CLARA"Are you sure about selling your eggs?" the doctor asked as I sat in his cramped office. His voice was calm, almost too calm, as if this was just another routine day for him.I glanced at the stack of paperwork in front of me. My hands were trembling as I grabbed the pen. I didn’t want to be here. This wasn’t what I wanted for myself.But my phone buzzed again in my pocket, and I knew exactly what the message said without even looking."If you do not pay within three days, your aunt’s operation will be canceled."Three days. That was all the time I had. And I barely had enough money for food, let alone the operation fees.I sighed heavily and shoved the phone back into my pocket. Aunt Maggie’s medical bills were piling up, and the hospital wasn’t going to wait for me to figure things out.“No,” I admitted quietly, “I’m not sure about this.”The doctor’s face softened. “You don’t have to go through with it. There’s still time to back out.”Lucaa, sitting next to me, leaned forwar
Chapter 02~ A Tough DecisionCLARAI sat in the bathroom, staring at the pregnancy test in my hand. Positive.I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. How could this have happened? I hadn’t… I couldn’t… It didn’t make any sense.My thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.“Clara? ” Lucaa’s voice came in.“I don’t understand,” I called, my voice shaking.She walked in and shut the door behind her, her face was pale. “I need to tell you something. And you’re not going to like it.”I frowned. “What is it?”She hesitated, running a hand through her hair. “The clinic… they made a mistake.”“A mistake?” I repeated, feeling my stomach drop.She nodded, guilt written all over her face. “They did the wrong surgery. You didn’t have an egg retrieval, Clara. You had a fertilization operation.”For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The words didn’t make sense. “What are you saying, Lucaa? That I… that I’m pregnant because of this mediacal incident?”“Yes,” she said quietly.I stared at her, m
CLARA It didn’t take long for the whispers to start. “Did you hear about Clara?” someone would say at the market. “She’s pregnant and not even married.” “She used to be so involved with the church,” another would chime in. “What a shame.” I tried to ignore it, but it was hard. The church had always been a place where I felt safe, but now, even the pastor’s wife gave me cold looks. It wasn’t long before I stopped going altogether. Every Sunday morning, I would hear the church bells ringing, and my chest would ache. But I reminded myself that I didn’t need their approval. My focus was on my baby. At my next antenatal check-up, Lucaa smiled as she looked at the screen. “The baby’s growing well,” she said, pointing at the little shape on the monitor. “It’s ten weeks now and stable.” I couldn’t help but smile. Seeing the baby made everything feel real. But then Lucaa’s expression turned serious. “Clara, it’s still not too late to think about your options. You can choose t
MATEODeath had a smell.Tears, blood, sweat, and fear.The room was cold, dim with the little lightcoming from the single overhead bulb that flickers every now and then. The manin front of me was trembling, his wrists tied to the arms of the chair, and hisankles bound to the legs. His face was already bruised, his lips splitfrom the last hit. Yet, he still had the audacity to lie to me!I crouched in front of him, with my gunresting lightly against his temple. His breathing hitched, his body stiffened,but he still wouldn't talk. "You know," I muttered, tapping theside of his head with the barrel. "Loyalty is a virtue, but lying? Lyingis a deadly sin." "I swear, I don’t know anything," hesobbed, with his eyes wide with terror. "I told you the truth! I don’tknow who the donor was or who the sperm was sold to. Please, believeme!" I chuckled, shaking my head. "Believeyou?" I repeated. "You think I’m stupid? You work in that clinic. Youhandle the records. Yet you expec
CLARA The blinding white light of the hospital room made my head pound as I slowly opened my eyes. My body felt heavy, and my limbs refused to cooperate. The events of last night rushed back, leaving a sinking feeling in my stomach. Before I could sit up, my uncle’s angry voice filled the room. He was pacing, muttering to himself, his face covered with anger. “You’ve ruined everything!” he spat, spinning around to face me. “Pregnant? You’re pregnant?” I didn’t respond. My throat was dry, and my heart was pounding so fast. “For all the years I’ve put up with you, this is how you repay me? You’ve destroyed everything!” His voice grew louder as he stepped closer to the bed. “What are you talking about?” I managed to croak, my voice barely audible. "What am I talking about, huh?" He leaned over me, I could perceive the smell of alcohol reeking from his breath. “I'm talking about this bastard in your womb. You're getting it out as soon as possible." "Uncle Mark..." Be
CLARAHe stood there, his cold, dark eyes were now fixed on my uncle, who stood frozen like a cornered rat. My uncle wasn't expecting to see him, no one was. At this point, Uncle Mark left me completely, taking a step forward with something he called… boldness.“I’m from the Iron Fang Syndicate gang,” my uncle blurted out, trying to sound tough but failing miserably. “You better leave if you know what’s good for you!” The man—Mateo, I remembered—tilted his head slightly, having this unreadable expression. Then he spoke again, his deep voice sending chills down my spine. “This woman owes me,” he said, gesturing toward me. “She’s not going anywhere without my permission.” Uncle Mark shifted his gaze at me, and before my uncle could respond, Mateo took a step forward. His men fanned out, surrounding the room. I could feel the tension that came with it. It was suffocating. “What are you talking about?” my uncle stammered, walking steps backward. I've never seen my uncle this sca
