The Enemy's Ex-Wife (Completed)

Chapter Eight - Mother's Love

*LEILA*

After I dropped Cindy off, I went back downstairs to wait for Lorenzo. I was nervous because I felt that whatever he and Demetrio wanted to tell me, had to do with Giovanni. I had been at the Gonzalez's for only two days and I had already gotten used to being away from Giovanni, and I didn't want to go back to him.

I put my right hand on my belly and moved it in circular motions.

"Are you excited?" Valeria asked, pointing at my belly.

"Would I be a bad person if I say no?" I replied with a question.

"No, of course, not. You are just not ready," she quickly replied, trying to make me feel better and know that she wasn't going to judge me.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"Do you know what you want to do about it?" she asked hesitantly.

"When I learned that I am pregnant, I wanted to get rid of it. But now, I am not so sure," I replied, feeling distressed.

Valeria smiled and got closer to me, and asked, "Do you want to be a mother?"

"Yes," I replied, avoiding looking at her eyes.

"Then that's your answer." She shrugged.

I remembered the night Giovanni came home and apologized for everything he did to me. It was 4 weeks before my escape. He seemed so sincere that I wanted to give him another chance, and I did. I loved him so much that I gave him so many chances. A part of me also gave him chances because I was afraid of being alone. I never experienced love before him, and he was the first person to genuinely love me. It was later that I found out that it was all a sick game.

I nodded with a smile, "Thank you."

"Stop thanking me and start thinking of baby names," she said, making me giggle.

The sound of footsteps grabbed our attention to the door, and Lorenzo walked into the living room just as we turned around.

"How was work, honey?" Valeria asked as Lorenzo rolled his eyes.

"Val, I told you many times, don't call me that," h childishly said, moving his hands around.

"When have I ever listened?" Valeria grinned as she stood up and went to him, pecking him on the lips.

"Never," Lorenzo muttered as he gestured for me to follow him. "We need to talk."

I nodded and followed him to his office. Demetrio followed us five minutes later.

"Did something happen?" I asked in confusion.

"Did he speak?" Demetrio asked after me.

"Leila, Giovanni knows that you're here," Lorenzo said after taking a deep breath.

I was so shocked. It was like a slap hit me right across the face. I knew that eventually, Giovanni would know that I was working with the Gonzalez, but I didn't expect it to be that soon.

"How?" I asked.

"A guy named Sam Fisher turned out to be working with Giovanni. Fisher has been working for me for years and it came to me as a shock," he replied, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, furrowing my brows.

"The good news is that neither Giovanni nor his men entered the states, but it's only a matter of days," Demetrio spoke up.

"How do you know?"

"You shouldn't ask us this question," Lorenzo glared at me.

"I think I should. You didn't even know that you had a mole in your mafia," I replied.

"That's fair, but I'm never making that mistake again," he said with a nod.

I nodded and didn't say anything else.

At that moment, my fear increased and I felt that I wasn't safe, but I had to remind myself that I am better off with the Gonzalez than by myself. Besides, I have a baby inside of me and if I want to become a mother, I need to take care of myself.

"Do you have a family, Leila?" Lorenzo spoke up, cutting my thoughts off.

I hesitantly said, "Not that I have been talking to."

"They weren't in the mafia or anything, right?" Lorenzo asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"No, why?" I furrowed my brows.

"Just making sure I don't have to deal with another mafia," he replied and I nodded.

"Anyway, he still doesn't know that you're pregnant, so this stays between us three and Valeria."

"What about the doctor that came when I fainted?"

"He's a family friend, so don't worry about it."

"Okay," I replied with a nod. "Is there anything else?" I added.

"No, you can leave."

I nodded and left his office. I was feeling a little uneasy because of what Lorenzo told me. I was just thankful that Giovanni didn't know that I was pregnant because if he did, he would have been knocking on the door at that moment and taken me away.

He had always wanted a child, not that I had failed to give him one, but he failed. This wasn't the first pregnancy I went through. I had gone through two others before and both of them, died before I could even give birth. All because of Giovanni who couldn't keep his hands to himself while I was pregnant.

A part of me was thankful that I never gave birth because how could I tell my kids that their father was a monster? That he beat women?

I couldn't.

But with this child, I wanted to do everything I could to protect it.

As I reached the living room, Valeria was sitting in her usual spot, the one that she never moved from and I wondered why.

"Is everything okay?" Valeria asked in confusion as she looked intently at me.

"Yes." I fake-smiled.

"No, you're not. Tell me if you want," she insisted.

For some reason, I could never tell no to Valeria. She made me feel safe, just like a mother made her kids safe. It was weird because I never felt what a mother's love felt like. I had never experienced it and I doubted that I ever would.

"I-It's nothing...I just...I am scared," I stuttered.

"From what? Your ex-husband?" she gently asked, and I nodded.

"Lorenzo told me that he knows...Giovanni knows that I'm here."

Valeria sighed and took my hand in hers. "If I know one thing about Lorenzo, he'd never break his promise. Don't worry, you are safe here."

"I still don't understand why you're helping me," I said in disbelief.

"You remind me of my best friend." Valeria smiled and tapped my hand.

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