Pregnant Maid Slapped At Her Mother's Grave By A Senator's Daughter

By the end of the second month, the Moretti estate had transformed.

The heavy, oppressive silence of a bachelor fortress had been replaced by the quiet, chaotic warmth of a home preparing for new life. Designers had come and gone, turning the east wing into a sunlit nursery overlooking the lake, filled with soft pastels, custom wooden furniture, and shelves of classic storybooks.

Mara sat in a plush velvet armchair by the nursery window, wearing a flowing emerald silk dress that hugged her now-prominent baby bump. She was reading a book on infant care when the heavy oak door opened quietly.

Dante stepped inside, unbuttoning the cuffs of his white dress shirt. He looked exhausted—the kind of exhaustion that came from managing a multi-billion-dollar empire spanning three continents—yet the moment his eyes landed on Mara, his expression softened instantly.

He walked over, knelt down in front of her chair, and pressed a long, reverent kiss directly to her stomach.

"How are my two favorite people today?" he murmured against the fabric of her dress.

Mara smiled, running her fingers through his dark, neatly styled hair. "We're tired, but good. Dr. Evans came by this morning. She said everything is developing perfectly."

Dante looked up, his dark eyes shining with an intensity that never failed to make her breath catch. "Good. Because I've cleared my schedule for the next three months. No board meetings, no international flights, no acquisitions. My entire focus is right here."

"Dante, you can't just abandon your empire," Mara laughed softly.

"Watch me," he deadpanned, standing up to press a tender kiss to her lips. "An empire is just concrete and numbers, Mara. You and this child are everything."

Just then, Miller appeared quietly in the doorway, coughing lightly into his fist to announce his presence.

Dante turned around, his expression instantly shifting back into the cold, impenetrable mask of the city's undisputed boss. "Report."

"Everything is secure, sir," Miller said respectfully, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor. "The Thorne assets have been fully liquidated and transferred into the blind trust under Mrs. Moretti's name. As for Bianca Thorne..." Miller paused slightly. "She attempted to board a flight to Europe this morning using forged papers. Customs flagged her immediately."

Mara tensed slightly in her chair. "What will happen to her?"

Dante walked over, placing a calming hand on Mara's shoulder before looking back at Miller. "Let her go."

Miller blinked, surprised. "Sir?"

"Let her board the plane," Dante said coldly. "Let her fly to whatever miserable, penniless corner of Europe she ends up in. Without her father's money, without her social standing, without her designer coats. That is a far worse punishment for a Thorne than any prison cell I could build for her."

"Understood," Miller nodded, turning smartly on his heel and disappearing down the hallway.

Mara looked up at Dante, her heart swelling with a strange, fierce pride. The man standing before her was feared by thousands, but to her, he was the embodiment of absolute justice and unyielding protection.