The master suite was a world away from the damp, freezing stones of the cell. For months, I lived in a cocoon of silk sheets, warm baths, and plates of food that I didn't have to beg for. The Rossini Clan had transformed me from a discarded captive into a sacred vessel.
Leonardo was a constant presence. He didn't treat me with love, but with a terrifying, suffocating protectiveness. He sat by my bed as I ate, his eyes never leaving my growing stomach. To him, I was the vault that held the future of his empire. Even the Ladies' Council—Viper and the others—now spoke to me with a sharp, respectful edge.
Then, the night of the birth arrived.
The labor was a blur of agony and the harsh scent of medicinal herbs. When the cries finally filled the room, they came in a pair. Two lives brough
