Chapter FIFTY
'Come, let's get you cleaned up," he says, releasing me from our hug, as he peels my hands off of him.
He captures my hand in his and walks us to my restroom. I fall into a daze as I watch him move. It's still unbelievable to me that he is alive.
He puts the toilet seat down and asks me to sit. Once I am seated, he tries to remove my clothes.
'I can do it," I tell him, but he stops me.
'Let me do it," he says, calmly as I drop my hands, and I allow him. He slowly takes off my blazer and sets it aside. He carefully unbuttons my blouse and takes it off too.
'If you take off my clothes, what will I wear?" I ask.
'I asked your secretary to get you new clothes while you were shooting Vladimir multiple times."
'You have been here since then. How come I did not notice someone was in the room?" I ask, surprised.
'I think it's because all you cared about at that moment was making sure Vladimir never comes back to life."
'I guess so."
Stefano continues helping me clean of the blood. He uses my bloody blouse, the inner side, to clean all the blood off my face and neck. He asks me to stand up so he can remove my pants. It's a good thing I wore pants today, I am sure if I wore a skirt, blood would have been all over my legs.
Once Stefano is able to remove as much blood as he can with my clothes, he walks us to the sink. He carefully washes the blood off my hands and face. He leaves and comes back with the clean clothes Emily bought. I try to put it on myself, but he stops me. He helps me put on the clothes. Once we are done, we walk out of the bathroom.
We walk out of my office together, before I leave, I tell Emily to call Santiago to come and help me clean up the trash in my office. Stefano and I walk out of my office building, and into a car that has Samuel waiting for us inside.
'Is he real, Samuel?" I ask, after getting into the car
'I was as shocked as you are, Ma'am, but he is real," Samuel says, smiling. This is the first time I have ever seen him smile.
'I am real, my Love," Stefano says, kissing my fingers.
I don't say anything keeping my eyes on Stefano the whole ride. Once the car comes to a halt, I walk out with Stefano by my side. I am not taking any chances. I refused to let his hand go for even a minute.
We walk inside the Costanzo hotel and take the elevator to the penthouse. Once we are seated, I ask the questions roaming in my head the past few minutes since I saw Stefano.
'How?"
'I am here with you, my Love, because of Vladimir's mother."
'His mother?" I say, not sure I heard him right.
'Yes, she saved me."
'Explain."
'When I was kidnapped, Vladimir's mother was the one who took care of me. I noticed he mistreated her, and I promised her if she got me out, I would take her away from Vladimir and keep her safe."
'How badly did he treat his own mother for her to betray him?"
'If he claimed to love you and almost beat you to death, imagine what he would do to the woman who killed his father."
'Why did his mother kill his father?"
'His father used to abuse his mother."
'If his father was an abuser, why would Vladimir hate his mother for killing him?"
'His father might have been a monster, but Vladimir adored him."
'How can he adore a man who beats his mother?"
'His father made him believe that using your fist is the best way to make a woman do what you want."
'Wow, he must have treated his mother really bad if he believed his father."
'Yes, he did, that is why she accepted my offer and helped me escape."
'I am so happy she did, but I am still a little confused."
'About what, my Dear?"
'Now I understand how you escaped, but why did Vladimir fake your death?"
The body we found was definitely not Stefano's because he is sitting in front of me right now. I am sure they probably photo-shopped his face into the video.
'He faked my death, because he wanted my family to think I was dead so they would stop trying to find me."
'Why is that?"
'He needed my family to believe I was dead so that he could torture me forever."
'He didn't have to fake your death for that."
'Actually, he did, because as long as I am alive, my family would stop at nothing to find me."
'Yeah, that's true, but making your family believe you were dead just made him a bigger enemy to the Costanzo family. They would have stopped at nothing to kill him."
'Yeah, he already had people who would take over even if he died."
'He hated you that much?"
'Yes, he did."
'Wow, Vladimir is one fucked up guy, did he burn someone alive in place of you?" I know Stefano's face was photo-shopped into the video, the screams I heard watching that video didn't sound fake.
