I took a quick shower, the hot water washing away some of the tension in my muscles.

I dressed in a pair of silk pajamas the maid had left for me.

They were loose, which was a relief.

I lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling as the rain continued to lash against the glass.

My mind raced with thoughts of Marcus.

He had ruined my life, used my name to secure loans from dangerous men, and then abandoned me.

And now, I was carrying his child, a secret I had to guard with my life.

If Dante found out, I didn’t know what he would do.

He hated Marcus, and he might see this child as a liability, or worse, an extension of his enemy.

The next morning, the rain had stopped, leaving the sky a dull, flat gray.

I went downstairs to the breakfast room, my stomach still churning.

Dante was already there, drinking black coffee and reading a folder of documents.

He looked up as I entered, his eyes scanning me from head to toe.