After He Blinded Me The Don Begged For Forgiveness Chapter 04
“What did you say?” The smile froze on my face.
He took a deep breath and turned his face away.
“Donna Anna, the Boss has been at his apartment in Manhattan. With Serena.”
That was the Upper East Side apartment he had bought outright before our marriage, just to give me a sense of security.
It was in my name. But it was his mistress who lived there.
Through the crack in the door, I saw Serena’s belly swollen and round. He was gently stroking it.
“Our son’s really got some kick. Do it again.”
“He’s making a fuss in there. You’ve had it hard.”
“When he grows up, I’ll hand the entire Costello empire over to him.”
I gripped the door, my fingernails breaking against the wood and drawing blood.
I shoved the door open.
“Soren—this is what you’ve been so busy with?”
Soren instinctively stepped in front of Serena, as though I were some kind of monster.
“What are you doing here?”
I gave a cold laugh. “I should be asking you that.”
His brows knitted, his tone heavy with impatience.
“Serena broke up with her girlfriend. She’s heartbroken. She said she wanted to know what it was like to be a mother.”
“I was just helping her.”
“Helping her? Helping her by sleeping with her, by making her a mother?”
My voice nearly tore in two.
“Soren Costello—where, exactly, do I rank in your life?”
Serena came over and shot Soren a look.
“Sal—is that any way to talk to Anna?”
She reached out and took my hand. “Anna, I just wanted a child. And since the three of us were so close, I asked Soren to lend me a little something.”
“You don’t mind, do you?”
“Soren and I have always been like brothers. We didn’t cross any lines. I promise.”
I laughed coldly, once, twice. I yanked my hand away, shaking with fury.
“Right. No lines crossed. You just slept with him.”
“Soren, let’s end this.”
I turned and closed my eyes.
Without waiting for his answer, I went home and began to pack.
Halfway through, Soren rushed in.
He pressed his hand down on mine.
“After all these years, are you sure you want to throw it all away?”
“You’ve never lived on your own. What will you do out there?”
“That’s none of your concern.” I shook him off.
He pulled me into his arms, wiped my tears.
“Anna, I was wrong. I was in the wrong.”
“For the sake of all these years—please. Don’t leave me.”
“Then make her abort the child. Send her away!”
“…Alright.”
He paused, then agreed.
I gripped the collar of his black shirt tightly. “And I want you to give me a child. Right now. Tonight.”
He looked at me for a long moment, and finally agreed.
“Alright.”
I kept him locked away at the Long Island estate. Day and night, we tried.
Endless supplements. Endless doctors.
Finally, three months later, I was pregnant.
Soren finally exhaled, as though he had completed an assignment.
But when he looked at the child growing inside me, I didn’t see the doting joy I had imagined.
He didn’t treat me badly. He still accompanied me to checkups, brought me nutrients on time.
When I cried at night, he would even hand me tissues and a glass of warm water.
But I could see it. He was simply going through the motions.
His body was with me, but his mind was elsewhere.
By my sixth month of pregnancy, he started going out more often, refusing to take my calls.
One day, he slipped out while I was sleeping.
I followed him. He went to the Costello family’s ancestral home on Staten Island.
Serena’s belly was now huge, round as a ball. She was wearing his black cashmere coat, lounging on the sofa, eating a tiramisu.
But these days, Soren had never once let me touch that coat.
In that moment, he was gently taking the dessert out of her hand.
He was rubbing her legs.
“Only two bites. I can’t be with you these days—I know it’s been hard on you.”
I shoved the door open with all my strength. My lips trembled.
“Didn’t you say you’d gotten rid of it?”
“Soren—you lied to me?”
When he saw me, the vein at his temple bulged. He finally exploded.
“Anneliese, when does this end?”
“You said you wanted me with you, and I stayed. You said you wanted a child, and I gave you one.”
“Serena’s carrying twins. She’s far along. Do you know how it hurts me just watching her walk on the surveillance feed?”
“They’re all my children. Can you really not make room for any of them?”
“But you promised me!” My hands clenched into fists.
Serena pursed her lips, deliberately stroking her belly.
“Anna, my babies’ clothes don’t fit anymore. Soren’s coat is just right.”
“Even the doctors say I’m amazing—carrying two at once. I bet I could still go down to the range and fire off a few rounds.”
“Only Soren makes such a fuss. He won’t let me come along on the border runs. He won’t even let me touch a gun.”
“I’m not some delicate little princess. I’ve got plenty of strength.”
I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I grabbed the silver candlestick from the table and hurled it at her.
“You disgust me!”
“Serena, look out!”
Soren threw himself in front of her, blocking the blow. His eyes cut into me.
“How can you be this cruel?”
“Don’t you know she’s carrying twins?”
“Anneliese, I’ve raised you all these years. If you can’t bear to live like this, then get out.”