Enrico didn’t just want to officially recognize Clara.
He wanted to take her from me.
The reality slammed into my stomach like a punch.
The silence these past days. The carefully performed kindness with Clara.
It had all been theater.
A distraction designed to make me lower my guard—so he could hit me where it hurt most.
A strangled sound slipped from my throat. Hot tears blurred my vision.
I was terrified.
Not even the threat of losing my bakery or my home had shaken me like those cold, impersonal words.
Because this wasn’t a threat against me.
It was a threat against Clara.
My legs gave out. I searched blindly for the wall, sliding down to the cold floor, the paper still clenched in my hand. Tears finally spilled—silent and unstoppable—as I tried to smother the desperate sobs.
Enrico had made it clear:
He didn’t just want to destroy my life.
He wanted my daughter.
And I knew—with sick certainty—that if he poured his obsessive focus and endless resources into this… he could succeed.
My stomach twisted with panic at the thought of Clara being ripped from my arms.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to banish the image, but it only grew sharper. More real. More horrifying.
A knock hit the door, making me flinch violently.
“Val? Are you okay? It’s me—Júlia.”
I wiped my face quickly with the backs of my hands, forcing myself upright on shaking legs. I drew in a breath and opened the door.
Júlia’s cheerful smile vanished the moment she saw me.
“My God, Valentina—what happened?”
I didn’t speak. I simply handed her the paper.
Júlia scanned it. Her expression shifted from confusion to shock to fury.
“It can’t be,” she whispered. “He wouldn’t dare.”
“Seems courage isn’t something Enrico Ferrara lacks,” I said bitterly, despair tightening my throat again.
Júlia pulled me into a tight, grounding hug. For a moment, I allowed the tears to return.
“He’s not going to take Clara from you,” she said fiercely, gripping my shoulders and staring into my eyes. “No sane judge would allow that.”
I nodded, trying to absorb her certainty—but all I could feel was fear. Deep. Visceral. Paralyzing.
