Page 39 of Ivory Crown

“Marco,” I started, leaning against the scarred wood, “I’ve been thinking about it, and I think you’re right.”

“About?”

“There’s a rat in the ranks. Who would know about Jade? I mean, unless someone has been stalking me or heard it from the family, the truth is that Lorenzo Caruso should have never known about her. Aside from the two of us, and obviously you, no one but Luca knows she’s pregnant. But if the rat leaks that info to Caruso…I don’t even want to think about what that would mean.” The words felt like acid on my tongue. “Someone’s playing both sides, and it’s fraying the family threads.”

He stayed seated on the bed, watching me with those damn loyal eyes of his. Eyes that screamed family over everything. “You can’t mean—“

“Blood or not, we’ve got a traitor,” I cut in, pacing the room that suddenly felt too small for the both of us. “And we need to clean house before they tear down everything Enzo has built.”

“Dad wouldn’t let that happen.” Marco’s voice was firm, but I saw the flicker of doubt. He knew, just as I did, that Enzo’s grip wasn’t as ironclad as it used to be. That was one of the reasons I’d been so insistent on this whole biotech thing.

“Enzo is thinking like the old Don he is, living in the past where loyalty meant something,” I said, pausing mid-stride. “But times are changing. Ambitions are growing, especially with my...plans.”

“Your plans,” he echoed, standing up slowly. “You mean the expansion? Not everyone’s on board, Dante. You know that.”

“Exactly.” I stopped pacing and faced him squarely. “That’s why I need you with me on this, Marco. We have to act now, covertly, or watch the Moretti empire crumble from the inside out.”

The tension hung between us, thick enough to slice through. This was more than just family; this was survival. And Marco, with his stubborn sense of duty, couldn’t turn away from that. Not even if he wanted to.

The silence stretched between us, broken only by the distant sounds of Little Italy. I watched Marco’s face, searching for a sign, any clue to what he was thinking. But his expression was as closed off as the safe in Enzo’s office.

“Alright,” he finally said, voice low. “What do you need from me?”

I nodded, feeling the weight of leadership settle on my shoulders. “Keep your eyes open. Trust no one. And for God’s sake, don’t mention Jade.”

“I wasn’t planning on it, but he’s going to find out, Dante,” Marco said. “And if he finds out your girlfriend is pregnant from someone else, before you tell him…I don’t even want to know what’ll happen.”

He was right. Neither did I.

Chapter Sixteen: Jade

Dante was gone.

I was alone.

The penthouse had been silent, a stillness that felt like a breath held too long. It was dark. Sweat beaded on my forehead, trickling down my skin as if it was aware of something I wasn’t. I’d sat up in bed, the sheets clinging to me, remnants of a nightmare that refused to dissipate. My hand had drifted to my stomach, the gentle swell barely noticeable but enough to remind me of the life growing within.

They were okay.

They were fine.

Everything was going to be fine.

“Little one,” I’d murmured, rubbing soothing circles over my pajama top. “I swear you’ll never know a day where you aren’t loved, where you aren’t safe.” The words had been a promise, a vow made in the shadows of this opulent prison. A pang of longing sliced through me for Dante’s embrace, his smile that could banish any darkness. But Dante hadn’t been there, and the fear that had seized me that day was a harsh reminder of the fragility of our bubble.

What if his attempts to protect me ended up hurting me? What if he hurt our child? I swung my legs over the side, the cold bite of the marble floor grounding me. Standing up brought sharp pain lancing through my abdomen - demanding attention. Each step was an act of defiance against discomfort as my body rebelled while I pushed it to keep moving.

I would rest. I knew it was what I needed to do for the baby. But before I did that, I had to do something else.

Something even more important.

I had to figure out how I was going to get the fuck out.

My makeshift lab beckoned from the other side of the penthouse - sterile light amid luxury. With each stride towards it, I repeated the plan I’d meticulously crafted in my head like a mantra to steel my nerves. Pregnant and vulnerable but driven by an urge that went beyond myself – an urge to safeguard this tiny heartbeat depending on me.

“Focus Jade,” I whispered as I crossed into laboratory space. Here amidst beakers and test tubes is where our future would be carved out - one encrypted message at a time. It wasn’t just about survival now; it was about a new beginning—for me and for the baby who didn’t yet understand the danger shadowing its existence.

I shut the lab door behind me, the click of the latch a sharp punctuation in the evening’s stillness. The hum of machines wrapped around me like a familiar lullaby as I approached my workstation. Here, surrounded by the sterile scent of antiseptic, I was in my element—this was where I could make a difference, where I could tip the scales in my favor.

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