Don, Your Cupid Baby Just Moved to My Belly

A collective gasp swept through the room. Only Cupid's excited voice echoed in my ear. [Yeah! A new mommy! yeah!] "Ha!" Bianca's sharp laugh cut through the quiet. She was the Don’s favorite mistress and the daughter of a boss. She crossed her arms and glared at me with disgust. "Look at this pathetic creature! Throwing yourself at a man just to get knocked up." "Why would any woman want a disgusting parasite inside her?" "A baby ruins your waist. It screams, makes a mess, and drains your life away. Children are nothing but filthy burdens." She spoke about the baby like it was a disease. Inside my head, Cupid screamed with rage. [Listen to this idiot! Call me a parasite? I am a god!] [Don't listen, new mommy! Let her regret!] Anger also rose in my chest. I had cared for orphans for years. I knew how precious a child was. I took a step forward, meeting Bianca’s glare. "A child is not a parasite," I said firmly. "Loving a baby and wanting to be a mother is my own wish. It is my choice. There is nothing shameful about that." Dante did not say a word. His eyes narrowed as he studied me. He looked at my cheap clothes, my shaking hands, and the fire in my eyes. Slowly, he lowered his gun. Bianca noticed. Her face turned red with anger. "Dante! Are you really listening to this barmaid?" She turned back to me, a cold smirk appeared on her lips. "You really think you can just choose to have his baby?" "Do you know how many women have shared Dante’s bed? Every single one of them wanted his heir." She leaned in, her voice cruel. "None of them ever got pregnant. But the one who never wanted to conceive ended up pregnant. Isn’t it funny?" The words hit me hard. The memory of the doctor’s grim face flashed in my mind. You are infertile, Nina. It is impossible. She was right. Even if Dante gave me the chance, my broken body could never give him a child. I pressed my lips together and lowered my head in silence. Bianca saw my silence and smiled with triumph. "Look at you!" "Cheap trash like you is not fit to carry Dante’s bloodline. You are not even fit to clean his shoes." She placed both hands proudly over her flat belly and looked around the entire room. "The Don’s only heir is right here, inside my belly," Bianca declared. "Nobody else can give him one. And as long as this baby is inside me, none of you dare offend me!"

Bianca looked down at me, her red lips curling into a nasty smirk. Inside my head, Cupid erupted a childish scream. [Bloodline my foot! Who wants to grow in your stinking belly? You dumb woman, let me out!] Suddenly, a loud thud echoed through the hall. A wooden cane struck the marble floor. The crowd instantly parted. An older woman walked into the light. It was Rosa Moretti, Dante’s mother. "You have a lot of mouth for a girl from a minor family!" Bianca stiffened. "Mrs. Moretti, I am carrying Dante’s heir—" "You are carrying an attitude," Rosa cut her off sharply. Rosa turned her sharp gaze away from Bianca and landed directly on me. She looked at my plain face, my simple dress, and my body. "What's your name, brave girl?" "Nina." I tried to keep my voice calm. Then, Rosa looked at her son. "Dante, if Nina want, why don't you let her bear you a child?" Inside my head, Cupid cheered like crazy. [Yes! The old lady has good eyes! She knows what is up!] [I'll pack bags, Nina, ready to welcome me!] Joy rushed through me, followed immediately by cold fear. Could I really do it? What if I could never give a baby? Bianca was shaking with anger. She hated children. But she could never tolerate losing Dante to another woman. She pressed her hand firmly against her stomach and raised her chin. "You think she can replace me?" "It’s not impossible for me to reluctantly bear this child, but you will meet my terms." "I want the title of your legal wife." "I want this child be declared your sole legal heir before the entire family." "And the most important, I want half of the syndicate’s power in writing " Gasps broke out across the room. Several capos slammed their fists on the tables. "Outrageous! Who does she think she is?" "A girl asking for half the syndicate? Kill her!" Bianca did not flinch. She knew none of them dared to pull a trigger while she carried Dante’s child. She turned her sneer back on me. "A cheap barmaid dreaming of becoming the Don’s woman. Dreaming of carrying a boss’s child?" "Tell her, Dante. What do you think of this ridiculous joke?" My throat went dry. I could not speak. Then, Cupid’s voice exploded in my head again. [Ridiculous joke? Look at her big horse teeth! She looks like a plucked chicken in that red dress!] [If I had my hands right now, I would pull her hair out one strand at a time!] Cupid’s childish cursing was so absurd that I lost control. A soft chuckle slipped past my lips. That smile caught Dante’s attention. He did not spare Bianca a single glance and stepped towards me. "Nina, I am coming to you tonight."

