Chapter 3

Celeste appeared in Serafina's doorway with Matteo, one of the five-year-old twins, and pushed him into the room. "Serafina, could you watch Matteo for me a little while? I need to take care of his sister and his twin, and it's hard managing both at once."

Celeste didn't even wait for Serafina's answer before hooking her hand through Lucian's arm and hurried him down the corridor, past the soldier posted at the end of the hall, who flattened himself against the wall to let the Don and his intended pass.

Seriously?

Serafina hadn't even agreed.

Serafina looked down at Matteo. He was already staring around her room with a strange little smile, the borrowed swagger of a boy who had watched grown men step aside for his father. Within minutes he was touching everything, grabbing things off the shelves and tossing them on the floor, jumping on the sofa, screaming whenever she told him to stop.

Serafina tried to keep her patience. "Matteo, it's late. Let's clean this up and get you to bed."

He glared at her. "Why should I listen to you? You're just an ugly poor maid!"

Serafina took a slow breath. "Who taught you to talk to people like that?"

He wasn't scared at all. He stuck his tongue out, grabbed something off the table, and ran out of the room.

Serafina followed him into the hallway, under the row of Castellano portraits that watched every corner of the villa. "Matteo, stop running, you're going to hurt yourself."

He ignored her and ran for the grand staircase.

Then he stopped and turned around.

In his little hand was her bracelet.

Her grandfather had given it to her before Serafina left home. It was one of the few things she had kept hidden all these years, the only piece of her real name she had allowed herself to carry, and she had never taken it off until now.

Her eyes widened. "Matteo, give that back."

He looked at the bracelet, then at her.

Before Serafina could reach him, he yanked it apart.

It snapped free.

Her heart dropped. "Matteo!"

He laughed, threw it on the marble, and ran down the hallway like it was a game.

Serafina rushed after him and picked it up. Scratched. Her fingers tightened around it.

It was the last gift her grandfather had given her.

Serafina swallowed the anger rising in her chest. "That's enough. Go back to your room."

Instead he ran to the top of the staircase and turned with a nasty little grin. "Let's see what Daddy thinks when you hurt me."

Serafina frowned. "What are you talking about?"

He leaned backward toward the stairs.

Her eyes widened. "Matteo, don't!"

He let his body fall backward on purpose.

Serafina lunged forward and caught his arm before he could tumble down the steps, but instead of grabbing the railing, he clung to her hand and pulled her toward him with all his strength.

Her foot slipped off the edge.

For one terrifying second, neither of them had anything to hold onto.

Then they lost their balance and fell down the staircase together.

Serafina wrapped both arms around his small body on instinct, twisting herself beneath him so he'd land on her instead of the steps. Her back slammed against the stairs as they tumbled down, and when they hit the bottom she crashed onto the cold marble of the foyer with him still in her arms.

Pain exploded through her back and side. Something sharp cut into her skin. Blood ran down her arm.

For a few seconds Serafina couldn't move.

Matteo started crying.

Then footsteps rushed toward them, several sets of them, the heavy tread of soldiers coming at a run behind the Don.

"Daddy!"

He scrambled up, crying hard, and pointed straight at her. "Daddy, this woman hurt me! She pushed me! She wanted me to die!"

Celeste screamed the moment she saw him. "Luca, hurry! Save Matteo first! He's hurt, he's only five, he's our son, your own flesh and blood!"

Lucian's face went pale, his eyes moving between Matteo and her. Serafina was still lying at the bottom of the staircase, covered in blood, barely able to move, while Matteo cried beside her. The soldiers had stopped at the edge of the foyer, waiting. Nobody moved until the Don did.

For a moment he hesitated. His thumb found the Castellano signet on his finger and turned it once.

Then he rushed to Matteo. "Are you hurt? Let Daddy see."

Matteo wrapped his arms around him and cried harder.

Serafina stayed on the floor, her head spinning, blood trickling down her forehead.

Celeste followed him, giving Serafina one last look. The worry on her face vanished for a brief second, replaced by a small, satisfied smile that lingered after Lucian had already turned away. Celeste even spat in Serafina's face before hurrying after Lucian.

Serafina stared after them, finally understanding what his choice meant.

Serafina wasn't surprised.

Hadn't he always told her that Serafina was the most important person in his life? Apparently, that only mattered when Celeste and his children weren't standing in front of him. Blood came first. In this house, it always had.

For two hours, Serafina lay there alone, barely conscious, unable to move. Lucian had forgotten about her the moment he carried Matteo away, and the soldiers had gone with him, because where the Don's son went, the guns went. It was a housemaid who finally found her on the floor and called for help.

The housemaid stayed beside Serafina until she reached the hospital.

Two hours.

That was how long it had taken for anyone to remember Serafina was still bleeding on that floor.

When Serafina woke up, she was in a hospital bed in the private wing the Castellanos kept for their own. The slightest movement sent pain through her forehead and arm. When she turned her head, Lucian was sitting beside her, brows drawn tight, eyes bloodshot, like he hadn't slept in hours. Through the glass of the door she could see the silhouette of one of his men keeping watch.

The moment he saw Serafina was awake, he leaned in. "Serafina, you're awake. How do you feel? Does your head hurt? Your arm? Tell me and I'll call the doctor."

Her throat was too dry to answer.

He picked up a cotton swab, dipped it in water, and touched it to her lips. His hands were as careful as always, and somehow that only made her colder.

He took her good hand and rubbed the back of it. "Serafina, I'm sorry. Everything happened so fast, and I had to get Matteo out first. He's just a child. I thought I'd come back for you right after, I didn't realize you'd already lost too much strength."

His voice softened. "I never meant to leave you there. I swear it. You know I wouldn't hurt you on purpose."

Serafina listened without a word.

Serafina understood he wanted to save his son.

What she could not understand was how, after saving him, Lucian had simply forgotten she was still lying there.

Serafina remembered every night he'd held her and whispered she was the most important person in his world.

How ridiculous that sounded now.

Serafina closed her eyes. "I'm tired, Lucian. I want to sleep."

He pulled the blanket higher over her. "Okay. Rest. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Over the next few days, Lucian stayed by her bed almost constantly. He handled her medicine, brought her water, peeled fruit, even helped her bathe. His Capos came to the door with business and he sent them away with a look. The same careful man Serafina had known for years.

If this had happened before, Serafina would've melted at the sight of him taking care of her like that.

Now, every time his hands touched her, all Serafina could think of was that staircase. Lying there bleeding while he ran to save Matteo and left her behind.

Serafina couldn't forget that. She didn't know how.

And even when he stayed, he never stayed long. His phone would ring, always at the worst moment.

It was Celeste.

Her voice would come through soft and helpless. Their four-month-old daughter wouldn't stop crying. One of the twins had a fever. She couldn't manage three children alone.

Every time, his expression changed. He'd glance at her, apologetic. "Serafina, I need to go back to the estate for a bit. I'll be back soon, okay?"

Then he'd leave, and the man at the door would fall in behind him.

Watching the man Serafina loved walk out of her hospital room to take care of another woman and her children, something in Serafina went numb.

The wound in her chest wasn't closing. It was getting deeper.

One afternoon, his phone rang again. He looked at the screen, and Serafina already knew who it was.

He sighed, rubbed his forehead.

Serafina looked at him and finally spoke.

"Lucian, just go."

He looked up. "What?"