Here is this week's update!!!! I cant thank you enough to all that read, voted, and commented on my story!!!!! You guys are the best!!! Please excuse any spelling or grammar mistake.

Anyways I hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

Until next time!!!!!

Bye!!!!! J

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Chapter 20: Aftermath

Ricardo P.O.V

I am startle out of my daze when I felt someone trying to take Dante from my lap. Alarm I tried to stop the person from taking him thinking it is someone trying to harm my son when I heard a female voice penetrate my mind. "Easy I'm a medic! I only want to check if your son is ok and if he has any injury." As soon as I register that she is a medic I let her take Dante so that she can do a full check up on him.

After she takes Dante from me did I realize that the room is full with medics and police walking here and there. A detective came towards me and asks me a couple of questions about what happened here and that reminds me about Sapphire so I look down but all I see is blood soaked carpet. I panic a bit looking around for her, and the police help me by pointing to her she is, who I see is on a laying on a stretcher in the ambulance van with my son so I said to the detective that I will answer his questions after I make sure my family is okay. He agrees with me as I am to distracted to answer anything properly so with that I speed walk to the ambulance.

"What happen to them? Are they going to be okay?" I ask the medic that is checking on Sapphire. The medic looks up from Sapphire's body and said "Your son is fine with only minor scratches but we will take him to the hospital incase he has any internal injuries. However this lady who I'm guessing is this child's mother is in a very critical condition. She has lost too much and needs blood transfusion, and so for I can tell you that she have a couple of broken ribs and cuts at her stomach that needs stiches. I need to take her to the hospital to check her more thoroughly."

I just nodded my head at the medic and I can feel the ambulance van moving when the medic was explaining to me so I just sit down on Sapphire's right and take my son from the female medic. I am so glad that my son is just fine besides a few minor scratches but I'm terrified for Sapphire's life. She looks so pale and lifeless laying there on the stretcher that she looks like she is on deaths door. I shook the morbid thoughts out of my mind. I have to think positive and pray that she will make it through this for the sake of her 3-year-old son and me else well.



I don't know what I will do if she is not here to help me raise our son and make sure he grows up to be a good person. I hugged a sleeping Dante to my chest as the medic injected him with something so that he would sleep and she can do a check up on him. It felt like hours but it was only 40 minutes when we reach the hospital.



That is when everything speed up. As soon as the ambulance came to a stop, the back door is open and a few doctors enter the ambulance to pull out the stretcher that Sapphire is laying on and wheeled her into the hospital as quickly as possible while one nurse gently take Dante from me.

I followed the nurse that is carrying my son as she walks into the hospital weaving through all the people that is crowding the hall. She walked through the hall until she reach the elevator and press the up button. We waited about a minute before on of the elevator ding and open. It is empty so we went inside and the nurse pressed the number five button.

Thirty seconds later the elevator dings and opens when we reach the fifth floor. As soon as the elevator opens fully the nurse briskly walks down the hallway saying hi to another nurse that is sitting at counter. She walks until she reaches the room number 580 and opens the door, walking inside and laying Dante gently on the hospital bed. She made sure it is comfortable for before she turns towards me.

"The doctor will come and check on him in a moment" the nurse said with a pleasant smile but I am just able to give a nod. After making sure my son is okay for now and asking for his name and age she walks out the door closing the door quietly so she doesn't wake Dante up. As I am walking towards the bed I pass a floor to ceiling mirror and see how horrible I look right now.

I look like a beggar as my clothes are covered with dried blood and my hair is so disheveled that it looks almost like a nest. I change my direction to head to the bathroom to clean myself up a bit. After I wash my face and arms and comb my hair with my fingers I call my maid to bring me a new fresh t-shirt and sweat pants to the hospital.



After I assured her that I am okay she promise me to bring my clothes before disconnecting the call. So I just sit on the chair that is beside the bed and wait for the doctor to arrive as well as my maid with fresh clothes.

As I sat there waiting I suddenly remember about my secretary and how she is Sapphire's younger sister so I thought that it is fair that she knows what happened to her sister and her nephew. Furthermore, she was looking for Sapphire anyway so I take my phone from m pocket and dialed her number and hearing toot, toot, toot before I heard the familiar voice of my secretary.

