Chapter 99 PROMISE
The dining room had been filled with laughter and warmth just moments ago. Everyone was finally at peace, enjoying a rare moment of normalcy after the chaos that had ruled their lives for so long.
But now, all of that had disappeared.
Adeline gripped the edges of the sink, her breath coming in short, uneven gasps.
Her stomach churned violently, and she barely managed to keep herself upright as another wave of nausea rolled over her.
Her hands trembled as she wiped the corner of her mouth, her mind racing at an uncontrollable speed.
Pregnant?
The thought hit her like a bullet, making her knees weaken beneath her.
It couldn’t be. Could it?
The signs were all there—the constant fatigue, the sudden cravings, the unusual weight gain, the nausea.
She had brushed them off, thinking it was stress or just her body adjusting after everything that had happened.
But now…
A warm, firm hand landed on her back.
“Adeline,”
Luciano’s voice was steady, but there was an underlying edge to it.
“Breathe.”
Her fingers dug into the cool porcelain of the sink.
She couldn’t bring herself to look up at him.
Behind them, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway as Christian ran off to fetch the doctor.
The rest of the family stood at the doorway, watching anxiously.
Aurora, Eva, and Rose looked especially worried, their eyes flickering between Luciano and Adeline.
“Adeline, what’s happening?”
Eva asked gently, stepping closer.
“I—” Adeline’s voice caught in her throat. She couldn’t form the words.
Luciano exhaled sharply before turning to the others.
“Give us a moment.”
Alessandra frowned, reluctant to leave.
Isabella glanced between Adeline and Luciano before nodding at the others, signaling for them to step away.
One by one, they hesitated before disappearing down the hall, leaving the two alone in the dimly lit bathroom.
A heavy silence fell between them.
Luciano’s gaze never left her.
His hand, still on her back, was warm and grounding, yet Adeline felt like she was on the verge of spiraling.
She swallowed, finally gathering enough courage to straighten up and turn toward him.
The moment their eyes met, she felt the air shift.
Luciano wasn’t smirking.
He wasn’t teasing her.
There was no amusement in his dark, intense eyes.
Just raw concern.
His jaw tightened.
“You’re pale,” he muttered, lifting a hand to brush her hair away from her face.
“And you’re shaking.”
Adeline pressed her lips together, still unable to say what she feared was true.
Luciano searched her expression, his brows drawing together.
“Adeline.”
His voice was softer this time, but there was something in it that made her chest ache.
She took a deep breath, gripping the counter behind her for support.
“I don’t know,” she finally whispered.
Luciano’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“You don’t know what?”
She hesitated, her pulse pounding in her ears.
“…If I’m pregnant.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating.
Luciano went still.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
His expression remained unreadable, but Adeline could feel the weight of his stare pressing into her. The silence stretched between them, thick with tension.
Adeline’s hands curled into fists.
“I didn’t think about it before,” she admitted.
“I thought it was just stress. But then… what they said at dinner—” She swallowed.
“It made sense.”
Luciano’s jaw clenched.
His fingers twitched at his sides, as if he was fighting the urge to do something.
Then, without warning, he turned and stormed out of the bathroom.
Adeline’s heart dropped.
“Luciano—”
She rushed after him, barely able to keep up with his long strides. He was moving fast, his shoulders tense, his entire body radiating a dark, dangerous energy.
“Where are you going?” she demanded, trying to grab his wrist, but he didn’t stop.
“I need to make sure,” he said, his voice clipped.
“We need answers now.”
She realized, with a sharp pang in her chest, that he wasn’t leaving because he was angry at her.
He was angry at himself.
For not noticing.
For letting her suffer in silence.
For possibly putting her in this situation without even realizing it.
Luciano reached the living room in record time, his presence commanding as he stopped in front of the others.
“Where’s the doctor?” he demanded.
Christian had just returned, slightly out of breath.
“On the way.”
Luciano’s fists clenched at his sides, his patience visibly wearing thin. He turned back to Adeline, his eyes dark and unreadable.
“You need to sit down.”
“I’m fine—”
“Sit.”
The authority in his voice left no room for argument.
Adeline bit her lip but obeyed, sitting down on the couch as Eva hovered beside her. Aurora placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, while Alessandra sat across from her, watching closely.
Luciano paced the room, running a hand through his dark hair.
His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
If she was pregnant…
If she was carrying his child…
A possessive, almost primal feeling surged inside him.
His.
His woman.
His child.
He had never given much thought to marriage or family, not in the traditional sense. His world had always been filled with blood, violence, and power.
But now, staring at Adeline—so small, so vulnerable, yet so incredibly strong—he realized something terrifying.
He wanted this.
He wanted her.
And if she was pregnant, there was no force on earth that would keep him from making her his in every possible way.
The sound of a car pulling up outside snapped everyone’s attention to the door. The doctor had arrived.
Luciano was the first to move. He didn’t wait—he grabbed the doctor by the arm and practically dragged him inside.
“She’s not feeling well,” he said, his voice low and controlled.
“Check her.”
The doctor blinked at the urgency but nodded, setting up his equipment.
Adeline swallowed hard as the doctor began asking her routine questions.
Her heart pounded as he prepared for the test.
The room was silent—everyone was waiting, watching, barely even breathing.
Minutes passed.
Then, the doctor finally turned to Luciano.
His expression gave nothing away as he said the words that changed everything.
“She’s pregnant.”
Silence.
Adeline felt her heart stop.
Luciano’s entire body tensed.
His hands curled into fists, his dark eyes locked onto hers.
Everything felt unreal.
Adeline exhaled shakily, her hands unconsciously resting on her stomach.
A child.
Luciano’s child.
Her vision blurred slightly as emotions crashed over her—fear, shock, disbelief. But then, she looked up at Luciano.
And what she saw in his eyes made her breath hitch.
Possession.
Determination.
A promise.
Luciano didn’t say a word.
But the look on his face made one thing very clear.
Adeline was his.
And now, so was the life growing inside her.
The atmosphere in the room remained charged with excitement, disbelief, and pure joy.
The revelation that Luciano was the father of Adeline’s child had sent ripples of shock through everyone, yet the warmth that followed was undeniable.
The girls—Aurora, Eva, Rose, and Kiara—were practically bouncing with excitement as they crowded around Adeline, unable to contain their happiness.
Aurora, always the loudest of the group, let out a delighted squeal.