It takes me a moment to wake up and understand the words my ears are taking in.

"Open your eyes, May. You're worse than a hibernating marmot on sleeping pills."

No more time is needed to recognize Andy's voice, tinged with her unique sense of humor.

I timidly open my eyes and struggle to sit up.

"Andy ? What are you doing here ?" I ask, my voice still drowsy.

"Finally ! Get up, we need to talk."

I groan and fall back onto the mattress, covering my head with the duvet, determined to fall back asleep. But Andy's determination to get me out of bed is unmatched. She pulls the duvet away and screams in my ear.

"Up !"

I grumble and cover my ear with my hand. Then, I feel Andy climb onto the bed and start jumping next to me, making me bounce on the mattress. I throw my pillow at her, and she throws it back, hitting me square in the face.

"Okay, okay, you win !" I groan, sitting up.

She jumps one last time on the bed, landing on her butt.

"Too bad, I was having fun. It reminded me of my childhood."

Exasperated, I look at her, dejected and tired.

"Ugh, you're not a sight to see in the morning. No wonder Ezio flees at dawn." she teases.

"Are you done ? Can you tell me why all this ruckus ?"

She hands me a magazine.

Like a shot of caffeine, the erratic beating of my heart at the sight of the cover banishes the last remnants of sleep. On the cover, I am not alone this time but with Ezio, who is fortunately seen from the back. The headline reads:

"May Torre Pregnant !  But Who Is the Mysterious Father of the Baby ?"

"Damn it !" I curse, flipping through the pages frantically.

"Don't bother, you won't find anything but baseless hypotheses."

Looking more closely, I realize the photo was taken in the baby store.

"Fuck, I was so absorbed by the music box and then Ezio that I didn't notice the shop assistant taking our picture. Damn it !

"Listen, calm down. Objectively, they have nothing. Just a back and Ezio's hair. It could be any guy."

"What if the shop assistant knows who he is ?"

"Do you really think that if she knew, she would just sell the photo and not the information about the mysterious father, which would fetch a higher price ?"

" You have a point. Unless she's waiting to sell it to the highest bidder."

"Hmm, I'm not convinced."

"Does Ezio know ?"

"Probably. The news has been everywhere since this morning, but I can't say for sure. He wasn't here when I arrived."

"Damn it, what am I going to do ?"

"Well, it's funny you ask because I've been harassed by every newspaper for an exclusive interview with you."

I look at her, puzzled, not knowing if this is good or bad news.

"There is no way I'm throwing myself to the wolves !"

"You don't have a choice, unfortunately. They will try to find the truth no matter what. They will stalk you, harass you. You won't be able to do anything without a paparazzo lurking around, waiting for the big mystery."

"Even if I give an interview, there's no way I'm revealing who the father is. It would put us in too much danger regarding Raphael."

"That old baboon ? Who cares ? He has plenty of scandals to his name. The latest being engaged to his son's widow. Honestly, we can't say he's squeaky clean."

I smile at her remark.

"I know, but I'm not sure I want people to know who I'm with. It's really none of their business."

"Ouch, May. The moment you set foot in showbiz, your private life became public. Sure, you've managed, and still manage, to hide certain aspects of your life, but now you're completely under the spotlight, and you're screwed. It's only a matter of time before they discover your relationship with Ezio. Your privacy no longer belongs to you, whether you agree with it or not. They will know."

I sigh, realizing the truth in her words.

"I need to talk to Ezio first, then I'll act."

"Do it quickly. Keep the advantage while you still can."

I nod, determined to find a solution as quickly as possible. After getting ready, I join Andy in the living room.

"Still no sign of Ezio ?"

As if he heard me, I see him stepping out of the elevator, deep in thought. He smiles timidly at our sight, then politely asks Andy to leave us alone, which she promptly does.

Once she disappears into the elevator, Ezio turns to me with a grave expression.

"You're aware of the news, I suppose ?"

"Yes. That's why Andy was here. She came to tell me." I admit, tense.

"We weren't vigilant enough. It's my fault. I thought that outing would do us good, but it turned out to be the opposite."

"Andy told me that the newspapers are asking for an interview following this revelation. What do you think ?"

He looks at me, surprised.

"Honestly, I don't know. You caught me off guard."

"I could lie ? Say it's someone else or simply say we want to keep our relationship private."

He laughs bitterly.

"May, secrecy is already out the window. All it will lead to is speculation that I'm not proud to be with you or to be a father, that I don't love you enough to be seen with you, or some other nonsense they could come up with. As for the idea of saying it's someone else, it's unthinkable. One, I wouldn't be able to bear seeing you with someone else, even if it's just a façade, and two, it would be endless, and there would be no healthy escape from that lie."

I sigh in despair, collapsing into the armchair.

"So we have no choice ? We reveal everything ?"

"I'm afraid so. They won't let go."

"Are you ready to give up your reputation as the most eligible bachelor in Sicily ?" I tease, which makes him smile.

"I've never been more ready."

"What will your father say ?"

"Oh, he already knows and is completely furious and impossible to calm down. I tried to reason with him this morning, but it was no use. He hates you so much that I suspect he's already working on a plan to take you out. But don't worry, I'm here. It will take time, but he'll come around. I've forbidden him to approach you because I fear what he might do."

I swallow hard, scared. Ezio notices and wraps his arms around me.

"Don't worry. You're a Madini now; you're family, and that's sacred to him. He won't do anything, even if he finds it hard to accept. Especially since you're expecting his first grandchild, you've become untouchable."

He tightens his embrace, which comforts and slightly eases my anxiety, knowing full well that I remain a threat to Raphael. And like any threat, he will want to eliminate it sooner or later.

"Come on, let's go find Andy and give this interview. You won't face the sharks alone," he announces, standing up with his magnificent smile.

"I'll call her; it'll be easier and save us from moving around."

I follow through and call Andy. We arrange an interview with the leading newspaper for that very afternoon, not wanting to prolong the situation.