'No, he didn't, the grunts you heard were mine, they burnt a body already beaten to death."
'At least he was not crazy to the extent that he would burn someone alive just to fake your death.
'Yeah, he wasn't, but enough about him. I want to apologize to you, my Love," he says, taking my hands in his, making me look him in the eyes.
'For what?"
'The pain I caused you because of our breakup. I thought it was the right thing to do, I am sorry I put you through such pain," Stefano says, with pleading eyes.
'You don't need to apologize, you did it to protect me," I say, giving his hand a warm squeeze.
'I am truly blessed to have an amazing woman like you," he says, cupping my face in his palms.
'I guess you are," I say, smiling.
'Be mine again," he says with his forehead against mine.
'I am yours," I say sealing my lips with his.
'I love you," Stefano says once we release from our kiss.
'I love you too," I say.
A few weeks have passed since Stefano came back from the dead. We are on our way to the villa on the private Island owned by the Costanzo's. Stefano and I decided to take a little trip before the baby comes, and before it's unsafe for me to travel. I also think we needed a vacation after all the drama and stress we faced because of Ivan.
As we left the airport, I couldn't help admiring the lovely Island. I have been to many places, but for me to be in awe, you know this place must be beautiful. While looking out the window, I feel a pair of warm rusty hands cup mine. I turn around and face Stefano, who has a lovely smile on his face.
'We are here," he says, opening the door, walking out first before helping me out.
He holds my hand as he walks us into the villa. The place is beautiful. We step into the living room, which has a gorgeous pool across it. Stefano gives me a house tour; the whole place is magnificent. Once we reach our room, we quickly shower and go to bed.
The following day I wake up to a beautiful aroma in the air. I open my eyes, and Stefano isn't in bed. I wonder where he is. I am about to step out of bed to look for him when I see him walking into the room with a food tray.
'Good morning, Luce del Sole," Stefano says, smiling, and placing the food tray in front of me.
'Good morning, you didn't have to," I say, smiling.
'I know, I wanted you to start your day with that beautiful smile you have now," he says, pecking my forehead and rubs my growing belly. I am twenty weeks pregnant.
'Thank you," I say taking a sip of the tea he made for me.
'You are welcome. After breakfast, do you have anything, in particular, you want to do today?"
'No, I don't. Do you?"
'I don't either, I am thinking we could go into the city then have a stroll around the Island. Maybe while we are walking, we might find something to do."
'That sounds like a good plan."
'Yeah, how are you feeling today?"
'We are doing fine," I say, rubbing my belly.
'That's good to hear, if you feel any discomfort, let me know."
'I will," I say, smiling.
After breakfast, Stefano and I shower together. Which takes longer than it's supposed to, it was a fantastic shower, regardless. We spend the morning at an art museum. It was one of the first places we stumbled upon once we entered the city. We are at lunch right now.
'I have something I want to give you. Please do not be angry at me," Stefano says, and I wonder what he will give me that would make me angry at him. 'Here," he says and places a book on the table. I look at the book, and I freeze in my actions.
The book has Andrea Lopez written on the spine of the book and Bullied as the title.
'Please say something," Stefano says, noticing my frozen state. 'Oh my God, you are crying." He says, I notice tears are falling from my eyes. 'I am so sorry. I knew you weren't confident in your work, I thought it might boost your confidence if I published it and told you what an editor said about your book. I didn't know it would bring this kind of reaction from you. Please forgive me; I will have the book burnt."
'Stefano, I am crying because I am happy. These are tears of joy. I am just overwhelmed with seeing my book in a physical form, not on my laptop. Thank you so much for doing this. I am so happy you did."
I was shocked and a little angry he published my story without my permission but the more I looked at it, the more my emotions started to change. It is one thing to read the name of my book on my laptop, but it's another to read it from a book in front of me. It looked so beautiful and unbelievable.
'Really, you are not angry?"
'No, I am not," I say, smiling.
'That's good, I am happy you like it."
