Chapter 4

Elena Gallo POV:

The glam squad Alessandro sent descended on the house like a flock of colorful, chattering birds. They painted my face, sculpted my hair, and poured me into a designer gown. They were crafting the perfect image of Mrs. De Luca, the elegant Capo's wife. Inside, I was a hollowed-out ruin.

When Alessandro saw me, his eyes widened with genuine appreciation. It was a look that once would have made my heart flutter. Now, it just made me feel cold. I gave him a brittle smile and let him lead me to the car.

The museum was glittering. The new wing, my design, was filled with Chicago's elite. They applauded when we walked in, their faces a blur of envy and respect. It was a masterclass in the De Luca family's power, and I was the star prop.

During his speech, Alessandro presented me with a gift. A diamond watch from a brand I despised. It was another sign of his carelessness, of how completely he had forgotten me. I wondered if he'd bought Scarlett Valenti a matching one.

The polite applause had just died down when the chaos erupted.

Scarlett Valenti appeared at the entrance to the hall, holding the hand of her son, Leo. She released him, and the little boy made a beeline for Alessandro.

He threw himself at Alessandro's legs, his small face streaked with tears. Then he turned, pointed a tiny finger at me, and screamed, "She's trying to take my daddy away!"

A collective gasp went through the room. The silence was absolute, heavy with scandal. The shame of the De Luca family, laid bare for all to see.

Alessandro went pale. "I don't know this child," he said, his voice strained.

Scarlett rushed forward, playing the part of the distraught mother perfectly. "Leo, honey, we shouldn't be here," she whispered, but her eyes, when they met mine, were full of venomous victory. A vendetta served cold.

The boy screamed again, his voice shrill. "She's the bad lady, Daddy!" He pointed at my wrist. Dangling from his tiny arm was a leather bracelet I had given Alessandro years ago. The final, damning piece of evidence.

The sight of it, on him, broke something inside me. It was the ultimate insult to my position, to everything I had sacrificed.

Alessandro's focus snapped from the boy to me, his eyes blazing with fury, as if this was somehow my fault. He grabbed my arm. "What did you do?" he snarled.

He shoved me. Hard.

I stumbled backward, my head cracking against the sharp edge of a glass table. Pain exploded behind my eyes. I felt the sting of glass slicing into my arm.

But Alessandro didn't even look at me. He was kneeling, his attention solely on Leo, fussing over a tiny scrape on the boy's knee.

In that moment, in front of everyone, he made his choice. He chose his bastard. He chose his Valenti mistress. He abandoned his wife and the legitimate heir growing inside of me.

As security escorted Scarlett and Leo out, she glanced back over her shoulder. The pure, malicious triumph in her eyes confirmed everything. This was her design. Her war.

A sharp, cramping pain seized my abdomen. I looked down. A dark stain was spreading across the pale silk of my gown. Blood.

The whispers of the crowd turned to accusations, blaming me for disgracing the family name. The pain in my belly intensified, a brutal, tearing sensation. I was losing the baby. Our baby.

The world tilted, and I collapsed onto the floor in a pool of my own blood.