In Italy, Deborah was in charge of taking care of Santi. Gradually, her behavior towards him began to change, and Sergio noticed that she was spending more and more time in the child's room.“Well, maybe hyenas do have feelings after all,” he questioned himself.It didn't suit him for that woman to become attached to the boy. He would talk to her about it.He had planned to get rid of her, just as she had planned to get rid of him. They were two of a kind.Deborah entered Santi's room at night during an electrical storm. The boy had hidden under the bed and was lying on the carpet, covered with a blanket.“Santi, you have to come out from there. Nothing will happen to you.”“I'm very scared, ma'am.”“I told you not to call me ma'am. Call me grandma, because that's what I am. Maria isn't, I am.”The boy wasn't intelligent, but he knew he shouldn't contradict her. She would get furious when he did.“I'll stay here with you until you fall asleep. Come on, get into bed. I'll tell you a st
The lawyer representing Sergio called him after reviewing the documents. The ones from the Williams-Rossano consortium were in order, but there was a problem with the inheritance that Rina had transferred to him. That fortune actually belonged to Nicole, rendering the papers signed by Rina invalid."Damn it! Now it turns out that my company belongs to that useless woman. I'll have to talk to Bruno to have him come and sign the papers," Sergio said."As soon as you order it, I will go, sir. I will start preparing the document right away," his lawyer replied.Sergio decided to immediately call Bruno. He had to force Nicole to sign the documents."Hello," Bruno answered."My dear friend," Sergio began."What the hell do you want now? We've given you what you asked for—return our son," Bruno said."Well, it seems you're in a bad mood. I need Nicole to sign some documents. Since she is the owner of the properties and the fortune that Rina transferred to me years ago, those documents are no
Sometimes things don't go as we want or plan. Bruno, for one reason or another, couldn't be with his son. He returned to the United States disillusioned. It wasn't easy to tell Nicole that they hadn't found any clues about their son. His mind was already too damaged.Upon arriving at the mansion, she came out to greet him. He felt the warmth of her embrace, and it was clear that she was starting to have feelings for him again, which pleased him."I'm glad you're back safe. Have you found any leads on our son?""Not yet. At least we know he's no longer in the hands of that madman Sergio. If Deborah saved him, it's because Santi managed to win her stone heart over. Our son has a way of touching people."He hugged her tightly, inhaling the soft scent emanating from her body. She was his safe place, the one he would always return to. When Bruno let go of her, Leandro approached to greet her."Hello.""Hello, brother," she called him that for the first time, and it felt strange. "I need to
Leandro repeated the question to himself over and over again as he traveled through several cities in Italy. They had investigated airports, and Deborah and the n**o had not left the country. A woman like her would have to be hiding wherever she was surrounded by luxury. They had found the helicopter abandoned on the outskirts of Milan."What the hell do you think you're doing, taking Santi with you, Deborah?" Leandro asked himself the same question again and again.Meanwhile, Sergio was going crazy searching for them. He had nothing to blackmail Bruno and Nicole with, so he believed they could act against him at any moment.Bruno hired the best lawyers who recommended filing a report about the n**o's kidnapping. They would show that Nicole signed the documents under coercion. Coswell remained under the protection of Gío and Rina. He was willing to testify against Sergio, and they could also prove that Rina had been forced to give up Nicole's inheritance."You'll soon recover what is
Sondra stood still, watching as everyone embraced Nicole. Why did she have it all? She had loving parents and Bruno's love, and Sondra didn't consider it fair.She left the hospital with her head down, her tears blending with the rain that had started to fall again. The sound assured her that an electrical storm was about to begin. She was certain that the sky empathized with her situation, as it seemed to cry and feel the same fury she did.She walked for some time, fortunately the hospital was in the same area as her parents' house, so after an hour she stood in front of the enormous entrance gate to the property. She pressed the intercom button to be allowed in. Minutes later, two staff members opened the small side door and left her suitcases outside. Without saying a word, they turned around and walked away. She stood there for a while, observing her luggage.Then she began to walk. She had to move with one suitcase and then come back for the other. She called several of her frie
