Chapter 104 The truth my body kept
Lina’s POV
The walls of the bungalow felt unfamiliar. Not because they had changed. But because I had. Because I had stayed away for long.
Every step I took inside that space felt like I was walking in someone else’s body, it felt too heavy, too slow, too distant. My limbs didn’t respond the way they should. My skin felt wrong. My head… worse.
A dull ache lingered behind my eyes, pressing, throbbing, like something inside me was trying to claw its way out. I pressed my palm against the wall to steady myself.
“Breathe. Just breathe, Lina,” I whispered to myself.
The air smelled faintly the same, polished wood, clean linen, something deeper beneath it. Something I knew too well.
Him.
I swallowed hard and pushed forward, each step dragging me toward the bedroom as if something unseen was pulling me there.
The moment I stepped inside, it hit me harder.
That scent. His scent.
It wrapped around me instantly, suffocating and comforting all at once. My chest tightened as I stared at the bed.
Our bed.
No, his bed.
My feet carried me to it without permission. Slowly, I sank down onto the mattress, my fingers gripping the sheets as if they could anchor me to something real. The fabric was still soft. Still warm in memories.
I lowered myself back, staring up at the ceiling, but all I could see was him.
Carlino.
His name didn’t just sit in my mind, it echoed. Over and over again, louder than anything else. I squeezed my eyes shut, but that only made it worse.
The sharp lines of his face. The cold authority in his gaze. The quiet dominance in the way he carried himself, like the world itself bent without him asking.
I had thought he was gone.
Dead.
The memory of that moment from the factory twisted painfully inside me. The emptiness that had swallowed me whole when I believed it… the hollow silence that followed…
And then, seeing him again. Alive. Standing there like nothing could ever touch him. The way his eyes swept over my entire body, accessing me.
The relief had been overwhelming. It had rushed through me so fast, so violently, I hadn’t even understood it.
But now?
Now it terrified me.
Because it meant something.
Something I wasn’t ready to name.
My fingers tightened against the sheets, dragging them closer as I turned slightly, burying my face into the pillow.
His scent was stronger here.
It made my chest ache.
For a brief, dangerous second, a thought slipped through my mind… I wish he was here.
My breath hitched.
I stilled.
That thought shouldn’t exist. It shouldn’t feel this… real. I swallowed hard, trying to push it away, but it lingered, stubborn and quiet.
I felt exposed. Not physically. Something deeper than that. Like something inside me had been stripped bare, left open with nothing to shield it. The only thing that felt like it could cover the emptiness…
Was him.
My eyes snapped open.
“No,” I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible. That wasn’t right. None of this was.
A sharp sound cut through the silence.
The door.
It opened abruptly, the sudden noise making my body jerk upright before I could stop it.
“Carlino—” The name left my lips before I even realized it.
But it wasn’t him. Bella stood at the doorway. A small, knowing smile curved her lips as she stepped inside.
“This is the fifth time,” she said lightly, closing the door behind her. “You’ve called out for him.”
Heat rushed to my face instantly. “There’s nothing like that,” I replied quickly, my voice sharper than I intended.
Her smile didn’t fade. If anything, it deepened. She walked further into the room, placing the tray she carried onto the table with quiet ease.
“You know,” she began, glancing at me over her shoulder, “I never thought I’d see the day.”
My brows furrowed. “See what day?”
She turned fully now, studying me. “This,” she said simply.
Confusion settled deeper. “I don’t understand.”
A soft chuckle left her.
“Are you pretending,” she asked, tilting her head slightly, “or are you truly this unaware?”
My jaw tightened.
“Neither.” The answer came too fast. Too defensive.
Her gaze lingered on me for a moment longer before she shook her head slightly, almost to herself.
“You tried to leave this place twice,” she said calmly. “And yet… here you are again.” She stepped closer, her expression softening just a fraction. “Do you know why?”
