Giving Birth to The Italian Billionaire’s Baby

Adaline’s POV

The journey from Antony’s house to Claire’s took only five minutes. The procession of three cars landed in the parking lot of a rather luxurious house, though not as large as Antony’s.

Yes, Claire is indeed from an affluent family. Her father owns a well-known cement factory.

Antony’s proposal event went smoothly; I was even moved witnessing the process when Antony asked Claire to be his future wife, right in front of her mother. As a mere spectator, I couldn’t help but be touched, especially seeing Claire.

As the evening approached, after family discussions and a meal, we finally headed home. Letizia insisted that I ride with her since the parents were taking another car with a separate driver. Antony would stay at Claire’s house and return home later in the night. I had no idea where Altezza went, as Letizia’s car had left Claire’s house earlier.

I waited for Altezza, and even after the sun had set, he still hadn’t appeared. It then occurred to me that I had left my phone on the dashboard of his car.

Feeling the need to change out of my clothes, I realized that my attire was still inside his car. The outfit I wore before the engagement event was also missing from where I last left it.

“Is something wrong?” Letizia asked as she noticed my restlessness.

I scratched my head. “My clothes. Have you seen them?”

Letizia shook her head. “Looks like they’ve been taken to the laundry. Don’t you have other clothes?” she asked.

“I left my bag in the car. But I don’t know where Sir Altezza is right now.”

I heard Letizia chuckle. Both my eyebrows raised as I looked at her.

“You two are funny,” Letizia replied, observing my expression. “Altezza calls you ‘Madam,’ and you call him ‘Sir.’ It’s a peculiar form of endearment.” She honestly admitted, shaking her head. “Oh, I forgot. Altezza might take a while because he went to drop off Aunt Delila.”

I responded with an amused ‘O.’ That meant I had to wait for Altezza to return if I wanted to change clothes. Borrowing Letizia’s clothes was not an option, considering her tall and robust build, quite different from my petite stature. Even my height only reached her neck.

“Want to change into my clothes?” she offered in response to my dilemma. Without waiting for my approval, she pulled me into the room we had used earlier in the afternoon, the room she usually used whenever she visited Antony’s residence, as she mentioned earlier today.

After entering the room, Letizia released her grip on my hand and walked towards a large wardrobe on one of the walls. “It seems like my clothes from before I was pregnant are still here,” she murmured while sorting through the garments inside the wardrobe.

Shortly after, she pulled out a cream-colored outfit with small flower patterns and measured it against my body. Once she deemed it suitable, she handed the clothes to me. “I can’t lend you a two-piece outfit. Since my waist is larger than yours, it seems like this size is the most fitting,” she explained while I remained silent, examining the clothes in my hands.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Alright, I didn’t have any other choice. This brocade made me feel constrained, but it was better than not having anything to wear. Later, when Altezza returns, I can change back into my own clothes.

“It should fit you well because my body was still relatively slim before giving birth,” she chuckled as I stood frozen in place. I smiled shyly and nodded gently at her.

Even now, the woman’s body couldn’t be considered fat, so what was it like when she was slim? Was it like the body shape of models on TV, just bones covered with skin?

I returned to the other room, where I kept my handbag containing my personal items. Quickly, I entered the bathroom and freshened up. About ten minutes later, I stood in front of the mirror wearing Letizia’s clothes.

A knock on the door diverted my attention. I opened it and saw Letizia standing there, looking at me from head to toe with a sparkle in her eyes. Yes, the beautiful Balotelli fabric dress fell just below my knees. The top had a sabrina shape, revealing my shoulder and neck curves. Though the waist was a bit loose, it still showcased my slender waist. At the knee, the fabric gently fell and swayed with every move I made.

“Beautiful,” she praised sincerely. Then, she nudged me into the room and seated me in front of the dressing table. “Let me braid your hair.” It wasn’t a request but a politely phrased command.

I wanted to refuse. At home, I usually let my hair down to avoid tiredness from keeping it in a bun all day. But, let it be; perhaps Letizia wanted to experiment.

She reached for the comb on the dressing table and carefully combed through my hair. “I always feel an itch to touch long hair; I always want to touch it. So, don’t be mad, okay?” she said with a mischievous grin in the mirror.

I just smiled and nodded. In silence, I observed that beautiful face in the mirror.

I wanted to know Letizia’s age, but I was too embarrassed to ask. I guessed Letizia’s age fell somewhere between Altezza and Antony. Whether she was Antony’s age or maybe Altezza’s, it had to be between the two.

