Stephanie was so nervous that she was still wearing her heels and almost fell to the ground as she ran.
But she didn’t stop, she kept running to the car.
Olivia smoothed out her dress and in an instant she looked like a beautiful, elegant noblewoman again. She lifted her chin and looked at the driver with a calm expression.
-You did a good job, you’ll get a prize when we get back.
The driver was pleased, but said modestly:
-It was Miss Albina’s order, I just carried it out.
Olivia looked affectionately at Albina and stroked her hair.
-Albina, thank you. But you don’t have to worry at all, I haven’t lost once when I ran into that stinking bitch,” she said, holding up her cheek for Albina to see, and her arm. See, nothing happened to me, Stephanie didn’t even hit me once.
Albina heard the softness in his voice and her heart was hard.
-Don’t believe what she said, I wasn’t raped, the baby is Umberto’s…..
Olivia hastily interrupted her:
-Dumb girl, how can I believe what Stephanie says? She’s just jealous, jealous that I have such a wonderful daughter-in-law and that I will soon have a grandchild, don’t take her words to heart.
Albina’s body had just recovered and if she thought about it because of Stephanie’s words, it would affect her mood and the baby’s development.
The more Olivia thought about it, the angrier she became. She looked at Stephanie’s exit and said:
-Damn Stephanie, I shouldn’t have just slapped her twice, I should have ripped her mouth off so she couldn’t talk any more nonsense.
Albina couldn’t contain her laughter as she heard Olivia’s voice go from soft to harsh in an instant.
Olivia was relieved to see her laugh at last and rubbed her back.
-That’s right, smile more when you’re pregnant and don’t think about it too much.
-Yes,” Albina nodded and took Olivia’s arm, resting her head on her shoulder.
Albina felt that she was getting attached to Olivia and being with her was like being with her mother before.
Olivia loved Albina’s clinging movements. She had a son and he grew up with the same personality he had now, always with a stern, expressionless face.
Olivia had never experienced the feeling of being held by her son or daughter and with Albina it was a new and pleasant sensation.
-Albina, you just did the right thing.
-What? -Albina heard Olivia say that and didn’t understand what it meant.
Olivia looked at her with a smile and touched her slightly bulging belly.
-You did the right thing by letting the driver pull the fight, instead of approaching it yourself. When I came running to the fight, I was worried you’d lose your head and rush in, that would have hurt the baby. But luckily you didn’t come. Stephanie has a vicious mind. It’s quite possible she hit you on purpose and then pretended to miss.
Albina’s cheeks flushed at his words. She felt so bad about Olivia and Stephanie’s fight that she was powerless to stop it, so she let the driver get in.
-Come on, let’s go home and show the family our loot today, they’ll love the tiger pendant too.
-Yes!” Albina took Olivia’s arm and they walked intimately to the car.
At that moment, there was less harmony in the hospital.
Jaime Seco and Pedro Leoz stood at the entrance of the ward, looking at each other and not together. One stood to the left and the other to the right.
Secretary Diaz stood in the center, his eyes fixed on the door of the hall in an impartial gesture.
Jaime was tense inside, frowning as if worried about Alfredo’s condition, but deep down he prayed that Alfredo would never wake up.
-Cousin, are you happy that grandfather is waking up? -asked Pedro suddenly, his eyes fixed on him.
Jaime shuddered at the words and saw Pedro’s expression.
-Of course I am, I’m happier than anyone that Alfredo is waking up.
-Is that so? -Pedro burst out laughing.
The laughter was tinged with sarcasm and Jaime, a little mortified at heart, asked in turn.
-And you, do you feel happy? Grandfather has acknowledged my status as heir more than once in public, and I’m afraid that as soon as he wakes up, the family fortune will not be shared among you as much as it is now.
-I don’t care,” Pedro spread out his hands. I don’t want anything as long as grandfather wakes up.
Jaime froze, that was so disinterested, as if he was the only one who counted. How could Pedro be inconsiderate of the Seco family fortune?
They were both silent. Soon after, Stephanie also hurried over, and as soon as she did, she grabbed Pedro’s hand anxiously and asked:
-Pedro, I heard someone say that your grandfather is going to wake up, is it true?
As he spoke, he revealed his concern, a touch of emotion that Jaime caught and instantly acted as if he had caught something.
-You’re saying that because you don’t want Alfredo to wake up?
“I don’t want to.”
Stephanie said to herself, but not wanting Jaime to catch her by surprise, she replied:
-What the fuck are you talking about? How can I not want Alfredo to wake up!
-You know what you want,” Jaime mocked.
-And you? -Stephanie unconsciously argued with him.
Secretary Diaz, a little impatient, took the floor to interrupt them.
-Enough, this is Mr. Alfredo’s room and the doctor is still examining him. What happens if you interfere with him? When the time comes, I will have reason to suspect that they are deliberately trying to harm Alfredo.
-You! -Stephanie and Jaime looked at Secretary Diaz at the same time, met his sharp eyes and swallowed their words, growling coldly at the same time, without even bothering to look at each other.
Pedro, who a moment before had not spoken, suddenly took the floor, looked Stephanie in the face and asked in astonishment:
-Mom, why is your mouth swollen? Who hit you? Why do you have scratches on your neck? You didn’t get in a fight with someone, did you?
Only when she said this did Stephanie feel the pain in her mouth. She instantly complained to her son:
-It’s that mother-in-law and daughter-in-law of the Santangel Family. Damn Olivia Cortez, next time I won’t let go of her, ouch!
Looking at Stephanie with his mouth covered and his face unhinged, Pedro hurried to push her shoulders.
-Mom, let’s take care of the bruises on your face first,” he said.
Pedro knew her temper. She and Mrs. Santangel had always had a problem between them.
For Mrs. Santangel to lose her head and come and hit someone regardless, it had to be because her mother had said something she shouldn’t have.
As for what Stephanie said, Pedro didn’t believe her.
He had seen Albina, she had a nice smile, she didn’t look like she was going to fight and since she was pregnant, much less might hit her mother.
Olivia had scratched her neck twice and he didn’t know if it was deep enough to scar or not.
She was about to go to dress the wound when the door to the room opened and the doctor came out looking happy.
-Congratulations to everyone, Mr. Alfredo has woken up. He has just regained consciousness and is able to hold a full conversation with us,” he said to the few people outside.
At these words, Stephanie and Jaime froze in disappointment.
-How did he wake up?
Peter knew Alfredo was faking and that the doctor was playing along, but he couldn’t help but be on the verge of tears when he heard this.
-Can we go in and take a look?