'Like it? I love it. Stefano, do you know what it means to have your words looking at you on paper"
'I don't know, but I can tell from your face it's an amazing feeling," he says, smiling.
'Yes, it is," I say, smiling.
'You should really conquer your fear of people judging your book and publish it. The editor I gave your book to said your story is magnificent and would be loved by many."
'Really, the editor said that?"
'Yes, she did, if you wish to publish it, I will give you her number when you are ready."
'I will think about it. Thank you again for publishing it for me."
'Anything for you Luce el Sole."
Later in the evening, Stefano and I head to a natural spring to enjoy the night.
'Why haven't you gotten in," Stefano says, walking up to me by the edge of the spring, looking as sexy as ever in his bathing suit that hangs loosely around his waist. It does little to hide that V- line of his that I love rubbing my hands over. 'You know I am all yours, right," Stefano says, cockily with a smirk on his face. He grabs my hands and uses them to gently rub his abs. I can feel myself getting hot. 'This is all yours, Baby," he says, whispering into my ears as his hot breath fans my neck. He nibbles my ears before moving away from me. I am about to kiss him, but he jumps into the water.
'You did that on purpose?" I say, with my mouth hanging open. I can't believe he got me hot and left me dry.
'I don't know what you are talking about," he says, swimming in the water, pretending not to know what he just did.
'I will get you back," I say, entering the water. Once I am in, he pulls me closer to him.
'You can try, Baby, I know your body better than you," he says and kisses my neck. He doesn't stop there and continues down my body but stops once I release a moan. 'As I said, I know your body better than you, Baby," he says, swimming away from me.
'Stefano!" I say, wide-eyed as I realize what he just did.
'I love you too, mi Amore," he says, smiling as he continues to swim away from me. I just shake my head and try to forget that my core is crying right now for Stefano to fill it.
After having a lovely time swimming in the natural spring Stefano and I are watching a movie in the living room. While watching the movie, I feel Stefano staring at me, he has been staring since we started the film, which was about twenty minutes ago. I wonder why he is looking at me. He suddenly carries the TV remote and switches it off.
'Why did you switch it off?"
'Do you know I am the luckiest man on this earth to have such a wonderful woman like you by my side? Not only that, you are also the most beautiful and courageous woman I have ever met. I feel I do not deserve you, but I am selfish, I won't let you go either. You made me understand that love is beautiful. You make me the happiest man alive, every day. I am more than grateful to God for putting you in my life again. I am sorry I was a jerk when we first met again, I will live the rest of my life making it up to you. I love you."
'I have long forgiven you for what happened in the past, you are not the only one lucky here. I am also lucky, I was graced with someone as wonderful as you to love and cherish me. I will live the rest of my life showing you what a wonderful thing love is and continue to make you the happiest man alive the same way you make me the happiest woman alive. I love you too," I say, wiping the tiny tears of joy that escaped my eyes. He pulls me closer to him and captures my lips in a passionate kiss.
EPILOGUE
I wake up with a beautiful smile on my face because of the good night's sleep I had. My due date is close, my stomach is so big, it's getting hard to get any good sleep these days, but I was lucky last night.
I feel Stefano's hands go around my waist as he pulls me closer to him. He doesn't open his eyes and buries his nose in my neck.
"Morning," I say.
"Good morning, Luce del Sol. How was your night?" Stefano asks, removing his head from my neck.
"Not bad."
"That's good to hear, what time are you leaving?" He asks, using his left hand which has his wedding ring to rub my stomach.
It has been two months since Stefano and I got married, yes, got married. Stefano and I got married a month after our trip to his family's private island. He actually planned to propose during the trip, but my custom-made engagement ring wasn't ready until we returned. My ring is a rose gold marquise diamond ring. He proposed a week after we got back, and we got married two months later. We had a small wedding with family and close friends. It was safer if people didn't know I was pregnant, even if I was not pregnant, I would still have had a small wedding.
"I will be leaving in an hour. Aurora will be here to pick me up soon," I say, standing up from the bed.
Aurora has started preparing for her wedding, it's coming up in a few months. We are going to look at a few wedding dresses today.
