Untouched for Three Years, I Carried His Rival’s Heir

Kieran didn't come home tonight either. It was our third wedding anniversary.

For the past two years, no matter what he was thinking, he had at least always gone through the motions on this day.

He wouldn't whisper sweet nothings, but he would still prepare a surprise for me.

He was a respectable Mafia heir, after all, and he always maintained the proper rituals.

Now that Camilla was back, he had thrown everything to the wind. He didn't care about the family alliance, nor about me, his wife in name only.

But it didn't matter. I would celebrate it one last time by myself, as a farewell.

I put on the white dress I wore at our engagement, lit candles in the dining room, and prepared a lavish dinner.

On the table were the same type of roses from our wedding and a bottle of 1995 Dom Pérignon.

I sat at one end of the long table, looking at the empty seat across from me.

Time ticked by, but Kieran never appeared.

At eight o'clock, the steak was completely cold.

I raised my champagne glass to the empty air and whispered, "To my freedom, to fearlessness, and to returning to the operating room."

The simplest of wishes, yet something I couldn't have right now.

I slowly ate the cold steak and drank the champagne, sip by sip, as if performing a final, solitary ritual.

After dinner, I was slightly tipsy and about to head upstairs when Kieran suddenly walked in.

He was alone, which was a surprise. I asked instinctively, "Where's Camilla?"

Kieran took off his custom Armani jacket and tossed it onto the Italian leather sofa. "The Russo family arranged a new safe house for her."

"She's no longer staying at the estate."

I was surprised. He didn't try to keep her this time?

Kieran walked to the dining table and saw the untouched feast I had prepared.

"What is all this?" he frowned. "Why so much food? It's such a waste."

I paused, glanced at the antique clock on the wall, imported from Italy, and then spoke slowly.

"Yesterday was our third wedding anniversary."

The hands of the clock swept past midnight. Our anniversary was over.

Kieran froze. He looked at the lilies of the valley on the table and the empty champagne bottle.

"Scarlett, I..." his voice trembled slightly. "I'm sorry. I completely forgot."

"Family security matters have been piling up. I've been swamped."

"I'll make it up to you in a few days."

He apologized sincerely, but I just shook my head, unfazed. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

I knew he was just trying to maintain the pathetic illusion of our marriage. But now, whether he went through the motions or not, I didn't care at all.

With that, I went straight upstairs, leaving Kieran standing alone in the living room.

A few nights later, Kieran appeared before me, holding an exquisite invitation.

"I've booked all of Le Bernardin. We're celebrating our anniversary tonight."

The three-Michelin-star restaurant usually required reservations months in advance, but he had booked the entire place for us.

I sat at the beautifully decorated table, looking at him with some confusion.

I had no idea what this man was up to, so I just asked him directly.

"Did you and Camilla have a fight?" Was that why he suddenly had time to put on this show for me?

Kieran paused in the middle of cutting my steak, his brow furrowed.

"What does Camilla have to do with this? You're my wife. Isn't it only right for me to make up for our anniversary?"

Wife? What a joke.

"Wife? A wife in name only, one you haven't touched in three years?"

He was silent for a moment, then walked over to me and took a velvet jewelry box from his pocket.

Inside lay a priceless diamond necklace, sparkling under the lights.

"Scarlett, I know I've wronged you these past three years," his voice was soft. "Give me a chance to start over."

"I had my reasons for not touching you. You'll understand one day."

I understood. He had to remain celibate for Camilla.

I said nothing. Sensing my silence, he spoke again, his tone uncharacteristically gentle.

Kieran took a deep breath. "In one month, we'll start fulfilling our marital duties. It's time to produce an heir for the Thompson family."

I was completely stunned.

In one month, I would have already given birth to a stranger's baby. What would I need him for?

I just didn't understand why he, after being so stubborn for three years, had suddenly changed his mind.

Was it another round of pressure from the family? Or was it to protect Camilla, to prevent the elders from blaming her?

I stared at his face, trying to read his true intentions.

I couldn't help but want to ask, but his phone rang. The caller ID showed the family's Consigliere.

Kieran answered, his face instantly turning grim.

"What? How did the arms shipment get seized at the docks?"

"I'm on my way."

He hung up and looked at me apologetically. "Scarlett, something urgent came up. I have to..."

"Go," I waved my hand. "Business is important."

"I'll make it up to you with an even grander celebration next year."

I was left with the diamond necklace and a half-cut cake on the table.

Kieran, do you really think we have a next year?

I had the waiter clear away the table of untouched, fake romance and went straight back to the estate.

The days passed, and my due date grew closer.

Today was a routine checkup. I went to the clinic alone.

As I was leaving the exam room, I heard a familiar voice.

"Scarlett?"

I turned to see my medical school mentor, Professor Martinez.

"Professor, what are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting an old friend," he said, looking me up and down. "You're pregnant?"

I nodded.

"Where's that Thompson husband of yours? How come he's not with you?"

I didn't answer. Seeing my expression, my mentor let out a deep sigh.

