The night before our bonding ceremony, my fiancé, Enzo, the Underboss of the De Luca family, declared he had amnesia and had forgotten everything—including me.

Almost at the same time, I discovered I was pregnant.

"Perhaps a child," my private doctor suggested, "can awaken the part of him that still loves you, deep down."

I clung to that hope until I overheard their conversation outside a high-stakes card game at a private club.

"Faking amnesia just to dump the Rossi Principessa? Enzo, you're a fucking lunatic," one of his men laughed.

"Shut up," he said impatiently, but there was no real heat in his words. He was enjoying this.

"I'll marry her. Someday," he said. "But first, I'm going to have some fun."

Another voice sneered, "Isn't her cousin enough for you? Want me to find you some fresh talent?"

Enzo let out a low, mysterious chuckle. "You don't get it. I can't resist the thrill of betrayal. Damn, it's addictive."

Without a word, I turned and left.

That night, at a private clinic, I scheduled an appointment to terminate the pregnancy.

————————

1

My fiancé, Enzo, the man who once swore he loved only me, was indulging in a drunken orgy in his VIP lounge.

There, he reveled with a group of girls barely out of their teens, their giddy laughter echoing into the hallway.

"Harder, Enzo, come on..."

"Ah! Any rougher and I'll break!"

Over the phone, I heard the familiar voice of my cousin, Sophia, her breathless moans and laughter mingling together.

In a haze of alcohol and desire, Enzo hadn't even realized he'd accidentally butt-dialed me.

I couldn't believe it.

My fiancé and my cousin, tangled together in the same bed.

A wave of nausea churned in my stomach.

After hanging up, I drove straight back to the Rossi family estate.

It had once been my home, a place I hadn't set foot in since my engagement to Enzo.

As the Principessa of the Rossi family, I had been willing to sacrifice everything for Enzo—my status, my pride, my all.

But now, the scales had finally fallen from my eyes.

When Dr. Valenti, the Rossi family's private physician, heard my request, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Alessia, this child represents the alliance between the Rossi and De Luca families. You know the stakes. Are you sure about this? If Enzo finds out, the shock could cause his trauma to resurface."

I smiled bitterly, my gaze falling to my flat stomach.

"If he found out, he'd probably just invent a new illness to escape the blame."

After all, he was still lost in the arms of those young girls at the club.

Who would even believe me if I told them?

The man who had shed tears when I accepted his proposal was now weaving this clumsy lie just for a cheap thrill.

The doctor couldn't persuade me and reluctantly prepared the surgical documents.

But he still insisted on calling Enzo.

"Alessia, this child isn't just yours. Even if Enzo has amnesia, he should be here to sign the papers. He needs to be by your side. What if this is all just a misunderstanding?"

I didn't stop him.

Deep down, I knew this child was the most powerful bond between us, something I cherished more than anything.

Because of a rare blood disorder, it was difficult for me to conceive.

When I was diagnosed with fertility issues, Enzo had been unwavering.

He claimed he loved me enough to defy his own parents, to fight them for the right to marry me.

The doctor was right. He should at least be here as I chose to say goodbye to our child.

But when the call connected, his cold laughter echoed from the receiver.

"Alessia's pregnant? Impossible. How much did my dear Principessa pay you to cook up this little fairy tale? If she thinks a baby can trap me into marriage, tell her to dream on. Who the hell even knows if the kid is mine?"

The line went dead, his mocking laughter echoing in the silence of the sterile clinic room.

Without another moment of hesitation, I signed the papers and climbed onto the operating table alone.

When I woke up after the surgery, my phone was filled with over a dozen messages from Enzo.

Enzo: Alessia, I didn't expect you to be so reckless. I'm still in recovery, and you're already trying to force a wedding?

Enzo: You, the Principessa of the Rossi family, resorting to a fake pregnancy to blackmail me?

Enzo: From now on, we're done. Move out. I don't want to see you again.

The apartment we lived in had been purchased in full with my personal funds.

And he had the audacity to tell me to get out?

The De Luca family was powerful, but they were never flush with that kind of liquid cash.

I glanced at the bloody gauze—the only trace of the child that would never be—and replied with a single, calm word: "Okay."

I was more certain than ever of my decision. He didn't deserve to be a father.

During the three days I spent recovering in the hospital, he never once showed up.

But his social media became a gallery of parties, alcohol, and women.

He was indeed "having some fun."

I knew he was posting all of it for me to see, so I played along and liked every single post.

The day I was discharged, I witnessed an unexpected scene:

Enzo and Dr. Valenti in the hallway, rushing a gurney toward the emergency room.

What was the Underboss of the De Luca family doing in a Rossi-owned hospital?

Enzo's gaze met mine for less than a second before darting away as if I were a stranger.

But a moment later, the emergency doctor's anxious shout reached my ears, loud and clear.

"Prep Operating Room One! We need to contact the specialist in Switzerland! The patient has a ruptured spleen from an accident, severe internal bleeding—she needs surgery now!"

"What? The specialist's schedule is full?"

After the call, the doctor rushed to Enzo's side and whispered something in his ear.

Enzo froze.

The next moment, he spun around and strode toward me, his face a mask of impatience.