Scarlett P.O.V

My day starts like any other day. I wake up at 10:30am, then I brush my teeth and take a shower. Once I finish showering I wash my face then dry my hair with the hair dryer before walking out of the bathroom and to my closet. After choosing a comfortable t-shirt and leggings I wear them, then head to the kitchen to cook breakfast for Bethany and me.

Once I reach the kitchen I decided to cook a simple scramble eggs with bacon and baked beans. After I finish cooking I divided the food evenly between two plates and set it on the kitchen counter. Then I clean the stove before opening the fridge to take out the apple and orange juice.

After I am satisfied everything is ready I walk out of the kitchen to Bethany's room to wake her up as she can't wake up by herself when she does not have work. When I enter her room I see that she is still sleeping soundly on her bed so I walk to her bed and grab my phone from my shirt pocket and set the alarm. I put the phone beside her face and wait for a minute, then I hear the loud annoying alarm.

Bethany is so startle that she actually fall of her bed and dragging her blanket with her. I see her head pop up and she looks around in alarm and when she realizes that I am laughing as the expression on her face was so hilarious she gave me a very annoyed scowl. "Seriously?" Bethany asks me her face still scowling. "I'm sorry but that is the only way I can wake you up and you know it," I told her trying to control my laughter but a few a chuckle escape me as I keep thinking about her shock face when I saw her face.

"Whatever," she huffs at me and tries to get untangle from her blankets. Try being the word, so I offer her my assistance but she just shoos me away and said she will come after she gets ready.

"Okay but hurry breakfast will get cold," I said while walking out of her room to wait for her in the kitchen. Ten minutes later I see Bethany freshly showered walking into the kitchen. "Finally," I sigh dramatically and Bethany just rolls her eyes at my behaviour and just sits down on the chair.



"Thank you for preparing breakfast," she thanks me. "You're welcome, eat up," I replied her, so we began to eat in comfortable silence. As we finish eating we brought the dishes to the sink to wash them, we made small talk about random things and we decided to chill and watch movies today. So after we finish washing the dishes Bethany went to set up the movie while prepare I the caramel popcorn.

Once its done I carry I large bowl full of popcorn for Beth and hand it to her then I went to retrieve my bowl of popcorn. We each get our own popcorn as we tend to get into fights over popcorn. So once everything is settle Beth plays the movie. We are watching a star wars marathon as that is Beth and I all time favorite movie.

Before I know it I finish the popcorn just when the first movie finish so went to the kitchen to get more but not before I ask Beth not to play the second movie until I return. She promise me she wont start the movie without me so I quickly make my popcorn and rush to the living room and see that the next movie is ready and just need to press the play button.

So I quickly settle down on the couch beside Beth before she press play and watch the movie. By the time the second movie ends I can feel my eyes watering a bit from staring at the TV for so long. Beth and me decided to take a short break before we start the last video. I went to the bathroom while Beth went to the kitchen to make more popcorn.

After everything is settle and we are ready she replace the fifth star wars cd with the last episode of star wars' cd and press play before coming to sit back down to the couch. After the movie was done it is dinnertime so Beth cleans up the living room while I prepare dinner. I went to the kitchen and decided to cook rice omelet. So I make sure I have all the ingredients ready, before I open the stove and I start to cook everything.

15 minutes later everything is finish and ready on the kitchen counter so Beth and me dig in but not before putting chili sauce on top of the rice omelet. We are so hungry we finish our dinner quite fast and wash the dishes. Once everything is settle I tell Beth "I'm going to my room and read." Beth just nodded at me and went to the living room to watch TV.



I shook my head, I swear she has an obsession with watching TV as she can watch TV all day if she can. Anyway walk to my room and open the door. Then I walk to my bookshelves and grab the book call If I Stay and then made my way to my bed, getting cozy before I start to read the novel.

When I am towards the ending of the novel my phone starts to ring. I look at the phone confuse as to who would call me so late at night but by the fourth ring I accept the call and said "hello, who is this?" My eyes widened when the last person I expected to call me answers "It's me, Ricardo Giovanni."

Ricardo P.O.V

Just after I finish my call with my secretary someone knock on the door and I said "enter". I stood up from the chair when the door opens to reveal the doctor have arrive as he is a middle age man wearing a white lab coat. "Are you Mr. Giovanni?" the doctor asks. "Yes I am," I answer him. "I am Mark Owen, a pediatrician. Well lets have a look at your son," he says while walking to the other side of the bed.