“Actually, I always wanted to have a younger sister,” she said, pausing her fingers’ play in my hair. “Our dad didn’t allow mom to get pregnant again because of the bleeding incident she had during Gian’s birth.

“When Flavia was born, I was already busy with my own world and didn’t even have time to take care of her. So, my last hope was to have a daughter. But once again, God didn’t allow me to have a daughter. The one born was a boy again,” she chuckled softly.

I just let her talk, as I was afraid to ask. Letizia is a good and friendly woman, very open. And I felt I would like her.

“I never liked Flavia’s mother,” she admitted with a huff between his words. “So, I never got close to her. But now, I’ve been given two sisters at once. Claire and you.”

My gaze met his brown eyes. She looked at me and smiled sincerely. “I’m glad to be siblings with you. And I hope you two are willing to be siblings with me too.”

I was quite surprised by her statement, filled with a hopeful tone. I just nodded my head in response. But then, she pinched my cheek playfully.

“Ugh… I’m really fond of you. You’re so reserved in your words,” she said with amusement. “It turns out that God is indeed Just. It’s true that couples are created to complement each other. Stingy Antony is now going to marry friendly Claire. And cheeky Altezza is going to marry you, the innocent one.”

“M-Marry?” I asked hesitantly.

“Yes, marry. You two are getting married, right?” Our eyes met again through the mirror. I nodded.

Yes, Altezza and I were indeed going to get married, as it was our initial agreement. However, I didn’t know if he had already mentioned our marriage to others behind my back.

I heard a sigh of relief behind me. “Altezza is straightforward, but in reality, he is a person full of secrets,” continued Letizia.

She was still busy playing with my hair, and I didn’t mind whatever she did as long as it didn’t make me look unkempt.

“If someday he does something strange, you can tell me. You can ask me anything about him. I’ll tell you what I know. Because Altezza, Antony, and I actually grew up together, despite our age differences,” she said. I just nodded, but I would remember her advice.

Next, Letizia shared the silly things they used to do when they were children. Shortly after, she placed the comb back on the table.

“Done,” she said happily. “I always enjoy braiding people’s hair. And seeing your long and beautiful hair has been tickling my hands since this morning.” I touched my hair, and it seemed that Letizia had turned it into a beautiful braid behind me.

“Thank you,” I said with a smile. Letizia pinched my cheek again.

“You’re really adorable. No wonder Gian calls you a doll. I can’t wait to see your baby. I wonder what their face and character will be like,” she fantasized. She was about to share her thoughts, but a knock on the door interrupted.

We both turned to see Letizia’s husband standing at the doorway. He mentioned that their son was hungry and needed breastfeeding, also informing us that people had already gathered.

Letizia and I left the room. Indeed, everyone was already assembled for breakfast, and even more people had joined. I noticed two young girls of similar age sitting, staring at a tablet. I knew they were Altezza’s nieces and Claire’s future nieces. Meanwhile, the bride-to-be seemed to be talking to her future husband on the other side of the room.

“Mama!” Gian’s shout again caught everyone’s attention. I looked towards him just as he rushed quickly towards me. “Mama! If you want to see me get married now, I’ll do it, as long as I marry this beautiful doll.” He said loudly, almost bursting my eardrums. Instantly, I realized I had become the center of attention.

“Stay away from her, brother!” A loud growl came from my left side.

I saw Altezza coming with two large bags in his hands, while his parents followed behind. “You foolish nephew! Why won’t you give up? I’ve told you she’s my future daughter-in-law!” Delila Quirino spoke with a loud voice, followed by throwing a sandal in my direction. Luckily, I dodged it; otherwise, the sandal might have hit me.

“Mamma! Don’t do that! What if Mamma’s sandal hits my favorite?” I didn’t realize that Altezza was already by my side, grabbing my shoulder and moving me away from Gian. “You too, Madam. You should be able to smell your enemy if they are within a five-meter radius, so you can avoid it as quickly as possible.”

I stared at him in disbelief. What did he think I was? A mouse or a tracking dog? As if I could smell everything.

“Hey, old friend.” The voice was so gentle, and I saw Claire standing in front of me. She smiled and extended her hands.

Like a child, I threw my body into her embrace. We hugged tightly. In the past, we used to do this often before Claire moved back to Kansas.

“Sorry I didn’t have a chance to greet you earlier,” she said regretfully.

“It’s okay. I know how busy a bride-to-be can be,” I replied, teasing her.

“Aww… Someone is going to be a bride soon,” she teased back, glancing at Altezza. Whether I liked it or not, my face turned red. Damn, I lost big time.