SOPHIE & THE DUKE 🔞

Chapter 22

SOPHIE

"The hospital will expect you back in two weeks for delivery," the nurse informed me, her pen dancing across her notepad.
"Wow," I breathed out, a cocktail of fear and excitement swirling within me.

Two weeks had passed since the tumultuous dinner with Gio's mother. Two weeks brimming with unexpected changes in Gio's behavior towards me.

The morning after that unsettling dinner, I awoke to find Gio, breakfast in hand, grinning at me. His smile was so genuine, so warm, it made my cheeks flush.

"Do you realize how beautiful you are, bellissima?" he asked, his voice gentle and soothing.
"I-uhm well," I stammered, overcome by shyness.
"Quiet now, and eat. You're looking too slim," he observed.
"I am not thin," I protested.
"Perhaps not, but apart from those full, creamy breasts and your curvaceous hips, you're practically wasting away," he remarked with a devilish smirk, his gaze lingering on my chest.
"Stop staring," I said, hastily covering my exposed breasts; I hadn't realized my duvet had slipped down to my waist.

"I can't help myself, strega," he replied, offering me a strawberry from the pancake-topped tray.

The jarring ring of my phone yanked me back to reality. It was Gio.

"Strega, are you still at the hospital? I just left work and wanted to know if I could pick you up," he said over the phone.
"Yes, I'm done, Your Grace," I responded.
"Drop the title, Sophie. I'll be there in ten minutes," he said, his chuckle audible before the line went dead.

I tucked my phone into my bag and settled on a bench outside the hospital, waiting for Gio. The afternoon sun was harsh, but the bench was comfortably shaded.

A black sedan pulled up, and a familiar-looking woman in a black dress, oversized sunglasses, and an expensive-looking straw hat emerged.

"We meet again, Sophie, correct?" She asked, standing before me.
"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" I asked, my confusion clear.

Her laughter was shrill, grating on my nerves. She removed her sunglasses, and recognition hit me like a wave. She was one of Gio's former mistresses from the villa in the states.

"I see you've managed to get yourself pregnant by Gio, you poor thing. The entire villa is abuzz with stories of how the 'lowly maid' seduced him," she taunted.

"Watch your mouth. You have no right to insult me," I snapped back, rage bubbling within me.

"I see no reason not to, especially when the rumors of your shameless seduction are circulating the villa. But let's get to the point," she said, flipping her blonde hair back. "Gio is mine, and I want you to get rid of that child. Perhaps you could give it to an orphanage."

"Are you serious?" I scoffed, rising to meet her eye to eye. "Why should I listen to you?"

"Because I'm marrying Gio in a few weeks. I don't want a bastard child lurking in the shadows," she said, a triumphant smile on her face.

"Poor, ignorant maid, he didn't even tell you, did he?" She chuckled, her laughter like a knife twisting in my gut. "You're just a mistress, a temporary bed warmer. Once your purpose is served, he'll discard you just like the rest," she said, her gaze icy. Tossing something at me, she sauntered back to her car.

I bent to pick up the object and felt my heart drop. A wedding invitation. Gio and Arianna. The more I stared at it, the more it felt like my heart was shattering into a million pieces. A sob caught in my throat, but I quickly wiped my eyes. I couldn't let Gio or anyone else see my tears. I quickly folded the Invitation card and kept it in my handbag.

I was nothing more than a fleeting distraction for Gio, a temporary comfort. And the only reason he showed any concern was because of the child I carried, his child, determined through DNA.

I had two weeks until I gave birth, but I needed to leave, and soon. I would pretend like I knew nothing.

"Sophie," a familiar voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see Gio studying me, his expression unreadable, his hand on my shoulder. "You look like you've seen a ghost, strega," he said.

"Uh-no, I'm fine, sorry," I managed, a forced smile on my face.

"You seemed lost in thought. I called your name several times. Here, let me take your bag," he said, extending his hand. I nodded, handing over my handbag and letting him guide me to the car.

My mind was a whirlwind of emotions, but if Gio thought he could stop me from leaving Italy, he was sorely mistaken. This time, I would make sure he never found me.

GIO

Something seemed off about Sophie, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. When I found her sitting in the shade outside the hospital, she looked as if she'd seen a ghost, and her silence throughout our car ride was unsettling.

Sophie was typically bubbly and full of life, every moment with her vibrant and lively. But now, she was unusually quiet, her eyes distant.

I studied her, my eyes tracing the blue of her gown that gently rested on her knees.
"Is something bothering you?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"No, nothing. I'm fine," she replied quickly.
"Sophie, you're clearly not okay, You're not good at hiding your emotions," I confronted her.
"I just want to go home, Gio," she said, her gaze averted.
"No, we're not going home yet. I want you to meet someone," I said, taking her hand in mine. I watched as her features softened, and she leaned back into the leather seat of my car.

A few minutes later, we pulled up at the royal cemetery. As I led Sophie out of the car, my heart ached at the sight of a tear escaping from her eye.

"Amore mio, why are you crying? What's wrong?" I asked, concern lacing my voice.
"It's nothing, just these damned hormones," she said with a shaky laugh, but I wasn't convinced.
"Here," I offered my handkerchief, and she used it to dab at her eyes.
Retrieving a bouquet of flowers from the back seat, I turned back to her.
"Flowers? For who?" she asked.
"You'll see soon," I replied.

As we walked through the cemetery, my hand in hers, we finally arrived at my sister's tombstone.

"Anna Ginevra Accardi," Sophie gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
"Yes, my little sister," I confirmed, a bitter-sweet smile on my face.
"I'm so sorry, Gio. She was so young. What happened?" Sophie asked.
"Love happened to her," I replied, my voice barely a whisper.

Let's be friends on Instagram

https://instagram.com/authortracybernard?igshid=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA==