Page 122 of The Don's Soulmate

The car bursts out of the tunnel, and the street lights momentarily blind me. I blink rapidly, trying to orient myself.

"I don't see him," Sofia reports, her voice taut with tension.

"Keep going," Ettore instructs. "We need to put more distance between us."

Our son whimpers softly, and I press a kiss to his forehead. "It's okay, little one," I murmur. "We're safe now. We're—"

The words die in my throat as a truck suddenly appears in my peripheral vision, gunning straight for us.

"Sofia, watch out!" I scream, my body curling protectively around our baby.

Chapter 59

Ettore

My heart pounds in my chest as I watch our newborn baby son in Carlotta’s arms, his tiny form swaddled in Sofia’s jacket. Sofia drives like a madwoman, weaving through traffic as she races towards the hospital. In the rearview mirror, I see Vittorio's dark eyes, cold and ruthless, as he guns his car to catch up to us, having exited the tunnel.

"He's right on our tail!" I shout to Sofia. Carlotta whimpers in pain and exhaustion beside me, placing her lips on our son’s forehead. I would kill Vittorio with my bare hands if I could to keep my family safe.

Up ahead, an enormous truck lumbers into view, its metal bulk blocking our path. Sofia's knuckles turn white as she grips the steering wheel.

“Sofia, watch out!” Carlotta screams, her body protecting our baby as she shields him with her own.

"I'm going to swerve around it," she says through gritted teeth. "Hold on!"

I wrap my arm tighter around Carlotta and our baby as Sofia jerks the wheel hard to the right. I watch Vittorio’s eyes peer into our car, wide with surprise at the sight of the baby.

He didn’t notice the truck heading right in our direction. Tires squeal against asphalt. Vittorio tries to follow close behind, aiming to mimic our sudden movement. But he miscalculates too late.

"Now, Sofia!" I yell.

She swerves at the last second. Metal crunches and glass shatters with an ear-splitting crash as Vittorio's car collides head-on with the massive truck. Shards of glass and twisted hunks of steel explode through the air.

I shield Carlotta and our baby as debris rains down on our car. My heart hammers wildly. Is it over? Did we lose him?

In the sudden stillness, I hear only our ragged breathing and the soft cries of our son nestled against Carlotta’s chest. I glance back to see Vittorio's mangled wreckage smoldering behind us. His car was completely totaled. I watch the driver of the truck exit in panic, checking inside and falling to his knees, his head in his hands.

Vittorio is clearly dead. There’s no way he could have survived, given the driver’s reaction. I feel a pang of guilt for putting the driver through this, but he’ll be deemed innocent. Vittorio drove in the wrong direction.

Relief floods through me, followed by a fierce, protective love.

Carlotta and our baby are safe. I press my lips to our son's downy head, inhaling his sweet scent.

"Keep driving to the hospital," I tell Sofia. "Let's get Carlotta and the baby checked out."

As Sofia accelerates away from the scene, I finally allow myself to breathe. A new chapter begins, one I never imagined possible - fatherhood.

I reach out gently to take our son from Carlotta's trembling arms. "Let me hold him, amore," I murmur. You rest now. I've got him."

Carlotta nods wearily, carefully transferring the tiny bundle to me. My hands shake slightly as I settle the baby against my chest, still in awe that this perfect little life came from our love. I cradle his head, marveling at the silky black hair peeking out from the blanket.

He's so light, so fragile. A fierce protectiveness surges through me, unlike anything I've ever felt before. I would burn the world down for this child. Moisture pricks at my eyes as I trace a finger down his velvety cheek.

"Ettore..." Carlotta says softly. “He's beautiful, isn't he?"

"He's perfect," I whisper hoarsely. "Absolutely perfect. You did so well bringing him into the world like that. I'm in awe of you, Carlotta."

Carlotta gives me a tired but radiant smile. Even now, with her hair mussed and face pale with exhaustion, she takes my breath away. I still can't quite believe this incredible woman is mine, that the curse binding our souls across lifetimes led us to this moment.

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