"You were my most promising student, a natural at cardiac surgery."

"But you chose marriage. I thought you would be happy..."

I cut him off with a bitter smile. "I haven't held a scalpel in a long time."

The professor looked at me with regret, shaking his head in frustration.

I couldn't help but clutch the test results in my hand.

"I had no choice. It was a blood pact, and I couldn't defy my family."

"But the good news is, my family obligations are almost fulfilled. I'm preparing to leave this bloody world behind and reclaim my life." My smile was one of relief. "Do you think I still have a chance?"

"Of course you do!" Hope reignited in my mentor's eyes. "That's wonderful news. It's a tragedy that your talent is trapped in these bloody family games."

"When are you leaving? If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

His words were the best thing that had happened to me all day.

After bidding my mentor farewell, I didn't go back to the estate. I went directly to the family's law firm.

"Hello, I want to dissolve an alliance. Please draft two agreements for me."

One was an alliance dissolution agreement, the other a divorce decree.

The lawyer was shocked, but at my insistence, he drafted the documents as requested.

I read every word carefully, and after confirming everything was correct, I signed both documents without hesitation.

When I returned to the estate, I was surprised to find both Kieran and Camilla in the living room.

Just a few days ago, Kieran had said she wouldn't be back. He was truly playing me for a fool.

At this point, I couldn't be bothered to ask why she was here again. I glanced at them and headed straight for the bedroom.

But Kieran frowned and spoke up. "Where have you been? You're back so late."

"I was meeting a friend," I lied casually.

"Which friend?" Kieran wasn't letting it go.

I don't know why, but lately, he had become strangely curious about everything I did.

If this had happened six months ago, I might have been ecstatic. But now, I just found him annoying.

He had a point, though. In the three years I'd been married to him, my entire life had revolved around him. I didn't have any friends.

Moreover, my style of dress had changed recently. My clothes were getting looser and looser, which he must have found strange.

I was trying to think of an excuse when Camilla came over, a sweet smile on her face. "Scarlett, you're just in time!"

"Tomorrow is the Marcelli family's reconciliation horse race. You must be bored at home alone. Why don't you come with us? It'll be a chance to get out of the house and socialize."

I was about to refuse, but Kieran spoke first. "Yes, you should both go. You can look out for each other."

Camilla immediately took my arm. To protect my baby, I couldn't pull away too hard, so I just nodded in agreement.

The horse race was held at a private track.

The venue was lavishly decorated, and members of all the major families were present.

Camilla and I sat in the VIP box, with Kieran behind us, talking to a few Capos.

"Kieran, do you remember the first time we came here to watch the races?" Camilla suddenly turned to Kieran, her voice filled with nostalgia.

Everyone around them stopped talking and looked at them curiously.

I rarely attended public social events with Kieran, so many people in the box didn't know me. They just assumed I was the daughter of some famiglia and paid me no mind.

But everyone recognized Kieran and Camilla, the golden couple of the New York Mafia scene. It was an open secret that the Underboss's marriage was just for show.

"You told me back then that if my favorite horse won, you'd grant me one wish," Camilla continued, her eyes sparkling.

The people around them started to tease. "Did the horse win?"

"Of course it did!" Camilla laughed. "And Kieran promised to take me to see the Northern Lights in Iceland."

"Wow, how romantic!"

"Kieran is so devoted to Camilla."

"You have no idea. Kieran used to have a diary, and it was filled with Camilla's name!"

Listening to their chatter, I felt a wave of nausea. I couldn't tell if it was morning sickness or if I was just disgusted by them.

I just never expected that Kieran, a man so cold and controlled, would have a love for Camilla so well-known.

Perhaps that was why he could never forget her.

Seeing the color drain from my face, Camilla looked triumphant, but she leaned in close and feigned concern. "Scarlett, I didn't mean anything by it, really. It's just..."

"I know," I cut her off, my voice flat. I stood up to head to the parking lot.

But Camilla thought I was angry and grabbed my hand.

In the late stages of my pregnancy, I was easily tired. I had no energy to argue with her. I just wanted her to let me go.

I was about to pry her hand off when a rush of footsteps sounded from outside the box.

Then, several masked gunmen burst in, the sharp click-clack of their rifles filling the air.

"Everyone on the floor! Move and I'll blow your heads off!"

The scene erupted into chaos and screams.

Everyone finally understood. The so-called reconciliation with the Marcelli family was a massive revenge plot.

As a gunman raised his submachine gun to open fire, Kieran's first instinct was to throw himself over Camilla.

He shielded her with his own body.

Meanwhile, I, pregnant, was knocked down by the panicking crowd, left exposed in the line of fire.

A bullet grazed my arm, leaving a searing, bloody trail.

I was pushed to the ground by the frantic crowd, and a sharp pain shot through my abdomen.

I couldn't help but cry out, my hands protectively clutching my stomach.

Blood gushed from the wound, staining the expensive Persian rug beneath me.

