His sin, Her salvation

Chapter twenty

Serena had barely settled into her new routine at Evelyn’s house when her body started betraying her.

At first, she brushed it off. The exhaustion, the nausea, the sudden aversion to certain smells—it had to be the stress of running, the trauma of everything she’d been through.

But Evelyn, with her sharp eyes and years of experience, noticed.

One morning, as Serena sat at the small kitchen table, barely touching her breakfast, Evelyn placed a firm hand on her shoulder. “You’re not just tired, dear.”

Serena looked up, confusion flickering in her eyes. “What do you mean?”

Evelyn hesitated before speaking. “I was a nurse for many years. I’ve seen these symptoms before. You might be pregnant.”

Serena’s world tilted.

Her fingers went cold, the air suddenly too thick to breathe. “No. That’s not possible.” Her voice wavered. “It can’t be.”

Evelyn gave her a knowing look. “When was your last cycle?”

Serena opened her mouth to answer but froze. She hadn’t kept track—not with everything that had happened. Her mind raced, calculating, and dread pooled in her stomach.

“I—I don’t know,” she whispered.

Evelyn squeezed her hand. “There’s only one way to be sure. Let me check.”

Serena wanted to refuse. She wanted to run, to deny the possibility. But deep down, she already knew.

The makeshift examination was quick but thorough. And when Evelyn met her eyes afterward, Serena didn’t need to hear the words.

She already knew the answer.

She was pregnant. With Alessio’s child.

Her stomach twisted in revulsion, a sob catching in her throat. The thought of carrying a piece of him, of the man who had tormented her, was unbearable.

Tears burned down her cheeks. “I can’t do this.”

Evelyn squeezed her shoulder, steady and calm. “You don’t have to decide right away. But listen to me, Serena—this baby is innocent. No matter who the father is.”

Serena’s breath shuddered. Every part of her screamed to reject this, to hate the life growing inside her.

But as her hand trembled over her stomach, something inside her cracked.

It wasn’t the baby’s fault. It wasn’t guilty of the sins of its father.

And she… she wasn’t a murderer.

Through the storm of emotions, a quiet decision settled in her heart.

She would keep the baby.

The house was quiet. Too quiet.

Serena sat curled up on the couch, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she stared at nothing. The dim glow of the lamp cast long shadows across the room, but her mind was trapped elsewhere—in the darkness of her past.

It started with just a whisper of a memory. The coldness of the marble floor beneath her knees. The sharp sting of his grip on her chin. His voice, deep and merciless, filling the room like a storm.

"You think you can defy me?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, but the memories surged forward, dragging her back to that night.

The way he had looked at her, like she was nothing more than something he owned. The sheer, raw dominance in his every touch. The way her cries had echoed in the vast emptiness of his mansion, unheard by anyone who would save her.

Her stomach twisted violently.

She felt filthy. Used.

And now… she was carrying his child.

A sob choked out of her throat before she could stop it.

Her hands trembled as she clutched the thin blanket draped over her lap. How could this have happened? How could she have let him do this to her?

She hated him. God, she hated him so much it burned in her chest like acid.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she curled into herself, her body wracked with silent cries. She didn’t hear the footsteps approaching until a warm hand gently rested on her shoulder.

Evelyn.

The older woman sat beside her without a word, her presence steady and grounding.

Serena didn’t try to wipe away her tears. She was too broken, too exhausted to hide it anymore.

Evelyn’s voice was soft, soothing. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Serena shook her head at first, but then—“He took everything from me.” Her voice cracked. “He—he ruined me. And now, I’m carrying his child.”

Evelyn exhaled slowly, her fingers gently rubbing circles on Serena’s back. “I know you’re hurting, dear. And I won’t tell you to forget or to forgive. But I will tell you this…”

She turned Serena’s tear-streaked face toward her, kindness and strength reflected in her eyes.

“You are not ruined.”

Serena let out a trembling breath. “Then why do I feel like I am?”

“Because pain has a way of making us believe lies,” Evelyn said softly. “You survived him, Serena. You ran. You made it here. That is strength. And as for this baby… this is your choice now. He has no say in it. Only you.”

