Dumped at Noon, Settled by Night

I was in a deep sleep when a loud, relentless knock on the door pulled me out of my dreams.

My head throbbed from the noise.

"Rebecca? Are you awake?" Giovanni asked.

I didn't bother to answer. Moments later, the bedroom door swung open. Giovanni walked in. Rosa trailed behind him with a few girls she hung out with.

Giovanni frowned. "Rebecca, Rosa insisted on coming to apologize."

"Apologize?"

I pushed myself up and pressed a palm to my pounding head.

Rosa rushed to the bed and grabbed my hand.

"Becca, I'm so sorry… I know what I did was wrong, but—" she trailed off, clutching her stomach with tears in her eyes. "The baby is innocent. Please… let me keep it."

Her words snapped me awake. I turned to Giovanni. "Baby?"

"I forgot protection… that night," he murmured, his gaze flitting to the side and avoiding mine.

A humorless laugh escaped me.

That night? It seemed like more than one night to me.

Rosa's little entourage immediately chimed in.

"Oh, what's done is done. Why keep bringing it up?"

"Come on, if they conceived that easily, it must mean they're meant to be together!"

One of them gave me a pointed look. "Maybe they're the real perfect match, unlike some people."

"Shut your mouths!" Giovanni shouted. "Say one more word like that and you're out of the family. Rebecca is my wife, and Rosa will always just be a sister."

The ladies fell silent. Rosa clutched her chest and looked at him with a wounded gaze.

Giovanni turned to me, softening his tone. "Rebecca, my feelings for you haven't changed. But the child is innocent. If my family finds out, Rosa will be punished, and the baby won't survive."

I raised an eyebrow. "So?"

He steeled himself, reached for my hand, and pleaded, "Once the baby's born, we'll raise it together. You won't have to go through the pain of childbirth. You always said you were afraid of that, didn't you?"

I stared at him. It felt like I was looking at a stranger.

How had I never realized how shameless he could be?

Before we got engaged, I had been upfront that I might never want children. He had agreed without hesitation. Now, after sleeping with his stepsister, he was acting as though it were all for my benefit.

"Rosa," I called out, turning to her instead. "Are you willing to let your own child grow up calling you their aunt?"

Tears welled in her eyes as she nodded meekly. "If… if that's what you want, then I have no regrets…"

Giovanni's expression softened at her words.

I felt sick to my stomach.

Angry words rose to my throat, but I forced them back down. There was no point in wasting my breath. Angelo's proposal was already settled, and he'd be here in six days.

"Fine," I said flatly. "Keep it."

Relief washed over Giovanni's face. He stepped forward as if to embrace me. "Thank you, Rebecca. I knew you'd be reasonable!"

I dodged his arm.

His smile faltered, but he pressed on as if nothing had happened. "Rosa needs to rest. Could you look after her for a while, Rebecca?"

"Gio, I don't want to bother her. Besides, I can't sleep in just any bed. I'm so used to the master bedroom," Rosa piped up with a sweet voice.

Giovanni spoke up without thinking. "Then stay in the master bedroom."

I snapped my head upward.

The master bedroom had a custom-made mattress and chandelier that Giovanni had chosen to ease my exhaustion after years of managing family affairs.

"And where exactly am I supposed to sleep?" I asked.

Rosa whimpered, "I remember there's a servant's room in the master suite."

"Are you out of your mind?" I shot back.

That so-called room was barely 50 square feet.

Giovanni frowned. "That room's too small. Rebecca's back isn't great, so she should at least have the guest bedroom."

Rosa bit her lip and exchanged a look with one of her friends. A short-haired girl stepped forward. "Don Rossi, there's no room closer to the master bedroom than that one. If Rosa needs anything, it'll be easier for Rebecca to respond."

I remembered the girl. She was a former secretary whom Giovanni had reassigned for poor performance. She'd always blamed me for it, convinced I was the reason Giovanni kept women at arm's length.

Her smile at me was laced with pure mockery.

"Besides, you've been so busy lately. Shouldn't the lady of the house be more understanding?" she said.

Giovanni hesitated, then put an arm around my shoulder. "Rebecca, you said you'd take care of her. Once the pregnancy is stable in six months, you can move back. Alright?"

"No, absolutely not," I rejected, my voice rising in anger.

Rosa's eyes turned red again. "Becca, you don't want to take care of me?"

Another girl snorted. "Don Rossi's practically begging you. Shouldn't a proper wife be more gracious?"

"Exactly! What's so wrong with helping your regnant sister-in-law?"

"Enough!" Giovanni barked, annoyed by their bickering. "It's settled. "Sebastian, move Rebecca's things to the servant's room.

He then looked at me, trying for a gentler tone. "Take good care of Rosa. Once the baby's born, we'll have a proper wedding."

Screw the wedding at this point!

Their smug smiles burned into my back as one of them reached for my arm, trying to pull me up.

"Get off!" I shoved her away and dragged myself to that cramped little room.

I shut the door, and just as I was about to lie down to relieve my headache, Rosa's syrupy voice drifted through the door.

"Becca, I'm a little thirsty. Could you bring me some warm water? It has to be exactly 104 degrees Fahrenheit, please."