Kieran held Camilla tightly, and only after confirming she was unharmed did he finally see me, lying in a pool of blood amidst the chaos.

His face paled. "Scarlett!"

But he still didn't let go of Camilla.

"I'm fine. Get Camilla out of here," I managed to say, forcing myself to sit up. Blood was seeping from the wound on my arm.

Kieran swept up Camilla and ran for the door. As he reached it, he yelled to the family doctor who was rushing in.

"Check on Camilla first! She's terrified!"

The doctor was immediately swamped by Camilla, who was sobbing hysterically, claiming she couldn't breathe and her heart was racing.

And I sat alone in a pool of my own blood, the pain in my abdomen growing more intense.

With my medical knowledge, I knew what was happening. I was going into premature labor.

My water had broken. The contractions were coming in regular waves.

My baby was coming into the world early.

With all my strength, I pulled out my phone and dialed the Valerio family's emergency number.

"This is Scarlett. I'm at the Long Island racetrack. I need to get to a hospital immediately... I'm going into labor..."

The other end of the line exploded into chaos. In less than ten minutes, men from the Valerio family stormed the venue.

They quickly placed me on a stretcher and rushed me to a private hospital controlled by my family.

In the ambulance, I gritted my teeth through the pain. The paramedics were performing emergency procedures, but the situation was dire.

Meanwhile, Kieran was busy comforting a frightened Camilla, inspecting a tiny, insignificant scratch on her neck.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here," he whispered, stroking her hair.

One of his men ran up to him. "Boss, a pregnant woman was hit by a stray bullet. Her condition is critical. The Valerios have taken her for an emergency delivery."

Only then did Kieran remember that he hadn't seen me. A knot of unease tightened in his chest, and he reached for his phone to check on me.

"Kieran!" Camilla suddenly shrieked. "I'm so scared. Don't leave me!"

She clung to his arm, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls.

Kieran's hand froze mid-air. In the end, he put his phone away.

"I won't leave you."

The call was never made.

Twenty-four hours later, I woke up in the Valerio family's private hospital.

A nurse walked over, holding a tiny infant.

"Congratulations, Principessa. He's a healthy boy."

Looking into his deep eyes, I couldn't help but think of the man I had randomly picked at the club.

I was drunk and hazy that night, and the club was so dark I never saw his face.

I just had a gut feeling that a one-night stand with a man that tall and well-built couldn't be a bad thing.

Now, seeing my baby's perfect features, a flicker of curiosity arose in me.

That man must have been quite handsome.

How else could we have created such a beautiful baby?

I carefully reached out a finger and stroked the baby's soft, silk-like hand. Tears rolled down my cheeks uncontrollably.

"My love, thank you for coming. You've given me the key to my freedom."

Leo Valerio. That would be his name.

No Thompson. Only a Valerio.

I stayed at the Valerio private hospital for a week, letting my body recover.

The day I was discharged, I received a text from Kieran.

"Camilla is emotionally fragile right now. I'm taking her to Europe for a while to recover."

My expression was placid. I simply replied, "Noted."

There was not a single flicker of emotion.

It was better that he wasn't at the estate. It saved me the trouble of explaining things.

Back at the estate, I placed the signed dissolution agreement on the desk in Kieran's study, right where he handled family business.

So he would see it the moment he returned.

Then, holding Leo, I pulled my suitcase and walked out of the place I had called home for three years.

A driver took us to JFK International Airport.

I had bought a ticket to Chicago, where a friend from college lived. I could stay there for a while.

But my luck was terrible. While waiting for my flight, I saw two familiar figures.

Kieran and Camilla were standing at the VIP entrance not far away.

They were heading to Paris. Camilla was holding Kieran's arm, smiling happily.

I immediately turned away, holding Leo tighter.

Kieran seemed to sense something and glanced back, but the terminal was bustling. He just shook his head.

"Impossible," he muttered to himself. "She's safe at the estate. I must be seeing things."

I watched from a corner as he picked up his phone.

My phone, in my pocket, buzzed.

"Do you want any gifts? I'll bring something back for you from Paris."

I looked at the message and thought of all his empty promises.

But it was all too late.

I turned and walked towards the boarding gate, replying simply: "No need."

The plane was about to take off, and the flight attendant was urging passengers to turn off their phones.

I held a sleeping Leo and said softly to the flight attendant, "Just one moment. I have to send one last message."

I took Leo's birth certificate from my bag and snapped a picture of it.

Then, I sent the photo to five people.

The Don of the Thompson family, Kieran's father.

My father, the Don of the Valerio family.

The Consiglieres of both families.

And finally, to Kieran himself.

[I had the baby. He isn't yours.]

[Our alliance and our marriage are over. Don't look for me.]

The moment the message sent, I blocked and deleted all their contact information without hesitation, and pulled out the SIM card.

The plane's engines roared as it lifted off the runway.

Through the window, I watched New York City shrink below, a feeling of immense relief washing over me.

From this day forward, Kieran Thompson and I had nothing to do with each other.