Page 131 of Mafia Daddy's Christmas Bride

Not a woman forced upon him.

"Angelica will need dinner around six," Mrs. Rossi continues. "There's pasta sauce in the refrigerator. Just heat it up and boil some noodles."

"I can handle it," I assure her. "Angelica and I will be fine."

“I know she will. She’s come to love you.”

God, another statement that hurts more than helps.

After she leaves, I stare at the pregnancy test. Could it really be possible that I'm pregnant?

"This is ridiculous," I mutter to myself. "It's just stress and illness."

But the nagging possibility won't leave me alone. I rip open the box and follow the directions.

Three minutes later, I'm staring at a single pink word.

PREGNANT.

"No," I whisper, sinking onto the edge of the bathtub. "No, no, no."

But there's no mistaking it. I'm pregnant with Roman Ginetti's child.

I press my palm against my still-flat stomach, trying to comprehend the new life growing inside me.

A strange, unexpected warmth blooms in my chest, fighting against the panic. A baby. My baby. Our baby.

"What am I going to do?" I ask my reflection in the mirror.

Roman's face flashes in my mind.

What will he do with this news?

Will he be happy?

Or will this child be another complication in our already complicated lives?

I think of Angelica, who's only just started warming up to me. How will she feel about a sibling?

Then there's the notebook, the investigation, the FBI. All of it swirls around us. What kind of world am I bringing this child into?

More than ever, I wish my mother were here. She’d know what to do. Or at least she’d be by my side to guide me.

A part of me wants to call him right now, to blurt out this life-changing news.

Maybe it would bring him home.

Maybe it would remind him of what we've been building together.

But another part of me hesitates. What if he thinks I planned this?

What if he believes I'm using this child as leverage, as protection?

I realize that this pregnancy changes everything.

It's no longer just about me finding justice for my mother or Roman protecting his family.

There's an innocent life involved now.