Chapter 1 - The Ink and the Blood
I stared at the black ink drying on the official hospital document.
The name Luca Moretti now sat permanently on the line where my daughter’s father belonged.
The admissions nurse was shaking so badly she dropped her clipboard onto the tile floor.
She did not ask for his identification.
She did not ask for a DNA test.
She simply stamped the paper and pushed it into a secure file folder.
I finally found my voice as the tall, broad-shouldered man turned back to face me.
"You cannot legally do that," I whispered, clutching my aching stomach.
Luca buttoned his tailored navy suit jacket with slow, deliberate precision.
"I just did," he replied in a voice smooth enough to hide the danger beneath it.
"I do not even know who you are," I said, backing away slightly.
His dark eyes flicked to my hospital bracelet and then to the nursery window.
"I am the man who is taking you and my daughter home today."
My breath hitched in my throat as panic finally set in.
"She is not your daughter," I argued defensively.
Before he could answer, the heavy double doors of the maternity ward swung open violently.
Derek stormed back into the hallway, his face flushed red with irritation.
"I forgot my car keys on the counter," Derek muttered, avoiding my gaze completely.
He walked toward the admissions desk and saw the freshly printed birth certificate resting on the counter.
His eyes scanned the document, and his expression twisted from annoyance into pure rage.
"Who the hell is Luca Moretti?" Derek shouted, stepping toward the trembling nurse.
Luca did not raise his voice, but the sudden drop in temperature was undeniable.
"Watch your tone when you speak in the presence of my family," Luca warned quietly.
Derek scoffed and stepped directly into Luca's personal space.
"She is my ex-girlfriend, and that baby is my problem to deal with."
The large bodyguard standing behind Luca simply shifted his weight, revealing the steel of a shoulder holster.
Derek suddenly went pale, stumbling backward as he realized exactly who he was threatening.
"The paperwork is signed, the hospital bill is paid, and Emma is my wife," Luca stated coldly.
May you like
I opened my mouth to scream that this was a lie.
Then Luca handed me a certified marriage certificate bearing my exact signature, dated three years ago.