"Alessia, help me contact your family's doctor in Switzerland to save Sophia," he said, his voice urgent yet filled with a sickening sense of entitlement. "And I'll overlook the fact that you're stalking me."

I froze, then let out a laugh.

It was utterly ridiculous.

I spoke softly, "I'm not stalking you."

"Stop making excuses! A life is on the line!"

He grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the doctor.

"Contact your family's doctor. Whatever it costs, just save her!"

I struggled to break free, but his grip was like an iron clamp, forcing me forward.

I asked coldly, "Didn't you want to be done with me? What makes you think I would still help you?"

I stared at him, waiting for an answer.

Enzo paced anxiously outside the emergency room, his agitation radiating off him like a heat wave.

After a long moment, his voice cut through the air, sharp and unforgiving.

"Alessia! Is this really the time to argue? We were together for six years, and Sophia is your cousin! Are you just going to stand there and watch her die?"

I remained silent. What about me?

I felt like I was about to collapse.

I had just undergone an abortion.

I was still bleeding.

And here he was, demanding I use my family's resources to save his mistress.

The Swiss specialist the Rossi family has on retainer is a world-renowned surgical authority who rarely makes public appearances.

Even at my best, calling in that favor was a monumental decision, not one to be taken lightly.

Besides, why should I use my family's most important asset for a man like him?

Did Enzo not consider the consequences when he brought his mistress to a hospital controlled by the Rossi family?

Everyone knew that the best trauma center in the city was funded by the Rossi family.

Everyone knew we were engaged.

The marriage of a Rossi and a De Luca was supposed to reshape the power dynamics of Chicago.

But for the sake of my cousin, he had dragged the honor of both our families through the mud.

"I just had surgery," I said calmly.

"I don't have the strength to deal with this. You'll have to find another way."

Enzo's fury ignited, his words scalding.

"Alessia! You always claimed to love me. Now I'm just asking you to make one phone call, and you invent some surgery as an excuse?"

"So this is who you really are. You'd rather let Sophia die than lift a finger. I can't believe I ever loved someone so cold and heartless."

His accusation was baseless, yet it landed like a silent, crushing blow.

Perhaps he was right.

He had never truly loved me.

Otherwise, he would never have faked amnesia to deceive me.

He wouldn't have ignored my obvious paleness and weakness while trying to force me to save his mistress.

And he certainly wouldn't have slept with my cousin.

The tense standoff was broken by the shrill alarm of a nearby monitor as emergency doctors rushed Sophia into the operating room.

Unable to contain his rage any longer, Enzo slammed me against the wall and snatched my phone.

"Alessia, whether you like it or not, I'll owe you for this one," he said gruffly.

"Damn it, if you insist, I'll even marry you on the original date."

This was the future Don of the De Luca family—reckless, treacherous, and willing to do anything to get what he wanted.

I stopped resisting.

Perhaps this was my way of settling an old debt.

Once, he had risked his life to save me during an ambush by a rival family.

Now, this would make us even.

When the call connected, I asked for help from my family's Consigliere in a weak voice.

Every word felt like it was draining the life from me.

After the call, Enzo rushed after the doctors toward the operating room, never once looking back at me.

As his back disappeared down the hall, I whispered to the empty space, "Now, we're even, Enzo."

I woke up in a hospital bed, exhaustion washing over me.

"You'll feel this weakness for at least six months," the doctor said gravely. "You must rest. Any more stress could trigger a severe relapse."

I nodded weakly, too drained to reply.

After the doctor left, I checked my phone.

The hospital had made over a dozen calls to Enzo's emergency contact number.

Not a single one was answered.

Instead, there was a text from him.

Enzo: Alessia, don't be so fucking dramatic. Know your place.

I stared at the screen for what felt like an eternity.

The last shred of illusion I held for him was utterly shattered.

I couldn't reconcile the man who had written these words with the one who had once loved me so deeply.

I didn't reply.

For the next few days, I focused on quietly recovering.

The sun was bright, and I felt its warmth seeping into me, making me feel a little stronger.

I slowly made my way to the hospital garden, hoping to soak in some sun.

However, my path was blocked by a group of Enzo's Soldato.

Each of them was holding an expensive gift.

For a foolish moment, I thought they were from Enzo, for me.

Don't be so sentimental.

I dismissed the ridiculous thought, shaking my head and turning to leave, but they blocked my way.

"Well, well, look who it is. The great Rossi Principessa. Enzo's with his new flame, and you're still here playing the patient? How pathetic."

"Isn't this a bit much? Just for making a phone call, you're acting this weak."

"Looks like even a Principessa can't hold onto her man. Lost him to her own cousin. Fucking hilarious."

Their taunts were relentless, but I steadied myself and glared back at them.

"Hilarious. Since when do the dogs of the De Luca family get to judge a Rossi?"

"Say one more word, and I'll have you and your boss, Enzo, thrown out."

They were stunned into silence.

Before they could retort, Enzo emerged from the stairwell.

His eyes landed on me, his brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Alessia, do you have any dignity left as a Principessa? Must you argue with my men?"

His tone grew colder, each word suffocating.

"I already said I'd marry you. What the hell else do you want? Stop faking sickness and stalking me. If you pull these stunts after we're married, it'll be bad for business between our families."