He did a complete check up on Dante and after he completes the check up he looks up at me and gives a genuine smile. "He is fine. No internal injuries or concussion, and the only problem is he is a bit malnourish," the doctor informs me. I release my breath, and I didn't even remember holding my breath.

"You can rest easy. I will prescribe vitamin pills to help him increase his appetite incase he no appetite to eat, then he can be discharge from the hospital tonight or tomorrow morning depending on when you want to take him home," the doctor assures me. All I a able to say is "Thank you Doctor." He just smiles at me and excuse himself once he is done with everything.

As soon as the door is close I sat on the chair in relief that nothing is wrong with my son except for being malnourish but that can be taken care of easily. 5 minutes later there is another knock on the door and my maid enter the room after I said to come in. She is carrying a medium size black bag with her. I stood up from the chair and thank her before walking to the bathroom to have a quick shower.

I felt better once I finish my shower and wearing clean cloths. I open the bathroom door and see my maid sitting beside my son. "He almost looks like a carbon copy of you," she said quietly. I nodded as I feel a lump in my throat as I am still having a hard time processing the fact that I am a father.

"Well I need to go home and prepare his room," she said getting up from the chair and making her way to the door saying her good byes before leaving the room to head home and prepare everything for Dante's arrival to the house. So once again I am left alone in the room and the only sound in the room is Dante's breathing and mine. I let the soothing sound of my son's breathing to calm me.



I decided to let Dante sleep at the hospital for tonight as it is so late at night already and it will be a hassle to carry him home without waking him up. After an hour and a half my phone beep indicating that I have a new message. I open the phone and click on the message and I find that it is from my secretary saying that she is at the hospital already and is going to see what is happening to Sapphire.

I have an internal battle with myself about whether I should stay with my son or go to check on Sapphire and I decided that leaving him for a while will be ok as he wont wake up until tomorrow. So I kiss Dante's forehead before leaving the room. I went to the elevator and press the down button and wait for a few seconds before the elevator dings and open.

I enter the empty elevator and press the ground floor button as the elevator door closes. I took deep breaths as the elevator goes down to prepare myself for whatever I will find out about Sapphire's condition. The door dings open and I walk out of the elevator and went to the front counter to ask where is Sapphire. The young lady at the counter told me she was at the ICU that is located down the hallway.

I ignored the fact that she is trying to show me her cleavage by pushing her chest upwards and just mutter "thanks" before walking down the hallway to the ICU. As I walk down the hallway I see Scarlett sitting at the end of the hallway, her hands covering her face and I'm sure she is crying as her shoulders are shaking. So I walk towards her and calling her name when I am close.

She lifts her head to look at me when she heard her name and I can see her eyes are red and puffy, also tear tracks made a print on her face. It is obvious that she has been crying a lot. "How is she?" I ask her. She just shook her head and say "I don't know. The doctor still hasn't come out and tell me what is happening with Sapphire."

I let that sink in as I sit down on the chair next to her as I wait for a doctor to tell me what's wrong with Sapphire.

"Why don't you visit your nephew while we wait for a doctor. He is on the fifth floor, room 580," I told her as I can see that she needs some distraction from worrying about her sister. She just nods at me before slowly getting up from the chair and walk slowly towards the elevator.



When I cant see Scarlett anymore I let the tears trickle down my face thinking about what is happening to Sapphire and whether or not she is going to make. I tried not to think negatively and tried to remember all the good memories I had with her. I also tried to think about me, Sapphire and Dante as a family.

What will be like to spend family day with just the three of us. What I will be like as a father and whether I can be a good role model for Dante. All this thoughts are running around in my mind to distract me from thinking the worst possible outcome. I don't know what I will do with Dante if Sapphire does not pull through as I am a very busy man and cant take care of him all day and I don't want to hire a nanny as a lot of them don't take care of the child properly.

As I wait for any news on Sapphire I pray to any god that will hear me to save Sapphire even though I don't really think it will help her but I pray anyway. As I am praying I heard the sound of the door opening and I lift my head and quickly got up from the chair to walk towards the doctor to find out what is happening to Sapphire.