Chapter 95 *
Scarlett’s POV
The door opened.
Not slammed. Not kicked in. Just quietly opened.
I turned my head.
My entire body went rigid.
Santino Wolfe stood in the doorway. My grandfather. Seventy-three years old. Still standing straight as a rod. His hand rested on a carved wooden cane. Italian walnut.
He didn't need to raise his voice. Didn't need to make threats.
Just his presence made the air in the room feel thinner.
Behind him stood Tatum. The old consigliere. Family advisor since before I was born. His face was expressionless as always.
My jaw clenched. I straightened up. Let my hands fall to my sides.
Every muscle in my body tensed. Santino's eyes swept the room. Landed on Scarlett first. She was still on the bed. Eyes red. Face flushed.
Then his gaze moved to me.
He took a step forward. His cane tapped against the hardwood floor. Slow. Deliberate. Each tap echoed in the silence.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Tatum closed the door behind them. Stood there like a sentinel. Arms crossed.
Santino stopped a few feet from me. His eyes never left my face.
"Leave us." His voice was quiet. Calm.
He was talking to Scarlett.
"No." The word came out before I could stop it.
Santino's eyebrows rose.
"She stays." I kept my voice level. "This is between me and my wife."
The silence that followed was deafening.
My grandfather tilted his head. Studied me like I was a puzzle he couldn't quite figure out.
Behind him, Tatum's expression didn't change. But I saw his hand move slightly.
Santino's lips curved. Not quite a smile. "Fine." He tapped his cane once. "Let her see how this family operates."
He walked over to my desk. Sat down in my chair.
I stood there. Hands at my sides.
Santino pointed his cane at me. "Sit."
My jaw clenched.
I didn't move.
"I said sit down."
His voice hadn't changed. Still quiet. But the authority behind it was absolute.
I walked over to the bed. Sat down on the edge. My hands curled into fists on my knees.
Santino watched me. Let the moment stretch out.
He was making a point. Establishing dominance. I understood the game. Had played it myself a thousand times. Didn't make it any easier to swallow.
"Your grandmother and I were married for fifty-three years."
"Your father, God rest his soul, was married to your mother for thirty years. Until those bastards took him out."
My chest tightened. I forced myself to breathe evenly.
Santino's eyes never left my face. "In this family, we don't quit. We don't walk away. We don't let our wives run."
He paused. Let the words sink in.
Then his gaze shifted to Scarlett. "And we sure as hell don't let them file for divorce."
Scarlett's face went pale.
Santino turned back to me. "I built this empire from nothing. Your father expanded it. You've made it stronger."
His expression hardened. "But you can't even keep one girl in line?"
The words hit harder than any fist could have.
My hands tightened on my knees. I could feel my nails digging into my palms.
I didn't respond. Couldn't.
What was I supposed to say? That she wanted to leave? That I'd tried everything?
That would just prove his point.
Santino leaned back in the chair. Tapped his cane against the floor once. Twice.
"She's smart. Very smart. From the Romano bloodline."
He looked at Scarlett again. This time with something like approval.
"Do you know how rare that is? A woman who can stand beside you in this world and not just be arm candy?"
My throat felt tight.
He was right. Of course he was right.
Scarlett wasn't just beautiful. She was brilliant. Strong. Capable of holding her own in a world that would eat most women alive.
That's why I'd married her. Not just for the baby.
For her.
"You're soft." Santino's voice cut through my thoughts. "Your father would be disappointed."
I bit down on my tongue. Tasted blood.
Scarlett stood up from the bed. Her face was pale but her jaw was set.
"That's enough."
Her voice cut through the room like a knife.
Santino's head turned. Slowly. His eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me?"
"I said that's enough." She took a step forward. "You want to blame someone? Blame me. Not him."
My chest tightened. What the hell was she doing?
"Scarlett—" I started.
"No." She cut me off. Didn't even look at me. Just kept her eyes on Santino. "You want to know why I'm asking for a divorce? Fine. I'll tell you."
The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.
Santino leaned forward in my chair. His fingers tightened on the cane.
"This should be interesting."
"I was never pregnant."
The words hung in the air.
Santino went completely still. His eyes went wide.
"What?"
"I was never pregnant," she repeated. Her voice was quieter now. "The test was wrong. The doctor was wrong. There was never a baby."
My grandfather's face turned bright red. His knuckles went white on the cane.
"Are you telling me..." He had to stop. Take a breath. "Are you telling me this marriage was based on a lie?"
"It wasn't a lie." Scarlett's hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I really thought I was pregnant. The test showed positive. I had symptoms. But when I got to the hospital during the siege—"
She stopped. Bit her lip.
"They ran tests. Real tests. There was no embryo. No baby. Just... nothing."
The silence was deafening.
I watched my grandfather's face. Watched the color drain away. Watched his expression shift from anger to something else.
Disbelief. Then devastation.
"No baby," he whispered. His voice came out hoarse. Broken.
Scarlett took another step forward. Her face was full of guilt.
"I'm so sorry. I know you were happy about the news. But I can't let Damon take the blame for something that was never real."
She gestured at me without looking.
"This isn't his fault. It's not anyone's fault. It was just... a mistake."
My throat felt tight.
Santino was staring at her. His mouth was slightly open. His breathing was getting faster.
Then he started mumbling.
"How is this possible..." His eyes were unfocused. Staring at nothing. "I thought... I finally thought there would be an heir... someone to carry on the name..."
He slumped back in the chair. The cane clattered to the floor.
"Everything I built... the empire... it all dies with me..."
My gut clenched. This was bad.
"Nonno—" I started toward him.
His eyes rolled back.
Then he collapsed forward.
Scarlett screamed.
I moved without thinking.
"Call an ambulance!" I shouted at Tatum.