Page 95 of Wrong Pawn. Right Capo.

“Start the fucking car,” Adriano growls and the rest of the orders he barks are a blur. Another sharp wave of pain travels from my stomach through my pelvis, eliciting a scream from my chest.

As we settle in the car, I grip onto Adriano’s biceps, eyes clenching as waves of pain spasm through my body.

“Hang on, Principessa. We’re almost there.”

In no time, we reach the hospital where nurses run out with a wheelchair, gently placing me on it as they wheel me inside.

My world contorts into one of pain as another contraction hits.

“Check if she’s fully dilated,” a female doctor orders the two nurses at my side just as they transfer me onto the bed. In an instant, we are set up in the private room with a whole bunch of wires and needles connected to my body.

“Okay, baby, I want you to be your strongest today.” Adriano holds my hands, but I barely hear anything. The doctors guide and spread my legs.

“I need you to push Mrs. Bellandini.”

And I do. I push with every ounce of strength in me, through sweat, pain, screams, and Adriano’s encouragement, which is a mix of desperate promises and curses.

After what feels like an eternity of pain and pushing, I suddenly feel the pressure in my abdomen lessen, and it’s at that moment when I finally hear a tiny, indignant wail echoing through the room.

Exhaustion fills my body as I collapse back on the bed, watching through droopy eyes as the doctor places a slippery bundle on my chest.

“Congratulations, Mrs. Bellandini. It’s a baby girl.”

The world seems to freeze, and my heart completely melts. Exhausted, the only thing I can muster is a weak smile.

As the nurses clean my baby up, Adriano kisses the top of my head, pulling back to reveal a softness that makes my heart race. “Thank you, Principessa,” he whispers against my ear. “Thank you for making my world whole again.”

I nod softly and his eyes follow her tiny movements as the nurses place her back on my chest. His large hand hovers over the baby, unsure of where to land, so I grab it and place it gently on her back. He looks from our daughter’s face to mine, a raw emotion shining in his eyes that I’ve never seen in him before.

“Meet your daughter,” I smile.

The baby’s cries soften as he moves his hand to hers, his index finger dwarfed by her tiny hand. Her fingers curl around his instinctively, and he breaks into the widest smile I’ve ever seen on his face.

Watching their interaction somehow energizes my body. Or maybe it’s the thought that all this is the beginning of something beautiful.

“She has your will, Elena. I can feel it,” he whispers. And I release a hearty laugh.

“And she has your hair and eye color,” I respond.

He nods gently, then leans in to place a kiss on her forehead, but instead of pulling back completely, he rests his head on my chest… just beside the baby.

My free hand instinctively flies to his dark hair, threading through the strands as silence settles over the room.

My whole world rests against my heart, and for the first time, it’s exactly where it belongs.

Epilogue: Elena

One Year Later

My eyes flutter open as I snuggle deeper into the familiar arms around my waist. His breath is deep but steady against my neck, so I know he’s still asleep. And for a moment, I let myself float here. In this moment of calm, where it feels like nothing can ever go wrong.

A wave of memories crashes down on me, and each one brings a better feeling than the last. One year later, and I still wake up with joy and appreciation for how far we’ve come.

I asked Bella about a recommendation for a therapist who could help both Adriano and me work through our issues. She put us in touch with a really great psychologist she trusted.

I was honestly relieved when Adriano agreed to go with me. Talking through the trauma each of us has gone through wasn’t easy, but it kept us from staying stuck in the past and helped us finally move forward. I can see the biggest difference in Adriano—he’s genuinely found peace, and it’s completely changed him.

I shut my eyes, a smile curving my lips as I revel in this feeling, when he stirs behind me. It’s his usual gentle, unhurried movement, but my reaction to it stays the same.