I sat on the edge of the bed. My heart was pounding so fast. Cupid’s voice rang in my ears once again. [Nina, stand tall! You’re going to be the mother of the God Cupid! You’re no less than anyone!] [When he comes, just pounce on him!] But it was already later night. "He's not coming," "Men like him say things to make a point. He's not actually going to—" Before I could finish, the door swung open. Dante Moretti stepped inside. He had taken off his suit jacket. His white shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the edge of tattoo on his chest. "You laughed in front of Bianca." "Was that confidence? Are you that certain you can give me a child?" "I was not—" I started, but stopped. I could hardly tell him that god Cupid was talking inside my head. Dante leaned down, resting one hand on the wall beside my head. "You are a brave girl, Nina. Standing up to Bianca in front of the whole family takes guts." "But I have had dozens of women. None of them ever got pregnant." He did not believe I could get pregnant either. The truth about my infertility weighed heavily on my mind again. Dante noticed my sudden silence. His fingers gently touched my chin, tilting my face up toward his. The heat of his skin sent a shiver straight down my spine. "Lost your voice now that we are alone?" [Do not let him look down on you, Nina!] Cupid’s voice suddenly blasted. [He is doubting you! The nerve of this mortal! Watch this!] A golden light flickered in the air above us. I saw a golden arrow, shoot straight into Dante’s chest and then into mine. A sudden, intense hot exploded through my blood. The Fear in my mind was replaced by an unfamiliar wave of boldness. "Are you doubting me, Don Moretti?" "Or are you just lacking confidence in that area?" My hand rested on his firm chest, and Dante went completely still. "Lacking confidence?" Dante chuckled. As the golden warmth spread through him, his eyes widened slightly. He seemed to remember something. "Wait," "The bar on Fifth Street. Three years ago. You were the girl with the silver tray who protected a child." He remembered the night we shared years ago. I thought he’d forgotten completely, yet he still remembered. The heat between us flared like fire. He cupped the back of my neck and pulled me into a deep kiss. *** In the best guest suite, a crystal glass shattered against the wall. "He actually went to her room!" Bianca shouted. "A filthy barmaid! A worthless orphan! How dare that bitch touch my man!" Until the maid whispered something into Bianca's ear, the fury on Bianca’s face slowly melted away. Then, She touched her stomach with gloating satisfaction. "God really is on my side," Bianca chuckled. "She actually thinks she can give Dante an heir? What a stupid joke." "Tomorrow, that little tramp falls into despair."

The next morning, Dante took me to family breakfast. Rosa Moretti was already seated, reading glasses on, coffee in hand. "Sit. Eat. You're too thin. Women who are too thin don't conceive." She asked about the orphanage I grew up in. And when I told her about the children, she listened like it mattered. Warm glow spread through my chest. "When the baby comes, we redo the east nursery. Yellow walls. Yellow is lucky."Rosa said. "Mother." Dante tried to stop her. "What? I'm planning." For one moment, I let myself imagine it. A few years from now. A baby arguing with Rosa about breakfast. This was what a real family felt like. I placed my hands gently over my lower stomach. More than ever, I dreamed of holding a child in my arms and giving him a warm home. "Well, well. Isn't this cozy." Bianca strutted into the room in high heels. "A pathetic little barmaid playing lady of the house." "Did you really think one night in his bed makes you part of this family? Wake up from your daydream." [This stupid woman! You’re the one daydreaming!] [Good thing I’ll be leaving soon. You’ll live to regret this!] Cupid’s indignant voice echoed in my ears. I set my fork down and met her cruel gaze directly. "I am invited here. Unlike you, Bianca. I do not see a child as a bargaining chip." Bianca’s face darkened instantly. "You insolent little—" "Quiet!" Rosa slammed her teacup onto the saucer. "I invited Nina. Watch your tongue in my presence, Bianca." Then, Bianca let out a chilling laugh. She pulled out a small glass bottle and held the bottle up for everyone to see. Abortion pills. "You think you can just discard me and let this beggar give you a baby? What a joke." She pointed a finger directly at me. "I heard some information last night." "The clinic diagnosed Nina with total infertility years ago! She cannot carry a baby!" My heart plummeted into ice. Bianca threw her head back and laughed. "And that is not all! Dante, you know the truth about your own body, don't you?" "The odds of you fathering a child are practically zero!" Rosa gasped. Her face turned chalky white. "Dante, is that true?" Dante did not answer. His face was entirely in fury. Bianca shook the bottle of abortion pills. "The baby in my womb is a medical miracle. He is your one and only chance to ever have an heir, Dante!" "The syndicate meeting is in exactly one month." "If you want this baby born alive, you will stand before all the families and grant my demands." "Otherwise, I will swallow every single pill in this bottle, and your bloodline dies forever." She spun on her heel toward the door. Before she walked out, Bianca stopped and cast a mocking glance at me. "Stop your pathetic daydream, little orphan!" "You can never give him a child. You will never be a mother."