Page 110 of Of Oaths and Secrets

The drive is silent save for Sofia’s muffled cries from the trunk. My hands grip the wheel tightly, my knuckles white, my mind going back to the hospital every minute.

Once Paolo is dropped off, I head straight to the club. When I open the trunk, Sofia is trembling, her face ashen as I drag her out and shove her forward. Her legs give out, and she crumples to the ground.

I grab her by the arm, hauling her upright and forcing her into the club basement and into the cell. She collapses ontothe chair, sobbing. “Just kill me,” she pleads, her voice broken. “Please, just kill me.”

I crouch down in front of her, my voice cold, devoid of mercy. “Did you care when you put my pregnant wife in a basement? Did you care when she begged you to let her out? Did you care, Sofia?” I cock my head to the side as sobs grow louder, but she doesn’t answer. “Did you care that you were hurting the most amazing woman to ever exist?”

“Your brother helped me!” she cries suddenly. “He killed your father. He poisoned his drink.”

I laugh, the sound hollow. “You think I didn’t know? Please. I’ve known for a while. Leo came clean, and he also told me what kind of predator you are.” I stand and grab a blade from the table. “Now, it’s my turn.”

I make the first cut on her wrist slow and deep, and her screams echo off the concrete walls. But before I can continue, my phone buzzes in my pocket.

I pull it out and see a text from Leo.

Nora’s out of surgery. They’re both alive. Please come. You must be here when she wakes up.

The blade stills in my hand, and for a moment, I just stare at the message. Relief washes over me, but it’s short-lived. I look back at Sofia, her body slumped in the chair, blood pooling beneath her.

“You’ll die here,” I say coldly, throwing the blade onto the table. “Slowly, painfully. Let your last hours be in agony.”

Her eyes widen, and she starts to beg, but I don’t stay to listen. I walk out, slamming the cell door behind me. She deserves no better.

I get into the car, my hands trembling as I grip the wheel. The drive to the hospital feels like a lifetime, but the momentI see the building come into view, my chest tightens with overwhelming emotion.

I sprint through the doors, ignoring the curious glances of nurses and patients, and find Leo waiting for me near the entrance to the maternity ward.

“She’s unconscious but stable,” he says before I can even ask. “You need to see her.”

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat, and head toward her room, my heart pounding.

When I step into the room, the sight before me stops me cold. She lies in the sterile bed, pale as the sheets around her. Her frame is dwarfed by the wires and tubes hooked up to machines that beep in a steady rhythm, mocking the chaos inside me. Her face is peaceful in its stillness, but the dark circles under her eyes tell the story of her fight—our fight. A fight she should never have had to endure.

I approach her slowly, each step like walking through quicksand, weighed down by fear, regret, and love so deep it feels like it might shatter me. I sink into the chair beside her bed, my fingers trembling as they brush against hers. Her hand is soft but cold, and I cradle it between my own, willing warmth back into her.

“Amore mio,” I whisper, my voice breaking as I speak. “You promised me you’d never leave. And I—” My throat tightens, the words clawing their way out. “I can’t do this without you, Nora. You’re the only reason I’ve ever wanted to be more than a monster. You make me better… You make mehuman.”

I lean forward, resting my forehead against her hand, the machines’ rhythmic beeps the only sound filling the room. “Before you, there was nothing but emptiness, darkness. I didn’t even know what love was. I didn’t know what it meant to have someone see every broken piece of me and not turn away.”

I lift my head, my voice growing stronger, though my heart aches with every word. “Youaremy light, Nora. You brought me out of that darkness. And now, seeing you like this… I’d trade everything—my power, my wealth, my life—just to see you smile again. To hear your voice. To feel you call me by my name, not as a monster but as your husband.”

A tear slips down my cheek, unbidden, and I let it fall. I’ve never cried before, not like this, but for her, I don’t care. “I’ll never forgive myself for not being there to protect you, to keep you safe. But I swear to you, Nora, on my soul—on the blackened, worthless heart that only beats for you—I will never let anyone hurt you again. Not Sofia, not anyone.”

I lean closer, my lips brushing against her knuckles. “You have to wake up. You have to fight. For me. For her.” My other hand moves to rest gently on her stomach, now empty, and my throat tightens. “Our baby girl needs you, Nora. I need you. She’s waiting for you, amore, in the nursery. I can’t do this without you. I don’t want to do this without you.”

The machines keep on beeping steadily, offering no reply. My head drops, my shoulders shaking with the weight of everything unsaid. “I love you, Nora,” I whisper against her hand. “I love you so much it terrifies me, and I know without a shadow of a doubt I won’t survive losing you. The moment your heart stops, I’ll be following you.”

A faint stir—a flicker of movement. My breath hitches, and I sit upright, my eyes locked on her face. Her eyelids flutter, a weak groan escaping her lips.

“Nora?” My voice trembles, hope surging through me like a flood.

Her lashes lift just slightly, her gaze unfocused but finding me. Her lips part, and the faintest whisper escapes. “Rafaele…”

I’m on my knees beside her bed in an instant, my hand cradling her cheek. “Amore mio, I’m here. I’m right here. You’re safe.”

Her lips curve into the faintest hint of a smile before her eyes slip shut again, her exhaustion pulling her back into unconsciousness.

But she’s alive. She’s fighting. And for the first time in what feels like an eternity, I let out a breath, hope taking root in my chest. I press a soft kiss to her forehead, a silent vow: I’ll fight for her as fiercely as she’s fought for us, for our baby, for our life together.

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