Chapter 25

A silence hangs as Owen and his father listen to Laura and Luna's footsteps going up the stairs.

As the echoing sound of the stairs fades away, Owen says to his father, “Did you notice how Luna seems like a nice girl? I felt like she was desperate.”

Owen's father nodded in agreement and said, “Yes, I agree. It must be very difficult for her to marry someone she doesn’t know. It’s not the kind of marriage any girl dreams of.”

“I’ll do my best to make this situation less uncomfortable for her, Dad. Let her rest; it’s already quite late. Tomorrow, I’ll take her out for a walk to help her feel better,” Owen had an idea.

“Yes, son, that would be great. Thank you for being such a good guy. You have no idea what you’re sacrificing to help someone you don’t know.”

“I learned from you to help anyone, regardless of whether I know them. That’s it, Dad. I’m going to bed now; try to get some rest, too. Mom hasn’t come back yet; she must have gone to bed already.”

“I’ll be up soon. I’ll put these dishes in the dishwasher and then come up. Good night, son.”

“Good night, Dad.”

Owen goes up to his room and walks down the hallway. As he passes Luna’s room, he notices the door is slightly open. Approaching, he sees that she’s crying. Initially, Owen heads to his door, but something makes him turn back. Feeling the need to help, he returns to Luna’s door and knocks twice.

“Luna, may I come in?” Owen says it a bit shyly.

Luna, looking frightened, dries her face and nods, “Sure, Owen, come in.”

Owen enters the room, worried, and gently closes the door behind him.

“I was about to go to bed, but I noticed you were crying, so I came to see if you needed anything.”

“You’re already doing so much for me. After all, it can’t be easy for you to marry someone you don’t know.”

“The little I’ve seen of you is already enough for me. Believe me, it won’t be any sacrifice as long as I can wipe away those tears from your beautiful eyes. I know we’ll be great friends; something tells me that.”

Luna turns to Owen and hugs him, catching him by surprise. Owen, not expecting such a reaction, stands there, unsure of what to do, his arms still outstretched and lacking the strength to return the hug.

“Did I do something wrong?” Luna asks.

“No, you didn’t do anything. I just wasn’t expecting the hug,” Owen says,,,,,, his cheeks blushing with shyness.

Luna notices his shyness and says, “I’m going to sleep now; it’s quite late. Thank you for coming to check on me. Good night, Owen.”

“Good night. If you need anything, just knock on my door at the end of the hallway.”

Owen leaves Luna’s room and walks to his own, his heart racing. He chastises himself in his mind for not hugging her back. Luna’s scent had lingered on him. Owen reaches his room and realizes he’s still holding his shirt, which he begins to smell, savoring the sweet floral scent Luna left on it.

---

A week had passed. Vincenzo and Megan were officially married, and Luna and Owen had also tied the knot. Everything was as Dom Carlo wanted, but he hadn’t counted on a small detail that would surprise him: Luna was pregnant. One of his soldiers, who monitored Luna’s every move, noticed her frequent visits to the doctor and reported it to Dom Carlo.

“Is Dom Carlo busy?” asked Nate.

“No, son, you may enter,” responded Dom Carlo.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on the house, as you asked. I noticed that Miss Luna has been unwell about three times this week. She was taken to the emergency room, but always went in alone. So, I gave the doctor some money and warned her about what would happen if anyone found out. She told me that Miss Luna is pregnant,” Nate reported.

“Pregnant? Who is the child’s father?” Dom Carlo asked, concerned.

“Sir, the child cannot be her husband’s. They’ve only been married for a week, and she’s one month pregnant. I regret to inform you that the child is Vincenzo’s,” Nate concluded.

“Damn it!” Dom Carlo shouted, slamming the table.

“I didn’t mean to upset you, Dom Carlo.”

“No, son, it’s fine. You did the right thing by informing me. Prepare the car immediately. I’m going to talk to this girl. My son cannot know that this child is his, or he’ll leave his wife right away to pursue her. He hasn’t forgotten her, and I can’t allow that,” Dom Carlo said, irritated by the situation.

“I’ll prepare the car, sir. Excuse me.”

Megan was listening to Dom Carlo and Nate’s conversation from behind the door. As soon as Nate opened the office door, he was startled to see her standing there.

“Ma’am,” Nate said, surprised.

“Hello, Nate,” she replied.

Nate goes to prepare the car as instructed, while Megan enters the office and closes the door.

“How long have you been there?” Dom Carlo asked.

“Long enough to hear that my husband will be the father of another woman’s child,” Megan answered.

“I’ll handle this; don’t worry. My son must not find out anything related to this woman. We both know how difficult this marriage was for him. If he finds out, everything will be over, and I can’t allow that.”

“I won’t let Vincenzo trade me for some poor girl. That will never happen. We need to make him hate her. This pregnancy is a perfect opportunity. We need to make him believe that the child is her husband’s. It’s time for him to learn that she is already married. That way, he’ll erase her from his heart.”

“Are you sure about that?” he asked.

“Yes, more than ever. Vincenzo and I had an amazing honeymoon. He’s doing everything to make it work. We know we didn’t marry for love, but I like him and want him to love me, too. I won’t let this cheap woman ruin anything.”

“We will do whatever it takes, my daughter-in-law. Even if I have to remove her from the face of the earth, I’ll do it. I’m going to the house she’s staying at right now to resolve this quickly.”

“I’ll go with you. She needs to know that Vincenzo is not for her.”

“Then let’s go.”

Megan and Dom Carlo get into the car for a four-hour trip to the ranch where Luna is staying.