Chapter 20
CHAPTER 20
SOFIA
T he warmth of the tea seeped through the ceramic mug into my palms as I sat curled on the couch, Gray's arm around my shoulders.
The liquid slid down my throat, warming me from the inside, but did little to ease the knot of anxiety tightening in my chest.
Meredith was sipping on her own tea, casting glances at Roman where he stood watch at the window.
"You think we'll be okay for the night?" Meredith asked him, causing Roman to glance back.
"We weren't followed, and they'd be stupid to try something like that after Canzio's appearance. They're likely planning and talking about what to do," Roman answered as he gave us both a reassuring smile.
"He's right," Gray said, his hand finding mine. "Canzio knows what he's doing. We just need to trust him."
Trust. Not something I gave out easily, and yet I'd been putting my life in the hands of others too much lately.
"You should shower too," I noted as Meredith shifted in her dress, still looking like a gorgeous runway model.
"I will soon." She sipped her tea again, her shoulders relaxing.
A sharp pain suddenly lanced through my lower abdomen, causing me to curl up more against Grayson.
"You okay?" Gray's brows furrowed with concern.
"I'm fine," I lied, though the pain caught me off guard. Hopefully it was just gas or stress, but a new uneasiness was seeping into me now.
I took another gulp of tea, but the cramping returned, stronger this time. I set the mug down on the coffee table as the worry amped up.
"I need to use the bathroom," I mumbled as I rose from the couch.
Gray's eyes followed me as I made my way across the living room. The cramping intensified with each step, and by the time I closed the bathroom door behind me, I was gritting my teeth against the pain.
Oh God. Please, no.
I moved to the toilet, yanking my pants down, my heart lurching into my throat at the spotting of blood on my underwear.
"Shit," I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs.
I stared at the red stain, my mind fracturing. Spotting could be normal in early pregnancy, along with cramping...
No. This felt like something more, and I couldn't shake the fear that was nipping at my heels now.
Another wave of pain crashed over me, sharper than before, forcing me to double over.
This wasn't just stress. Something was wrong.
I cleaned myself up with trembling hands and pulled my pants back on. I needed to tell Gray. We needed to get to a hospital.
I opened the bathroom door, one hand pressed against my abdomen as another cramp seized me whilst walking to the living room.
Gray looked up from his phone, his expression shifting from distraction to concern in an instant. "Sofia?"
Before I could speak, Meredith leapt from her chair, eyes wide. "Sof… you're bleeding."
I looked down to see a dark red stain coming through my sweatpants. The sight of it made my knees weak. How had it intensified in just the walk from the bathroom to here?
"I think something's wrong with the baby," I managed, my voice breaking.
Gray was beside me in an instant, his arm around my waist, supporting my weight. "We need to get to the hospital. Now."
"I'll grab her purse," Meredith said, already moving along with Roman, who was out the door ahead of us, barking orders into his radio.
Gray swept me into his arms despite my weak protests. "I can walk?—"
"Not happening," he cut me off, his voice tight. He was scared, and hearing it in his tone only made my own fear more prominent.
The world tilted and blurred as he carried me outside to the waiting vehicle. Roman held the door open, and Gray slid into the backseat with me still cradled against his chest. Meredith climbed in beside us, clutching my purse and a small throw blanket from the couch.
"Here," she draped the blanket over my legs, hiding the blood stain. Her hand found mine and squeezed. "It's going to be okay."
Roman slammed the door and was behind the wheel in seconds. The engine roared to life, and we lurched forward.
Another cramp tore through me, more painful than the last. I bit back a cry, burying my face against Gray's chest.
What was happening? Was I miscarrying? After all we'd done, standing up to my family, and I was going to lose it?
"Drive faster," Gray ordered, his heart pounding beneath my ear.
"I can't lose this baby," I whispered. Despite everything, I wanted this child. Our child. "Gray, I can't lose our baby."
His arms tightened around me. "You won't. I promise."
But we both knew it was a promise he couldn't keep. How could he possibly stop it?
I closed my eyes against the tears threatening to spill, praying to whatever higher power there was to have mercy on me amongst this chaos.
I'd lost too much, I didn't want to lose this too.
Before I knew it, we were speeding through city streets, Gray's arms still tight around me as horns blared.
The hospital loomed ahead, its emergency entrance lit up against the night sky. Roman pulled up to the doors with a screech of tires.
"I've got you," Gray said, sliding out of the car with me still in his arms. "Roman, park and then secure the perimeter. Meredith?—"
"I'm right behind you," she assured him.
"I've got a team already getting stationed around the hospital," Roman said through the open window of the car. "I'll see you inside."
The automatic doors slid open, and the familiar antiseptic smell of the hospital washed over me. For years, this had been my domain, my workplace. Now I was on the other side.
"We need help!" Gray called out, his voice echoing in the waiting area.
A nurse looked up from the desk—Tanya, who I'd worked with countless times.
