Secret Baby for the Mafia Prince (Savage Mafia Empire)

10. Gianna

Chapter ten

Gianna

“Anna!”

I run into the bathroom to puke for the second time today before Giovanni suspects anything.

He is behind the door, yelling my name as I take longer to let him in. Giovanni won't ignore it if he finds out I have been sick.

Ever since Luca left without a word, I have settled on locking myself in my room most days. It’s been three weeks now and not a single fucking word from him. His words of revenge still haunt me in my sleep.

It hurts to admit, but I’ve slowly grown to resent him and my family.

It’s like I have no one left in my corner. Mother keeps finding new ways to hurt me, planning a fucking marriage with a business partner for their selfish needs. The one person I thought I could trust has left me. I’ve been a shadow of myself, confined within these walls.

Giovanni worries about me. This would be different. I’m fucking scared, too. My period is two weeks late and the thought of carrying his child... No, I can’t be pregnant . Mother and Father can’t find out that I broke the tradition… that I am no longer a virgin.

“Open this door, Anna!”

A loud thud lands on the door as I turn on the faucet. I rinse my mouth in a hurry before I exit the bathroom.

“Anna!”

My body feels heavy as I drag myself to the door. Giovanni stares at me intently, opening the door wider with his hand. I’m holding myself back, feeling nauseous again.

“You’re sick, Gianna.” He grips my hand in a hurry just before I fall to the ground.

I’m light headed as he holds me up and guides me back to my bed. “I’m alr... I’m alright.”

“I’m getting the doctor here.”

No. I can’t let him find out.

Giovanni rests his palm on my head. It feels cold against my skin.

I take his fingers in mine and squeeze hard. My eyes begging him not to say a word. “Please... please don’t.”

“I can’t let you stay like this, Anna.”

“I’m fine, I promise.”

“No, you’re not.” He lets go of my hand and walks out of the room without another word. This isn’t going to end well.

Goddammit .

Giovanni isn’t letting this go. I curse under my breath as I run back to the toilet to puke again. My fingers are firmly positioned on the seat as I hold myself up on my knees, letting out liquid content.

I’m too weak to stand any longer, and I lose track of time sitting on the floor next to the toilet.

Giovanni comes rushing in as my eyes flutter, slowly drifting to sleep. His arms wrap around me and he carries me back to my bed.

I’m whispering inaudibly as my back meets the comfort of my bed. My vision is hazy but I can see another image of someone in the room with us. I can barely make out the words Giovanni says as the other man takes my hand.

God, I hope it’s only a fever.

My eyes finally give in and I fall asleep, praying with everything in me that I am not with child… Luca’s child.

***

“What?”

I jerk up from sleep, disturbed by the noise in the room. Someone is yelling next to me. It’s Mother.

I’m trying to make out where I am as my eyes slowly adjust to the lighting in the room. Giovanni is staring at me as my vision gets clearer. The corners of his lips are curved downward in a frown.

Something is fucking wrong.

“Argh,” I groan as my mother grips my arm tight. She squeezes hard, her eyes blazing with anger.

“ Puttana (Whore)!”

I’m trying to pull my arm free from her grip. “Let go of me.”

“How dare you get pregnant?” she yells.

Oh, fuck!

No.

My eyes bulge out in shock. I’m staring at my brother, confused, wishing Mother is wrong. I need her to be.

“Wh…what? What is she saying, Giovanni?”

“Whose child is it? You can’t be stupid enough to not know who it is.”

My head is hurting and racing. Luca and I had been having unprotected sex. And not only once. I am so fucked.

“Answer me!”

“Let go of my arm,” I protest.

Giovanni is staring at me angrily. He hisses roughly and runs his fingers through his hair. “It’s him. Isn’t it?”

“Who?” Mother questions, exchanging glances between Giovanni and me.

I shake my head in response, even though he is right. My eyes are getting teary and my vision blurry.

Giovanni doesn’t look at me anymore as he punches the wall.

“Who is it, Giovanni?” Mother asks again.

He takes a moment and lets out a harsh breath before he turns back to look at us.

“Please don’t,” I mouth to him.

“Luca De Santis.” He ignores my silent pleas and says his name.

I squeeze my eyes shut tightly and break down in tears. My chest hurts just as much as my head does.

