Love Affair in Venice (COMPLETE)

37: Aftermath

Adelina smiled. "Of course he will say yes! He want to see you every day too! He was so worried about you. He was so angry at hospital for not letting him in!"

Vanessa arched her eyebrows. "Is that right? You were worried about me?"

Dante shrugged. "Only a little."

"Oh you two," Vanessa beamed. "Come here and give me a hug."

Adelina leaned in and squeezed Vanessa a bit too tightly. She winced from the pain. She tried to sit up more but felt too weak to support her own weight.

"It's okay,don't get up. You should rest," Dante said. "We made you some soup. Do you want me to feed it to you?"

"I'm not a baby," Vanessa laughed, "I can feed myself."

Lexi handedVanessa the thermos. Vanessa tried to hold it in her hand but she couldn't get a proper grip on it. Her arms felt like jello and her muscles, useless.

Dante took the thermos and unscrewed the lid. "Just let me help you already.Stop pretending you're superwoman and let us help." He tilted the lip of the jar between Vanessa's lips and poured some soup into her mouth. She swallowed and then licked her lips.

"ThanksDante. This tastes really good."

"Homemade chicken soup," he winked. "Dante's special recipe."

"Did you buy it from a store?" Vanessa asked.

Dante blushed. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"I always get chicken noodle soup from Corrie's Café when I'm sick. I know what it tastes like."

"You got me," Dante said. "But it's the effort that counts, right?"

Vanessa nodded. "I don't deserve your kindness. Really. I'm touched you came to see me."

"It's the least I could do."

Lexi interrupted, "If you two are done flirting, can I talk to my sister in private for a bit?"

Dante nodded and then left with Adelina. Vanessa was sad to see them go. She wanted to spend more time with them.

She looked at Lexi. "What's up?"

"Well you've been out for two days and the media's caused a shit storm over this scandal," Lexi said. She showed Vanessa a few articles on her phone. "Aiden's been officially arrested for assault and also some felony charges related to illegal gambling operations. I wish I'd been the one ratted him out but apparently he had other enemies who wanted to bring him down too. The police have released an official statement saying that they've identified the shooter at your gala.His name is Jorge Espanada and he was affiliated with the L.A. gang Mincheros. Apparently Aiden owed them a lot of money and didn't pay up so they went after him. He wanted to blackmail you so he could use your money to pay off his half-million dollar debt."

"Wow,that's messed up," Vanessa said. "Where is he now?"

"His bail was set for $100,000 but since his family's bankrupt, his mom couldn't afford it. He's in L.A. County Jail."

"Serves him right," Vanessa spat out. "I hope they stick him in prison for along time."

"Don't worry Vee, our lawyers will make sure of it."

"How about the company? Did this scandal affect our shares?"

"Yes, we took a big hit. But it wasn't devastating and we'll bounce back in no time. The public is on your side and they are very sympathetic."

"Do they know about the pregnancy?"

"Not yet.We can tell them when you're good and ready," Lexi smiled.

Vanessa let out a long sigh. Just like that, her problems were being solved, one by one. With Aiden and his blackmail out of the way, Vanessa could focus on the bigger picture: getting better, physically and mentally.The past month had taken its toll on her and she felt completely drained. Vanessa felt like she'd lost her purpose and will to succeed. All the shit she'd been dealt: Marco's death, Aiden's cheating, the baby, chlamydia...It was time to step back and re-evaluate her life.

Her fall setoff alarm bells in Vanessa's brain. It was a sign. Maybe it was God's way of telling her she needed to take more time for herself.De-stress and regroup. Find herself again and treat her body better.She had to eat healthier now. And exercise more. Not just for her own wellbeing, but also for her baby. She knew it was about the size of a grain of rice at the moment but it wouldn't be long until it was as big as a watermelon. She needed to spend the next few months cherishing herself and enjoying her last few months of freedom.Because after this baby came, her life would never be the same again.She'd be responsible for a whole new person. Everything she did would be reflected in the upbringing and disposition of the child. She couldn't mess this up.

She didn't want to.

When Vanessa first discovered she was pregnant, she was horrified and lost. But now she embraced it. Not fully, but at least she accepted the fact that this baby was here to stay. When she'd woken up, she'd panicked at the thought of losing the baby. It was, after all, a piece of her as much as it was a piece of Aiden. She didn't like how the baby had been conceived but it was a precious and innocent life that relied solely on her womb for survival. And for the love of God she wanted to be the most kick-ass mother that ever lived. Sure she'd make a million mistakes along the way but she knew the ultimate gift was the experience of motherhood.

After talking to Lexi a bit more about the business, Vanessa gave her permission to take over all the executive decisions for the time being. Thank God she'd made Lexi VP before the accident. Now she could focus on getting well, knowing that Clarisse Holdom was in safe hands.