I held her gaze, searching for whatever point she was trying to make. But before I could say anything, she waved it off.
“Forget it,” she murmured. “You’ll understand when the time comes. No one will need to explain it to you.”
Silence stretched between us.
Then she gestured toward the tray.
“Eat. And there’s something for the pain you feel, a painkiller.”
I glanced at it briefly before looking back at her.
“And, Donna…” her voice softened further, something almost hesitant slipping through, “I’m sorry.”
My chest tightened slightly because I knew why she was saying sorry. About my baby. I offered her a faint smile.
“It’s fine,” I said quietly. “I’m… better now.”
The words felt distant. Detached. She didn’t look entirely convinced.
“I’ll call for a check-up,” she added. “Just to be sure everything is okay.”
“I don’t think—”
“You do,” she cut in gently but firmly. “Or I’ll inform him.”
I froze.
That was enough. A slow breath left me as I nodded.
“Fine.”
She smiled, satisfied.
But just as she turned to leave, something in me tightened.
“Bella.”
She paused.
I hesitated for only a second.
“Did he… do anything to you?”
Her brows lifted slightly.
“For helping me.”
Understanding flickered in her eyes.
Then she smiled.
“No.”
Relief washed through me instantly.
“But he did scold me,” she added lightly. “I tried to explain your condition to him… but you know how he is.”
I looked away.
Yes. I did. She moved toward the door again.
“If he returns,” I said before I could stop myself, “tell me.”
She didn’t ask who. She simply nodded and left. The room fell silent again. I stared at the tray for a long moment before reaching for it.
Hunger gnawed at me relentlessly, leaving no room for hesitation.
I ate.
Every bite.
Even when my stomach twisted slightly in protest.
When I finished, I leaned back against the headboard, exhaustion settling deep into my bones. But sleep didn’t come. It never did.
Time passed slowly. Painfully slow. My thoughts refused to quiet, circling endlessly around the same thing.
Him.
And everything I didn’t understand.
The door suddenly opened again. I sat up instantly, hope flaring—
Only to falter.
“Is he back?” I asked quickly.
Bella shook her head gently. “No.”
Disappointment settled heavily in my chest.
“I brought someone,” she added, stepping aside.
A man entered behind her. Older. Composed. His presence was calm, almost reassuring.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Donna,” he said as he approached.
“Thank you,” I replied softly.
He set his case down and began his work, his movements precise and practiced.
His eyes studied me carefully. Too carefully. The longer he examined me, the more his expression shifted.
From neutral.
To focused.
To something else entirely.
Confusion.
Concern.
I noticed it. How couldn't I, it was very obvious.
“You haven’t been feeling well?” he asked.
“No,” I admitted. “Nausea. Fatigue. Dizziness.”
He nodded slowly. “And you’re certain about what happened?”
My throat tightened. “Yes.”
Silence lingered.
Then he glanced briefly at Bella before looking back at me.
“One more thing,” he said carefully. “Have you noticed any changes recently?”
I frowned slightly.
“Like what?”
He didn’t answer directly.
Instead, he reached into his case and pulled something out.
A small object. He held it out toward me. My breath caught as I stared at it.
Pregnancy test strip.
“No…” I whispered, shaking my head faintly. “That’s not possible.”
Bella stepped closer. “Just do it,” she said softly.
My heart began to race. Fast. Too fast. This didn’t make sense. None of this made sense. But somehow… my hand still reached out. I took it.
The walk to the bathroom felt longer than it should have. Each step heavier than the last. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out everything else.
Inside, I stopped.
Stared.
Hesitated.
Before finally, I did the test.
Seconds passed. Then more. My breathing slowed. Stopped. My eyes lowered. And everything inside me went completely still.
Positive.
The word didn’t just register.
It echoed.
Loud.
Unavoidable.
My fingers tightened around the edge of the sink as the weight of it crashed over me all at once.
“No…” I whispered again, but this time it came out broken.