath uneven, eyes alert in a way that told me this wasn’t about reconciliation.
I pulled my arm slightly. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Camilla,” he replied quickly. “She’s been admitted.”
I blinked. “Admitted?”
“She ran a fever all night,” he said, his tone sharpening. “After what you did to her.”
My jaw tightened. “I didn’t touch her.”
He ignored that entirely. “She collapsed this morning. The doctors say she’s dehydrated and weak. They need to give her blood.”
My stomach twisted. “And?”
Enzo’s gaze locked onto mine. “Her blood type is rare. You’re a universal donor. You’re the only compatible match available immediately.”
For a second, I simply stared at him.
“You want me to donate blood to her?” I asked quietly.
“This isn’t about pride,” he snapped. “It’s about saving my child.”
He started pulling me toward the entrance.
I resisted, digging my heels into the pavement. “There are blood banks. Private reserves. You control half the city’s hospitals. Why me?”
He turned sharply, eyes hard. “Because this is happening because of you.”
The accusation stunned me. “She lied to you!”
“I don’t have time for your paranoia,” he cut in coldly. “She’s carrying my heir. If anything happens to her—”
Something inside me cracked.
“I’m pregnant,” I said.
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
He went still.
“What did you just say?”
“I’m pregnant,” I repeated, louder now, my voice trembling despite myself. “The doctor confirmed it. It’s high risk. If I donate blood, it could endanger the baby.”
The silence stretched painfully.
Then he laughed.
It wasn’t disbelief. It was contempt.
“You expect me to believe that?” he said, shaking his head slowly. “You think inventing a pregnancy is going to get you out of this?”
“I’m not lying,” I whispered, tears rising again despite my effort to stay composed. “You know what the doctors said after the accident. They called this impossible. It’s a miracle.”
His expression hardened further. “You’ve always wanted leverage. Now you think this is clever.”
“Enzo—”
“Enough.” His voice dropped into something final. “You will donate. That’s not a request.”
Anger surged through me, stronger than fear this time. I pulled my arm free.
“I won’t,” I said, meeting his gaze without flinching. “I won’t risk my child for her.”
His face darkened.
“You’d let someone die because of jealousy?” he demanded.
“I won’t sacrifice my baby,” I replied firmly. “Not for Camilla. Not for you.”
The fury in his eyes burned bright.
“If you walk away from this,” he said slowly, his jaw clenched tight, “I will personally tear down that orphanage your father built. Brick by brick. And I’ll make sure you’re there to watch.”
The threat landed exactly where he intended.
The orphanage was the last living piece of my father’s legacy. The only place in this city untouched by blood money and power games.
Enzo knew that.
He leaned closer, his voice low and lethal. “Choose carefully, Aria.”
And in that moment, I realized something with absolute clarity.
I was no longer afraid of losing him.
I was afraid of what I was about to become if I stayed.
