A Tainted Bloodline

A few minutes later, Darren's second-in-command, Tony, strode over.

He saw me, covered in blood, and his brow furrowed. He anxiously pulled out his phone and called Darren.

"Boss, there's a woman at the hospital entrance, covered in blood. She looks a lot like... the madam."

"You fell for it too? I told you, a little shot of that drug couldn't make her bleed like that."

Tony spoke cautiously. "Should I come up to confirm? If it really is the madam, she's in grave danger..."

"I said it's impossible!" Darren roared hysterically.

"Scarlett is obsessed with her appearance. If it were that serious, she would have stormed in here to find me herself. Why would she let herself get so disheveled?"

Meanwhile, the head of the emergency room was pleading for a single set of surgical equipment.

But Darren responded with a cold threat.

"I don't care who it is. Not a single resource meant for Angelina will be touched by anyone else!"

"Angelina and the child in her belly are the true bloodline of the Falcone family!"

“Anyone who touches anything knows the consequences.”

The doctor finally gave up in despair, shaking his head apologetically.

"I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do."

Having already crawled out of hell, I refused to give up on even the slimmest chance for my child's survival.

Enduring the tearing pain, I took Leo's satellite phone with a trembling hand.

I dialed the number I had once sworn never to call again.

It was my brother Stephan's private line.

"Stephan..." my voice was a bare thread of sound. "I was wrong. I'll never defy you again..."

"Save me..."

Stephan's voice was as cold as ice, asking no questions.

"Address."

The moment I heard his voice, all my pent-up grievances and despair erupted.

I cried hysterically, like a lost child trying to find her way home.

Regret, anger, desperation… a flood of emotions poured out.

In less than eight minutes, the low thrum of a helicopter filled the night sky.

A black, state-of-the-art medevac landed on the hospital rooftop, its rotors kicking up a powerful gust of wind.

A team of heavily armed, professional medics descended.

I was quickly carried onto the helicopter, which was equipped with medical facilities more advanced than any hospital.

"Prepare for a C-section!" a doctor commanded.

A precision scalpel sliced across my lower abdomen. Even with a powerful anesthetic, I could still feel the agony of flesh being separated.

I could hear the doctors' tense conversation and the urgent beeping of the monitors.

After a long while, the lead surgeon finally let out a sigh of relief.

"The baby's out!"

But the cabin was filled with a dead silence.

There was no cry of a newborn, no breath of new life.

Only the beeping of the equipment and my own desperate heartbeat.

A terrible premonition washed over me like ice water. I choked out the question.

"My baby... how is he?"

The doctors exchanged heavy glances, then one gently touched my shoulder.

"The baby suffered severe toxin exposure and prolonged oxygen deprivation..."

"We need to transport him to the medical center in Sicily immediately. They have the most advanced neonatal intensive care equipment there."

My world collapsed in that moment. I could only nod numbly.

Meanwhile, in a maternity room at St. Mary's Hospital.

Darren stood guard outside the operating room like a loyal hound.

When the door opened, he rushed forward to ask.

"How is Angelina? Is the baby healthy?"

"Mother and son are both fine, Boss," the doctor reported respectfully.

Darren walked into the warm, comfortable room and gently picked up the swaddled infant.

His eyes filled with a father's love as he whispered.

"He looks just like you. A little angel."

After he spoke, he seemed to drift off for a moment.

He allowed himself to imagine what his child with Scarlett would have looked like.

If it were a girl, she would definitely have her beautiful eyes...

After lulling the baby to sleep, Darren checked his watch.

It was already the next morning. It was time to have someone bring Scarlett over.

He tossed his car keys to Tony.

"Go back to the estate. Bring my wife here."

“Whatever it takes, that child needs to be delivered. I want a DNA test the moment it's born.”

Tony stood frozen, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.

He didn't dare look Darren in the eye, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

Darren noticed something was wrong and frowned.

"What is it? Get a move on."

Tony finally summoned the courage, his voice shaking.

"Boss... Madam Scarlett... she's dead..."