Page 62 of Mafia Boss's Baby Surprise

“No.” I stare at the phone. “It can’t be. It has to be fabricated. All of it.”

Another message pops up on the screen.

Marcello only has one daughter. Guess what her name is. I’m going to help you and give you a little clue. It starts with an A.

“Now she claims Aurora is Marcello’s only child.” I scoff, handing the phone back to Theo. “Who the fuck would believe such bullshit?”

There’s no way in fucking hell Aurora is Marcello’s daughter. I don’t even want to think about what that would mean. For us. For our baby. For everything.

“What? Shit!” Theo furiously taps the screen of his phone. “We need to verify this information.”

“Why would Marya send this all to me? If it’s all Marcello’s game, why reveal it all now? It doesn’t make any sense!” I pace up and down because I can’t stay in one place.

It’s not true.

It can’t be true.

But maybe it is. Maybe that’s why Aurora lied to me about who she was. Maybe that’s why she didn’t run screaming when I told her I was a mafia boss.

I rake my hand through my hair, nearly ripping out a few strands. It’s been years since I was last tempted to take a little something to make me feel better, but now I wish I could just forget this is all happening.

“Aw fuck,” Theo mutters.

“What?”

“I had the tech team check the records of that particular college Julia is supposed to be attending and then check what we have on the people who we know work for Marcello.” His gaze meets mine. “It’s real. I mean, Julia’s parents work for Marcello, or at least her father does. He was seen with Marcello at an event.”

The world collapses around me. It’s been shattered into pieces, and the sharp shards are cutting me everywhere.

“Marcello played me. He... Maybe he didn’t even want his daughter to marry Cole Jr. He wanted us to think that while he... He wants to...” I can’t breathe.

“But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would Marcello want to tie his daughter to you in such a way?”

“If I’m dead, guess who gets it all? Guess who everyone will want to follow?”

“Your child.”

“Yeah, and that child just happens to be Marcello’s grandchild.” I curl my fingers into a fist.

“So the plan for the Icardis is actually a plan for you? Except, you need to die first because there’s no way in hell you’ll just agree to do whatever Marcello wants. But why send Aurora to you? Why not just keep her? And why tell you now? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to try to kill you and then reveal everything? I mean, sure, proof would be needed, but it’s not that hard to get a DNA sample—”

“Remember the incident at Marcello’s house everyone’s whispering about? She ran away. She fucking ran away.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I saw a bruise on her cheek. She lied about it, but... maybe she has her own little game to play. Something her father doesn’t approve of. Maybe we can use it.” But I need to know exactly what’s going on.

I storm out of the office and head straight to my room. It takes all my willpower not to kick down the door because anger is coursing through my veins and I can’t help it. As soon as I burst through the door, Aurora’s gaze lifts up.

I lock the door, my gaze narrowed at her. She gets to her feet, her eyes alert.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out, huh?” I rush at her, and she backs away from me.

“Luca...” Her back hits the wall behind her.

I lean on the wall, keeping her trapped with my body. Nowhere for her to go.

“I just want the fucking truth. For real, this time, Aurora Valentino.”

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