Eight months pregnant, a contraction tore through me like a blade.

But my husband, the Mafia boss Darren, refused to take me to the hospital.

His sister-in-law, Angelina, his late brother's widow, was also due.

To ensure she gave birth before me, she produced so-called proof of my infidelity, insisting the child I carried was no true Falcone.

Because the heir to the Falcone family had to be the firstborn grandson.

Darren believed her. He locked me in an abandoned wine cellar.

“Don't think for a second I don't know what you've been up to.”

“Let me tell you, you're not giving birth to that bastard until I've verified its bloodline myself.”

“Angelina’s boy is of pure blood. I have to make sure her boy is the family's firstborn grandson.”

I tried desperately to explain.

“My water is about to break! Please, take me to the hospital! He’s your son, I swear on my life!”

“I’ll never fight for the position of heir! I just want my baby to be safe!”

Darren simply kicked me and shot me a glance.

“Who knows if you’ll change your mind later? Don’t worry. I’ll come for you after Angelina gives birth. When the baby is born, I’ll see for myself whose it is.”

Later, as he gazed at the crying infant in Angelina's arms, he finally thought of me. But one of his men informed him, his voice trembling:

“Boss, the Madam… and the child… they're both dead.”

I had burned every bridge for Darren, only for him to inject me with a dangerous labor suppressant over a baseless rumor.

I promised myself that when the truth was revealed, he would kneel and repent.

Right now, I was pressed against the cellar door, pounding desperately on the heavy oak.

"Darren! Take me to the hospital! The baby is coming!"

Heavy footsteps approached from outside.

The sound of the lock turning ignited a spark of hope in me. When the door swung open, I saw Darren’s face, as cold and unforgiving as marble.

"Now?" he scoffed, his eyes on my sweat-soaked nightgown. "You really know how to pick your moments."

"Darren..." I gasped for breath. "I can’t hold on much longer..."

He grabbed my hair, forcing my head up to look at him.

The rough motion sent a searing pain across my scalp.

"That bastard in your belly isn't coming out until I know who its real father is."

His words struck me like a bolt of lightning. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Are you insane? This is your child!"

Darren seized my chin, his nails digging into my flesh.

The pain made me suck in a sharp breath.

"Don't play innocent with me, Scarlett. You think I don't know about the filthy things you've been doing behind my back?"

"I have never betrayed you!" I shook my head desperately, tears streaming down my cheeks.

He let go, and I nearly collapsed.

The weight of my pregnant belly made it difficult to keep my balance.

"Dr. Russo," he called into the hall.

A thin, middle-aged man entered the room, carrying a black medical bag.

I knew him. He was the family's private doctor, the one who handled our... discreet problems.

A cold dread washed over me.

"No..." I backed away, my back hitting the wall. The agony of the contractions made it impossible to escape.

"Boss, the delaying agent is ready. It's a custom compound," Dr. Russo said as he opened his medical bag and took out a syringe filled with a milky white liquid.

The fluid gleamed under the light.

"The dosage?"

"Enough to halt the labor for several hours." The doctor's tone was flat, as if this were all routine. "But the side effects may include..."

"I don't care about the side effects," Darren cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Begin."

Two bodyguards in black suits rushed into the room. They were Darren’s most trusted enforcers.

"Let go of me!" I struggled wildly, my nails leaving bloody scratches on their arms.

One of them cursed and gripped my arm tighter.

I could feel my bones groaning under the pressure.

"You can't do this!" I screamed at Darren. "I'm your wife! This is your blood! The baby will die!"

"Then let it die," Darren said, looking down at me. "A bastard with tainted blood doesn't deserve to live in this world."

The moment the needle pierced my skin, a burning pain spread through my veins.

The drug felt like liquid fire coursing through my body.

The pain of the contractions suddenly vanished, replaced by a strange, creeping numbness.

My limbs grew as heavy as lead. I could barely lift a finger.

"Good," Darren nodded, satisfied. "She’s more cooperative now."

The click of high heels echoed from the hall.

Silvana walked in, a twisted look of triumph on her face.

"You should have taught her this lesson a long time ago, brother," she said, nudging my limp hand with the toe of her shoe. "A whore like her brings nothing but shame to the Falcone name."

I tried to speak, to fight back, but all that came out was a faint whimper.

The drug felt like it was shredding my nervous system.

Every heartbeat felt like an explosion in my chest.

"Continue to monitor her condition," Darren said, adjusting his cufflinks, his voice cold.

"If the effects wear off, give her another dose immediately. Under no circumstances is that bastard to be born before Angelina's."

“The heir to the Falcone family must be Angelina’s son, a pure-blooded Falcone.”

"Yes, Boss," Dr. Russo replied with a respectful bow.

They were preparing to leave.

I bit my tongue, the taste of blood shocking me into a moment of clarity.

With my last ounce of strength, I cried out, "Darren! He’s your son! I can prove it with a blood test!"

He stopped and slowly turned around.

"You think I don't know that?" he sneered. "You're a clever one. Forging evidence is what you do best, isn't it?"

The door slammed shut.

The drug made my limbs feel like lead weights.

The baby in my womb seemed to sense the danger, its tiny fists kicking urgently against my ribs.

It was as if he were asking, Mommy, why can't I come out?

Footsteps echoed again. A woman's high heels.

Angelina pushed the door open.

