"My lady has been married to the heir for years without bearing a child. Surely you would not stand by and watch the Moretti bloodline die out? I beg you, show mercy."
"The doctor said I'm carrying a boy. If I'm allowed into the household, once the child is born, he can be registered under your name. He'll call you Mother."
"I want nothing for myself. But as a mother, I have to fight for my child."
"The heir's wife has never borne a child, so naturally she wouldn't understand a mother's heart."
I watched the tears stream down her face, but there it was, that faint glint of triumph in her eyes. How quaint. These little tricks.
My thumb found the underside of my wedding band and pressed. One slow turn.
"If you truly wanted nothing, why make such a spectacle of stopping my car in the middle of the street?"
"If you wanted a title, you could have come to the compound and discussed it properly. There are ways. So why drag this out for the whole neighborhood to see?"
"You're using that child in your belly as leverage to force me into letting you through those gates. Isn't that right?"