Valeria felt her world spinning out of control around her. She tried to hold on to one of the waiting room chairs, but finally Richard's arms were all that kept her from going face first into the floor. “There's got to be something we can do!” Layla cried. “He can't stay like this forever, it's not fair.” “No, it's not,” said the doctor. “But right now we can only hope and pray for the best.” Valeria couldn't count the tears she shed that day, or the next, or the next, as she waited for Nick to wake up with no results. “Either you get up and get to your feet, or I'm going to ask Amelia to sedate you!” Andrew warned her. “I should have forgiven him,” Valeria muttered, looking at Nick. He was unconscious, connected to an oxygen line and looking too calm. “I had the chance, I had plenty of chances...” “Doll, you can't do this to yourself...” “No one can say he didn't fight every chance he got.” Valeria wiped away her tears. “But I didn't want to forgive him.” Andrew hugged her tig

Nick made an effort to get up. He needed to get his life and especially his body in order. Those four weeks asleep hadn't exactly helped. He touched the bed beside him and realized it was cold, Valeria must have been up for some time, and his senses were so dulled that he hadn't even noticed. “Nicholas Bennet, wake up, at this rate you won't be able to make love to your wife for another month,” he scolded himself, getting up. Alice had already gone to school, and Valeria was on the terrace, smiling at the cold morning air. “Troublemaker?” said Nick, hugging her from behind. “Is everything all right? Why did you leave me alone?” Valeria turned around in his arms and laughed at his pout. “You look like a little boy.” “I am your little boy,” Nick kissed her. “Now tell me, really, what's wrong? I know you and I know something is up.” Valeria took a breath, took him by the hand and dragged him to an armchair to sit on him. “I want to leave.” “Do you want to...? I don't understand.

Valeria took a deep breath. She had taken classes, read books, done absolutely everything she was supposed to do, but nothing could prepare her for the pain she was about to feel. “I'm going to give you a vasectomy with manicure tweezers!” she yelled at Nick as another contraction hit. “And without anesthesia!” Nick stoically endured the finger squeezing and all the curses that suddenly came out of that pretty little mouth, and accompanied her every step of the way. It wasn't a difficult delivery considering they were twins, but it still lasted over thirteen hours. The family crowded outside the hospital's delivery room and if Amelia hadn't planted her feet, they would all have gone in with her. Finally, Lisa was the first to come out, and Layla only took another five minutes. They were healthy, plump, and beautiful, and weighed six pounds each. Amelia cleaned them, and after the routine check, she put them in Valeria's arms. “How are you feeling, love?” Nick asked, wiping away h

Layla turned pale, pink, red, and almost went through all the colors of the rainbow when she heard Richard ask her that question. “Somebody get me a broom!” she asked. “Because I swear I'm going to hit him with it!” Everyone burst out laughing as Richard pouted. “It's not the end of the world either. I end up sleeping more in your apartment than I do at home.” “Exactly! And if you think I don't see you when you sneak out of my place before dawn... well, you're wrong!” said Andrew, mocking him. “Stop acting like a teenager and get him out of my house.” Layla sighed hesitantly. She wasn't afraid of sacrificing her freedom, but of all the things Richard might want someday that she couldn't give him. “Are you sure about this?” she asked him softly, and he gave her a charming smile. “Of course. There's nothing I want more in the world than to be with you. Everything else we can figure out later... together.” Layla rolled her eyes and took the little box. “Okay! I give up... But I'm

“You're so crazy,” laughed Connor and he almost spat out his champagne. “Do you really want to do it?” “Of course,” Valeria assured him. “But I need help because you obviously know the right people.” “Okay, I'll set it up,” Connor agreed, "but I'm not responsible for the outcome.” “Honey, you and I know what that outcome will be!” laughed Valeria, toasting him. “Yes. It's perfect timing anyway, in a couple of weeks I'm going to New York for several months and I wouldn't have wanted to miss this.” “New York? Right! Dad told me you're opening another office there,” she recalled. “That's right. We'll expand Sheffield & Lieberman. Jake will stay here and I'll take over the New York office.” “Well, I wish you all the success in the world,” Valeria congratulated him. “And I hope with all my heart that I only have to call you just because we miss you!” “Amen to that!” They said goodbye, and Valeria went straight to the twins' office to include them in the plan. The whole family had t

Walking down the aisle on her father's arm was what every little girl dreamed of as a child... but the twins didn't care about that. They each placed themselves at a given stretch of the aisle and claimed to carry her along their allotted section. Andrew handed her to Richard, Richard handed her to Elliot, and Elliot handed her to Nick. “It has literally cost you blood, sweat and tears. Don't screw it up,” he warned him. Nick smiled as he took Valeria's hand in front of the hundred people closest to their lives, and the two turned to Connor, who looked at them slyly with his bible in his hands. “You freaked out, didn't you?” he whispered to Nick, and Nick shook his head patiently. “I didn't freak out, but don't do it again.” “Come on, admit it, I'm handsome enough to steal the bride,” he teased him. “And the bride has a stiletto heel that would bury itself very well in the shoe of either of you!” Valeria chided them through clenched teeth and Connor cleared his throat, starting t

Eight years later. Alice entered her father's office and saw him sitting in front of the window, aloof and worried. “Dad? Are you all right?” she asked, approaching her. Nick smiled, hugging her. “Hi, honey, you're out of school early! I thought you had your final exams.” Alice had gotten into Stanford University at thirteen, and Valeria, Nick, and the twins had moved to San Francisco. “Well, I did, but some idiot apparently didn't think he could pass the exam, so he triggered the fire alarm and they had to postpone it.” Alice sighed, sitting down across from him. “What's got you so worried?” Nick ran his hands through his hair in despair. Over the years Alice had become his best friend and the closest of his daughters, because the twins, besides having each other, were at an age when they didn't even know he existed. “I'm worried about your mother,” he confessed. “She's been very... irritable the last few weeks. I do my best not to upset her, but the truth is I don't understand

THE CEO'S LITTLE TROUBLEMAKER A book by Valeria Adams New York Times bestseller Number one best-selling book for twelve weeks. The ad had appeared on the huge screen behind the film set. A makeup artist was busy getting her ready and the journalist laughed beside her; they were old friends after all. When the director finally said “ACTION!”, the journalist started with the questions. “Valeria, you became a famous writer almost since your first book came out, but I must admit that with this one you surprised us a lot. We were expecting more fantasy, more vampires and witches, and you suddenly give us this... family chronicle?” “That's right. THE CEO’S LITTLE TROUBLEMAKER is the story of my grandparents,” answered Valeria. “A year ago, I found one of my grandmother's diaries, and... well, I was named after her, so I got very curious. She's an amazing designer, but there's a big part of her life that few people know about.” “So... everything you're telling in this story... really