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.

When I woke up again, Silvana was gone.

A servant, Leo, came in with a tray of food and froze in shock at the bloody scene.

The tray slipped from his hands, the porcelain shattering on the floor. I was lying in a pool of my own blood.

"My God..." Leo rushed over. "What happened to you?"

"I have to call the Boss."

When the call connected, Darren's impatient voice came through.

"What is it? I'm busy."

"Boss, the Madam... she's bleeding badly. I think her condition is critical..."

"Blood?" Darren scoffed. "Scarlett is strong. She can handle it. Don't let her fool you."

"Tell her I won't let her die, but that child is not to be born before Angelina's."

“If she behaves, I might let the bastard live.”

The line went dead.

Leo stood there, stunned, unable to believe what he had just heard.

He looked at my dying form, his conscience and loyalty at war.

Finally, he made a decision.

"I can't just watch you die here." He knelt down and carefully lifted me into his arms. "I know a place that can help you."

He rushed out of the room with me in his arms.

A trail of blood dripped onto the marble floor of the hallway.

I drifted in and out of consciousness in his embrace, aware only of the jostling and the pain.

The car sped through the city streets at night.

Leo was constantly on the phone, arranging something.

"It's me... yes, an emergency... pregnant woman, massive bleeding..."

After what felt like an eternity, the car stopped.

Leo kept reassuring me. "Hang on, we're almost there."

But when we arrived at the clinic, the old, bearded doctor saw the needle marks on my arm, and his face went deathly pale.

"Good God... what kind of devil's work is this..."

"I... I don't know... The family's private doctor injected her..."

The doctor's hands began to tremble.

He turned to me, his eyes filled with despair.

"There's no antidote for this kind of poison."

"You need to call the Boss, now!" the underground clinic doctor grabbed Leo's arm. "This toxin is attacking her nervous system! I need professional equipment!"

"She's going to die!"

Leo's hand shook as he dialed the number.

"Boss, the doctor says we need professional equipment to save Madam Scarlett..."

"Specialized equipment?" Darren's voice was laced with scorn. "Leo, have you forgotten who all the city's top medical resources are for? They are for the true heir."

To ensure Angelina's safety, Darren had monopolized nearly all of New York City's top-tier medical resources.

All the renowned obstetricians had been "invited" to the private hospital controlled by the Falcone family.

"It was just a few injections. She'll be fine."

“In a couple of days, after Angelina has delivered safely, we can treat her. It won’t be too late.”

The phone was hung up abruptly.

The old doctor looked at me with despair, his eyes full of helplessness and pity. "I know one place."

"Maybe... maybe there will be a miracle."

He picked me up again and rushed to the black car parked outside.

I curled up in the back seat, feeling life slowly draining from my lower body.

The baby's kicks in my belly grew weaker, as if in a final protest.

"Hang on," Leo whispered in my ear. "We're going to St. Mary's Hospital."

That was also where Angelina was waiting to give birth.

When the car pulled up to the hospital, I saw a scene of utter hopelessness.

The entire maternity wing was on lockdown, crawling with Falcone's men.

A long line of ambulances stood ready, all for Angelina alone.

Leo helped me stumble toward the emergency room.

A nurse saw me covered in blood and recoiled in horror.

"Oh my God! What happened?"

"She's Darren Falcone's wife," Leo said urgently. "She needs surgery immediately!"

The nurse's face went pale, and her voice trembled.

"But... the Boss's orders. All our resources are reserved for Ms. Angelina."

I was pushed onto a gurney in the hallway, listening to their conversation.

The drug's side effects left me unable to speak, forced to watch as they debated my life and death.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the maternity wing, I could see the bright lights inside.

Darren was in there, gently keeping Angelina company.

"Please..." Leo begged. "At least let us see the Boss..."

The head nurse hesitated for a moment before picking up the internal phone.