Chapter 3After I Refused the Ninth IVF Attempt, the Don Was Consumed by Regret

When I walked out of the fertility center, Cassiano had just pulled up.

The black sedan was parked at the curb. He climbed out of the back seat, coat hanging open, tie loosened halfway.

"You're done? Anything hurting?"

He reached out to steady me. I stepped aside, out of his reach.

His hand hung in the air for a second. Then he turned back to the car and pulled out a takeout container of soup. "Eat something first."

The paper bag had the logo of an Italian restaurant on it.

I didn't take it.

"My husband can cook dinner for another woman with his own hands, but I only get takeout?"

"You saw the photo?"

"Livia's stomach was acting up. That's the only reason I made her something."

Cassiano frowned, edging into impatience.

"Sera, why do you keep hung up on this petty stuff?"

I knew the look on his face right now.

He was waiting. Waiting for me to blow up like every other time. To scream at him about why it was Livia. Again.

Instead, I just nodded, calm. "Okay."

His expression didn't relax. "You're… not mad?"

I glanced at the soup in his hand.

"You're right. It's just a meal. Not worth losing it over."

His brow pulled tighter. He was probably searching my face for signs I was holding it in, faking calm.

But there was nothing there to find.

"Get in the car." He opened the passenger door for me. "It's cold out."

We drove a few blocks before he said, "You free the rest of the day?"

"Yes."

"Good." His grip on the wheel loosened a little. "Let's pick up some things for the baby."

I looked out the window. "No need. Won't be using them."

"Don't be like that, Sera." As if he'd finally found the tantrum he'd been waiting for, that in-control expression settled back onto his face. "Get whatever you want."

He said it so naturally. Like we were still both looking forward to some future coming toward us.

I remembered when we first started trying.

Back then, Cassiano hadn't brought Livia into the inner circle yet. He'd walked through the baby aisles with me, cupped a pair of tiny socks in his palm, and laughed. "How are they this small? Barely the size of your finger."

That was the softest I'd ever seen him.

Softer than the hand that held a gun. Softer than the hand that signed execution orders.

Halfway there, Cassiano pulled over to the side of the road.

"Livia's sister-in-law is pregnant. She wants to grab some things to send over. It's on the way."

The next second the door opened, and Livia slid into the back seat.

"I'm not interrupting, am I?"

I gave a thin smile. "It's not the first time."

She bit her lip like I'd humiliated her. "There's nothing going on between me and the Don. If it bothers you, I'll just—"

The instant she reached for the door handle, Cassiano hit the locks. He turned to me, and his voice went cold—the same tone he used interrogating traitors.

"That's enough, Sera. Do you have to embarrass everyone?"

"Livia is family. I trained her myself. I'm not cutting her loose. If you can't handle even that—" he paused, "then there's no point in having this baby either."

My fingernails dug into my palm.

I'd thought I was past the point of hurting over him. But my chest still ached, dull and heavy.

"Then let's not have it."

Cassiano's frown deepened. He sighed after a long moment. "I know how much you wanted this baby, but that's enough, Sera. Livia doesn't have any ulterior motives."

I pulled the corner of my mouth up.

Right. Dragging Cassiano away in the middle of the night—no ulterior motives. Sabotaging one IVF cycle after another—also no ulterior motives.

I closed my eyes. Suddenly I didn't have it in me to speak anymore.

The rest of the ride, the car was full of the two of them talking. I stayed silent.

At the mall, Livia settled right in beside Cassiano like she belonged there. The two of them murmured back and forth—this one's better, that one's not good for pregnancy.

A saleswoman came over, all smiles. Her eyes flicked between the two of them.

"You two make such a lovely couple. How far along are you, ma'am?"

Livia flushed. Cassiano's brow tightened.

"No, she—"

Before he could finish, a voice cut in behind us.

"Sera, you here with Cassiano?"

Matteo Corsini, an old associate of his, walked up. He saw me standing a few paces off by myself, then took in the way Livia was standing at Cassiano's side like it was the most natural thing in the world. His face slowly shifted into something odd.

"Cassiano. You know what you're doing? Sera took a bullet for you."

Cassiano was quiet for a second. His jaw tightened.

"You're reading too much into it."

Matteo looked at him, shook his head, and didn't say anything else.

The saleswoman had already realized her mistake and was apologizing over and over.

"It's fine," I said first. "Easy mix-up."

Cassiano looked at me. Something complicated moved across his face.