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“No, don’t. You don’t have to do that. I can just have one delivered here.” I rush out, run a frantic hand through my hair, and then look up at the mirror. My eyes are wide, and I can see the fear floating in them.

Pregnant.

I grip the edge of the counter. My heart pounds so loudly, I can hear it echoing in my ears. A single word—pregnant—and it terrifies me more than anything I’ve faced before.

“You’re scared to find out you might be pregnant?”

I open my mouth to give her an answer, but the truth is I don’t know. With the flash drive nonsense still swimming in my head, I don’t know if I want to be pregnant right now. Giacomo is still a problem, and Emily is wandering the streets of New York, likely biding her time.

I swallow hard, my fingers tightening around the phone. “I don’t know. Matteo and I only just started getting along, and with him still at odds with Daniele, I don’t know if now is the best time to… have a baby.”

“Aww, honey. Whatever the outcome of the test, I am sure that he will stand by your side. The man loves you with everything he has in him.”

“I know.” The words slip past my lips, but I don’t even know if I believe them myself. “Look, I need to go, I will text you later, okay?”

I hang up before she can say anything else. Immediately, I order the test online and have it delivered to the penthouse.

“Ten minutes.” I check the delivery app—that’s how long it says it’ll take. My eyes lift back to my reflection, meeting it once more.

For a moment, I just stand there, staring at myself, my pulse echoing in my ears. My hand finds its way to my flat stomach, and this sudden warmth overtakes me at the thought of a little life growing inside of me.

A baby. Our baby.

Being a mother has always been one of my greatest goals in life. I know that I was put on this earth to be one.

Then, without another thought, I step out of the bathroom and walk to the foyer to await my delivery. The guards watch me curiously, but they say nothing to me.

The doorman finally calls, and I allow the delivery man up. He hands me the box, and I make my way back to my room. I close the door behind me and head into the bathroom to pee on the damn stick. All the while, my mind goes round and round in circles trying to think out all the different scenarios.

I read the instructions—three minutes. That’s all it takes to rewrite my life.

I cap the stick, set it aside, and lay on the bed, trying to breathe through the storm building inside me.

The seconds tick by like minutes. Then my gaze snaps to the side table.

The flash drive—still hidden where I left it after the gala.

For days, I’ve gone back and forth, debating whether to open it.

“I need to know what’s in this thing.” I open the drawer and pull out the flash drive with shaking hands. I look back down at the pregnancy test that is still processing. “Let’s do this.”

I walk over to the desk where my computer sits, and with anxiety gripping my chest, I plug the drive into my computer. It’s now or never.

I stare at the screen, my breath caught somewhere between my ribs. My hand hovers over the trackpad, the small, blinking folder taunting me. With a deep breath, I double-click the folder.

A single video file sits inside.Antonio.mp4

My stomach churns violently. Why would Giacomo give me a video with my brother’s name on it? I already know that whatever is on this is going to shatter my heart. I can feel it.

My hand hovers over the play button, my fingers shaking. Every part of me is screaming to stop. To shut the laptop. To walk away.

But I can’t. I have to know.

I press play.

The screen flickers, grainy footage filling my laptop. The timestamp in the corner is from that night—the night he died.Oh my God…

The camera is shaky, like it was taken from a security feed or a hidden vantage point. The warehouse in the background is familiar, but what catches my attention first is him.