Page 47 of Married to the Ruthless Mafia Heir

Her words rang sincere. Her manner genuine. I stood there thinking, then gave Marco a look. "Take her to the hospital."

Valentina lit up. "Thank you for trusting me, Dante."

I waved her off and returned to my office, feeling defeated.

Dark clouds gathered outside the window. Looked like heavy rain. I prayed silently—hoped Elena was okay.

Chapter Seventeen

Elena

I woke to the sharp smell of disinfectant filling my nose. Opening my eyes, I saw a white ceiling, white walls, the steady beep of machines beside the bed—everything felt foreign.

It took me several seconds to figure out where I was. A hospital.

Lucia sat beside the bed, eyes red and swollen. When she saw me open my eyes, she leaned in quickly. "Elena, you're awake! How do you feel? Does anything hurt?"

I shook my head. My throat was too dry to speak.

Lucia helped me sit up and handed me a glass of warm water. After a few sips, I found my voice. "What happened?"

After Dante left last night, I remembered wanting to go downstairs for food. But the moment I stepped out of my room, everything spun, and I blacked out.

Lucia's expression shifted, complicated. Her eyes reddened again, but her lips curved into a smile. She gripped my hand, voice both thrilled and moved. "Elena, you're pregnant."

I froze.

"The doctor said over a month along." She looked at me. "You fainted from low blood sugar combined with emotional stress, but they checked—the baby's fine. Perfectly healthy."

Over a month. With everything that had been happening, I hadn't even noticed my period had stopped.

My hand drifted to my stomach. A month ago—that was my first time with Dante. That night when we'd both been drugged. I thought it was just a forced beginning, never imagining this child had existed since then.

Tears flooded out without warning.

Joy. And relief. I'd finally conceived the Moretti heir.

Once I delivered this baby, I'd have fulfilled my promise to Salvador. By then, even if Dante wanted a divorce, I could leave the manor and raise the child on my own.

Lucia frantically wiped my tears. "Pregnancy's a good thing. Stop crying, think of your health."

She was right. For me, getting pregnant was huge. Whether Dante welcomed this child or not, at least I'd completed Salvador's two tasks. Once I gave birth, I might finally escape this manor.

I wiped my tears, forcing a smile. "Sorry, Lucia. I'm just so happy."

But my happiness didn't last. Fear came rushing back.

Valentina had returned. Dante's attention was completely on her now. Yesterday he'd even brought her back to the manor, flaunting their closeness right in front of me.

To Dante, I was just his wife in name. That title was all I had.

Dante cared so much about Valentina—if he found out about this baby, would he even want me to keep it? He operated ruthlessly in both business and the mafia world, always decisive. If he wanted this pregnancy gone, he had plenty of ways to make it happen.

"Lucia." My voice trembled with worry. "If Dante... doesn't want this baby, what do I do?"

Lucia saw right through me. She shook her head firmly, squeezing my hand. "He won't, Elena. I watched Dante grow up. Deep down, he's a kind boy. I know he loves children. When people at the manor had babies, he'd always visit, bring gifts. You're carrying his own child—he'd never hurt his own."

Her words eased me slightly, but the unease lingered.