Page 93 of Fierce Hearts

"Honestly, it was down to Bianca, Davide, or I, being the last of the main line, apart from you, of course."

"Yes, and I'm also not willing to take on that role. I have skeletons in my closet that would be used against me, and I'm no longer in my prime. A part of me wishes I could, for your sake, for Bianca, Cara, Rosette, and Julia. But I'm not the one for this position," she said softly before taking a sip of her espresso.

"I understand. Which is why I have another idea, one that will prevent any bloodshed hopefully. I know we're hoping to simply overthrow him with numbers, but that could cause in-house fighting, even deaths," I added, and she nodded knowingly, the corner of her lip quirking upwards.

"Something tells me this isn't something easy, it'll require blood being spilt," she said as she leaned back in her chair. She'd been in this world too long, knew how it worked.

"Yeah. But first, how's Julia? You said Bianca spoke with her, and then you had to. You said she was handling it as expected, but do you think she's with us?" I asked, dreading the answer.

Caterina's face darkened. "She's destroyed, Sof. She didn't believe Bianca at first—accused her of making up stories." She stirred her espresso absently. "I had to show her the evidence myself. The bank statements. The phone records. Everything."

"And?"

"She broke down completely. Then something... changed in her. I've never seen such rage in Julia before." Caterina sipped her coffee. "She's staying with me now. Ernesto hasn't been home, thankfully. He's too busy plotting with the Ference family."

"Do we have enough people on our side?"

"More than you'd think. The women of the family have been waiting for change for generations." Her eyes met mine, searching. "So what is it you wish to do? Have Ernesto killed?"

I sighed, sipping my tea and glancing out the window, glad we were tucked in a quiet corner away from other patrons. "It has to be within the family, and not by me. If I do it, and they learn I'm pregnant and with Grayson's child, they'll deem it a Donati attack."

"They would," Caterina agreed, studying me as she smiled softly. "You remind me of your father, Sofia."

I stiffened. "I'm nothing like?—"

"In the good ways," she clarified. "Antonio knew when to make the hard calls for the family. But where he stopped at maintaining the status quo, I can see you want to change things. That's what the Savoca family needs."

The comparison to my father sent conflicting emotions through me. I'd spent years trying to escape his legacy, but perhaps I did have some of his hardness needed for these kinds of times.

"We need to move quickly," I said. "Before Ernesto realizes what's happening."

Caterina nodded. "I agree. But there's something you should understand.” She reached across the table, taking my hand. "I will help you end my brother's reign. But Julia deserves the first chance at him."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He killed her son, Sofia. Her firstborn." Caterina's voice cracked slightly. "As a mother who's lost a child, I can tell you there's a specific kind of rage that comes with it. A mother's vengeance. I've had years to come to terms with my loss, Julia… her loss is fresh."

I thought about the tiny life growing inside me, how fiercely I already wanted to protect it. "You think she'll kill him?"

"I think she deserves the opportunity to decide his fate, if she wants to be the one." Caterina's eyes were hard. "After what he's done to this family—to all of us—he needs to pay."

I nodded slowly. "And if she can't go through with it?"

"Then we proceed as planned." Caterina's face hardened. "But first, we give her the chance to confront the monster who murdered her son."

* * *

The following morning,I tried to relax as Dr. Kenner moved the ultrasound wand inside me. Gray sat beside me, his hand gripping mine as we both stared at the small monitor.

"Everything still looks good," Dr. Kenner said with a reassuring smile. “The subchorionic hematoma is resolving, it should be healed in another week completely.”

I exhaled slowly, relief washing over me. I'd suspected things were still going good despite the mess that was my life right now, but getting confirmation was a bonus.

“Try to take it easy still, but in regard to sex, I think it’s safe to resume that now,” she said with a wink, and I rolled my eyes with a smile. It wasn’t exactly a priority of ours lately, and Gray had been far too focused on my care than his pleasure.

“There’s no rush on that,” Gray said with a chuckle. “Sofia’s health comes first.”

“Of course, I’m just saying it’s safe, although don’t be too rough just yet. However, I want to get you started on a comprehensive prenatal plan," Dr. Kenner continued as she removed the wand and cleaned it off. "Given your recent scare, I'd like to see you every two weeks for the first trimester, then we'll reassess."

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