Page 105 of Beauty and the Daddy

"I need to know you're safe."

"Because of the baby?" The question escapes before I can cage it.

His eyes go storm-dark, and when he speaks, his voice is raw as an open wound. "Because of you, Belle. Not the baby. You."

Something fractures in my chest, not breaking, but opening. Like a flower forced to bloom in winter. He's not seeing me as an incubator for his heir. He's seeing me as the woman who could destroy him just by walking away.

"I'll stay put," I promise.

He nods once, already turning to leave.

"Luca—"

"Not now, Belle." His voice is strained. "We'll talk about... that... when this is over."

Our baby. Reduced to "that" because I was too scared to tell him sooner.

He leaves before I can say anything else, the door slamming behind him. I press my forehead against it.

"I'm sorry," I whisper to the empty air.

Minutes stretch into an hour. The chaos outside settles into an eerie vigilance. I pace the room, chewing my nails down to nothing, jumping at every sound. My phone has no service—they must have activated some kind of signal blocker.

A soft knock breaks the silence. I freeze, remembering Luca's order.

"Belle? It's me." Sofia's small voice filters through.

I open the door just enough to see her little face peering up at me. She slips inside, Meatball trailing behind like her orange shadow.

"Daddy said I could stay with you or Nanny." She climbs onto my bed. "Everyone's being weird."

I sit beside her, smoothing her hair. "Yeah, grown-ups get like that sometimes."

She studies my face with those too-wise eyes. "You've been crying."

"Just a little."

"Is Daddy mad at you?" She frowns. "He looked really mad when he told me to come here."

I don't say a word, my throat all tied up in choked pain.

"Daddy gets mean when he's scared," she tells me.

Oh, knife meet heart. The sweet angel's defending her dad, and I won't be the one to let her think anything less of that man.

"Me too," I admit in a whisper. "I get… stupid when I'm scared."

She considers this. "Do you need Bruno?" she asks, solemn, like offering me her best soldier.

"I think Bruno's on border patrol." I kiss the top of her head. "But thank you."

She nods, satisfied, and wriggles down. "I'm going to my room now. Nanny has snacks in her bag. Do you want some?"

"Good plan. No, I'm not hungry."

She nods and pauses at the door. "Don't be scared," she whispers. "We have Daddy."

And then she's gone, and I am in a room that feels like a safe and a cage at the same time.