Ashes of the Valentino

It was my personal physician, Rossi.

The moment she saw me, she froze in shock.

"Madre, what happened to you? Why are you here? Don Renato said you were resting in a premium care room. I couldn't find you, so I came looking…"

I wanted to tell her everything, but no sound would come out. All I could do was stare at my stomach, tears streaming down my face.

She understood immediately and bent down to examine me.

The moment she lifted my nightgown, her face went deathly pale.

"Your cervix is fully dilated—the baby's head is stuck at the opening! We need surgery immediately!"

As she spoke, she glanced around and quickly realized this place was completely unfit for delivery.

"We have to get out of here. To the delivery room—now!"

But the instant her hand reached my thigh, it came away soaked in blood.

Rossi stared at her blood-covered hand, her voice trembling.

"Help! Madre is hemorrhaging—this is critical! Go get the Don! Hurry!"

But outside, there was nothing—no footsteps, no voices. Her cries for help echoed into emptiness.

This was an old storage room in the family hospital. No one ever came here, and there wasn't even any signal.

Looking at me, barely clinging to life, Rossi panicked.

"Madre, don't be afraid. I'll carry you out!"

The storage room wasn't far from the elevator, but every step felt like an eternity.

"Doctor Rossi… for the sake of our friendship… please save my baby. If it comes to it… save the baby. Let me go."

I forced out the words with every ounce of strength I had left.

Her eyes reddened instantly.

"Madre, don't worry. Both you and the baby will be safe."

As the elevator slowly rose, hope flickered inside me once more.

But the moment the doors opened on the delivery floor, my heart plunged into despair again.

A line of bodyguards blocked the entrance, refusing to let us pass.

Even when Rossi declared my identity as Madre, they stood firm, sealing the entrance completely.

In the private obstetrics ward of the Valentino Family hospital… they dared to bar even the Madre.

Rossi was furious. I could feel her heart pounding wildly.

"What is going on?!"

Before she could make sense of it, Sophia walked over with two nurses. The moment she saw us, disdain filled her face.

"Doctor Rossi, who told you to bring her here?"

Thinking she had found a lifeline, Rossi rushed forward.

"Miss Sophia, Madre is about to give birth. Please tell them to let us in—I need to get her into the delivery room!"

Sophia didn't even glance at her. She simply let out a cold snort.

"Lina is in the special care delivery suite. All other floors are sealed off. If outsiders come and go freely, who will take responsibility if the newborn gets infected?

"That child is the future heir of the Valentino family. This is my sister-in-law's order—and the Don's arrangement. Do you dare object?"

"But Madre can't wait! If this continues, both she and the baby will be in danger!"

Rossi's voice nearly broke.

Sophia only spared me a single glance—without the slightest trace of pity.

"What danger could there be? It's not even her due date yet. She can endure a little longer. My brother said Lina hasn't given birth yet. Once she does, Ellen can deliver too.

"And besides, even if something happens, so what if the child dies? It's just a girl anyway."

I looked into Sophia's cold, indifferent eyes, and felt my heart freeze piece by piece.

I never imagined she could say something so cruel.

A year ago, she had been kidnapped by the Gambino Family. At the time, Renato was out of the country—it was I who secretly used my maternal family's influence to rescue her.

Back then, she had clung to my arm, sobbing with gratitude.

"Ellen, you saved me. From now on, my life is yours!"

Thinking back now… it was laughable.

Rossi stared at Sophia in disbelief, but she still refused to give up.

"Then I'll take Madre to a regular delivery room. She really can't wait any longer!"

She reached for the elevator button, but Sophia grabbed her wrist.

"Lina has planned everything in advance. The regular delivery rooms have already been cleared out. All the equipment is in the special care suite. It's useless for you to go."

Rossi could no longer hold back.

"Miss Sophia, if anything happens to Madre and the child—if Don Renato finds out—"

She tried to use Renato as leverage, not realizing it no longer mattered.

"How dare you? You're nothing more than a lowly doctor in our family, and you think you can threaten me?"

Sophia shot a look to the bodyguards. They immediately seized Rossi and dragged her away.

At the same time, I slipped from her arms and hit the ground.

"Madre, I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do to save you…"

As I watched Rossi being dragged away, the fragile hope I had just regained shattered instantly.

Fearing Rossi might come back and cause trouble with me, Sophia personally followed the guards to ensure she was taken away.

By the elevator, I collapsed onto the floor. I could feel the movements in my abdomen growing weaker and weaker.

I knew… the baby was beginning to suffocate.

If I didn't deliver soon, even if the child survived, the brain would be damaged.

And just then, a familiar figure suddenly appeared before me.

It was Mark Ricci, Renato's assistant.