“Good morning. ” Christian smiled and sat down on the opposite side of me. The look on his face scared me— but what had scared me even more, was the fact that he was still at home. “H-hi?” I greeted back. Emmanuella put down a plate in front of him and smiled at both of us. “Going to work late?” She asked Christian. “Yes, I made Serena a promise. ” He said. It was surprising to me that he was trying to keep his word, but this was only day one so who knows what would happen in the future. “I promised to be home more. “Any plans for today?” Christian asked me and my mind went to Vincenzo. I had decided for myself that I should not mention that I was going to spend my day with him. It was obvious that the two were not on good terms, but that had nothing to do with me. “Just doing some shopping,” I lied to him. “Yes, I’ve seen that you’re enjoying the credit card. You have an expensive taste!” He laughed while I looked down embarrassed. Wasn’t that the meaning of it all?. “You’ve spent so much money and I have yet to see one thing for the baby!” He sighed hysterically while Emmanuella laughed at his joke. “You’re right, I haven’t!” I suddenly stressed myself and buried my head in my hands. I had been so obsessed with buying my own stuff that I had not even bought anything for the baby. “After we get back from the doctors we can go together, how does that sound?” He asked. This new Christian was definitely scary, but I could get used to it. “You didn’t forget about next week?” I wondered. After our fight, I thought he would forget about it and did not mention it anymore. “Of course I didn’t, I have been thinking about it the entire week. ” He confessed with a proud smile on his face. “So what are your thoughts, boy or girl?” Emmanuella asked me while she wiped the kitchen counter. That was something I hadn’t thought about. Just having something of my own was enough, regardless of it being a boy or a girl. “I want a daughter,” Christian answered the question. He seemed extremely sure of it and did not even have a second thought. “You do?” I asked and noticed the changed expression on his face. “The Lamberti’s happen to be misogynistic, so I at least know they won’t brainwash her to be a monster and leave her alone. ” He spoke as if it was the most normal thing to say and ruined the vibe at the table. Was it really that serious?. “I can’t wait to see their faces when it does turn out to be a girl and you end up giving everything to her,” I spoke sarcastically and saw a slight smile on his face. “Me neither. I shrugged off his words and tried to think of something else because in a way it bothered me. The idea of having a son had suddenly occurred to me and all I could think about— was how I was going to protect my child no matter what. Christian was not a monster, he hadn’t shown me one sign of being a monster so everything would be just fine. Yes, he had a temper and said some things which made me want to cut him in half with an ax, but he also had a good heart and anyone could see that. Without even noticing what I was doing I looked at him while he chewed his food and thought about how handsome he was. I would not mind having a son who would look just like him. Christian was an eye-catcher for sure, and in a way, I felt some sort of pride because I was the one to carry his baby. Stop it, I told myself and closed my eyes for a second. The last thing I needed at the moment was this kind of thought. “Are you done staring?” Christian chuckled and looked up from his plate to stare back at me

(i) He caught me staring all this time and had not said a single word. “I-I wasn’t staring. ” I quickly defended myself and took a sip of water. Anyone with eyes could tell that I was staring and it was embarrassing. “Good, because you can’t fall in love with me. It won’t do you any good. ” He joked, but what he didn’t know was that it wasn’t that funny to me. He had done the bare minimum but my heart was already going crazy and I did n ot know whether it were my pregnancy hormones or just me being crazy because yesterday I swore I hated this man. “Trust me, you don’t have to worry about me, you shoul d worry about yourself,” I told him and looked at his cocky expression. He obviously thought he was all that. “Do Marc and Johnny hate me?” I suddenly asked him. It was something I wanted to know f or a while now because I did not see or heard from them in a long time. “Marc doesn’t h ate you, and Johnny. I don’t think so, why? Did he say something?” Christian wondered. “No, just asking,” I reassured him. Besides the friends that I did have, the y were the ones I got a tight bond with before I threw a drink in Cesca’s fa ce— which reminded me that I still had to apologize and would do so tomorrow. Maybe if I apologiz ed