Page 56 of Mafia Boss's Baby Surprise

I inch closer. There’s a man, a woman, and two children—a boy and a girl—in the first photo. They look very happy. In the other photo, there’s another smiling couple with a little boy. Are they Luca’s cousins?

Probably.

I open the drawer of the desk. Another photo. It’s of Theo and Luca together. They’re grinning at the camera, and Theo’s arm is draped around Luca’s shoulders.

I return the photo and spot something at the bottom of the drawer, so I dig it out. It’s a cut out, folded newspaper article. I spread it out.

My eyes fly wide, a gasp escaping my throat. It’s an old article about my father and his business project. There’s a big photo of my father, but his eyes are ripped out and there’s a big target drawn in the middle of his forehead.

I quickly tuck the article back where I found it. Luca doesn’t just hate my father. He despises him, which makes sense, with them being mortal enemies and all.

But I wish I knew what it was that happened between the Di Domenicos and my father and my uncle. Wasn’t Luca just a teen when my uncle was killed?

If only I could ask him to find out how the big feud between them started andwhatstarted it. Maybe it’s fixable. Maybe Luca wouldn’t hate me just because I’m a Valentino.

And here I am. Being delusional again. Enemies don’t become friends with a snap of the fingers.

I should know that by now. Some families have been at war with each other for decades, and the new generations don’t question why. They just keep at it.

My head spins, so I lie down on the bed. The sheets smell like Luca, and that’s very comforting, even if it shouldn’t be.

I close my eyes. Before I can come up with a plan for my and my baby’s future, I need to get some rest. Maybe my mind will be clearer when I wake up.

CHAPTER20

Luca

“You know,”Theo says as we’re on our way to the meeting room, “when I heard you were at your apartment at this hour, I thought someone was joking. Or that something was very wrong. I was right about the latter. What isshedoing here?”

“She had nowhere else to go, and I want her here. That should be enough of an explanation, and I’m giving it to you only because you’re my friend.”

“But did you find out who she is? Because I’ve seen the reports, and there’s nothing about her anywhere! She might be working for your enemy, and you bring her straight here to this building and to your apartment! Are you out of your mind?”

“She’s pregnant.”

Theo gapes at me like a fish as I open the door to the meeting room. Alessandro is alone and pacing up and down the room.

We don’t have meetings here very often, especially because I live here, so it’s not advisable to bring too much attention to this building. But I’m sure Alessandro was careful. If I were inviting Brando over, I’d tell him to meet me somewhere else because he gets distracted easily.

“She’swhat?” Theo asks. “How can she be pregnant? Don’t you know condoms exist?”

Alessandro turns toward us, his eyebrow lifted at me. “Who’s pregnant?”

“Theo, can you just shut up about it?” I turn to Alessandro. “Aurora. My... The girl I hooked up with and who is now going to live with me.”

Aurora isn’t my girlfriend... yet. She’s the mother of my child.

I don’t know how things between us will develop, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to abandon my child like my mother abandoned me. And there’s definitely zero way I’m going to treat my child and its mother the way my father treated me.

Theo lifts his hand, his lips pressed together as if he’s fighting the urge to open his mouth. “Can I just ask one little thing? Please? I’ll shut up then. I swear it on my cat’s grave.”

“Your cat’s grave?” Alessandro chuckles.

“I loved Mimi. She was the best cat ever.” Theo crosses his arms, his face serious.

“Yeah, don’t ever say anything bad about Mimi.” I flash Alessandro a smile. “He’s not joking.”

“Okay.” Alessandro lifts his hands up.

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