CLARA I woke up to the sound of low voices murmuring nearby. My body ached, and my head felt heavy as I blinked against the harsh light streaming into the room. As my vision cleared, I noticed two men sitting by my bedside, dressed in expensive suits and wearing a serious expression that immediately put me on edge.“Good, you’re awake,” one of them said, a little softly. He was holding a folder, and the sight of it made my stomach twist.“Who are you?” I managed to ask, feeling my throat run dry.“We work for Mr. Mateo De Luca,” the man replied, as if that explained everything. “He asked us to give this to you.” He handed me the folder, and I hesitated before taking it. I could feel my hands trembling as I opened it, revealing a thick stack of papers inside. “What is this?” I asked, not taking my gaze off the folder in my hand.“It’s your employment contract,” the man said plainly. “For the next two years, you will work as Mr. De Luca’s personal doctor. Your duties are limited to en
CLARA The day I was discharged from the hospital felt like a dream. I was still trying to process everything that had happened, but it seemed like the world wasn’t waiting for me to catch up. As I sat on the hospital bed for the last time, a man dressed in a sleek black suit entered the room. He looked expensive and intimidating, but his expression was calm. “This is for you,” he said, handing me a brand-new phone. I stared at it for a moment. “I don't understand." I stammered, not sure if I understood why everything seems to be happening so fast. "What’s this for?” “Boss wants to talk to you,” he simply replied, giving no room for arguments.I took the phone reluctantly and held it to my ear. “Hello?” Mateo's voice came through from the other end of the line. “Clara.” I swallowed nervously. “Yes?” “I’ve arranged for a driver to take you wherever you need to go,” he said, as though he hadn’t just turned my entire life upside down. “If you don’t want to go back to your unc
CLARAI stirred, slowly opening my eyes and immediately realized that I was wrapped in Mateo’s arms. It startled me because I never expected to wake up in such an intimate position. Our arrangement was strictly contractual, a practical understanding, not a meeting of hearts. However, there I was, lying against him as if we had shared an intimate experience. I untangled myself from him and sat up slowly.I could make out the light of dawn filtering through the curtains and tried to remember how the night had ended. I had been so tired that I called it an early night after having dinner. Although; Christopher might have also contributed to that. I was getting spoiled by his mouth-watering meals.I threw my legs over the bed and finally stood up. I stopped for a moment and glanced at Mateo’s sleeping form. I didn’t hear him come in last night and wondered if I should say something to him. I shook off the thought and headed to the bathroom. I dressed silently, the fresh morning air makin
MATEONight came sooner than I expected. Funny enough, I wasn’t done thinking of ways to have Renzetti pay for what he did to my father. It hurt me even more knowing that I had gotten to know about this at a late hour. But it wasn’t too late to have my revenge on him.I went to the dining room to have dinner. Christopher already has my ordered meal ready on the table. The sight of it already made me full, but I was too hungry to neglect it.Christopher came to pour me wine in my glass cup when he sensed the trouble on my face. “Is everything alright, Sir?” He asked.I nodded, trying my best to have the slightest smile on my face. “I’m fine, just a bit stressed out.”“Then you must get some rest.” I nodded.As he turned to leave, I called him back. “Have a seat.”“Sir?” He looked surprised. It was rare for me to do such a thing.“The meals are much for only me, you should join me.”“I’m not hungry, Sir. And besides...”I furrowed my brows at him, and he could sense the look on my face
MATEOWhen Bruno left the room, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of discomfort. I’ve known Bruno for a long time and he was not the kind of guy to retreat from a fight or in this case a confrontation which made me believe that something was definitely up with him.Also, I now knew for a fact that he was desperate.Desperate people tend to do stupid things, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that Bruno was hiding something from me. He might look all innocent, but trust me, I know him more than that.I shifted my gaze to Dominic who’s been standing still for long even after Bruno left. “Are you just going to keep standing there, or are you going to make yourself comfortable?”He walked to my desk, sitting on the same chair Bruno had sat. “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a long time now.”“I’m listening.”“I know you did say you and Bruno haven’t been quite the cool Mafia guys, but then...” He paused, as if searching for any reaction. “Don’t you think we should give him a
