Chapter 4

Natalina's POV

The surgery went smoothly.

In what felt like the blink of an eye, the child I had anticipated for so long was gone, and with it, my marriage was over.

As I lay in the ward and stared out the window at the sky, I couldn't help picture Antonio's face in my mind.

To this day, I still couldn't understand how we had ended up in our current state. Maybe it was the endless, petty arguments, or perhaps it was because of everything that had happened in the past.

But none of that mattered anymore. Antonio didn't love me, so there was no reason for me to stay.

I stubbornly forced my weak body out of bed to leave.

As I made my way downstairs, I saw Aurora clinging to Antonio's arm, coyly swinging it and whining, "I did well, didn't I? I'm pregnant with a boy for you, and in seven months, you'll finally have your heir."

Antonio smiled. The way he looked at her was soft and gentle—a look he had never given me. He went as far as to drape his coat over her shoulders and meticulously remind her of all the things she should watch out for during pregnancy.

Looking at him, I felt like I was looking at a stranger.

I used to wonder why Antonio hadn't shown any trace of joy when I told him I was pregnant. Now, I understood—another woman was already pregnant with his baby.

I watched as Antonio caressed Aurora's slight baby bump and softly murmured, "I've picked out a name. We'll call him Ernesto."

Ernesto?

My heart clenched.

People in our world believed that naming a baby after a respected elder in the Famiglia would bless them with a safe, protected life. Back when my pregnancy was dangerously unstable, I had begged Antonio to give our baby this name, hoping it would serve as a blessing to keep the baby safe.

He had stubbornly refused and given me all sorts of excuses, but now, he gave it to Aurora's baby without a second thought. It turned out it wasn't that he didn't want to use the name—he just didn't want to give it to my baby.

A sharp, suffocating wave of pain throbbed in my chest, and I helplessly collapsed onto the floor.

Antonio and Aurora heard the sound and turned around.

"Why did she follow us here, Don Antonio? Is she here to cause a scene and hurt me?" Aurora whimpered and hid behind him, feigning a pitiable act.

Sure enough, Antonio's expression turned cold when he heard her words.

He turned around and warned me, "I've told you to carry yourself with dignity and act like a proper Donna, Natalina. Why are you always following me around, or are you planning to stir trouble for Aurora and her baby?

"I'm warning you—if anything happens to Aurora or her baby, neither you nor your baby will get away with it."

I couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

My baby was gone, so his threats didn't work anymore.

When the sun rose tomorrow, the longstanding alliance between my Famiglia and Antonio's would naturally expire. I would return home to claim my place as the Principessa of the Corradinis, and there would be no one left to clean up the Ragusa Famiglia's chaotic mess.

I was willing to bet that within a month, the Ragusa Famiglia would crash and return to its ruined state of severed supply chains and financial ruin like before. And this time, I wouldn't soften or come back to save Antonio again.

Ignoring my weakened body, I stayed awake all night packing my belongings. Then, I arrived at the airport as scheduled and boarded the private jet home.

Before the plane took off, I deleted all of Antonio's contact information.

"Goodbye, Antonio. I hope we never meet again."