She wore a white silk dress, gently caressing her own swollen belly.

She looked so pure, so harmless.

But I knew she wasn't. No one else believed me.

"Poor Scarlett," she said softly, walking slowly toward me. "You look like you're in so much pain."

Her voice was as sweet as honey, but she didn’t even bother to hide the malice in her eyes.

I struggled to lift my heavy eyelids to look at her.

Her pregnancy wasn't as far along as mine, yet her belly seemed even larger.

Her cheeks were rosy and her face glowed with vitality. She was clearly receiving the best medical care.

"A loyal mother is willing to endure any pain for the honor of the family," she said, crouching down in front of me.

"Scarlett, you always wanted to prove your innocence, didn't you? This is what you must endure."

I wanted to scream, but my tongue felt anesthetized.

I could only force out broken syllables. "It was you… You framed me…"

Angelina leaned in close to my ear, her breath warm. "Yes, it was me. So what?"

She smiled sweetly. "But Darren, he believes me."

"Don't worry. I'll give birth to the true Falcone heir. The one whose blood is pure."

Her hand caressed my cheek with a gentle touch.

But her next words made my blood run cold.

"And you, and your bastard, will be forgotten together."

“Forgive me," she said, her tone dripping with false sweetness. "I'm carrying the future of this family. I can't linger in a place this filthy."

Angelina turned and left, leaving me on the cold floor.

I was like a living corpse, unable to even move a finger.

But I could still feel the stirring in my belly. My baby hadn't given up.

Don't be afraid, Mommy will protect you.

Soon, I heard Darren's voice from outside the door. "Inject her every four hours."

Dr. Russo's voice followed. "Boss, at this dosage, it could..."

"I said, I don't care about the side effects," Darren cut him off. "That disgrace must not be born."

"Double the dose. I don't want to hear another sound out of her."

Dr. Russo nodded respectfully.

"Understood, Boss."

Silvana was practically vibrating with excitement, her voice filled with unconcealed glee.

"Let me watch this bitch, brother."

"Do as you wish. I need to ensure Angelina gives birth safely."

Having received her orders, Silvana swaggered in.

The smile on her face was impossible to hide.

She held a stack of letters, still scented with a man's cologne.

"Look at these, my dear sister-in-law." She knelt before me, spreading the papers out. "Angelina found these little treasures in your vanity."

I struggled to focus, but the drug blurred everything.

I could make out my own handwriting.

Silvana began to read aloud, her voice shrill and piercing.

"My dearest Marco, Darren has another meeting tonight, so we can finally be alone..."

"No..." I managed to shake my head, my tongue still numb. "I didn't write that..."

"Our son will have my intelligence and your good looks, a world away from that fool Darren..."

"Next month, we'll take the baby and escape from here, start a new life in Paris..."

"None of this is true!" I tried with all my might to refute her.

"Still pretending?" Silvana sneered. "Angelina gave these to me herself. She said you hid them well, but secrets have a way of coming out."

She produced a man’s gold cufflink.

It was engraved with an unfamiliar initial.

"This was found in your vanity drawer," she said, dangling it in front of my eyes. "It belongs to Marco Jackson. Angelina said you two often met here when Darren was away."

“What are you talking about! I’ve never even met a Marco!”

Silvana stood up and kicked me in the ribs.

The sharp pain made me curl into a ball.

"Forged?" Her voice cut like a knife. "Then explain why there was another man's belongings in your vanity. Explain why these letters are in your handwriting."

I wanted to argue, but the words were stuck in my throat.

Angelina's setup was too perfect.

"How many family traditions did my brother break for you?" Silvana continued kicking me. "He gave you the best life, the greatest respect! And for what?"

Her voice grew more hysterical. I could only shield my belly.

Time ticked by. No one was coming to save me.

Until Dr. Russo appeared again, the syringe in his hand now filled with a deep red liquid.

"An enhanced formula. By special request of the Boss."

The needle pierced my vein once more.

This time, the drug burned even hotter, like lava flowing through my blood.

My heartbeat became erratic, my chest heaving violently.

"Dr. Russo..." I gasped. "Something's... wrong..."

He checked my pulse and frowned. "Don't worry, you won't die. It's just a bit uncomfortable. You'll have to bear with it."

After the injection, an unprecedented wave of agony washed over me.

My skin flushed and burned. My breathing grew ragged and shallow.

"What's... what's wrong with her?" Silvana took a few steps back.

Dr. Russo checked my eyes. "An allergic reaction. A severe one."

I began to convulse, foam frothing at my mouth. I feared...

"Save... my baby..." I managed to choke out.

Silvana watched me in my agony, hesitating for a moment, but she had heard the doctor say I wouldn't die.

"You deserve it!" she snarled. "You whore!"

She grabbed my hair and stomped on my hand with her heel.

A tearing pain shot through me.

I wanted to fight back, but I had no strength left. My body was too weak.

“My only job today is to make sure you don’t give birth. The Falcone heir can’t be a bastard.”

"He's not a bastard!" I used my last ounce of strength to protect my stomach. "I told you, he's Darren's child..."

I felt a warm gush of liquid between my legs.

It was blood. A lot of blood.

"Stop... please, stop..."

She paid no attention, continuing to kick and punch me.

"The Falcone bloodline will not be tainted!"

Despair washed over me. I knew my baby wasn't going to make it.

I lost consciousness completely.