Page 118 of The Don's Soulmate

And yet, I wonder.What if our baby is helping us? With the assassin at our heels, the baby is trying to enter this world to break the curse that’s hanging over us.

I already know I will do everything to help him or her. This child is our salvation, and he’s telling us so himself.

Another gunshot rings through from behind, but my mind is focused solely on Carlotta. Sofia swerves, now turning lanes to go against the traffic, to confuse the bastard at our heels. He turns behind her, and Sofia goes back in the right lane, crossing over cars to reach as far from him as he can. I look out to see him four lanes in the opposite direction, his eyes trained on us.

"We need... a hospital," Carlotta pants, her green eyes wide with determination. "Now."

I clench my jaw, torn between concern for Carlotta and the urgent need to escape our pursuer. "We can't stop, cara. It's too dangerous."

Carlotta grabs my arm. Her grip is surprisingly strong. "This baby isn't waiting, Ettore. Hospital or not, it's coming."

The rawness in her voice sends a chill down my spine. I've faced down rival families and corrupt officials without flinching, but the thought of delivering a child in the middle of a car chase fills me with dread.

"Sofia," I call to the front, "find us a goddamn hospital, Now!"

As Sofia fumbles with the GPS, narrowly avoiding a collision with a delivery truck, I turn back to Carlotta. Her wheat-brown skin glistens with sweat, her long black hair plastered to her face. Despite the pain etched in her features, there's an unwavering resolve in her eyes that both impresses and terrifies me.

"Hold on, cara," I murmur, gently brushing her hair back. "We'll get you there."

Another gunshot rings out, the bullet pinging off our rear bumper. Carlotta flinches, but her gaze remains steady on mine.

"Promise me," she whispers, her voice barely audible over the chaos surrounding us. "Promise me you'll keep our baby safe no matter what happens to me."

The weight of her words hits me like a punch to the gut. I want to argue, to tell her that nothing will happen to her, but the lie dies on my lips. Instead, I nod, my throat tight with an emotion I can't quite name.

"I promise…," I say, the words feeling like a vow etched in blood. "…with my life."

As I hold Carlotta's gaze, a strange calm washes over me. The chaos of the car chase fades into the background, and suddenly, I'm transported to another time, another place.

When I close my eyes, I'm no longer in the sleek, modern car. Instead, I'm standing in a dimly lit hut in Southern India, the air thick with humidity and the scent of spices. My hands, onceadorned with expensive rings, are now calloused and stained with herbs.

"Doctor Sahib!" a man's panicked voice cuts through the patter of rain on the thatched roof. "My wife, she's ready!"

I turn to see a young fisherman, his eyes wide with fear and hope. Behind him, on a makeshift bed of straw, lies his wife, her swollen belly heaving with each labored breath.

"Breathe," I instruct, my voice steady despite the primitive conditions. "Both of you, breathe."

As I approach the laboring woman, I'm acutely aware of the limited supplies at my disposal. A pot of boiling water, some clean rags, and a rusted pair of scissors are all I have to work with. But at this moment, I know it's enough.

"Push," I encourage the woman, my hands guiding the baby's head. "You're doing wonderfully."

The fisherman hovers anxiously nearby, muttering prayers in a mix of Tamil and broken English. I ignore him, focusing solely on the miracle unfolding before me.

With one final, powerful push, the baby slips into my waiting hands. A girl, her cries piercing the night air like a bell of hope.

As I clean the infant with the hot water and wrap her in a clean rag, I feel a surge of pride and wonder. Despite the challengingcircumstances, despite the lack of a hospital, I've brought a new life into the world.

The memory fades, and I'm back in the present, the car swerving violently as Sofia narrowly avoids another bullet. But the calm remains, settling over me like a second skin.

I scan the car's interior, my mind racing. "Sofia, any luck with that hospital?" I bark, already knowing the answer.

"Nothing close," she shouts back, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. "Nearest one's at least twenty minutes out if we can shake this bastard!"

I look at Carlotta, her eyes wide with pain and fear, and I know what I have to do.

"Alright," I call out, my voice steady and commanding. "Keep driving. I'm going to deliver this baby if we can’t reach the hospital in time."

Carlotta whimpers in protest, her wheat-brown skin glistening with sweat.

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