The Double Life of My Pregnant Ex-Wife (Carmen and Marco) novel Chapter 52

The smoke from the burning compound swirled into the night sky, casting an eerie orange glow over the forest. Marco and Carmen stood just outside the ruins, their breaths ragged and their bodies covered in soot and grime. Around them, their men moved quickly, securing the area and tending to the wounded.

Carmen leaned against a crate, her hand resting lightly on her stomach as she tried to catch her breath. Marco stood a few feet away, his gun still in hand, his eyes fixed on the smoldering wreckage.

“She’s dead,” Carmen said finally, her voice quiet but certain.

Marco didn’t look at her. “We don’t know that for sure.”

Carmen frowned, wiping her face with the back of her hand. “She triggered the explosives herself, Marco. No one could have survived that.”

Marco’s grip on his gun tightened, his jaw clenching. “Arianna always had a way of slipping through the cracks. Until we see a body, I’m not taking any chances.”

Carmen sighed, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she let her gaze drift to the ruins, the heat from the fire still radiating against her skin. “Her last words,” she murmured. “What do you think she meant?”

Marco finally turned to her, his brow furrowed. “About someone waiting in the shadows?”

Carmen nodded, her expression troubled.

Marco exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “It could be a bluff. Or it could mean exactly what it sounded like—she wasn’t working alone.”

“Then we’ve only won half the battle,” Carmen said softly.

Marco stepped closer, his voice firm but edged with weariness. “We’ve won enough for tonight.”

Carmen glanced up at him, her eyes searching his face. “Have we?”

For a moment, the weight of their victory felt heavier than the fight itself. They had taken down Arianna’s fortress, scattered her forces, and sent a clear message to anyone who stood against them. But at what cost?

“She’s gone,” Marco said after a long pause, his voice softening. “That’s enough for now.”

Carmen nodded slowly, though the unease in her chest didn’t fade. “We need to get back. There’s too much to rebuild.”

Marco reached out, his hand brushing against hers. “We’ll rebuild together.”

Carmen didn’t pull away, though her grip was light. “We have to be better, Marco. For this family. For the future.”

He nodded, his eyes steady. “We will be.”

The Venetti estate was quiet when they returned, the tension of the battle giving way to exhaustion. Carmen barely made it through the front doors before the first sharp pang struck her.

She stopped in her tracks, her hand flying to her stomach as a gasp escaped her lips.

Marco was beside her in an instant, his face etched with concern. “Carmen?”