Page 169 of Monster in Disguise

"It's Sisi... I don't know, she just started bleeding. I called an ambulance. We're at the hospital now."

Shit!

I get into my car and drive straight to the hospital. At the reception desk, I give her name and a nurse intercepts me.

"I'm her brother," I add when she seems skeptical about our connection.

"The doctor just saw her. She's sedated right now."

"What's wrong with her?"

She hesitates and instead forwards me to Sisi's attending physician.

"Mr. Lastra, I'm sorry to inform you that your sister suffered an early miscarriage."

My face falls, and I ask again to make sure I didn't mishear. He continues to reassure me it's nothing worrying. I don't think he realizes just how shocked I am to hear that Assisi was pregnant at all. With whom? She never left the house, never saw anyone...

But then I remember. Rafaelo Guerra. Damn!

"You don't have to worry. There's nothing wrong with your sister. She was about eight weeks pregnant and the placenta failed to deliver nutrients to the fetus. Sometimes this happens, but it shouldn't affect her future chances of having children. You should be supportive of her during this time. She seemed grief-stricken at the news."

"Thank you for letting me know," I say numbly. I meet Venezia right outside Sisi's room, and she's in tears.

"Did you know she was pregnant?" I ask, thinking that maybe she'd shared that with her sister.

Venezia shakes her head. "No... I heard about it for the first time too."

We wait outside until the nurse in charge lets us know Sisi is awake. I tell Venezia to let me talk to her first, and she reluctantly agrees.

When I enter the room, Sisi is sitting on her bed, head hung low, pain written all over her face.

"Sisi?" I ask, taking a step towards her.

She raises her head, and I can see that her eyes are wet.

"Marcello?" She seems surprised to see me, but then she shakes her head. "I'm sorry," she whispers.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Sisi. Will you tell me what happened?" I take a chair and place it next to her bed.

She looks conflicted, but eventually she shakes her head.

"Who was the father, Sisi?" I ask as gently as possible. I just can't imagine who it could have been.

She's still quiet, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Was it Rafaelo?" I change tactics, since he's the only man she's been in contact with outside family.

She suddenly raises her head, eyes wide, lips trembling.

"It was him," I state, more aggressively than before. "Did he force you?" I immediately question. God help me, if he did, he's dead!

"No!" She cries. "No! It wasn't like that."

"What was it like then? Do you love him?"

Sisi stares at me for a second, her eyes fearful – of what I don't know.

"I do!" She exclaims, a little too loud. "I love him, okay?"

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