Chapter 2

Serafina's POV

For three consecutive days, the only person I saw in the dark, damp dungeon was a maid delivering meals.

"Did you hear? Mr. Ferrante is throwing money around like crazy for next month's wedding," she whispered to someone outside the heavy iron door.

"Of course! I heard he even flew to Moscow to acquire a priceless diamond and ruby necklace from the elusive Russian mafia boss, Viktor Volkov! It belonged to Volkov's late wife!"

"My God, giving the Russian Godfather's late wife's jewelry as a wedding gift? Mr. Ferrante truly loves Miss Marchetti!"

The tin spoon slipped from my hand, clattering onto the stone floor. That necklace... was my mother's! My father had personally promised it would be my dowry on my wedding day!

Cassian was stepping on my mother's legacy to please his new lover?

I looked down at the faded silver band on my ring finger. It was a cheap ring Cassian had bought with his own money during our first year together. He had cupped my face back then, eyes burning with sincerity: "Rina, baby, once I take control of the syndicate, I swear I’ll give you the grandest wedding. You deserve the best this world has to offer."

Lies. All of it, disgusting lies!

Late that night, the heavy iron door groaned open. Cassian walked in, dressed in a sharp suit, looking completely unfazed—as if he hadn't violently imprisoned his heavily pregnant girlfriend.

"Dinner not to your liking?" he asked, using that same condescendingly fond tone he used to.

"When did you start sleeping with her?" I gritted my teeth, hauling my heavy body up, my eyes locked on his face.

He sighed and adjusted his cuffs. "Rina, there’s no point dwelling on this."

"It was during my first month, wasn’t it?!" I snapped. "You stayed out all night. You came home reeking of alcohol, telling me you got cornered by old foxes at a banquet, drinking until your stomach bled for our future! Like a fool, I boiled hangover soup for three hours and cried in your arms!"

"While I was terrified for you, you were in Valentina's bed, getting her pregnant!"

Cassian frowned, looking annoyed, as if I were being unreasonable. "It was an accident! I never meant to betray you like that. I felt guilty, I thought it was a one-night stand, until she showed up pregnant... Rina, I hid it because I didn't want to stress you out. I wanted to wait until our baby was born to handle it. But you? Why did you have to go to the bridal shop?"

"Because you fell there yesterday, Valentina found out about you! Now the Marchetti family is furious. Valentina set a condition: to ensure her child inherits the Ferrante empire, her baby must be born first!"

A cold dread washed over me. "What do you mean? I’m eight months along; she’s only seven! How could my baby be born after hers? Cassian, this is your flesh and blood too!"

"It's the only way to appease the Marchettis and save the alliance," he said, his eyes hard as stone. "I’ve arranged a top medical team. In two months, Valentina will have an early C-section to deliver the heir. As for you... the doctor will give you medication to delay your birth."

"Medication to delay labor?! Cassian! I'm eight months! Forcing drugs on me will kill the baby! This is your child too!"

Absolute terror crushed me. I threw myself at him, abandoning all my dignity, clinging to his trousers and begging. "Please! Don't hurt my baby! I’ll leave right now! I don't want anything from you, I swear I'll disappear and never interfere with your wedding!"

He coldly peeled my fingers off one by one and shoved me onto the freezing ground.

"Save your tears, Rina. If you behave, the doctor will just delay your labor by a few days. It won't hurt the child."

I staggered up, leaning against the wall. Wiping my tears, I stared at the man I had loved for three years with dead eyes.

"Cassian, you cannot touch my child. I am Serafina Volkov. Viktor Volkov, the boss of the Russian Mafia, is my father! If you dare harm my baby, I swear the Volkov family will wipe the Ferrantes off the face of the earth!"

Cassian froze. Then, he burst into a harsh, mocking laugh.

"Serafina Volkov?" He shook his head, looking at me with pity and disdain. "Rina, are you insane? The lengths you'll go to... making up suicidal lies just to get your way? You're not even fit to shine the Volkov family's shoes!"

"I'm not lying! You can call Moscow right now—"

"Enough! You arrogant, stupid woman!" Cassian barked. "Impersonating the Volkov heiress will get you—and my family—killed!"

He turned toward the iron door without giving me another glance.

"Cassian! You'll regret this! If you touch my baby, I will kill every last one of you!" I screamed helplessly at his back.

He paused at the door, not even looking back.

"A delay birth won't kill anyone. Watch yourself."