Page 124 of The Don's Soulmate

I look into Ettore's eyes, searching for reassurance. He smiles and nods. With a shaky nod, I release my grip on the baby, letting the nurse take him.

She cuts the umbilical cord, and as she takes my baby away, I feel a piece of my heart go with him. "Will he be okay?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

The nurse squeezes my hand. "He's in good hands. He looks healthy, but will need special care and a check-up."

I watch them disappear down the hall, my body trembling with exhaustion and worry.

As they wheel me into a room, I cling to Ettore's hand and feel a strange sense of peace. Whatever comes next, we'll face it as one.

Settled in the room after a routine check-up, everything rushes back. For months, I was denied medical care because of my father and Ugo Caputo splattering my images all over the TV. I had to give birth to my son with an assassin at my heels.

Anything could have happened.

My son could have died.

Had it been just my safety I was worried about, I would have never thought of what I planned to do. But the anger bubbling inside me finally boils over. I snatch my phone from the bedside table, my fingers trembling as I punch in my father's number. The weight of everything that's happened crashes down on me, and I feel my throat tighten.

"Carlotta?" My father's voice crackles through the speaker. "Where are you? It’s been months! We've been worried sick!"

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. "Papa, I need you to listen carefully." My voice wavers, but I press on. "I'm at the hospital."

"What? That bastard Ettore-"

"Let me finish," I cut him off, surprising myself with my firmness. "Ugo... he tried to kill me. He's not the man you think he is."

I can hear my father's sharp intake of breath. "Carlotta, what are you saying?"

"He's cruel, Papa. He would have left me and the baby to die if..." I pause, my eyes flicking to Ettore, who stands guard by the door. "If Ettore hadn't been."

"The baby?" My father's voice drops to a dangerous whisper. "What are you saying, Carlotta?"

I grip the phone tighter, my resolve strengthening. "Ettore Mancini and I are in love. He didn’t kidnap me, Papa. In fact, Ugo Caputo sent assassins on our heels and Ettore's the reason your grandson is alive."

There's a long silence on the other end. I can almost see my father's face, the conflict warring deep within. With a grandson in the picture, everything changes. When he speaks again, his voice is thick with emotion. "Tell me everything, tesoro. From the beginning."

“I owe you no answers,” I scream into the phone. “You almost got us killed.”

My father's voice trembles with a mix of disbelief and barely contained rage. "Carlotta, you can't be serious. I would never harm you."

I take a deep breath, my heart pounding. "You're wrong, Papa. I feel hurt when you support this marriage with Ugo. I know who Ettore is, and he’s not the monster you make him out to be. I... I love him."

The words hang in the air, heavy with their implications. I glance at Ettore, his blue eyes intense as they lock with mine. He nods almost imperceptibly, and I feel a surge of strength.

"Have you lost your mind?" My father's voice rises. "After everything our family has been through because of the Mancinis-"

"I don't care about old feuds," I interrupt, my voice steady despite the trembling in my hands. "Ettore saved me. He saved your grandson. That's all that matters now."

There's a long pause. When my father speaks again, his tone is laced with concern and confusion. "Carlotta, tesoro, you're not thinking clearly. You've been through a trauma. Let me come get you, we'll sort this out-."

"No," I say firmly, surprising myself with the steel in my voice. "I'm not coming home, Papa. Ettore and I... we're leaving the country. Together."

"What?" The shock in his voice is palpable. "Carlotta, you can't-"

"We can, and we will," I declare, my resolve strengthening with each word. "I'm sorry, but this is my decision. You won't see us again. In fact, you’ll never lay your eyes on our grandson. Please... know that I love you, but this is the path I've chosen."

I end the call abruptly, my heart racing as I lower the phone. A whirlwind of emotions surges through me – guilt, fear, exhilaration, love. I take a deep breath, pushing it all aside. Right now, there's only one thing that matters.

"My baby," I whisper, my hand instinctively moving to my now-empty belly. "I need to see him."

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