Amelia leaned forward, her eyes locking onto his. “We work together to remove her. In return, I will make sure you have access to the Lorenzo wealth and business, I know you’ve had your eyes on it all your life until Aiden recently showed up. That way, we both get what we want.”Bryden considered it for a moment, but Amelia’s gaze never left his. Amelia had no such plans of giving up the Romanov’s wealth once she had a hold of it via Aiden. What then would’ve been her reason for all these in the first place, but she had to make an offer that Bryden could not refuse.“Alright, Amelia. You have a deal. But remember, if we’re caught, it’s both our heads.”A wry smile crossed her lips, and she stretched out her hand toward Bryden for a handshake. “Partners?”“Partners,” Bryden replied.Excited about their new alliance, Bryden hurried home to tell his father. He found him in the study, going over some papers.“Father, I have some news,” Bryden began, unable to hide his excitement.His fat

There was a moment of silence, and then Ruby turned her attention back to the phone. "I'll talk to you later, Amelia. It seems Bella has something to say.""Extend my regards to Father and Liam," Amelia said before the call ended.In the Reyes household, Ruby turned to Bella. "What's the matter? Why were you staring at me like that?"Bella hesitated, her face pale. "Do we really need to make Amelia go that far? Have you thought about what would happen if Aiden or any of the Romanovs found out the truth about Amelia’s pregnancy?"Ruby's expression darkened. "Keep your mouth shut and only say positive things. If you have nothing useful to say, it's better you just stay silent. After all, you're no saint either."With that, Ruby turned away, leaving Bella standing there, trembling. Bella sank into a nearby sofa, sobbing uncontrollably as memories flooded her mind, memories of the one mistake that had haunted her for nearly two decades.---Bella was married to her college sweetheart, Tim

Amelia managed a weak smile through her pain. “Just stay with me. It’ll pass. I’m not going to die tonight,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.Aiden’s heart broke at the sight. He gently rubbed her swollen belly, trying to comfort her. He leaned in and kissed her stomach, whispering softly, “Don’t stress your mommy anymore. I’m here now. You can talk to me.”To Aiden’s surprise, Amelia suddenly stopped writhing. The pain seemed to subside, and she let out a small laugh at his words. But the laughter quickly turned into sobs, her shoulders shaking as she cried.Aiden climbed onto the bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her. “What’s the matter?” he asked gently.“You’re the matter,” Amelia replied through her tears. “You come here, acting all nice to the baby after neglecting us for weeks. Please, let me go back to my family’s house. There, I have my mother and others who genuinely care for me and the baby.”Aiden felt a pang of guilt. He gently wiped the tears from her ey

Ashley’s face lit up with excitement. “Of course, I’ll be there. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”“Thanks, Ash. You know how much Zia adores you.” Silvana paused, looking thoughtful. “Also, I promise I’m taking it easy. I know I’m pregnant now too, but I’m feeling much better.”Ashley laughed, a teasing glint in her eyes. “You better be careful, Mom.”Silvana laughed heartily. “Alright, Mother Hen. I’ll take care.”As they approached the car, Amelia happened to be passing by with her maid, having just taken a stroll. She overheard the conversation and froze, shocked to learn that Silvana was pregnant. The revelation hit her hard. She had been so consumed with her own issues that she had forgotten about Zia’s upcoming birthday. Her heart sank, but she masked her emotions as she approached the two women.“Good morning,” Amelia greeted, forcing a smile.“Morning, Amelia,” Silvana replied casually, not missing the brief flicker of something dark in Amelia’s eyes.Ashley offered a polite

“Yes daddy, you call me princess, that’s my other name, more like a nickname, I figured I should give mommy a nick name too!” She threw her hands in the air smiling.Everyone burst into laughter again.“Happy birthday darling, I trust you got my gift as well.” Lorenzo added, winking at his great-granddaughter.Zia looked at them, her eyes wide with gratitude. “Thank you all so much. I love all the dresses, and I can’t choose just one. So, I’ve decided that I’ll wear all three! I’ll change dresses during the day so everyone gets to see me in each one.”The adults laughed, impressed by her solution.“That’s a wonderful idea, Zia,” Silvana said, kissing her on the forehead. “You’ll look beautiful in each one.”“Indeed,” Lorenzo agreed. “You have a wise head on those young shoulders.”With the dress dilemma resolved, the family headed to the palace’s five-star diner for a special birthday breakfast in Zia’s honor. The diner was a grand room with crystal chandeliers, ornate ceilings, and l