Page 62 of Tower of Temptations

My heart pounded as I nodded.

"We're monitoring two heartbeats," he said gently.

"Two?" Giuliano's voice was barely audible.

"Pearl..." Nico's hand tightened on mine. "Are you...?"

The doctor's smile was understanding as he turned the ultrasound screen. "Let me show you something."

The grainy image flickered, and then I saw it, a tiny flutter on the screen, barely there but unmistakable. The secret I'd carried through those last days in the tower, through every careful lie and hidden fear, finally real. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I watched their faces transform.

"That's..." Nico's voice cracked as he leaned forward, his massive hand covering mine where it rested over our child.

"Your baby's heartbeat," the doctor confirmed gently, pointing to the rhythmic pulse on the screen. "Strong and steady, just like we want to see."

When I looked at Giuliano, the raw emotion in his eyes stole my breath. I'd never seen him like this—all his careful control stripped away, replaced by something so vulnerable it made me glow all over.

"A baby," he whispered, his hand finding mine. "Our baby." His voice broke on the word 'our'.

"I wanted to tell you," I managed, tears spilling over. "But in the tower, with Vittorio..."

"Shh." His fingers brushed my hair back with a gentleness that said everything his voice couldn't. After a moment, he pressed his forehead to mine, and I felt his hand trembling where it rested over our child.

A sound at the door made us look up. Angelo stood in the threshold, the others crowding behind him. Word must have spread that I was awake.

"Is it true?" Angelo's voice was barely a whisper.

The doctor turned the screen so they could see. "Right here," he pointed to the tiny flutter. "A baby's heart."

I watched it hit them, one by one. The twins forgot to breathe for a moment, their usual sync broken as they stumbled closer. Vincenzo—who I'd never seen lose composure—pressed a shaking hand to his mouth. Luca didn't even try to hide the tears spilling down his cheeks.

"Come see," Nico said softly, and they crowded closer, careful of the tubes and wires.

"That's really..." Rocco's voice cracked. He tried again. "That's our baby?"

The doctor nodded. "Everything looks perfect."

"So small," Angelo whispered, leaning in closer. "But you can really see the heart beating."

Vincenzo squeezed my hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." I managed a small smile. "But better now."

"You had us terrified," Luca admitted. "When you collapsed..."

"I've never seen Giuliano move so fast," Angelo added softly, his eyes still fixed on the screen.

"None of us knew what was wrong," Vincenzo said quietly. "The doctor wouldn't let us all in at first."

"We've been taking turns," Rocco murmured. "Couldn't leave you alone."

"Nico wouldn't leave at all," Luca added, touching my shoulder gently.

I felt tears well up again at the worry in their voices, the care in their touches. These men who'd burned through Providence to protect me, now undone by something so small.

"Well," Enzo said thoughtfully from the back of the group, "looks like the kid is going to learn seven different ways to make pasta."

A soft laugh rippled through the room, breaking the heavy moment. Even the doctor smiled.

---