Chapter 1 - THE NAME HE GAVE HER
The billionaire signed my newborn daughter’s birth certificate before her biological father could finish demanding a DNA test.
The pen moved across the paper with calm, deliberate strokes.
Luca Donato Moretti.
The head nurse stared at the signature.
Her hands began to shake.
The metal clip on her clipboard rattled against her badge.
Everyone in New York knew that name.
Luca Moretti.
The billionaire whose family owned towers, hotels, warehouses, and enough commercial property to make half of Manhattan answer his calls.
And now his name sat beside one word on my daughter’s paperwork.
Father.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Derek’s voice exploded down the hallway.
He had been walking toward the elevators with Brittany hanging on his arm.
Now he spun around and marched back toward us.
His face was red.
His expensive shoes squeaked against the polished hospital floor.
“Emma!”
He pointed at me.
“Have you lost your mind?”
I tightened my arms around my newborn daughter.
She stirred against my chest.
Ten minutes earlier, Derek had refused to hold her.
He had stared at the baby we had prepared for together and said, “I want a DNA test before I put my name on anything.”
Now suddenly he cared.
Derek turned toward Luca.
“You can’t sign that!”
Luca calmly capped his fountain pen.
Click.
“That’s my daughter!”
Luca looked at him.
“Your daughter?”
His voice was quiet.
That made it worse.
Derek swallowed.
“Yes.”
Luca’s eyes dropped briefly toward the baby.
“Interesting.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Ten seconds ago, you called her a question mark.”
Derek’s jaw tightened.
“That was between me and Emma.”
“You refused to hold her.”
“I was angry.”
“You demanded proof before you would give her your name.”
“I have a right to know!”
I felt something inside me finally break.
Three years.
Three years I had believed Derek loved me.
Three years of excuses.
Three years of forgiving things I should never have forgiven.
And now Brittany stood behind him wearing the gold bracelet I had given him for our anniversary.
Derek looked at me.
“Tell him to stay out of this.”
“There’s nothing to tell him.”
His expression changed.
“What?”
“You already made your choice.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m abandoning the baby.”
“You were walking out.”
“I was upset.”
“With your mistress?”
Brittany looked away.
Derek’s face darkened.
“This is not the place.”
“You brought her here.”
Brittany snapped, “I didn’t know Emma was still—”
“Still what?” I asked.
She stopped.
I looked at her bracelet.
Then at Derek.
“Still pregnant?”
Silence.
Luca stepped slightly closer to me.
It was subtle.
Protective.
Derek noticed.
“You think because you’re wearing a fancy suit you can take my family?”
Luca finally smiled.
There was no humor in it.
“I don’t take what belongs to other men.”
His gaze hardened.
“But I have very little respect for men who throw away what is already theirs.”
Derek puffed out his chest.
“You don’t know anything about us.”
“I know enough.”
Brittany suddenly grabbed Derek’s arm.
“Derek.”
“What?”
Her face had gone pale.
“Stop.”
“Why?”
She stared at Luca.
“Because that’s Luca Moretti.”
Derek froze.
The anger vanished from his face so fast it was almost embarrassing.
“What?”
“Moretti Real Estate.”
Brittany lowered her voice.
“They control Whitmore Development’s main debt facility.”
Derek stared at Luca.
“You’re... that Moretti?”
“I am.”
Derek took one small step back.
It was the first honest thing he had done all night.
Show fear.
“Mr. Moretti, I think this situation got out of control.”
“There is no misunderstanding.”
“I was emotional.”
“So was Emma.”
Derek looked at me.
“Emma, come on.”
I stared at him.
“You refused to hold your daughter.”
“I said I needed time.”
“You cheated on me.”
“That has nothing to do with the baby.”
“You demanded a DNA test.”
“That was reasonable.”
“You brought Brittany into the maternity ward.”
Brittany whispered, “Derek, maybe we should go.”
“No.”
His voice became sharp.
“Emma is not leaving with him.”
Luca moved between us.
One step.
Derek stopped.
“Move.”
“No.”
“You can’t stop me from talking to the mother of my child.”
Luca’s bodyguard shifted behind him.
Derek immediately lowered his voice.
Luca looked at the nurse.
“Is the discharge ready?”
“Yes, Mr. Moretti.”
Derek stared.
“Discharge?”
“My medical staff will take over from here,” Luca said.
I looked at him.
“Your medical staff?”
He turned to me.
His expression softened.
“My car is waiting downstairs.”
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere safe.”
That word almost made me cry.
Safe.
I had forgotten what it felt like.
Derek stepped forward again.
“You don’t even know this man!”
I looked at him.
“That’s true.”
“He could be dangerous.”
Luca’s mouth curved faintly.
Derek pointed at my daughter.
“You’re taking my baby away with a complete stranger.”
I stared into his eyes.
“She stopped being your baby the moment you refused to call her yours.”
His face went blank.
I turned to Luca.
He extended his hand.
I hesitated.
Then I looked down at my daughter.
Tiny.
Perfect.
Completely unaware that the first hour of her life had already turned into a war.
I placed my hand in Luca’s.
“Let’s go.”
The elevator doors opened.
We stepped inside.
Derek shouted my name.
I didn’t turn.
Then, just before the doors closed, he screamed something that made me look back.
“You don’t even know why he chose you!”
The doors slid shut.
I slowly turned toward Luca.
For the first time, something flickered across his face.
Not anger.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
“What did he mean?”
Luca stared at my daughter.
Then he spoke quietly.
“Derek is right about one thing.”
May you like
My stomach tightened.
“I didn’t come to that hospital by accident.”
