Chapter 4 - The Midnight Examination
Three days passed in a tense, claustrophobic blur. Maria brought me elaborate meals three times a day, but I could barely keep down a bowl of clear chicken broth or a slice of toast. The morning sickness had escalated into an all-day ordeal, leaving me weak, dehydrated, and bruised beneath my eyes.
Every night at midnight, I would hear the lock turn in the door. Alessandro would step into the room, stand near the fireplace in silence for twenty minutes, watching me read or stare out the window, and then leave without saying a word. It was a bizarre, psychological torture—a king checking on his captive.
On the fourth night, I couldn't even pretend to be resting. I was lying curled up in a ball on the bathroom rug, shivering violently as another wave of nausea tore through my stomach.
The door clicked open.
"Elizabeth?" Alessandro's deep voice called out from the bedroom.
When I didn't answer, heavy footsteps hurried into the suite, stopping at the open bathroom door. I looked up through blurred vision to see Alessandro standing there, his white shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his tie loosened.
"Jesus," he swore, dropping to his knees beside me on the tile floor. His large, cool hand touched my burning forehead. "You're burning up. Why didn't you tell Maria you were this sick?"
"It's... it's just a virus," I gasped, wincing as a sharp cramp rippled through my abdomen. I gasped, clutching my lower belly instinctively.
Alessandro’s eyes locked onto my hands pressed against my stomach. His expression shifted from concern to a sudden, piercing awareness.
"Where does it hurt?" he asked, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low whisper.
"My stomach. Just... indigestion."
"Don't lie to me," he growled gently, scooping me up into his arms as if I weighed nothing. He carried me out into the bedroom and laid me down on the soft mattress, pulling the duvet over me. He didn't leave the room this time. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Dr. Rossi," Alessandro said into the receiver, his eyes fixed on my pale face. "Get to the estate immediately. Bring an ultrasound unit and a full blood panel kit. Now."
My heart plummeted into my shoes. "No! Alessandro, no doctor! Please!"
Alessandro hung up the phone and tossed it onto the nightstand. He sat on the edge of the bed, leaning over me, his broad shoulders blocking out the rest of the room.
"Six weeks ago at the hotel," Alessandro said, his voice trembling with a strange, dark emotion I had never heard from him before. "You asked me if I ever wanted a real family. A life outside the business."
Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes.
"You haven't eaten a solid meal in four days," he continued, reaching out to gently trace the dark circles beneath my eyes. "You faint at the smell of coffee. And you protect your stomach every time I come near you."
He leaned closer, his breath warm against my cheek. "Are you carrying my child, Elizabeth?"
I bit my lip so hard I tasted copper, refusing to speak.
"Answer me!" he commanded softly, his amber eyes burning into mine. "Is it mine?"
"Yes!" I sobbed, hiding my face in my hands. "Yes, it's yours! Are you happy now?! Are you going to destroy me now?!"
Alessandro went completely still. For a long, terrifying minute, the only sound in the grand room was my weeping.
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Then, slowly, he pulled my hands away from my face. He wasn't smiling, but the cold, murderous mafia boss was gone. In his eyes was a terrifying, breathtaking mixture of reverence, shock, and fierce, unyielding possession.
"Destroy you?" Alessandro whispered, lifting my right hand to his lips and pressing a fervent kiss against my knuckles. "Elizabeth... you are carrying a Vitali. You just became the most protected woman in North America."
