Our child.Not his child. Not the heir. Ours.
The shift in language felt monumental.
"I'm scared," I admitted, the words escaping before I could stop them.
"Good." His hand tightened slightly. "Fear keeps you careful. Recklessness nearly got you killed today."
"Not of the pregnancy. Of—" I gestured vaguely, encompassing everything. "All of it. Giuseppe. Ricci. Unknown enemies. Bringing a child into this nightmare."
"Then we end the nightmare." His eyes met mine with cold resolve. "Before the baby comes, we eliminate every threat. Giuseppe. Ricci. Anyone who would use our child as a weapon."
"That's months away. You can't just—"
"Watch me."
The absolute certainty in his voice should have been impossible. But looking at him—jaw set, eyes hard, every line of his body radiating lethal purpose—I almost believed him.
"The doctor said you need rest," Luca said, standing. "The fall, the pregnancy, the stress—your body needs time to recover."
"I can't just stay in bed—"
"You will. For today, at least." He moved toward the door, then paused. "And Sienna? If you ever try another stunt like today's, I'll post guards outside your door. Test me on this."
The threat was clear. But beneath it, I heard the fear. The desperate need to protect what was his.
What was ours.
After he left, I lay back against the pillows, hand drifting to my stomach. Six weeks. Maybe seven. A cluster of cells that would become a person. A Romano-Moretti heir who would inherit two empires built on blood and violence.
Or a child who might finally bring peace to families who'd been at war for generations.
I didn't know which future awaited. But lying there, bruised and aching, I made a silent vow to the life growing inside me:
I will keep you safe. No matter what it costs. No matter who I have to become.
Even if it meant becoming a monster myself.
CHAPTER 9
Luca
Two hours after Sienna's pregnancy was confirmed, I made the call.
"Marco, activate Protocol Seven. We're moving underground."
"Boss, are you sure? The penthouse security is solid—"
"Not solid enough. Not anymore." I looked toward the bedroom where Sienna was resting. "Someone's been watching us since the wedding. Building a file. The blackmail photo was just the beginning. I won't wait for them to make their next move."
"Understood. ETA twenty minutes."
I woke Sienna gently. Her eyes opened, still foggy with sleep. "What's happening?"
"We're leaving. Getting you somewhere safer." I pulled clothes from the dresser. "Get dressed. We don't have muchtime."
She sat up slowly, wincing at the bruises from her fall. "Luca, I can barely walk—"
"Then I'll carry you."