"Sofia?" Her eyes widened in recognition. "What happened?"
"I'm pregnant," I managed through another wave of pain. "About four weeks. Bleeding and severe cramping."
Coming to my own place of work was not ideal, but I knew it was my best chance. Besides, these people were my friends, my work family, and I knew they'd do their best for me.
I was one of their own.
Tanya's professional demeanor took over immediately. "Get her to bay three," she instructed Gray, leading the way through the double doors.
Gray laid me gently on the gurney, his face rather pale. Tanya was already pulling the privacy curtain closed.
"I need to examine you," she said, pulling on gloves. "Are you family or?—"
"He's staying," I said firmly, gripping Gray's hand. "I want them both to stay, please."
Meredith moved to the other side of the bed, taking my hand. "I'm here, Sof."
As Tanya began her examination, more staff appeared—Dr. Kenner, one of our OB specialists, and Lisa, another nurse I knew well.
"BP's stable,” Lisa announced, wrapping the blood pressure cuff around my arm as Meredith gave her room.
"Sofia, when did the bleeding start?" Dr. Kenner asked, her voice calm and professional.
"About thirty minutes ago," I answered, wincing as she pressed on my abdomen. "The cramping started before that."
"We need a transvaginal ultrasound," she ordered. "And type and cross for two units."
The words sent a chill through me. They were preparing for the worst.
Gray's hand tightened around mine. "What's happening?"
Dr. Kenner's eyes met mine, and I saw the concern there. "We need to rule out an ectopic pregnancy or a threatened miscarriage. The ultrasound will tell us more. We need to get her pants off."
Gray helped me out of my pants, the blood on my underwear and pants making my stomach knot and churn. It looked like too much, too much to not be a problem.
Lisa wheeled in the portable ultrasound machine while Tanya drew blood samples from my arm.
"This will be cold and might be unpleasant," Dr. Kenner warned, squirting gel onto the ultrasound wand.
I nodded, biting my lip as another cramp seized me. Gray's thumb brushed away a tear I hadn't realized had fallen.
The room fell silent as Dr. Kenner inserted the wand, her eyes fixed on the screen. I couldn't bring myself to look, focusing instead on Gray's face, on the worry etched into every line.
"There," Dr. Kenner finally said. "I can see the gestational sac in the uterus, so it's not ectopic."
Relief swept through me as I closed my eyes for a moment. It was where it was supposed to be.
"Bleeding can be normal in early pregnancy, and cramping, but this is a bit more blood than expected. Let me just…”
Dr. Kenner moved the wand around and sighed.
“Just what I thought. Looks like a subchorionic hematoma.”
I nodded slowly, having heard the condition before. But what had caused it? I’d not done anything strenuous, Grayson and I hadn’t even had sex recently. We were always too drained and tired to do anything.
But it came with an increased risk of miscarriage, along with other complications.
We’re going to need to discuss a few things to help get past this. The cramping and bleeding will hopefully resolve on their own, but we'd like to monitor you overnight, Sofia, make sure there's nothing else going on. Is that okay?" Dr. Kenner offered me a reassuring smile when I opened my eyes.
"Yes."
"So the baby's okay?" Gray confirmed, the hope in his voice almost painful to hear.
"For now, yes.” She nodded. "But Sofia needs bed rest for at least two weeks. No stress, no exertion, no work. The first trimester is critical, and with this complication, we need to be extremely cautious."
No stress. I almost laughed at the impossibility of it. My uncle had threatened my life, tried to force me into marriage, and was now likely plotting against the Donati family because of me. Stress was the air I breathed right now.
But looking at Gray's face, at the naked relief and affection I saw there, I made a decision. I would fight for this—for our baby, for our chance at a family. Whatever it took.
"I understand," I told Dr. Kenner. "I'll do whatever I need to."
"We'll get you moved to a room, there will be a couch there and some chairs for your companions," she added as she glanced between Meredith and Gray.
"Thank you," I murmured.
"Seeing you coming in here as a patient is not something I enjoy. But at least we can make sure you get the best care." She smiled before beckoning for Lisa. Tanya had disappeared, likely to get my bloods pushed through, and then to return to her station. "Let's move her upstairs. I’ll be up shortly to talk about what to be mindful of and what this all means, okay? I’ve just got another emergency to attend to.”
“I understand.”
I was moved to an overnight room, Lisa making small talk with Meredith and Gray as we made our way there.
"I'll come check on you soon, call if you need anything at all," Lisa said once she'd gotten me settled.
Dr. Kenner joined us shortly after, and explained what was going on and the risks associated. From the ultrasound, she didn’t believe it to be too big in size, therefore it carried less risk. Even as she spoke, my cramping had died down, and I took comfort in that.
We were to avoid sex, and aim for bedrest, which sounded next to impossible, but I’d do the best I could.
She’d do a follow-up ultrasound in the morning to see how it was looking before discharging me.