Mother lets go of my arm as she yells some words in Italian before storming out of the room, no doubt to go tell Father.

I sink deeper into my bed, crying hard. I’m fucking pregnant. Luca did this to me and now he is gone. Fucking gone. I hate myself for being so foolish.

“Look at me, Anna!”

I’m breathing heavily as I keep my eyes shut while I cry. I can’t bear the look on Giovanni’s face.

He hasn’t ever looked at me with so much disgust and anger. “Look at me!” His voice grows louder and fills the air. It makes me flinch.

My tears flow uncontrollably, making the ache in my head worse. “I can’t... I can’t... I can’t, please.”

“You-you let him f-” Giovanni stops himself for a moment.

I’m dying in regret and he has no idea how much I wish this never happened.

“You let him fuck you and you had no reason to at least stay safe? I thought I knew you better than this, Anna.”

“I’m sorry.” I wipe my eyes, opening them now. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

He walks to the door and grabs the handle, turning back to stare at me. “I’ll kill him if he ever returns.” Giovanni looks down at my belly before he walks out of the room and slams the door.

My heart sinks as I cry harder with my palms covering my face. Father will be aware in no time. He and Mother will come barging in any moment now. I broke their trust. Our family’s tradition. With none other than the son of my family’s rival. Nothing could feel worse.

The door to my room flies open a few minutes after Giovanni left. Father’s voice rings in my ears as he yells my name. Mother isn’t with him as I open my eyes to look at him. His eyes blaze with fury.

I would give anything to undo all of this. Luca has given me every reason to regret ever falling in love with him. He fucking left and now I’m alone with our mess.

“You’ve done nothing but be a disgrace, a stain on this family,” Father yells at the top of his lungs, sounding like a wounded animal.

I sniff hard, my eyes tired from crying.

Father’s face is contorted with a look of resentment. If he only knew how much more I hated myself now. “You went against my word, our tradition,…” He walks closer to me. “… La sacra bibbia (the Holy Bible) and got yourself pregnant.” The last word comes out of his mouth with disgust so thick that it forms lumps in my throat. It’s undeniable.

He has one arm in his pocket and his black cross dangling from his neck. “You had no shame in giving away your virginity before marriage, but letting a De Santi take your virginity? You are like a cheap whore.”

The tears come rolling down again.

“I’m not letting any bastard tarnish my legacy. Fix your mess or I’ll do it for you.” He stares at me for a moment before he walks out of the room.

I place my hand on my belly as I continue to break down in tears.

How does he want me to fix my mess?

There’s a child growing in me. My child and Luca’s. I have no fucking idea what to do.

“Where are you, Luca?” I whisper as I shut my eyes.

If I could go back in time and change everything, I would.

***

It’s been a week since I—my entire family—found out that I am pregnant.

The worst week yet, as I stay locked in my room for days.

Giovanni is the only one who found it necessary to check up on me. The maids keep me fed, serving me in my room.

I stroll out of the hallway to the living room. Mother is seated when I get there. She has her glasses on and her eyes glued to a document in her hands. I thought everyone would have been gone by this time of the day.

The afternoon sun is seeping into the room through the glass windows. I try to turn back but she stops me before I can.

“Stop there, Gianna,” Mother says. Her eyes still focused on the paper and her voice gentle. It’s not like before.

“I had no idea you were here; I didn't mean to interrupt.”

She raises her gaze to meet mine. Her eyes stop on my belly for a minute before she returns them to my face. “Mateo had come by earlier to see you.”

I can see a resemblance. Me in her. From the way her cheekbones stand out to her amber-colored eyes and full lips, just like mine. “I do not want to see anyone,” I reply firmly.

“It’s not your choice to make.” Mother closes the document and stands to her feet. “From the moment you got yourself pregnant, you have no say in the decisions we make around here because you clearly couldn’t make the right one for yourself.”

Her words pierce right through my heart like a sharp knife twisted into me. “I’m not marrying him.”

“Yes, you are.” She walks closer to me and stops in front of me. “Let’s hope he goes through with the marriage and accepts the bastard you carry. It’s either that or we get rid of it.”

I rest my palm on my belly. “I’m not letting anyone take away my child.”

“Fine. The Carusos are a traditional family, so you had better start learning how to be an obedient wife.”