Gianna straightened up, trembling, both hands pressing over her pregnant belly as though it were the only thing keeping her upright. She looked at me through her tears. "I know my station is lowly. I came specifically to beg my lady's mercy. I never imagined she would try to end my life."

"The heir told me that while he was away from the city, no matter what I had to do, I was to protect myself at all costs. Even if it meant overstepping."

"Since that's how it is, my lady, don't blame me."

Gianna rose to her feet with Nana Agata's help and shouted, "Guards!"

Several armed soldiers emerged from behind her. They moved the way Moretti men moved, hands already positioned near their waistbands, shoulders squared, faces emptied of anything resembling hesitation. Gianna pointed at me. "Bind her. I want to see whether the heir, once he learns his own wife tried to murder his child, will dissolve the marriage or not."

I jabbed a finger at my own chest. "Dissolve the marriage? Does the heir have the nerve? Tell him to try."

The lead soldier approached with a stony face. "My lady, why must you bully a helpless woman?"

"The heir gave orders. No one, not even his wife, is to mistreat his woman. Forgive the offense."

He moved to seize me.

Rosa threw herself in front of me, her right hand dropping to her hip where the folding knife sat beneath her coat. "You wouldn't dare! Do you have any idea who my lady is?"

The soldier shoved Rosa aside. She hit the cobblestones hard but was already scrambling back up. "Doesn't matter who she is. She's wronged the heir's woman, and she'll kneel and apologize for it."

Nana Agata clutched her swollen, reddened cheek and screeched, "Guard! This vicious woman can't bear children yet still clings to the position of the Don's wife, tormenting our mistress!"

"Once the mistress delivers the heir's firstborn son, she'll surely be elevated. Then it's the mistress who'll be the true lady of the house!"

"A barren woman like her should be thrown out of the compound. Go on, hit her! The mistress will answer for it."

Gianna spoke in that soft, fragile voice of hers. "My lady, even someone as high and mighty as you must own up to her wrongs. Just apologize to Nana, and we can put this behind us."

I let out a cold laugh. "Apologize to her? You think either of you are worthy of that?"