Dante and Sophie had postponed the baptism of their little Danna; they decided to stay with Bruno and Nicole, as they needed them more than ever.The little one made the couple's days more bearable. Bruno didn't allow Nicole to do anything; he hired new staff to take care of her. That day, Leandro contacted him."Hello.""Bruno, I still haven't found any clues that could lead me to your mother and Santi.""That woman is not my mother, so I kindly ask you not to refer to her that way," Bruno would get agitated whenever someone reminded him that she was his mother."I'm sorry, it won't happen again. I've been investigating, and neither my father nor that woman have left the country. I have undercover agents monitoring nearby airports. I'll keep searching, but it's really like looking for a needle in a haystack.""I know. No matter how much I think, I have no idea where they could be. That woman hasn't contacted me again, and I have no clue how my son is doing. It's killing me. I wish I
Bruno remained silent for a moment before starting to speak. At that moment, he had the impulse to run away from there."Do you remember the photographs that were published? The ones where we were on a bed.""How could I forget them?"That day was when we first met.""Impossible! I'm not like that, or at least I don't remember.""That day, someone spiked my drink with an aphrodisiac. I went up to a room, and you entered shortly after, deceived by Sondra. She locked the room, thinking it was Leandro's room.""But why would she do that if Leandro is my brother?" She didn't understand anything; she felt more and more confused."I'll tell you that part later. For now, please listen calmly. I believed it was all your plan to get me to marry you. The next morning, Sondra came in with several reporters after those photos were published. Your father and mine forced us to get married.""Did anything happen between us that night?"Bruno felt ashamed; he didn't know how to answer."Yes, I was in
Shelsy's mother was slowly recovering under her care. They were in her room, and while her mother was taking a bath, Shelsy prepared breakfast and brought it up to the room. They had promised to have breakfast together there. She was placing the tray with the food on the table when she heard laughter coming from the patio. As she looked out the window, she saw her father and Sondra.Sondra was learning to ride a bicycle while her father held onto her. Seeing them like that didn't please Shelsy. Something inside her told her that something wasn't right. However, she dismissed the negative thoughts. Maybe she was seeing things that didn't exist. Her father was just teaching Sondra how to ride a bike, that's all. She repeated this to herself over and over again.The table was next to the window, so when her mother sat down, she also heard what was going on. She noticed that her mother focused her attention on the garden."I'm glad you're feeling better, Mom. I'll stay until you recover,"
Bruno and Nicole were enjoying their honeymoon. They had barely seen Dante and Sophie, as they had explored much of the beautiful island. It felt like being in a completely different world, wonderful and peaceful."The island of the gods, now I understand why it's called that," Bruno said, standing on the beach and gazing at the beautiful turquoise waters. He was barefoot on the soft sand, feeling like they were in paradise on Earth.Nicole was playing in the water, resembling a little girl. She was collecting some seashells, and when she had gathered several, she would return them to the sea."What are you doing?" Bruno asked, amused."I'm observing these little shells. They all have something different," she replied. Bruno looked at them, seeing them all as absolutely identical.He approached her and kissed her neck, a playful smile forming on his lips."How about we postpone our trip to Ubud until tomorrow?" he suggested, hoping she would accept his proposal."What plans do you hav
They transferred Nicole to the delivery room. Bruno was given special clothing to accompany her. After they were sterilized, he set up two cameras to film the birth from different angles and stood beside Nicole, holding her hand.Nicole was sweating profusely. The doctor tried to administer an epidural, but she adamantly refused. Bruno took a cloth to wipe her forehead.The pain from the contractions became even stronger, and she squeezed Bruno's hand tightly."Damn it! It hurts so much.""My love, sweetheart, you're going to rip my hand off," Bruno said gently, trying not to upset her."You can rip off my hand and what's between your legs, and you still wouldn't feel what I'm feeling."Bruno turned pale at the thought of actually doing what she had said. Instinctively, he squeezed his legs together.He decided to endure her tight grip on his hand without complaining. That way, she wouldn't decide to squeeze anything else. The doctor instructed her to push with force, and she did so w
Nicole was in her bedroom, unable to believe what was happening. She had brought with her the photo that Leandro had in his house in Milan. They had transferred his body to be buried in New York, and she still couldn't grasp the reality of what had happened.Shelsy and her mother had traveled with them. Bruno allowed it because the pain Sergio had caused him no longer hurt, and it was important for Nicole and Rina because the baby she carried in her womb was Leandro's.Nicole stood in front of the window, her gaze fixed on the photo. Bruno entered the room and approached her, pained to see her in such a state. He wiped away her tears with his hand."It's time, my love. We need to go to the church and then to the cemetery. I can't bear to see you suffer like this. I never got along with Leandro, and I apologize for that. I know he was very important to you and our child. By the way, my mother will stay with Santi. The doctor has advised that he should not be exposed to strong emotions.
