After Six Miscarriages, I Carried Someone Else’s IVF Baby Chapter 01

After Six Miscarriages, I Carried Someone Else’s IVF Baby Chapter 01

At the moment we were supposed to exchange rings, a high-definition video of my kidnapping and assault suddenly appeared on the giant screen in the banquet hall.

My fiancé, Julian Ashford, called off the wedding on the spot.

Then he turned around and slid the ring onto my best friend Chiara Moretti’s finger.

Under everyone’s contempt, curses, and humiliation, I stumbled and collapsed on the red carpet.

Chiara’s brother, Don Dario Vitale of the Vitale mafia family, caught me.

He fired a shot into the giant screen and forced everyone to shut up. Then he had his men carry in ten crates of gold bars as a betrothal gift and proposed to me in front of the entire room.

Moved by what I thought was love, I said yes.

Three years later, my IVF treatment finally worked.

I was thrilled and wanted to tell him the good news, only to overhear him talking with his men.

“Boss, you really know what you’re doing,” Marco, his underboss, said with a laugh. “If you hadn’t played that video of Ann getting assaulted at the wedding, Miss Chiara never would’ve married into the Ashford family so smoothly.”

Dario toyed with his lighter and said, “A family like the Ashfords would never marry a woman with that kind of stain on her. Only after Ann became damaged goods could Chiara become Mrs. Ashford fair and square.”

Marco asked again, “But Miss Chiara is already an Ashford now. Why did you bother marrying used goods like Ann?”

“Chiara’s afraid of pain. Ann’s womb is useful enough to carry a child for her. Once the baby is born, Chiara’s position in the Ashford family will be even more secure.”

The laughter inside the private room rose higher and higher.

My blood ran cold.

All the moments I had believed were happiness had been nothing but a trap Dario had set to drain the last bit of value out of me.

All so Chiara could use me as a stepping stone to climb into wealth and power.

I wiped away my tears and called his rival, Viktor Volkov.

“I have a billion-dollar deal in my hands. Are you taking it?”

The laughter inside the room did not stop.

“Don Dario is still the smartest one. He swapped that woman’s vitamins with abortion pills. Once she couldn’t carry naturally, she had no choice but to do IVF. If she knew the embryo had already been replaced with Miss Chiara and Julian’s child, she’d probably die of rage.”

“What does her rage have to do with me? Once she gives birth, we’ll just make up some excuse and say the child died. She’ll only think she couldn’t keep the baby. It’s her honor to pave the way for Chiara’s happiness.”

Dario tossed his lighter onto the table and stood, warning everyone in the room.

“Not one word of what was said today gets out. I need her obedient until she gives birth.”

Marco thumped his chest and laughed.

“Don’t worry, Boss. That woman is stupid as hell. We call her Donna once, and she really thinks she’s the mistress of the family. She brings us food and drinks every day. She still doesn’t know I personally picked every man in that video.”

Someone burst out laughing.

“Marco, you’re evil. Why didn’t you pick me back then? I wanted a taste too…”

A fruit knife suddenly flew across the room and stabbed into the floor between the man’s legs.

His face turned green with fear.

“Did I make myself clear or not?” Dario snapped. “Ann is my wife now. Anyone who dares mention that again, I’ll cripple him.”

One of his men said awkwardly, “Boss, I don’t think you feel nothing for her. That woman is madly in love with you too. Aren’t you afraid she’ll find out the truth one day and leave?”

Dario gave a careless snort.

“Worst case, I’ll give her another IVF baby and keep her fed for the rest of her life. A dirty, lovesick fool like her will come crawling back like a desperate puppy after a few sweet words.”

The room dissolved into laughter again.

I stood outside the door as if struck by lightning.

I could only cover my mouth tightly and swallow every trembling sob.

Footsteps came toward the door.

I quickly turned and ran downstairs, poured myself a glass of hard liquor, and swallowed it in one gulp.

The harsh burn shot straight to my head, and my tears finally spilled uncontrollably.

I clutched my chest as those heartless words echoed again and again in my mind.

One week before my wedding, I was suddenly kidnapped and endured a day and night worse than death.

My fiancé, Julian Ashford, held my hand tenderly and said he loved me. He said he still wanted to marry me.

But at the wedding I had waited for with so much hope, that video appeared.

Julian abandoned me again, making me a social pariah, a woman condemned by everyone.

It was Dario who rushed in, fired a shot through the giant screen, pulled me into his arms, and forced back every insult and curse.

He had his men carry in ten crates of gold bars for me and said he had fallen in love with me long ago.

He said if he could not marry me in this lifetime, he would die with unfinished business.

It was the determination in his eyes that conquered me.

Now he was telling me everything he had done was only to pave the way for Chiara.

No wonder Chiara had looked at me with that strange smile on our wedding day.

I had been kidnapped because Chiara said her car had broken down and asked me to pick her up.

She had known from the beginning that it was all a trap Dario had set for her.

She had been laughing at my stupidity, even more smug that she had a backup man willing to do anything for her.

And the care and affection Dario had shown over the past three years had only been another act, another empty lie meant to squeeze me dry.

I had mistaken my executioner for my salvation.

How ridiculous.

My fingernails dug into my palms.

I gritted my teeth as pain and hatred churned in my chest, and the tears would not stop.

A familiar scent fell over me from above.

Dario kissed the corner of my eye with visible distress, then his brows drew together, and he cursed in front of everyone.

“Which bastard made my wife cry? I’ll put him down.”

No one in the hall dared to speak.

Everyone was too terrified to utter a word.

Dario pulled the gun from his waist and pressed it into my hand. Then he wrapped his arms around me from behind and guided my hand across the room, aiming at each person one by one.

“Baby, if anyone here annoys you, pull the trigger. Your husband will cover for you.”

Everyone caught in the line of the gun trembled like leaves.

Not one dared to move.

In Sicily, Dario Vitale was the Don of one of the two strongest mafia families.

No one could afford to cross him.

When the gun finally stopped at Marco’s head, I froze.

Marco’s eyes widened, and his face went white.

That line, “I personally picked every man in that video,” screamed in my ears like a curse.

My chest heaved violently.

My eyes red, I was about to pull the trigger when the barrel was pressed down.