"Alright, do you want to shower with me?" Stefano asks, my mood these days is not always the best. I know he wants a little morning sex with me.
"I woke up horny today," I say, smiling. I woke up horny today, and I know it's because of the good night's sleep I had. Sometimes I wake up very angry and treat Stefano horribly the whole day. I always feel bad for the way I treat him once I cool down.
"Good, I am ready to please you till you can't scream my name anymore," Stefano says with lust-filled eyes. I can't believe with my belly so big, he is still attracted to me.
There were times my mood would shift, with me being overly conscious of my body. Stefano always made me feel like I was still beautiful even though I was pregnant and probably twice my size.
After a pleasure-filled shower with Stefano, we eat breakfast before Aurora arrives. She drives us to the wedding dress shop.
We walk inside once we arrive and join her mom and Emily, who are already waiting inside. I don't think Aurora is coming from the house since she and her mom came separately.
"I can't believe you are getting married soon," I say, as Aurora comes out of the changing room with a wedding gown on.
"Me too, my baby girl is all grown up," Katherine says, smiling as she admires Aurora in the wedding dress.
"Even I can't believe it," Aurora says, she does not sound like a bride who is excited to be getting married soon, and I know why.
Aurora does not love her husband to be, as much as I wish I could do something to stop the wedding, I can't. Aurora has already signed the contract; and she has to marry that monster.
"You look beautiful, Aurora," Emily says.
"Thank you," Aurora replies with a fake smile but quickly tries to make it look natural. She does not want her mom to see it and wonder what's wrong.
"Emily, how are things back home and at the office," I ask.
I moved to Italy once I got married. I wish I didn't have to, but Stefano is Don of his family's mafia, and it would be unfair of me to ask him to move to the states instead. I am enjoying my life in Sicily, even though I had to quit my job back home. I am not jobless, I became a full-time writer, and I love it more than working in an office. Don't get me wrong, I loved my job, but writing and knowing people love your work is an amazing feeling. I miss my family; but I still see them once in a while.
Emily is here to get fitted for her bridesmaid dress; she came with Santiago. They are going strong; I have my fingers crossed about them getting married in a few years.
"Turn arrrrrrrr…" I scream as a shooting pain hits me.
"What's wrong, Andrea? Did something happen to the baby?" Katherine asks, rushing to my side.
"I think my water broke," I say as I feel liquid running down my leg.
"Oh my God, we need to get you to the hospital," Aurora says, panicking.
"I will call Stefano to let him know," Emily says, quickly dialing his number on her phone.
Stefano was in his torture room beating the hell out of one of the idiots. That thought he could mess with the Costanzo mafia and get away with it, when his brother bursts into the room.
"What happened to Andrea," He asks the second he sees the worried look on his brother's face. He left his phone with his brother so he wouldn't be disturbed while he tortured the life out of the fool in front of him. His brother must have received a call from Andrea.
"Her water just broke; they are already on their way to the hospital."
"Oh my God, is she OK? How is the baby?" Stefano asks, panicking. She is not due for two weeks. He hopes nothing is wrong that her water broke two weeks early.
"The person on the phone said they are both doing fine."
"How far apart are her contractions," Stefano asks, walking over to the sink in the room to wash his bloody hands. Since Andrea got pregnant, he started reading books about babies when he had the time. He also listened when the doctors talked to her about the pregnancy. He was deeply involved with everything related to his child, his first one to top it off.
"They knew you were going to ask that and told me to tell you eight minutes apart."
"Oh my God, I am having a baby, Thomas," Stefano says with joy-filled eyes. He dries his wet hands on the towel Thomas provides him while he walks out, his brother stops him and speaks.
"Yes, you are going to be a father soon, I know this isn't the right time, but what should I do with him," Thomas asks about the man looking almost dead in the chair.
"I am going to be a father today, give him good food and enough water. Today is the birth of my first child, not a day for someone to die." Stefano says smiling, as he walks out of the room.
"You are one lucky bastard," Thomas says to the man on the chair.