After she left, Gray pulled his chair closer to my bed, taking my hand in both of his. "You scared the hell out of me."
"I scared myself," I admitted. "But everything's okay, mostly. We're okay."
His forehead rested against our joined hands. "We are okay. Everything is okay."
Meredith's brows knitted together as she sunk onto the couch to the side, glancing at her brother.
He'd been so worried, we both could see it, and my heart ached for him as I placed my other hand over his.
"I'm going to fight for us, Gray. All of us."
He looked up, managing a small smile. "I know you will. And you won't be fighting alone."
Gray's phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the screen and frowned. "It's Leo."
"Take it," I urged. Despite everything, I needed to know what was happening with Ernesto and the Ference family after this whole fiasco.
Gray stepped out into the hallway, and Meredith took his place in the chair beside me.
"You really scared us," she said quietly.
"I know. I'm sorry."
She shook her head. "Don't apologize. Just focus on getting better, okay? On keeping that little nugget safe."
I managed a small smile at her nickname for the growing life in me. "I will."
Gray returned a few minutes later, his expression grim. "Leo's contacts found something finally, they've been trying to get information, and we were right. This push made Ernesto make a mistake, so now we know the truth about Marco's death."
My heart sank as I fisted my hand in the blanket. "What is it?"
"What we suspected. They found proof that Ernesto was involved in Marco's murder."
"Marco was his son." The thought made me sick. Sure, we’d considered it, but I'd hoped to be wrong. I hated being right.
"I know," Gray said softly. "But the evidence is clear. Phone records show Ernesto contacted members of the Ference family the night Marco was killed. And there were large transfers from his accounts to offshore holdings linked to known hitmen. My father was able to tap into some of their phones, and Ernesto made a call admitting it. We've got it recorded now."
I shook my head, struggling to accept it as my blood boiled. "He killed his own son? Why? All for money and power?"
"It seems Marco was planning to cut ties with the Ference family's drug operations, expand on his own and try to cut off some of their chains. Ernesto and Juan had a side deal that Marco discovered, along with his skimming. So yes, for the money he'd lose, and for the power he'd gain."
I'd known Ernesto was cruel, but this... "I don't believe Julia knows either, she'd never have been a part of it. And are Cara and Rosette safe? And Bianca?" The thought of Marco's wife and daughter, of my younger cousin Bianca, living under the same roof as the man who'd ordered Marco's murder, made my chest tight.
Were they safe?
"I don't know," Gray said, taking my hand again. "But I'll find out."
He made several calls over the next hour, speaking in low, urgent tones while Meredith tried to distract me with talk about the theater restoration and getting my opinion on things. It was a nice attempt to ease me, but not one that worked too well.
At least my cramping only continued to die down, and Lisa came in to check on me, taking down notes for my chart that I was improving.
"They're all okay," Gray finally said when he hung up. "Cara and Rosette are staying with Cara's parents. They left right after the funeral. And Bianca is with Julia's parents, she sent her there after the funeral."
I frowned as I pondered this.
"Do you think she sent her away because she suspects what he did?"
"Who knows for sure, maybe she just wanted her somewhere safer. Julia's father has increased his own security detail since she moved in with them, so that says something," Gray answered. "There's also stirrings within both families, Leo called again to share that. Our sources say they're planning something. Likely against the Donatis, and before the meeting Canzio has arranged."
"Because you interfered with the engagement," I muttered as I closed my eyes. I knew something like this would happen.
"Because we protected what's ours," Gray corrected firmly. "Sofia, none of this is your fault."
I wanted to believe him, but the weight of guilt pressed down on me. "If anything happens to your family because of me?—"
"Our family," he interrupted. "You're carrying a Donati, remember? That makes you family too."
I sighed, knowing he was trying to reassure me. A Donati baby. Gray wasn't a true Donati, but he would take the name. So that would change things. My uncle would not be pleased in the slightest if he discovered that detail. "What are we going to do?"
"You," he emphasized, "are going to rest and focus on getting better. Canzio, Leo, and I will handle Ernesto and the Ferences."
"But—"
"No buts," he said firmly. "Doctor's orders. No stress, remember?"
I sighed, knowing he was right but hating feeling so helpless. "Will you at least keep me updated?"
"Of course." He leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to my forehead. "No more secrets between us."
I reached up to touch his face, feeling the stubble that had grown. "No more secrets," I agreed.
Gray's phone buzzed again. He checked it and frowned.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Roman says there's movement at all the locations where they're watching both families. Cars leaving, heading in different directions."
A chill swept over me at his words. "It's starting, isn't it?"
Gray nodded grimly. "Yes. But we're ready for them."
I believed him. I wanted to get through this, to build something real together—a family, a future.
I placed my hand over my abdomen, where our tiny baby still clung to life despite everything. "Then we'll be ready too," I whispered. "Won't we, little one?"
Gray's hand covered mine, warm and steady. "Yes," he said softly. "We will."