I had been grieving a child who had never died. My hands trembled as I forced myself to breathe. "Why are you telling me this?"
Santino tilted his head. "Because he needs his mother," his gaze darkened. "Search Lorenzo's study. That's where the real truth is."
~Back at home
I forced myself to act normal when Lorenzo arrived, pretending to be tired to avoid raising his suspicion.
After a moment of discussion, Lorenzo finally gave in and listened. He didn't suspect a thing.
That night, as soon as he fell asleep, I sneaked into his study. I rummaged through drawers, flipping through files, searching—
And then I found it.
A file labeled with my name.
Inside was the confirmation.
My last baby boy was given to Seraphina as an heir to the Ricci family. My sixth pregnancy was also mentioned.
My breathing slowed when I realized there was going to be a sixth attempt too. My vision blurred as the truth crashed onto me.
But then—
A shadow loomed behind me. Lorenzo's voice was like ice.
"What are you doing here, Valeria?"
~Valeria’s POV
My breath hitched as Lorenzo Ricci's finger tightened around my wrist, his grip ironclad. I had seen this look in his eyes before—cold, calculating, dangerous.
"What are you doing in here?" Lorenzo's voice was eerily calm. I forced a soft laugh, tilting my head as if amused by his suspicion.
"You left the door open, and I was looking for my earrings. Thought I'd check in here."
"Earrings?" His dark eyes narrowed at me. I nodded, reaching past him to pick up the scattered papers. With practiced ease, I shuffled them back into the file without reading another word. "Do you really think I'd go through your boring business files? God, Lorenzo, how paranoid are you?"
His jaw remained tensed, but his grip loosed just a fraction. "You shouldn't be snooping around, Valeria."
I met his gaze, my most disarming smile displayed on my face. "And you shouldn't be keeping secrets you're afraid of being exposed." I traced my fingers lightly over his chest. "Or have you forgotten I'm your wife?"
"That's cute, babe," His thumb brushed my jaw. "But don't play games with me, ok? I'm Lorenzo Ricci."
I forced out a soft giggle. I stepped away as if I wasn't shaking inside. "Relax, I was just messing with you. Now, are we done with this interrogation? I need to shower."