The Italian's Unexpected Heir

“Thank you. But I’m the one who should be waiting on you.”

“I’m fine.” Her hand moved to her abdomen. “We’re fine. I promise.”

She turned and walked away. He wanted to go after her. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her close, reassure himself that she was truly fine. But he didn’t move. He didn’t have the right to touch her—even if she was carrying his baby.

His feet resumed their motion. His gaze moved about the room, coming to rest on a mannequin in the corner of the room. The light from the lamp caught the beads and sequins, making them glitter. It was new to the room. He was drawn to it.

He moved around the armchair that was blocking his full view. And then he realized it was a wedding dress. At first, he assumed it was just part of the wedding business, but a closer inspection revealed that the dress was in the process of being sewn.

What was it doing here? The business bought dresses, not created them. And if this dress was a part of the business, it would be in the front rooms, in the space dedicated to the business, not back here in Sylvie’s private rooms.

What in the world? Was Sylvie making her own wedding dress? But why? To marry whom? Him? The breath hitched in his throat. That couldn’t happen.

But there was a baby to consider—their baby. Still, didn’t Sylvie understand he wouldn’t make a good husband? He’d end up hurting her without meaning to.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THE NIGHT HAD been restless.

And the morning wasn’t much better as Sylvie hurt everywhere, including a few spots she hadn’t known existed. But she refused to let that get her down. The fact the baby was safe was the balm she needed to get up and get moving.

The baby.

Those two life-altering words kept playing over and over in her mind. She knew she should be shocked and scared, and she was, but there was also a sense of awe.

She placed a hand to her still-flat abdomen. It was so hard to believe there was a little baby in there. But it was true. She’d seen it with her own eyes. And Enzo had witnessed it, too.

/> Enzo.

What was he thinking? Last night he’d looked like the earth had moved out from under his feet. She had no idea what mood he’d be in today.

Knowing there was no point delaying the inevitable, she took a quick shower and dressed. When she stepped out of the bedroom, she was surprised to find Enzo rushing around her small kitchen. He didn’t seem to notice her. And so she took in the moment. He looked very busy with whatever he was cooking. From the mess of dirty dishes on the table and counter, she’d hazard a guess that cooking wasn’t something he’d mastered.

Not wanting to be caught staring, she moved on. In the small living room, she reached for her digital tablet. She wanted to see the teaser the magazine had planned to post online prior to the release of the magazine.

After all, that was the reason she’d been on horseback. She just hoped it was a glowing article. Perhaps it’d help Enzo’s mood. Maybe he’d see possibilities for the future that he’d been unwilling to accept before.

But when she pulled up the online magazine, the first thing to come up on the screen was a horrific photo of a fire—a wildfire. Her gaze caught the headlines: “Burning Inferno.”

She went on to read that the fire was a ways away from the Bartolini estate. They weren’t sure yet how it’d started, but so far there was zero containment. Sylvie’s heart ached for all the destruction and the danger to humans and wildlife. It was an utter nightmare. Hopefully, they’d get it under control quickly.

Under the circumstances, she assumed the article about the vineyard would be sidelined for now, but that didn’t keep her from scrolling down over the page.

Near the bottom of the webpage, she spotted a photo of herself and Enzo. What in the world was she doing in the photo? It wasn’t anything they’d posed for as she’d made sure to stay out of the camera’s range. But there they were among the vines, staring into each other’s eyes. The picture made it appear as though they were lovers and that just wasn’t the case—not since Paris.

She couldn’t even recall this moment, and if Enzo was staring lovingly into her eyes, she’d think she would remember it. All she could figure was that it was a fleeting moment made to appear as something more. Beneath the photo was a headline that caught and held her attention: “Italian Billionaire Off the Market?”

She gasped.

“Sylvie, what’s the matter?” Enzo’s voice came from behind her. “Is it the baby?”

The next thing she knew Enzo was standing next to her. She pressed the tablet to her chest as she shook her head. What was the point of hiding it from him? He was bound to find out soon enough. With great reluctance, she handed him her tablet with the write-up about them as a couple.

Between news of the wildfire and then the sensationalized headline, her stomach churned. She moved to the couch and sat before her legs gave out. Things were spinning out of control faster than she could deal with them.

When Enzo turned to her, she couldn’t read the emotions in his tired, bloodshot eyes. She swallowed hard, insisting her stomach calm itself. Not that it would listen to her.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “I... I had no idea they were in this to make sensationalized headlines. If I’d known, I never would have agreed to the visit.” Her gaze fell to her hands. “I thought I was helping.”