Chapter 4

The abandoned amusement grounds sat on property the Morettis had used for years as neutral dead space—too worthless for development, too private for outsiders, and far enough from the city that screams disappeared into rust and weeds.

The stench of blood hung heavy in the air, mixing with the faint scent of rust and damp earth beneath the rotted struts of the water tower. Dominic raised a hand to cover his nose, his expression twisted in discomfort.

"What the hell is that smell? What is Adriana pulling this time?" His voice was impatient, as if all of this were nothing more than another one of her childish acts of defiance.

One of Dominic's soldiers stood to the side, forehead beaded with sweat. His hands clenched at his sides, but his voice remained low. "Padrone... perhaps you should see for yourself."

With a stiff motion, the man stepped aside, revealing the two shapes lying side by side on the bloodstained ground. Both were covered with white cloth. One larger. One heartbreakingly small.

Dominic's hands hovered uncertainly between the two. His fingers curled and uncurled, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. His brows furrowed, confusion moving through his usually cold eyes.

She clutched her chest, though there was no heartbeat there anymore, only the hollow ache of something long gone. She knew what was about to happen and the knowledge was suffocating. Still, she couldn't look away.

After what felt like an eternity, Dominic finally reached toward the smaller bundle. His fingers trembled slightly as he pinched the edge of the cloth, slowly lifting it.

A sharp, high-pitched scream cut through the air before he could see anything.

"Dominic! What are you doing? You're not actually going to touch that, are you? That's some stray animal's carcass!"

Bianca's shrill voice rang out as she stumbled toward him, her body trembling as she threw herself into his arms. Her face pressed into his chest, her small hands clutching at his shirt. Her tears came a half-second too fast, and her eyes flicked sideways to catch his face before the crying fully landed.

Dominic's body stiffened under her touch, but her words seemed to flip a switch in his mind. His expression darkened, disgust flashing across his face. Without another thought, his leg shot out, kicking the small bundle aside.

The tiny body rolled limply across the pavement, the once-pure white cloth unraveling just slightly, exposing a flash of soft, fragile skin.

"Bring the dogs," Dominic said, his voice cold and sharp. "Let them deal with it."

The order was carried out instantly. No man of the Family questioned it. Strays, drawn in by the scent of blood and flesh, swarmed the ground within seconds. Their teeth tore into the small corpse without hesitation, their low growls blending with the wet, sickening sounds of ripping flesh.

She screamed, the sound tearing out of her like a wounded animal. She lunged forward, trying to claw at Dominic, trying to push the dogs away, trying to hold what was left of her baby. But her hands passed straight through everything.

She couldn't touch anything. She couldn't stop any of it.

But the pain, oh, the pain was real. It burned and twisted inside her, a thousand times worse than the agony of childbirth.

What had she done wrong? What had her child done wrong?

The dogs didn't stop until there was nothing left but scraps of cloth and dark, wet patches on the ground. As the last of the flesh disappeared, Adriana caught a glimpse of Bianca, standing slightly apart from Dominic. A faint smile curled at the corners of her lips, a sinister gleam flashing in her eyes before she quickly lowered her gaze.

"Enough with these games!" Dominic's furious roar broke the silence. "Where is Adriana? Where the hell is she hiding?" His fists clenched at his sides, veins bulging under his skin. "She drove Bianca off a roof and now she thinks she can frighten her with a dead animal? How did I never see what Adriana truly is?"

He turned, voice dripping with contempt. "Adriana! Didn't you love that baby more than anything? If you don't crawl out right now, I swear on the blood of this Family, once the real child is born, I'll cast you out on the spot. And don't even dream you'll keep it. You'll never lay eyes on that child again."

She collapsed onto the ground, trembling with rage and heartbreak, her silent laughter mixing with tears she could no longer wipe away.

Adriana's parents were gone. Dominic, the man she had once trusted with her whole heart, had betrayed her without hesitation for Bianca. The only thing Adriana had left was her baby. And now, that child, their child, had been torn apart by dogs, thrown away like trash, and the man who fathered that child had stood by and watched.

Not even a body remained.

She swore, from the depths of whatever was left of her soul, that Dominic would rot in hell for this.

His voice rose again, loud and furious, demanding that she show herself. But there was no one left to answer him.

Finally, the soldier, pale and trembling, forced himself to step forward. His hands shook as he reached down, slowly lifting the white cloth covering the larger form. His voice wavered.

“Don Moretti... the Donna is right here. And your child... you just fed your child to the strays.”