Valeria put Alice behind her, but she knew it would be impossible to hide her, there was nowhere to do it. She had heard the gunshot, the screams, and through a crack in the door she had seen Samuel run out of the warehouse engulfed in flames. Miranda had killed him for betraying her, or for believing in some twisted way that he was. The office door suddenly opened and her gaze met that woman's. She looked furious, on the verge of hysterics. She was pointing a gun at her and breathing heavily, as if she didn't know exactly what she was supposed to do at that moment. “Move,” she snarled contemptuously, looking at them as if they were insects. Valeria took Alice's hand and they left the office. At one end was the body of Mr. Jones, in the middle of a pool of blood, and Valeria knew instantly where the bullet that had been heard had gone. Leaning over him, Mrs. Jones kept screaming. It seemed as if all glamour and arrogance had disappeared at the sight of that corpse. Valeria covered
Valeria hugged Alice even more when she heard him say that. You could hear the accusation and anger in the tone of his voice. “Aaaah! You thought I wouldn't find out...” he continued. “But apparently you're not very good at math, because the dates don't match. You have too many weeks into the pregnancy and nobody buys the story that we slept together in Aspen.” “Nick!” “You can stop playing games now. I know the kids are Alan's. It's a shame he's gone, but I can't be responsible with other people's kids anymore,” Nick shrugged as if he didn't care. “But Nick—” Valeria was about to retort when Miranda interrupted her. “Is it true, Nicky, that they're not yours?” Her tone was so hopeful that Nick looked up at her. “We got married six weeks ago and Valeria is nine weeks pregnant. Does that math add up for you?” Nick hissed, and Miranda's face lit up. It was finally happening. “You told me you were going to support me no matter what!” Valeria shouted at him, and Nick rolled his eyes
The screams suddenly became second nature. Valeria scrambled in Elliot's arms to look into the warehouse when she heard the second gunshot. People were running in and out of the warehouse, and Valeria felt a lump in her throat. She tried to go back inside, but Elliot wouldn't let her. “I have to know what happened, Elliot!” “Then let's go ask, but you won't go back in there!” her brother exclaimed. “Wait here.” Connor ran to one of the officers, leaving the warehouse to find out what was going on. He returned a few minutes later with a grim expression. “Let's go,” he said, taking Valeria's hand. Richard tried to stop him but Connor refused. “Everything is under control inside, but you have to go in and see Nick for a moment before they take him away.” Valeria's legs failed and Elliot hugged her to hold her up. “What do you mean, take him away? What do you mean? They killed him... Oh God! Did they kill him?” “No, no! But he was wounded. Looks like Miranda shot him,” Connor sa
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