everything would go back to normal. “I have to go now, but I’ll be back in the eveni ng, to keep my promise. ” Christian got up from t he chair and gave me a final nod before leaving. “I’m glad you guys are okay. ” Emmanuella who was finishe d cleaning said. We were okay. That was a concept even I had to get used to. “So, what are your plans for today?” . “Nothing much, just going out with a friend,” I told her and tried to get her off my back which ha d luckily worked. A few hours later Vernon had driven me to the place where Vincenzo and I would m eet. It took me a lot of time to convince him that I was okay on my own, but it eventually worked. “Grocery store lady!” A cheerful boy yelled out and ran towards me with Vincenzo and Beau following behind him. Knowing that these two would also be here made me feel a bit more at ease and somehow less guilty. I d id not have feelings for Vincenzo and I was not in a relationship with Christian but it still seemed wrong. “Luis, right?” I patted him on the head. “Wow, you’re. pregnant,” Vincenzo spoke with a shocked look on his face and looked down at my belly. Personally, I did not see that mu ch of a difference, but hearing that there was made me feel happy. “You have good eyes. “So what are we going to do today?” I asked him to break the silen ce. “We are going to the zoo!” Luis jumped and I felt like jumping with him. I loved animals, so this couldn’t have been any better. “Is that okay with you?” Vincenzo asked and I nodded my head. We walked off and Beau was walking in the front with Luis while Vincenzo and I walked behind him. “How are yo u holding up, how is Christian treating you?” He asked and forced an answer out of me. “Good, he’s. good. ” I told him and thought about his sudden behavior ch ange. “I heard you threw a drink on Cesca, are you really okay?” He aske d. Of course, he knew, news traveled fast around here. “How did you know?”

“It’s the mafia, of course I know— all families know. ” He spoke as I turned my head to him and took in his words. He had a smug smile on his face and loo ked back at me. Not once had I met someone this honest, but I appreciated it. “Are you scared of me now?” He asked and I shook my head. If I played my cards right, I could get a lot of informa tion about Christian. The information he wouldn’t tell me. “Don’t worry, I’m sure she had it c oming. ” Vincenzo sighed. “I know as best how wicked that family can be. “Yeah well, it’s all good now so. ” I tried changing t he subject. It was not something I wanted to talk about or even think about. “Does Christian know you’re here?” . “Of course he didn’t, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. ” He answered his own questio n just a second later. His outburst at the hospital made me curious and wonder wha tever they discussed back then. “You guys seemed close, I’m sorry for ruining it. “Don’t be crazy, i t’s not your fault and we’ll be okay. Even now Vincenzo still had the same kind smile on his face and I f elt guilty about him liking me. I had been treating him like crap, carried his best friend’s baby, and still. he was interested in me. “Doesn’t it bother you that I’m Christian’s fiancée ?” I asked him and saw the confused look on his fac e. “Fake fiancée, because it’s obviously not real. “H-how did you know?” I asked him, thinking whether I accidentally made a mistake o r not. “Christian has been my best friend for over fifteen years, I know he won’t p ut a ring around just anyone’s finger and you’re not even close to being his type. Ouch. I knew that I was probably not his type— but for some reaso n, I did not want to hear it. Types could change, so could his. Fo cus Serena, after the baby is born you’re gone, I reminded myself. “But you are my type,” Vincenzo spoke. I stopped walking for a second and took in his confession. There was no stutter, nothing, instead he h ad confessed as if it was a daily thing. “Your type is pregnant girls?” . “You know what I mean, I like you, Serena,” Vincenzo said while I wondered how I was going to reject him. I did not like him at all and only agreed to go out today because I needed someone around me. “Don’t worry. I never asked you to say anything, I just thought you should know. ” He told me and wrapped his arm around my shou lder. He was getting bolder but in a way, his personality amused me. Rather than a Christian who had all the power in the world , I thought Vincenzo was even more powerful. Being able, to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth was the biggest strength. “I feel like maybe you can answer some of the unanswered question s I have,” I told him and saw his face lit up with joy. “Of cours e ask me anything you want to know. Come on tell me, what is it?” . “I want to know about Christian