The news of the pregnancy changed everything, not with fireworks or fanfare, but with quiet ripples that reshaped every corner of their lives. Luca DeLuca, the feared Don of the most powerful mafia family in Italy, found himself obsessing over baby cribs and prenatal vitamins. Aria, the woman who once flinched at the sound of gunfire, now found herself flinching at the scent of garlic, demanding fresh strawberries at midnight instead.
Their world, once painted in gunmetal and shadows, began to soften around the edges.
It began with the doctor's visit.
Luca insisted on booking a private appointment under a false name, with a security detail surrounding the clinic. The doctor, a middle-aged woman with calm eyes and steady hands, greeted them with polite professionalism. But when she congratulated them and pointed out the faint flicker of a heartbeat on the ultrasound screen, everything else disappeared.
"That's our baby?" Aria whispered, eyes wide, voice trembling.
