Page 153 of Coerced Queen

Her mouth drops open.She’s shocked to silence, only managing to ask after two beats, “Does Sav know?”

“I told him,” I say, sounding as miserable as I feel.

She comes closer and sits crossed-legged in front of me, arranging her floral skirt around her knees.“How did he take it?I would’ve thought he’d be ecstatic, but the look on your face says otherwise.”

“He didn’t say anything.He just left.”I add with a frown, “That was an hour ago.”

“This was unplanned,” she says gently.

“Very much,” I admit.

She dips her head to catch my gaze.“Didn’t you use protection?”

“Saverio wasn’t supposed to be able to have children.At least, that’s what the tests he had done said.”

Her eyes flare.“Oh.”

“He only married me because he wanted a baby, and I was already pregnant with Claire.Now that he can have his own children, he has even less of a reason to want to be with me.Maybe it’s all for the best.”

“Wait.”Livy frowns.“What are you saying?It almost sounds as if you’re breaking up.”

“He doesn’t love me.He warned me that he wouldn’t.Couldn’t.He reminded me repeatedly.It’s time I move on.”

“Poor Anya.”Her blue gaze is compassionate.“How can you be so blind?Haven’t you noticed how he looks at you?”

“Yes,” a deep voice says from the door.“Haven’t you noticed,tesoro?”

I jump.

Saverio stands on the threshold, looking ten different shades of disheveled.His hair is standing up in all directions and his tie is askew.One half of his shirttails hangs out.

Livy scrambles to her feet.She picks Claire up and heads for the door.“I’ll let the two of you talk.”

When she’s gone, he closes the door.

I get up quickly.“This doesn’t have to change anything.We’re not going to stay together just because I’m pregnant.”

I was always willing to raise Claire alone.I can raise two babies on my own.

“No.”He advances to me slowly.“This changes nothing.”Stopping short of me, he says, “I went to see Rachele.I had to.”

It takes me a moment to understand.Now that he can give her a child, things may change.After everything that happened, she may take him back.

I swallow the lump in my throat.“I’m glad.I’ll be nothing but happy for you if it works out the way you want.”

I love him too much to see him unhappy.He suffered enough.

“You don’t understand.”He watches me with a stony blue gaze, the artificial eye a stark reminder that he sacrificed a part of his sight for me.“Rachele cheated with the results.”

“What?”I blink a few times.“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Someone at the lab owed her a favor.”His chuckle is wry.“Now I understand why she suggested that specific lab.She told me they were the best in the city.”

“But—” I shake my head to dislodge the confusion.“Why would she—?”And then I understand.“She could demand a divorce if you were infertile.”

His reply is grim.“Yes.”

“That’s why you went to see her?You believed me?That the baby is yours?”

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