Carmela laughed, and the sound of it had a blade hidden in it.
"Stop making that pitiful face. You're looking for someone to blame, huh? If you wanna do that, then blame yourself for being useless! It was only natural that your children were fit to be my nourishment when their mother was someone as weak as you!"
I couldn't take it anymore. I raised my hand and slapped Carmela across the face.
Smack!
Unfortunately, my slap never landed on her face. Lorenzo had swiftly yanked Carmela behind him and took the hit himself. The men posted at the doorway went still, hands drifting toward their jackets, waiting to see which way their Don would turn.
He shoved me forcefully to the marble, his anger boiling over. "Adriana Bellini, what are you doing?!"
Carmela cried her eyes out. "Lorenzo, I just wanted to comfort Adriana. I meant to tell her not to be sad over the loss of her child."
"But she got jealous that I'm the one carrying. She accused me of stealing her place as the Don's true woman and tried to dump all her frustrations on me. I pushed her to protect myself. It wasn't intentional! I already apologized, but she screamed that I must lose this baby too, and then she came at me!"
Before I could explain, Lorenzo looked at me with disdain. "Adriana, I never knew you were such a petty woman."
"If you couldn't keep your baby, it's because of your incapable body. Why take your anger out on Carmela and repay her kindness this way? Don't envy things that aren't yours. Apologize to Carmela. Now."
Incapable? Hah.
The more I looked at him, the more he became a stranger to me, this polished head of the Marchetti bloodline who could order a man into the river and still cut fruit by candlelight. "Lorenzo, tell me. What did you do with the bodies of my lost babies?"
Lorenzo furrowed his brow. "I had them buried properly, of course. On consecrated ground. Hadn't I told you that?"
His acting was flawless. Behind him, Carmela tucked her face into his shoulder, and for half a second too soon the corner of her mouth lifted before she remembered to weep again.
"Lorenzo, you're right. I shouldn't envy things that aren't mine. Don't worry. I won't fight Carmela anymore." Then I left without sparing either of them a second glance.
Lorenzo was feeling something close to unease. I heard the breath catch in his throat, the start of my name forming on his tongue, but Carmela stopped him.
"Lorenzo, the slop she poured on me has made me sick. Take me to the Family's physician."
Lorenzo hesitated, just slightly. In the end, he didn't follow me.
Once I was back at the estate, I gathered everything Lorenzo had ever given me across the years and fed it all into the fire.
When I pulled out the alliance pact that had bound my bloodline to his, a WeTalk notification chimed. I opened the app and read the screen.
[Adriana, I simply told Lorenzo I felt unwell, and he summoned the finest obstetric physician in the territory.]
[The man was beyond the Commission's lines, in neutral ground. Lorenzo said he'd fly him home by private helicopter. Aren't you jealous?]
I didn't respond. As I finished reading, I lifted my gaze to the blood oath already curling in the flames, the paper that had made me a contract between two families, going black and turning to ash.
I didn't care whether Lorenzo ever saw this. I already knew he wasn't coming home tonight.
Sure enough, Lorenzo called.
"Adriana, Carmela's having complications with the pregnancy. Matteo's away on Family business, and as her brother-in-law I have to see to her. Don't be angry with me."
I couldn't stop the image rising in my mind, the photo Carmela had sent earlier. Her face glowing as she ate the fruit Lorenzo had cut for her with his own hands. She hadn't looked sick at all.
"Sure, I understand," I replied. "A pregnant woman's well-being comes first. Take good care of her."
There was a brief pause before Lorenzo spoke softly. "Adriana, I didn't mean to be harsh with you today. I know our baby just left us. I know you're hurting."
"But Carmela is carrying the Marchetti bloodline. Neither of us can continue the family name, and that's the only thing the old Don's edict cares about. If something happens to her, my mother would never recover. The whole Family wouldn't."
I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. Why did he need so many excuses?
"Stay home and rest," he continued, his tone shifting, warming, the way it always did when he wanted something. "Tomorrow's your birthday. I've booked the finest hotel in our district, and I've got a surprise planned for you. I'll come for you in the morning."
