"Lena, how's our little one doing today? Just a little longer now."

He squatted down, his large, strong hands gently massaging my swollen ankles, his eyes filled with the deep affection I once drowned in.

"It's all your favorite, but I got held up by a few family calls on the way."

"Hold on, I'll go heat this up for you."

He picked up the takeout box from the upscale restaurant and headed for the microwave.

My phone screen lit up. The anonymous community post had a new reply.

[Vinny made too much, so I had him pack the leftovers. I picked the pink container myself. Can't let his precious son go hungry, right?]

The pink Hello Kitty takeout box on the table stung my eyes like a poisoned needle.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

It turned out I was the fool they were plotting against in the post.

"Lena, it's heated up. Come, let me feed you."

I looked at Vinny's charming face, a face that was once my entire faith.

I still couldn't fathom that he would conspire with another woman to deceive me on this scale.

We had fallen in love at first sight at a gallery. My impression of him was powerful, charming, and ambitious.

Ours was an arranged marriage, a family alliance, but I'd fallen for him amidst the fierce possessiveness that defined our life together.

Every time we failed to conceive, he would cage me in his searing embrace and comfort me in a husky voice.

When, through IVF, we finally saw the two red lines on the pregnancy test, he was even more excited than I was.

I naively thought that our power and love had finally borne their inevitable fruit.

It turned out I had foolishly walked right into a trap they had meticulously designed.

I pushed away the fork he brought to my lips.

I looked him straight in the eye. "Vinny, do you think it's possible there was a mistake during the embryo transfer? I want to get a check-up."

The hand stirring his food froze, and an almost imperceptible flicker of darkness crossed his features.

"Lena, have you been reading too much garbage online? How is that possible? That hospital is controlled by the Family. Their tech is the best in the world. They don't make mistakes."

"But I'm just scared. I looked it up; amniocentesis can be used for a DNA test. Vinny, let's go get it done, just for peace of mind."

He put down his utensils, a flash of irritation in his eyes, tinged with the anger of being challenged.

"Lena, I'm worried about the risk to you and the baby. Trust me, a mistake like that is absolutely impossible."

He began deploying his usual cocktail of force and affection, trying every trick to dissuade me, but I wouldn't budge.

His encrypted phone rang. He glanced at the screen and stood up, heading for the study.

"Lena, there's an urgent family matter. I need to take this call."

He walked into the study and closed the heavy, soundproof door.

The faint sounds of an argument were completely blocked out.

Five minutes later, he walked out, his brow relaxed.

"Lena, since you're feeling uneasy, I'll go with you. We'll book the test right now."

"Really? But just now you were..."

Vinny cut me off, pulling me into his arms. "Lena, of course I love our child, but I love you more. Your feelings are what's most important. Only when you're at ease can my heir grow up healthy."

I was filled with suspicion. What could have caused Vinny's attitude to do a complete one-eighty?

On the way to the private hospital, I found the answer in that post.

[The bitch suddenly wants a DNA test. You think she saw the post?]

[But I'm not worried. Let her check. It’s just a piece of paper. We have a guy on the inside. It’s handled.]

I clutched my phone tightly, my lips pressed together in silence.

"Lena, are you not feeling well? Why do you look so pale?" Vinny's voice came from beside me.

As the car neared the entrance of the private hospital, I grabbed Vinny's sleeve.

"Can we go to a different private hospital? I don't want to do it at this one."

Vinny looked at me, confused. "Lena, we've been coming to this private hospital since we created your file. All your data is here. Why the sudden change?"

"Dr. Rossi is one of ours, Lena. You chose him yourself. It's too late to switch now."

He took my hand, the warmth of his palm carrying an undeniable force.

"Have you been too anxious lately? It's all my fault. I'm always thinking about expanding our territory, making more money, to create a better life for you and the child."

If this were before, I would have been moved by his strength and ambition.

But now, that post was like a poisoned thorn, buried deep in my heart.

"Lena, the other top private hospitals are all fully booked. Let's just go get the test done first, okay?" His tone was gentle, but the pressure of his hand on mine was a silent command.

The cold probe entered my body, and I couldn't stop trembling.

Vinny held my hand tightly, whispering in my ear as if soothing a frightened pet.

"The madam needs to lie down and rest. The results will be out in 48 hours."

Perhaps because I was so nervous, I actually fell asleep in the recovery room.

When I woke up, Vinny was gone.

The elevator was occupied by his bodyguards, so I held my belly and walked down the stairs on the other side.

In the garden at the turn of the staircase, I saw Vinny.

He was holding a girl in his arms—Carla, the illegitimate daughter of the Bellini family, and years younger than me.

"Why did you come to the private hospital? It's so chaotic outside lately." Vinny worriedly tried to wrap her in his overcoat.

"I was just worried about our baby, you know? When will the results be out?"

The girl pressed her body tightly against Vinny's chest, placing her hand on her own flat stomach.

"Don't worry, I've arranged everything. There won't be any problems with the results. You'll get your wish soon. You'll be the Donna of the Gambino family." Vinny bent and kissed her hand where it rested on her flat stomach.

"But you, it's so cold out. Go back quickly. Don't make me worry."

She stomped her foot playfully. "No, I want to stay with you. It's not like she's going to wake up."

"I'm hungry. Will you take me to eat?"

Vinny looked at her dotingly, gently brushing the stray hairs from her forehead.

"Whatever you say. I'll listen to you. What do you want to eat?"

The possessiveness and love in his eyes were something I had never seen in our five years of marriage.

The girl whispered something in his ear, and Vinny laughed, sweeping her up in his arms and walking unabashedly toward the back exit of the private hospital.