Chapter 51
Bianca Ferrucci
I left the clinic holding the paper with the positive test result. The news still felt like a dream, but a good one. I ran a hand over my stomach, smiling softly as I walked toward the car where Alessandro was waiting for me.
He was leaning against the car beside Marco, a friend of his, a businessman who had become an ally in our new ventures. As soon as he saw me, Alessandro straightened and arched an eyebrow, waiting for some kind of reaction from me.
“I’m going to be a mom,” I said, caressing my stomach again.
Marco smiled broadly and stepped forward.
“Congratulations, Bianca,” he said gently.
“Thank you,” I replied, returning his smile.
Alessandro looked at me and let out an exaggerated sigh.
“All right, now we know. What are we going to do?” he asked in the serious tone he always used when he was worried.
I frowned and looked at him without losing my smile.
“Don’t talk like that, Alessandro. The baby might get sad,” I teased.
He gave a short laugh but shook his head.
“Bianca, you know we should go far away. Wasn’t that the plan?”
“Alessandro, I’ve lived my entire life in Italy,” I said, looking at him as though it were obvious.
“And we can live somewhere else,” he replied, crossing his arms again. “Think about it, Bianca. When the Don finds out about this pregnancy, I have no idea how he’ll react.”
I bit my lip and looked at Marco, seeking support without having to ask.
“Maybe it would be wiser for us to go somewhere else for now,” Marco said calmly.
“I want to rebuild the vineyards,” I said, looking at Alessandro.
“We can do that from a distance. We’ll leave trusted people in charge. Just for a while, Bianca.” Alessandro looked exhausted, but I knew he was speaking out of concern.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
“All right, Alessandro. Where do you suggest?”
“Somewhere discreet, far away from any trouble. I’ll think of something,” he said, relieved.
Before he could consider the matter settled, I raised a finger as though I had remembered something important.
“But I need to go back and get Rosa. She’s coming with us.”
“Bianca...” Alessandro began, but I quickly shook my head.
“No arguments. She’s important to me.”
He stared at me for a few seconds before sighing again and shrugging.
“All right, you win, as always. But be quick, okay?”
I nodded, feeling my smile return. I ran a hand over my stomach again, an almost unconscious gesture. Rosa had gone back to my adoptive parents’ house, but I still wanted her by my side.
One month later…
We were living in Lisbon, Portugal. The choice had been strategic, somewhere we could quietly start over while keeping track of what was happening in Italy from a distance.
Alessandro and I had agreed to return once a month to check on the vineyards and supervise the renovation projects on the properties.
It was strange being so far from the land where I had grown up, but it was necessary. At least for now.
At two months pregnant, the symptoms began to intensify.
The nausea was constant, and I had to force myself to eat every meal, although Rosa, always attentive, insisted on preparing dishes I could manage to keep down.
Alessandro, on the other hand, acted like a wall.
He was always by my side, making sure nothing stressed me out.
The memory of Tiziano was constant, even though I tried to suppress it. His eyes filled with rage, his voice dripping with contempt, refused to leave my mind. He wasn’t the man I had imagined having by my side, but he also wasn’t someone I could simply erase from my memory.
Even so, I made an effort to move forward.
The properties we had inherited were progressing.
The vineyards were coming back to life, the renovations were moving at a fast pace, and the first results were beginning to appear.
Alessandro, with his strong, decisive personality, proved to be an attentive and protective brother, taking care of every detail I couldn’t handle on my own.
He dealt with any resistance from former Bellini allies who didn’t accept our approach of moving forward without bloodshed and keeping everything clean, and he knew how to assert his authority as the heir.
“How’s the most beautiful mom-to-be?” Marco entered the room with a broad smile, interrupting my thoughts.
I looked up at him and laughed softly. “Well, I already threw up breakfast and I have no appetite for lunch, so... I don’t know if we’re doing that great.”
“That’s what I call starting the day in style,” he joked, sitting beside me.
“Super glamorous, right?” I said, laughing with him.
“Here’s what we’re going to do: I’m taking you out to lunch. Pick whatever you want.”
I tilted my head, pretending to think deeply.
“Hmm... maybe... white rice with a little boiled potato?”
Marco’s eyes widened, clearly surprised by the suggestion.
“Seriously? That’s it?”
“It’s what the baby wants,” I replied with a smile, instinctively running a hand over my stomach.
He laughed, shaking his head.
“All right, Mom calls the shots. We’ll find the best white rice and the most perfectly boiled potatoes in existence.”
“Don’t forget unsweetened lemon juice. It’s essential,” I added, still joking, though I was already starting to feel slightly hungry.
“Understood, Mrs. Bellini. I’ll make sure you and that baby have the perfect meal.”
Marco held out his hand to help me up from the couch.
“You need to rest more, Bianca. You’ve been getting too involved in the business.”
“I can’t help it. I want everything to be perfect before the baby arrives. I want to build something solid.”
“You’re already doing that, and you’re doing it well. But there’s no point in having incredible vineyards if the mom-to-be is exhausted.”
I accepted his hand and slowly stood.
“All right, Mr. Careful. I’ll slow down a little. But only after lunch.”
We walked together to the car, and Marco opened the door for me, a gesture that seemed natural coming from him.
“What about Alessandro?” I asked as he walked around to the driver’s side.
“He went to take care of something involving the wine distribution. He said he’d be back before dinner.”
“I hope everything goes well.”
Marco started the car, but before pulling away, he looked at me with a warm smile.
“It will. You have a good team by your side. And more importantly, a brother who scares the hell out of anyone who dares disagree with you.”
I laughed, having to agree. Alessandro had lived a completely different life from mine.
While I had grown up surrounded by uncertainty and limitations, he had been trained to be our father’s soldier, hardened by violence and brute force.
He carried the weight of a life shaped to serve, to fight.
And yet, the fact that he loved me enough to give everything up, to agree to live away from bloodshed and anything illegal, only showed how deeply he loved me.
We arrived at the restaurant. The place was cozy, with rustic décor combining wooden tables and hanging lights that cast a soft glow. Alessandro chose a table near the window, where we could watch people hurrying through the streets of Lisbon.
“So, what will it be today, beautiful mom-to-be?” Marco asked with a smile as he flipped through the menu.
“Well...” I sighed, resting my head on my hand. “Anything that doesn’t smell too strong sounds amazing.”
“How about soup? Something simple,” he suggested, giving me a knowing look.
“Soup... sounds perfect,” I agreed with a smile.
“Sometimes the simplest choices are the smartest,” he concluded, still smiling.
After we ordered, the conversation flowed naturally. Marco was charming and funny. He made jokes about everything, and I liked that. I liked his company.
“You know, Bianca...” Marco began, looking at me a little longer than necessary. “I think it’s impressive how you’re handling all of this. And it’s not just because you’re strong. It’s because of the heart you put into everything you do. Any man would be lucky to have you by his side.”
I laughed, a dry sound carrying more irony than joy.
“If you’re thinking about courting someone, I suggest choosing uncomplicated women.”
Marco raised his hands, a light expression of surrender on his face.
“I just want you to know that you deserve a fresh start. A fresh start filled with happiness.”
My smile was brief, and I looked away toward the streets crowded with people. I was still married to Tiziano, at least on paper. The weight of that name sometimes made me fear what would come next.