Chapter 1

1.

After three years of marriage, I was finally pregnant.

I grabbed the insulated lunch bag, ready to go to my husband's office and tell him the wonderful news.

But his chief assistant mistook me for some cheap slut trying to sleep her way to the top.

She dumped the scalding hot food over my head, ripped my dress, and beat me until I lost the baby.

"A kitchen maid dares to seduce Mr. Moretti? And dares to get pregnant with his child?"

"Today, I'll show you the fate that awaits any whore who seduces the Don, and her little bastard too."

Then, she proudly went to my husband to take credit for her work.

"Leo, I took care of a maid who was trying to crawl into your bed. How are you going to reward me?"

...

Lately, I'd been feeling nauseous. I threw up everything I ate, so I went to the hospital for a check-up.

The moment the doctor told me I was pregnant, I cried tears of joy.

Leo and I were childhood sweethearts. We got married right after college. We’d always wanted a child, but nothing ever happened.

Leo would always comfort me, "Sweetheart, a child is a gift from God. We have to let nature take its course. Maybe our little angel is just waiting for the perfect moment."

Now, that perfect moment was finally here.

"Mrs. Moretti, you're four months along. The baby is stable, but you still need to be careful. Avoid any kind of physical impact."

I gently stroked my slightly rounded belly, my face soft with love.

Four months already.

My cycle was always irregular, and my waist had gotten a little thicker. I just thought I'd been putting on weight.

When I got home, I couldn't contain my excitement. I went straight to the kitchen to make Leo a special lunch, planning to tell him the amazing news in person.

Carrying the lunch bag, I walked straight into the Moretti Group headquarters―the symbol of power in this city.

Just as I was about to push open the door to Leo's office, a woman with perfect makeup and a powerful aura stopped me.

"Who are you?" Her voice was cold, and she looked me up and down with hostile eyes.

I held up the lunch bag for her to see. "I'm here to deliver lunch to Leo Moretti."

I wasn’t used to calling Leo "my husband" in front of other people.

She relaxed a little, but her tone turned mocking and dismissive. "Oh, so you're from the kitchen staff. I'm Isabella, Mr. Moretti's chief assistant."

"Give me the food. You can get lost now."

I shook my head. "I'm not from the kitchen. And I need to give this to Leo myself. Please let me in."

The moment I finished speaking, Isabella exploded with rage. She snatched the lunch bag from my hand.

"Who the hell do you think you are? A maid trying to climb into the Don's bed?"

"Dressed up like a little slut. Today, I'm going to teach you the rules around here!"

With that, she dragged me into a nearby conference room, locked the door, and slapped me hard across the face.

My cheek instantly swelled, and the force sent me stumbling to the floor.

Before I could even react, she stomped on my head with the heel of her stiletto.

The baby!

Forgetting everything else, I curled into a ball, protecting my stomach with everything I had.

"Let's see what kind of special treat you made for the Don."

Isabella opened the lunch bag and poured the contents directly onto my head.

The Osso Buco I had slow-cooked for three hours, its boiling hot juices, ran down my hair and dripped onto the carpet.

My scalp burned with a fiery pain.

But I didn't dare move, terrified of hurting the baby inside me.

"Ooh, and Chicken Cacciatore, too."

"Looks like you're the chicken in heat here!"

She grabbed my chin, her nails digging deep into my flesh, forcing my mouth open.

"You want to be a whore so badly? Then get a taste of this chicken!"

She smashed the chicken, thick with tomato and chili sauce, right into my face.

An intense, spicy pain flooded my eyes and nose. I screamed.

Isabella casually dusted off her hands in disgust. "So gross. All this grease almost ruined my new manicure."

She looked down at me. "You don't actually believe that stupid saying, 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach,' do you?"

"Why would a low-life like you ever think you could have Mr. Moretti?"

I tried to explain, but the moment I opened my mouth, I started coughing violently from the spice.

The chili had gone down the wrong pipe. I couldn't speak.

Just then, there was a knock on the conference room door.

"Isabella, what's that noise?"