Marcella's POV

I opened my eyes and instantly knew something wasn’t right.

The expected rhythmic beeping of hospital equipment was absent. There were no gentle cries of a newborn or the soothing whispers of family. Instead, there was an unsettling silence.

I attempted to move, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. Panic surged within me as I tried to sit up, only to be met with a sharp, excruciating pain in my back.

My breath hitched, and I paused, taking a moment to assess my condition. That’s when I realized—my stomach was flat.

A wave of panic washed over me as my mind raced, desperately asking the question I dreaded. Where was my baby?

Fear coursed through me, and tears welled in my eyes. I fought to remain calm and think clearly, even as terror gripped me.

Just before I could call out, the door creaked open, and I instinctively closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep and listened as footsteps approached.

“Spare me the nonsense, Doctor,” Titus snapped, his deep voice laced with irritation. I froze. I’d recognize that voice anywhere.

“Why are you crying more than the bereaved? Do you know how disgusted I feel knowing I’ll still have to see her face and go through another round of pretenses? How did she even survive? She was supposed to die.”

“But — Boss, that child had a chance to live, why did you turn off the life support?” The doctor asked, frustration evident in his voice.

Titus let out a harsh laugh, the sound so cold made my skin crawl. “A chance?” he repeated mockingly. “That child was as good as dead before he was even born,” Titus replied coldly, his tone devoid of feeling. “I never wanted that baby in the first place.”

Shock coursed through me, and I struggled to keep my breathing steady.

“I made it clear from the beginning that Vynessa is the one I love,” Titus continued, his words cutting through me like a blade. “Her son will carry my name, not Marcella’s.”

Vynessa? My sister? Or was there another Vanessa I didn’t know about?

I fought to comprehend what I was hearing. My sister, whom I loved and trusted, had betrayed me? Why? What had I done to deserve this?

Pain twisted in my chest as a tear rolled down my cheek. I wanted to scream, to confront him, to demand answers, but I remained silent, desperate to grasp the extent of their betrayal.

The doctor’s voice turned gentle, his tone careful. “Donna Marcella has already endured so much—losing her child and her ability to walk. Please, allow me to perform reconstructive surgery on her burns.”

Titus let out a harsh, mocking laugh. “And why would I agree to that? So she can outshine Vynessa? No. Let her remain like this. Let her wake up every day tormented by her losses. With her out of the picture, Vynessa will rightfully assume her role as the Donna of the Lombardi family.”

A wave of nausea surged through me, and I swallowed hard trying not to vomit.

“But sir,” the doctor interjected cautiously, “this could lead her to… dark thoughts. Even suicide—”

“That’s not my concern,” Titus cut him off dismissively and hissed loudly. “The faster it happens, the better for me”

The doctor shifted uncomfortably, and I could sense his hesitation. “Boss… with all due respect, I didn’t sign up for this,” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. “I became a doctor to save lives, not to—”

Titus’s cold, menacing laugh cut him off. “Save lives?” he repeated mockingly. “Let me remind you, Doctor, that you’re only standing here right now because I allow it.”

The doctor cleared his throat nervously, but Titus wasn’t finished. His tone dropped lower, colder. “Don’t forget who’s been funding this fancy private clinic of yours or who got your girlfriend into that cushy job at the law firm”

The silence stretched, thick and oppressive, before Titus spoke again, his words slow and deliberate.

“Imagine what would happen if I pulled the plug on all that.” He leaned in closer, and I could almost feel the icy chill of his breath in the room.

“Imagine if the government found out that you’ve been treating the most dangerous mafia family in the country off the books. No license. No protection. Just you, alone, rotting in a prison cell while your precious little fiancée moves on.”

The doctor’s breathing hitched as he clenched and unclenched his fingers.

“And let’s not forget your daughter,” Titus continued, his voice a low, dangerous purr. “How old is she now? Eight? Nine? Such a sweet girl. It’d be a shame if anything happened to her.”

“You wouldn’t,” the doctor whispered, his voice trembling with barely restrained fury.

“Try me,” Titus said simply, and for a moment, the room was so quiet I could hear the doctor’s ragged breathing.