"Where the hell is Stefano?" Andrea screams, as another excruciating pain passes through her womb.
"I am here, my Love," Stefano says, walking over to stand beside her.
"What took you so long?" Andrea asks, trying to hold back her tears. The pain is too much, she doesn't understand how there are billions of people in this world if this is what every woman goes through to bring someone into the world.
"I am so sorry I am just arriving, mi Amore," Stefano says, wiping the sweat off Andrea's forehead with his handkerchief. He takes her hand in his. "How far apart are they now?" he asks.
"Two minutes apart," Katherine says continuing to help her daughter-in-law with her breathing exercise.
"We are getting closer" Stefano say, excited the time to hold his first child is getting closer.
"Thank you for staying with me, Katherine" Andrea is grateful Katherine is here to help her through this difficult process. She wishes her mom was here too. " Why do you look happy Stefano, is my pain bringing you joy!" Andrea snaps at Stefano.
"No, I am happy our baby will be here soon" Stefano knows his wife didn't mean to snap at him. The pain she is going through makes her cranky.
"Better, because you are the reason I am in this situation right now."
"Me?" Stefano asks, confused how it's his fault.
"You are the one who got me knocked up," Andrea says angrily.
Stefano doesn't know how to respond to that. He got his wife pregnant by mistake, but he knows she is excited to have his baby. He is sure it is the pain that makes her sound like she isn't happy to have the baby.
"I love you, everything is going to be over soon," Stefano says, trying to calm his raging wife.
After screaming and cursing at Stefano for a few more minutes, the doctor finally comes in and says the words Andrea has waited to hear since the minute she felt the first contraction.
"You are fully dilated. We can begin." The doctor says,
"Finally," Andrea says grabbing Stefano's hand in the tightest grip he has ever felt from a woman.
"Push, Mrs. Costanzo," Doctor Angelina encourages.
"Ahhhhhhh," Andrea screams trying to push the baby out.
"You can do it, Amore, just a little more," Stefano encourages.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh," Andrea screams for what feels like the hundredth time today, but the baby still won't come out. "I can't do this anymore. I give up," she says, throwing her head back in exhaustion.
"You can do it mi Amore, just one more time, right doc," Stefano says.
"Yes, Mrs. Costanzo, I can already see the head."
Andrea takes in a deep breath and pushes with all her might. The minute she stops, a baby's cry is heard.
"Did I, do it?" Andrea asks, surprised by what she heard.
"Yes, you did, mi Amore, you gave birth to our first baby," Stefano says, kissing Andrea's forehead.
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Costanzo. Here is your beautiful, healthy baby girl," Doctor Angelina says as she hands Stefano the baby wrapped in a little pink blanket.
The second the doctor, Angelina, places the baby in Stefano's hands; a tear drops from his eyes. The smile on his face could be seen from a mile away. He couldn't believe he and the love of his life created such a beautiful human being.
"Can I see her?" Andrea asks eager to see her baby. She forgot that she was screaming and almost on the verge of giving up a few minutes ago.
"She is beautiful, my Love," Stefano says as he hands the baby to Andrea.
"Yes, she is," Andrea says, releasing tears of joy once her eyes set on her baby girl. She was the most beautiful baby girl to Andrea in the world right now.
"What is her name going to be?" Doctor Angelina asks.
"Elda," Stefano and I say at the same time. It is the name we picked if the baby was going to be a girl. We did not check the gender of the baby the whole time I was pregnant. We wanted to find out after I gave birth, but we had settled on names regardless of if it was a boy or girl.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful baby," Doctor Angelina says, smiling.
Elda means warrior in Italian, that is who her baby is, a warrior. Her baby fought with her through all the pain and suffering, she faced because of Ivan.
Andrea stares at her baby and finds herself awed that such a wonderful human being came from her. She thought about how she ended up with the lovely soul in her arms, as bumpy and painful the ride was, she would do it again, as long as she would end up with the love of her life and the most beautiful baby in the world. The road to here was not easy, the happiness, in the end, was worth everything.
THE END