MATEO "I'm going to ask you this one question, Bruno." I leaned closer, eyes fixed on him. "Whose side are you on?""What's that supposed to mean, Mateo?" He snapped."It's just a question, Bruno."He scoffed, nodding his head. I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed, watching his face twist in frustration. He didn't want to show off that he was vexed at my question, but I could hear the slight tremor in his voice. He was angry, maybe even insulted, but underneath it all, he was desperate. "Don't you trust me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. I tilted my head slightly, pretending to think. "At this point, Bruno, I’m not sure if I should." My voice was calm, but I knew he could feel every bit of it. "And you know... it’s not too late for me to have you killed." Bruno’s eyes flashed with fury. He scoffed, shaking his head. "And what exactly am I supposed to do to prove my loyalty, huh?" His hands clenched into fists on the table. "Because after a threat like that, do you really th
MATEOThe phone buzzed in my hand, and I answered without thinking. Dominic’s voice came through, low in a whisper. “Bruno wasn’t the one behind the men.”I sat up straight. “What?” “We roughed him up, threatened him to talk, but he wouldn’t say a word about who he met today. If Bruno was in on it, he would’ve cracked.”I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. If it wasn’t Bruno, then who the hell was it?“Since you said it’s not Renzetti, and from our attack, it’s not Bruno either, then you’re right. There’s someone else in the picture.”“I’ll figure that out soon.”The call ended, but the words stuck with me. I tossed the phone onto the nightstand and laid back, staring at the ceiling. My mind raced with countless thoughts, trying to place the pieces together. If not Bruno… then who? Renzetti’s name floated in my head, but something inside me refused to pin it on him. He had power, sure. But he shouldn’t know I had eyes on him this close.Damn it. I clenched my jaw. I
MATEOI walked into the mansion, my mind raced with everything that had just happened. The unknown caller, the man at the bar, and the warning… I didn’t like any of it. The moment I stepped inside, I called for Dominic. “Track this number,” I ordered, handing him my phone. “I want to know who it belongs to.” Dominic nodded without question and left immediately. I paced the room, trying to put the pieces together. Someone knew about my plans. Someone who wasn’t Renzetti—at least, that’s what it felt like. But who else could it be? Minutes passed before Dominic returned. “Boss,” he said. “The number can’t be tracked.” I frowned. “What do you mean the number can’t be tracked?” I barked. “That bastard just phoned me minutes ago, and it can’t be tracked?”“It’s unavailable. Whoever called you must have destroyed the SIM card immediately after the call.” For the first time in a long while, I felt something I wasn’t used to… defeat. I had dealt with enemies before, men who thought they
MATEOI sat at the bar, swirling the drink in my glass as I waited for Bruno to speak. He looked uneasy, his fingers drumming lightly against the counter. Whatever he had to say, I could tell it wasn’t good. After a moment of silence, he finally leaned in. “Renzetti has been meeting with the Minister of Finance,” he said, almost in a whisper. I lifted an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. “He’s been keeping track of the goods and products coming in and out of the state,” he added. “That means he wants to know what everyone does—their businesses, their incomes, their productivity. Not just the regular citizens, but also the Mafia lords.” I exhaled slowly, setting my glass down. This wasn’t entirely unexpected, but hearing it confirmed made things worse. Renzetti wasn’t just expanding his power—he was making sure no one could move without him knowing.I see.“How long has he been doing this?” I asked. Bruno shook his head. “I can’t say for sure, but judging from how organized ev
CLARAI couldn’t wait any longer. The dream haunted me, sticking to my every thought like a dark cloud that refused to disappear. No matter how many times I reminded myself it was just a nightmare, the fear wouldn’t leave me. I needed answers. Without telling Lily, without waiting for anyone, I took a taxi to the clinic. It wasn’t even my scheduled day for a checkup, but I didn’t care. I had to know. If there was still a chance, any chance, to stop this before it was too late… I needed to find out. As I sat in the back of the taxi, my hands trembled in my lap. The city passed by in a blur, my mind running in circles. What if the dream was a sign? What if the baby really wasn’t normal? Would they even allow me to get rid of it? Would Mateo stop me? The thought of him made my heart clench. I pulled out my phone and dialed Lucaa’s number. “Clara?” He answered almost immediately, his voice filled with concern. “Lucaa, I need you to meet me at the hospital,” I said quickly. “It’s
CLARAI stepped into the room quietly, hoping to avoid any conversation with Mateo. But as soon as I saw him standing by the window, my heart clenched. His back was to me, his posture straight, his hands tucked into his pockets. Something about the way he stood there made him look deep in thought, but I wasn’t about to ask what was on his mind. I turned quickly, ready to leave before he noticed me, but his voice stopped me. “Leaving so soon?” he asked, almost too calmly to neglect. I swallowed hard and turned back slowly. He was already walking toward me, his dark eyes locked onto mine. There was something unreadable in his expression, something that made my stomach tighten. I took a step back. And another. He kept coming closer. I stepped back again until I felt the cold surface of the door against my back. There was nowhere else to go. Mateo smirked, his head tilting slightly. “You feel scared around me,” he murmured, his voice low yet teasing, “and yet, you get jealous when