Serena let the words sink in. She had spent so long feeling powerless, like she was nothing more than a victim of Alessio’s cruelty. But Evelyn was right.

This—keeping the baby—was her choice.

She sniffled, wiping at her eyes. “I don’t know how to move forward.”

Evelyn smiled gently. “One step at a time.”

Serena inhaled shakily and nodded. One step at a time.

The days blurred into each other. Serena had lost track of time—of how many sunrises she had watched from the small window in Evelyn’s house, how many nights she had spent curled up in bed, staring at the ceiling while shadows played tricks on her mind.

She was free.

At least, that was what she kept telling herself.

But why did it still feel like she was trapped?

Evelyn had been kind, more than kind. She never pried, never pushed Serena to talk about what haunted her, and she made sure Serena had everything she needed. Food, clothes, even a small, secondhand phone that remained switched off—just in case.

But the one rule was clear: Serena couldn’t leave the house.

It wasn’t Evelyn’s rule. It was Serena’s.

Every time she even thought about stepping outside, a wave of nausea would hit her. The fear of being seen, of being caught, of Alessio’s men still lurking in the shadows, waiting to drag her back—it was enough to keep her rooted to the safety of these walls.

So, she spent her days indoors.

She read books Evelyn brought home from town. She cleaned, cooked sometimes, though Evelyn never let her do much. She watched the world from the window, eyes tracing the path of strangers who walked freely down the street, unaware of the girl hiding behind the curtains.

The loneliness was suffocating.

One afternoon, as Evelyn returned from the market, she set down a bag of fresh fruits on the table and glanced at Serena, who sat curled up in the armchair, staring blankly at a book she hadn’t turned the page of in over an hour.

“You know,” Evelyn started gently, “it’s safe to step out into the backyard. No one will see you.”

Serena stiffened. “I— I don’t think I can.”

Evelyn sighed, sitting across from her. “You can’t live like this forever, sweetheart. You’re free now.”

Serena’s throat tightened. Am I?

She wanted to believe it, wanted to step outside and breathe in the fresh air without feeling like someone was watching her. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw him—his dark, piercing gaze, the cruel smirk on his lips, the way his voice wrapped around her like a noose.

She exhaled shakily and looked down. “I just need more time.”

Evelyn reached out and squeezed her hand. “Take all the time you need.”

And so, Serena remained inside.

A bird with clipped wings, staring at the open sky but too afraid to fly.

✦✦✦✦

Serena stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, heart pounding as she ran a brush through her newly dyed blonde hair. The girl staring back at her looked like a stranger. Gone was the dark-haired, fragile girl Alessio had once controlled. In her place stood someone new. Someone free.

She swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the sink. Was she really free?

Evelyn had done everything—through her old connections, she secured new identification, a fresh passport with a name that didn’t belong to her past. Serena was now "Lena Whitmore," a woman with no ties to the mafia world, no past that could be traced.

But deep inside, she still felt like the same girl running for her life.

A knock on the door startled her. “Serena?” Evelyn’s voice came from the hallway. “It’s time.”

Serena exhaled sharply, giving herself one last look before stepping out. Evelyn stood by the door, holding out the small envelope containing her passport, ID, and flight ticket.

“I made sure everything is safe,” Evelyn reassured her. “You’ll land in California, and the house I arranged for you has everything you’ll need. No one will ever know who you really are.”

Serena’s fingers trembled as she took the envelope. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

Evelyn smiled softly. “Just live, sweetheart. That’s thanks enough.”

—

The airport was quiet at this hour, dimly lit with only a few travelers moving through security. Evelyn had been careful, taking a long, winding route to make sure no one followed them.

At the gate, Serena turned to Evelyn, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I’ll miss you.”

Evelyn pulled her into a tight hug. “You’re strong, Serena. Stronger than you think. But if you ever need me, I’m just a call away.”

Serena nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat.

As she walked toward the boarding gate, leaving behind everything she once knew, she whispered one last goodbye to her past.

It was time to start over.