(Renata Pellegrini)
“Rê!” I hear Caio’s voice calling me, I look in his direction and he comes running to where I am.
I can’t hold it in and I cry on his shoulder, he squeezes me tighter into his embrace. It’s been about five minutes since I got out of the jet, I was dropped off in a place I didn’t know, before I came, I asked to call Amanda, asked her to come get me, but who showed up was Caio. Amanda must be very hurt, that makes me worried.
“Relax, you’re safe now.” Caio whispered in my ear.
“How is Amanda?” I ask, calming down.
“She’s getting better… I left her at your house, she is now. Come, I’ll take you.”
I followed Caio to his car. He opens the door for me, on the way back home I think of Filippo, this time it was me who left without telling him, but unlike me, he knows where to find me.
“Renata?” From far away I hear Caio’s voice.
“Hi.” I blink and stare at him.
“Are you all right?” he asks worriedly.
“Yes, we are fine now.” I speak and smile, touching my belly.
After an hour, Caio parks the car in the garage of my house. As soon as I enter the house, I feel my eyes fill with tears. Amanda is sitting on the couch with both feet bandaged, one side of her face is covered with bandages. She opens her arms and I run into her arms and hug her tight.
“Oush, oush!” Amanda moans in pain and I let go.
“I’m sorry.” I ask and move away, I sit next to him on the sofa, Caio sits in the armchair. “What have they done to you?” I speak sadly observing the bruises on the other side of his face, on his arms, I imagine that his ribs are purple and that’s why the hug hurts. Without realizing it, I start to cry, seeing my friend like this and not being able to do anything about it is horrible.
“Don’t cry, I’ll get over it, I always do, remember?” She speaks and smiles, but then quickly breaks the smile, her face must be hurting a lot. “Tell me, what happened?”
I tell them everything, from the day of the kidnapping, the wedding, Filippo saving me, and that I found out that my mother from Brazil was not the real one. I didn’t say anything about the mafia and such, I omitted that I was supposed to marry Filippo because of our families.
“Wow, I don’t even know what to say. How are you feeling about all this?” Caio asks.
“I don’t know, I found out only hours ago, I’m still digesting everything.”
“Have you told Filippo about the pregnancy?” Caio asks.
“I didn’t have time, as soon as he got me out of jail, my grandfather was there and got me out of Filippo’s house, I came back here without telling him.” I answer. “But it’s better this way.”
I say this more for myself than for Gaius and Amanda.
“You should have told him, you should have talked to him, Filippo has the right to know that he is already a father.” Amanda says. “I don’t think that Filippo would be able to tell you to abort the child.”
“Why do you think so?”
“When I called him… I told him I was pregnant.” Amanda confesses. “I’m sorry, I know you didn’t want him to know, but I was so worried that I told him. I didn’t say he was the father, and he asked who it was, but I told him to ask you himself. Please don’t be angry, Rê.”
I take a deep breath, is it really a good idea to tell him? Well, now I know that his fiancée should be me, and that I am the woman who should give birth to Filippo’s children, I know that I don’t need to fear for my baby’s life anymore, but I need some time, too much happened at the same time and even though Filippo went to save me once again, his abandonment hurt too much, it hurt too much… but… if everyone already knew who I was, did Filippo also know that I was his “fiancée”? That’s why he wanted so badly to have me in his bed… was he really just using me as Dominic insists on saying? Thinking about it gives me a headache.
My stomach rumbles loudly, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“I’ll go prepare dinner, girls.” Caio says, getting up.
“Go take a shower, girlfriend. We’ll take care of our problems later.” Amanda says, looking at me fondly, I smile at her.
“Okay.” I say and stand up.
Tomorrow I’ll figure out what to do.
(Demetrio Martinelli)
“Where is Renata?” My father enters the office with a calmer face.
After he started crying I gave him some medicine to help him sleep.
“I sent her back home.” I say and keep the reports.
“Why? I still have things to talk to her about, I…”
“Many things happened at the same time, she wanted to feel safe in her home, and since she doesn’t want to marry Filippo, I let her go back to her life, when the dust settles, we will try to approach her, let her first digest everything.”
“She is pregnant…”
“Yes, but she doesn’t want Filippo to take over the baby.”
“But will she raise the child alone? How will she support it?”
“She works there in Filippo’s company, her salary is not low and I have helped her in whatever she needs. Now that we have a chance to get closer, let’s take care of her.”
“Okay.” Dominic gives in.
I know more than anyone how much he suffers, I have lost count of how many times I have had to break into my father’s room at night because he is screaming with nightmares. My father has already tried to kill himself because of this, what stopped him was the determination to find, to ask forgiveness from her. I know how much my father was looking forward to this meeting, but she is very shaken up, and needs some time.
“We need to settle things with the Valentinis, Father.” I speak, calling him back to reality.
My father is in the habit of rambling on, I’m sure he’s thinking about Marieta, and because of this, he only carries the title of Dom, but the real one in charge is me, I haven’t wanted to take the title yet because I’ll have to get married and I’m putting it off as long as possible, I know I’m already over thirty-three, but I don’t see myself being any woman’s husband.
“We are going to their house tomorrow morning.” My father speaks and gets up from his chair. “I’m going back to my room.”
I nod and he leaves my office. I pick up the phone and call the Valentinis’ house.
“Yes?” Vicenzo speaks on the other end of the line.
“Tomorrow morning, my priest and I will visit you, we need to talk.”
“About Renata’s wedding?” Vincenzo asks.
“Yes.” I answer.
“I have already talked to your priest, Demetrius.” He says in a more serious tone.
“Things have happened, I will clarify tomorrow when we talk in person, have a good night.” I hung up the phone.
I’m stressed, I need to relax. And I already know who will help me. I leave the office and text Domitila, my favorite submissive.