Marcella's POV

The door swung open again, followed by the sound of footsteps and a familiar voice that sent a chill down my spine.

“Boss, I swear I thought she was dead,” Paulo said, disbelief thick in his voice. “I was right behind her! I saw the bomb go off with my own eyes. How the hell did she survive that?”

I clenched the sheets beneath me, my entire body trembling as I listened.

“She’s always been annoyingly lucky,” Titus replied, his tone filled with irritation. “But this time, it doesn’t matter. She won’t be lucky for long.”

My driver? This man who would’ve been six feet under if not for me. He was about to be killed by one of the mafia gangs he worked for, and I saved him.

I gave him a roof over his head, paid him more than I’d pay any actual driver, treated him like family—and this is how he repaid me? By plotting my death with my husband?

“I took care of the remains,” Paulo said quietly, his tone cold and detached. “Just confirming before I leave town.”

The remains? My stomach twisted painfully. What did he mean by remains?

Titus let out a mocking sigh. “You planted the bomb exactly where I told you?”

“Yes, boss— I swear I did it, I don't know how she survived it boss I—”

Titus cursed under his breath. “Keep your stinky mouth shut before I blow your brains out. She's supposed to be dead! But here we are, back to square one”

My nails dug painfully into my palms beneath the covers as rage boiled beneath my skin.

“So…boss, my payment?” Paulo asked after a moment. His voice was light, as though we weren’t talking about someone’s life. About my life.

Titus leaned back in his chair, a cruel edge creeping into his voice. “Five million was the deal, wasn’t it?” He let the silence linger, drawing out the tension.

“Yeah boss, you know I need the money for my mother's surgery,” Paulo replied warily.

“Well,” Titus said with a humorless laugh, “unfortunately, you didn’t do your job.”

“What?” Paulo’s voice sharpened.

Titus leaned forward, his voice deadly calm. “You had one task—one—and you screwed it up. She’s still alive, Paulo. And you know what that means?”

Paulo swallowed audibly. “I… I saw the blast! I don’t understand how—”

“Save it,” Titus cut him off coldly. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to leave this town. Now. And if I even smell your pathetic existence anywhere near here, or if you breathe a word about what we did, I’ll make you wish you never crawled out of your mother’s womb.”

Paulo sucked in a sharp breath, but Titus wasn’t finished.

“In fact,” Titus added, his voice as smooth as poison, “I’ve already sent a little farewell package. Let’s just say your dear old mother won’t be waiting for you when you get home.”

“What did you do?” Paulo’s voice trembled. “Boss— don't tell me you did what I think you did boss — she's the only one I have boss”

Titus smiled—a cold, wicked sound. “She’s dead, Paulo. I chopped her into neat little pieces. Consider it a parting gift—and a reminder of what happens to people who disappoint me.”

A part of me broke at that moment, like glass shattering into countless sharp fragments.

This was no accident. It had never been an accident. My heart raced painfully as the dreadful reality set in—Titus, my husband… Vynessa, my sister… even Paulo, my loyal driver.

They had conspired against me. They had plotted my demise. And I had placed my trust in them, loved them, completely unaware that they were the ones holding the knife to my back.

I wanted to scream, to weep, to take some action, but I was frozen, unable to move or speak. I had to remain silent. I needed to hear it all.

“One more thing,” Titus commanded, his tone sharp and authoritative. “Remove her womb.”

The doctor gasped in shock. “What? Sir, that’s—”

“Do it,” Titus ordered, his voice harsh. “She’s a distraction. I never truly loved her. With Vynessa pregnant, Marcella is of no use to me.”

Tears flowed down my cheeks as I lay there, powerless. I had loved this man. I had given him everything. And he had broken me beyond repair.

The doctor hesitated, but Titus wasn’t finished. He seized the man by the collar, his voice dangerously low. “When she wakes up, I want her empty.”

I felt a sharp prick as a needle entered my arm.

I fought against it, desperate to stay awake, but my body betrayed me. My eyelids grew heavy, and my vision faded.

As darkness enveloped me, I felt a breath against my ear.

“Sleep now, Marcella,” Titus whispered, his voice laced with twisted amusement.

“And when you wake up, your nightmare will truly begin.”