Chapter 21
The door opened with a soft click, and a doctor in a white coat stepped in. Dark circles under his eyes and a grim set to his mouth made my stomach. clench.
“Doctor Martinez.” Lorenzo acknowledged him with a nod, his hand still gripping mine.
I looked between them, at their matching expressions of concern. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”
The doctor pulled up a chair beside my bed, his clipboard clutched tight against his chest. “Ms. Salvatore, when you were brought in…” He cleared his throat. “You were experiencing significant blood loss.”
My heart pounded against my ribs. Blood loss? But I hadn’t been injured. Had I? The events at the gala swirled in my mind – the champagne, seeing Dominic, then… nothing.
“I don’t understand.” My voice came out small, frightened. “What do you mean blood loss?”
The doctor’s eyes flickered to Lorenzo, then back to me. He shifted in his chair, fingers drumming against his clipboard. “The amount of blood was… concerning. Very concerning.”
My eyes widened as the implication hit me. A cold dread spread through my chest, making it hard to breathe. “And?” I forced the word out, even as part of me didn’t want to hear the answer.
“Ms. Salvatore, the toxicology report showed traces of RU–X89 in your system. It’s an experimental abortifacient – not available to the general public.” The doctor’s voice grew distant, like he was speaking through water. “The compound caused a complete termination of the pregnancy.”
My hand flew to my stomach. The room spun. “No. No, that’s not possible. I didn’t take anything-”
The champagne. Dominic. His smile.
“This particular compound is strictly controlled,” the doctor continued. “Only certain pharmaceutical research facilities have access-”
A high–pitched ringing filled my ears. My baby. My innocent baby. Murdered by its own father. Black spots danced in my vision. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t get enough air.
11:57 Sun 2 Mar
“Valentina.” Lorenzo’s voice cut through the fog. His hands gripped my shoulders as I gasped for breath. “Look at me. Focus on my voice.”
But all I could see was Dominic’s face. The calculated cruelty. He’d known. He’d planned it. Killed our child without a second thought.
My chest constricted. The walls closed in. “I can’t- I can’t breathe-”
“Doctor!” Lorenzo barked.
My fingers clawed at the sheets. The room tilted sideways. My baby was gone. Gone forever. Because of him. Because of that bastard.
A nurse rushed in with a syringe. Lorenzo held me as they administered something through my IV.
“My baby,” I choked out. “He killed my baby.”
The last thing I saw before darkness took me was Lorenzo’s face, twisted. with a rage that matched the howling grief in my heart.
My eyes fluttered open, the harsh hospital lights making me squint. Lorenzo sat beside my bed, his jaw clenched tight enough I could see the muscle ticking. When our eyes met, his expression softened, but the rage still simmered beneath.
“You’re awake.” His thumb brushed across my knuckles. “How are you feeling?”
The memory hit me like a physical blow. My baby. Gone. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I couldn’t cry. I felt hollow, scraped raw from the inside out.
“I want him dead.” The words came out before I could stop them, barely above a whisper.
Lorenzo’s grip tightened on my hand. “He will pay for this, Valentina. For everything.”
“How did I not see it?” My voice cracked. “All this time… he was planning this. The champagne, the timing… he knew exactly what he was doing.”
“Don’t.” Lorenzo’s voice was sharp. “Don’t blame yourself for his actions.”
I turned to look at him, really look at him. The fury in his eyes warred with something else – guilt?
“I should have protected you.” His words came out rough, pained. “I’ve failed you. Not just once, but multiple times.”
“Lorenzo-”
