"There's a property on the outskirts of the Hudson Valley. I've already purchased it. If you like the country life, I'll have someone plant a garden for you. Whatever you want, I'll make it happen. Trust me."
I stepped back, shaking my head over and over.
"I won't be locked away in some back house as your mistress. I won't let my child and me live in the shadows for the rest of our lives."
But Cesare simply walked toward me, his expression unchanged, his tone calm.
"I've never thought of you as a mistress. As long as you don't make trouble in front of the lady of the house, you'll still be my wife there. Isn't that enough?"
I kept shaking my head. "No. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here."
This place held every tender moment Cesare and I had shared over three years. I wanted to wait here for our child to be born.
"Serafina, you know this. My alliance ceremony cannot have a single flaw. I have to erase every trace of our past. It's the only way you and the child will be safe."
Before the shock had even left my face, he raised his hand. The soldiers behind him stepped forward with fuel cans and set the courtyard ablaze.