Episode 19

As soon as Jed's plane landed, he went in search of his son. He knew his son was staying at a cabin complex in a forest near the sea. He walked to the resort and contacted Marixa, who, as expected, agreed right away.

Jed told her he would be staying at his father's house, as he had guest houses in Villa Salvatore.

As usual, Victorino was furious with his son. Not only had he not committed to Sofia, but he also hadn't shown concern for her well"being. Once they arrived at the cabin, they unpacked and went shopping. They took a stroll along the beach, with Stefano happily running back and forth.

"Look, Mommy, it's a seashell!" Isabella smiled at the little one.

"One more for the collection," she replied.

Jed watched them from a distance, amazed by his son. He couldn't decide how to proceed, so he stayed there, observing his family. And it was at that precise moment that it hit him. He would marry Isabella for the sake of his son. That was the solution! He would have Stefano and the mother. There was still chemistry between them.

That night, before dinner, Isabella took Stefano for a bike ride. It was impressive how quickly he was learning. Jed noticed a man walking toward Stefano.

"Oops, you've bumped into me!" Stefano said, laughing. There was nothing more beautiful than his son's laughter, Jed thought.

"What are you doing here?" Isabella asked, looking at Jed, who was pretending to be a clown on the ground.

"I came on vacation. And you?" Jed replied.

"We're on vacation too. We always come here. Let me tell you a secret: there are dinosaur bones in this place, and I'll find them all," the little one said very seriously. Jed could only smile.

"I'll keep your secret. So, you come here often?" Jed asked.

"Yes," Isabella replied very seriously. "Come on, dear, it's time for dinner."

"Mama, can your friend join us for dinner? I want to show him my seashells," Stefano asked.

"At another time, Jed is probably busy," Isabella replied.

"Coincidentally, I have nothing to do today. I would love to have dinner with you all," Jed answered.

Isabella looked at him angrily. She would have to have dinner with him. As she cooked a salad with roasted meat, little Stefano showed his father around the cabin. There were pictures of them everywhere. It had two small but comfortable and cozy bedrooms. Then he showed his collection of seashells and what he believed to be a dinosaur bone. While Isabella was cooking and his son was playing, Jed realized that all his possessions meant nothing without a family.

Dinner passed peacefully. After dinner, Isabella put Stefano to sleep. Jed had the feeling that she was deliberately taking her time, probably thinking he would leave. During the evening, Jed realized that through his son, he could manipulate Isabella. She would do anything the child asked, even inviting him to dinner. His next step would be to take them to Italy. That would calm his father down.

"You're still here? I thought I heard the door," Isabella said.

"I went out to get this bottle of wine," Jed replied.

"I apologize if the menu didn't meet your expectations, Mr. Salvatore."

Jed understood that Isabella wanted to argue. If he managed to provoke a fight, he would be able to leave.

"Come, sit down. Let's have a drink for old times' sake. We need to talk," Jed said.

"It's a bit late. Whatever you want to say can wait until tomorrow," Isabella replied.

Jed looked her up and down and noticed that she was even more beautiful when she was angry. "I want us to get married," he said bluntly.

Isabella was speechless. "I ended things with you many years ago, or should I say you ended things with me. So it's too late to change your mind now. Although I'm sure you have a good reason for it," she said.

"You know me well, Isabella," Jed said as he approached her and took her by the shoulders.

She tensed up, and he could feel her heart pounding. "You're right. I'm a wealthy 40"year"old man, and I need an heir. A grown"up one is better than a crying baby. Does that confirm your negative opinion of me?" Jed said, waiting for her reaction.

" Yes, now that you know why I didn't tell you about Stefano, you can leave us alone " she said, pleased with the coldness in her voice " marry Sofia and have your own children!

" That will be difficult, we have separated."

" I knew it, woman " she responded, unable to hide her smile.

Jed stood up and picked up a photo of Stefano, staring at it intensely.

" How old was he in this photo? Who is the woman with him? " he asked.

" Two years old and it's my aunt Sara, you never got to meet her because you were always busy. She and Julian are his godparents.

" So, that idiot Julian O'Brien is the godfather of my son! " he said sarcastically.

"Julian is the godfather of my son, and Stefano is lucky to have him. They see each other often, he adores his godfather, Julian taught him how to ride a bike."

" I never suggested you have an abortion " he murmured, but she didn't believe him.

Jed was tired of speaking because nothing he said seemed to matter. To her, he was an immoral cretin.

" He is my son! " Jed replied.

" Unfortunately, and I know we need to come to an agreement."

" I want to take him to Italy " he informed her.

" Listen to me first, I will tell Stefano that you're his father when I believe he is ready to know. I'm willing to let you visit, but it will be on my terms. We'll figure things out between ourselves or with a lawyer. But in any case, I won't let you take him to Italy because I don't trust that you'll bring him back."

" Do you dare to set rules? Listen well, either you marry me or we'll end up in court!"

" I'm going to marry Julian!

Of all the things she expected to hear, that she would marry Julian had never crossed her mind. In business, she had no problem taking advantage of her opponents' weaknesses, and she would do the same in her personal life.

Suddenly, Jed grabbed Isabella by the shoulders.

" Let go of me! " she told him.

" Be quiet! Don't scream! " before she could react, he pushed her onto the sofa and positioned himself on top of her. For a moment, Isabella couldn't move, then she tried to escape, but he was too heavy to push off. He held her arms above her head with one hand.

" Let me go, you're insane! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

" Exactly what you imagine. According to you, I'm a heartless bastard, well then, I'll be just that. He passionately kissed her and began caressing her with his free hand. Isabella squirmed, but couldn't break free. As soon as she felt Jed's lips on her neck, she knew she was lost. She started caressing and kissing him, feeling aroused."

" Say that you desire me as much as I desire you " Jed whispered to her.

She did desire him, she desired him so much it hurt, but she couldn't give in. Stefano depended on her, and she knew that if she let desire take over, she would be lost. Why was it just desire?

Isabella looked at him with tenderness " Yes, let's go " she said to Jed as she let him sit her upright. She grabbed the nearest object, a hanger, and threw it at him.

" Leave my house, I don't trust you. Did you seriously think that if you slept with me, I would give you my son? I admit, I almost let myself be carried away, but you know what? Sex is nothing more than a pleasant activity, it's not love. You should beat your chest; you taught me well. I'm no longer the fool who confuses sex with love.

Jed watched her with anger and some excitement; she was definitely not the girl he had known.

" Alright, now I'll ask you a question. Do you seriously think that in the future, Stefano will thank you for keeping him away from his family? He has a father, a grandfather, aunts, and cousins. He's going to inherit; he will be my heir. Do you really think he'll appreciate being kept away from all that?

He poured a glass of wine and handed it to Isabella.

" Drink it, I'm leaving. Think about what I just said, but before I go, I want you to remember something." Isabella took the glass and looked at him.

" Even if you don't believe me, I never considered having an abortion. Obviously, I didn't handle it well, but you didn't give me time. I was scared, and when I said that Roberto would take care of you, I meant check"ups, what you would need. Please, think about what I just told you." He grabbed his keys and left.

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