Hours later, the doctor emerged from the operating room, and everyone gathered around to hear the news. They could tell by his expression that it wasn't good."How is my son?" Rina asked desperately. Something inside her heart indicated that things were not going well. She felt a strong pressure in her chest."We managed to stabilize him. Unfortunately, the bullets did not exit his body, so we had to remove them. Internal organs have been compromised, so we'll have to wait and see how he responds in the next few hours. He's a young and strong man, so perhaps a miracle will happen. He will be transferred to a room, and in a few hours, he will wake up. Only one person at a time can visit him, only the closest ones, please. It's important not to exhaust him. He keeps mentioning a name, Nicole, repeatedly in his unconscious state."The women cried inconsolably, especially Nicole and Rina."Even near death, he thinks of me all the time. I can't handle this, really, I can't," Nicole said, i
Leandro received the location, and the convoy of vans sped towards the outskirts of the city. However, further ahead, the tire of the van carrying Bruno began to malfunction, and Leandro, who was in the front, didn't notice.When he arrived at the location, he realized that the other two vans weren't behind him. He immediately called Bruno and instructed them to have some men from the third van get into their van. Then, he sent them the updated location. They were relatively close.Leandro was impatient; time was crucial to save her.Inside the house, Sergio had tied Nicole and the child to chairs. The child was frightened but tried his best not to cry. He didn't want Sergio to punish him as he had done so many times before.Sergio blindfolded them, turned on the camera, and started recording."Leone, I truly hope you can see this. Your wife will have to sign some documents if she wants me to release her son. Let me make it clear, she will leave this place feet-first, so these will be
Later, the men went out in search of Sergio, leaving only Emma, Nicole, Rina, and Mara in the house, guarded by the bodyguards. In the evening, Nicole was resting in her room when her phone started ringing. It was an unknown number, and she was grateful to be alone at that moment. She already knew who it was.—"Hello," she answered.—"Well, you answer my calls quickly, my little dove. Are you already in Milan?" a chilling voice spoke on the other end.—"Yes," she replied weakly.—"Hahaha, I know. You're at my son's house. How obvious you've been," he taunted.Nicole felt shivers running down her spine. Could that man see them?—"Listen to me. Tomorrow, at four in the morning, a van will be waiting for you at the corner of the house. So, it's better for you to leave without being seen. When you arrive here, I will release your son. You will stay in your place."—"How do I know I can trust you? After all, you're not a trustworthy man," Nicole said, her voice filled with doubt.—"You hav
Bruno said, getting up from the armchair where he had been sitting. Perhaps it was the strength of the liquor that allowed him to react. He looked out the window, and Nicole was still out on the terrace. He approached her and embraced her, and they stood there, silently holding each other.They were interrupted by Mara and René, who arrived shortly after. Nicole's parents also arrived, and they all gathered in the living room, simply looking at each other."What can we do? I feel like I'm wasting time here. I'm leaving for Italy right now. I didn't want to leave Nicole; I wanted to be by her side throughout the process. Leandro offered to search for him so that I could stay with her. Knowing that Santi was no longer in Sergio's hands gave me some peace of mind, but now my son's life is once again in the hands of that monster," Bruno said."We're deeply sorry for what happened to Deborah," Noah said. Despite having abandoned Bruno, she was still his mother.Bruno responded with a nod.
Sara observed the couple with satisfaction as they continued to show their love for each other."It's only a couple of months until we have our baby in our arms. I know Santi will be with us soon, and our happiness will be complete," Bruno exclaimed, taking Nicole's hand and kissing it.In Italy, one of Sergio's men received a call."Sir, you have a call. It's one of the men who fled with Deborah."Sergio hurriedly approached, a satisfied smile on his face. He knew offering a large sum for Deborah would work."Speak," he answered, feeling restless."Sir.""Lazarus, it's good that you've decided to call me. Tell me, where is that damn bitch? You know I will reward you handsomely.""Transfer the amount you're offering to my family, and I will tell you where you can find her.""Send the account number to Sandro. He will make the transfer immediately. If you lie to me, your family will suffer the consequences. You know I can be very cruel when I set my mind to it.""Wait a moment." The ma
Shelsy stood there, petrified. She wished she could tell him that she was expecting his child, but she couldn't speak. She just watched him silently walk away while she cried. Endra approached her at that moment."Did you tell him?" he asked, seeing her state. He thought she hadn't liked the news of her pregnancy."I couldn't. He doesn't want anything to do with me or my mom. I won't force him to stay by my side.""The problem here is what you'll tell your father. When he finds out, he'll go after Leandro.""I'll figure out what to tell him. Please, don't say anything."Endra couldn't understand what was going through his daughter's mind. Leandro had the right to know he would have a child. If she didn't tell him, she would.Leandro returned to Milan in the helicopter. They had circled the city several times, hoping to spot the vans that matched the description they had been given, but it was futile. That woman had the ability to vanish in an instant. He called Bruno at that moment."