Episode 8

"You have two choices, you already know which is the right one?" Riccardo speaks in his chilly voice.

"Don't think it will end like this, Riccardo, I'll come back for my daughter," the woman says, meeting his gaze.

"Your daughter?" he inquires with a piercing look.

"Just because she doesn’t share my DNA doesn’t mean she isn’t my daughter."

"You rejected your son simply because he wasn't what you wanted."

"That monstrosity is not my son, don’t think I’ll let her stay with my daughter, I will return to take her, we have a contract."

"The contract stipulates that you must take both children, not just one. If you think of coming back to take only one child, I will have to kill you in the most gruesome and painful way," he states close to her.

"Let's leave, Margareth, I knew this wouldn’t work out," Roberto says, pulling his wife who screams down the hallways.

The couple leaves, leaving Riccardo satisfied with their decision; the security is already present, he instructs them not to leave the babies alone.

Riccardo makes his way to the room where Eva is.

"Aren't you tired of crying?" He asks as he enters the room.

"What do you want?" she says, wiping away tears.

"The babies are being watched; you don’t need to worry about Margareth," he remarks, sitting beside her.

"Thank you for that," she replies with a feeble smile.

"Don't think this will come without a cost to you; I want three dances from you when you return to work," he states, running his hand along her thigh, "since you won’t go to bed with me."

"Fine, I’ll do it, but Riccardo, please don't let that woman anywhere near my children."

"Wouldn't it be easier for you to leave the girl with Margareth and the boy in an orphanage?" he asks, looking at her.

"No, they’re mine, and I’ll take care of them," she asserts, holding his gaze.

"Foolish, alluring, and soft-hearted, are you serious?"

"Go to hell," her voice laden with anger.

"Actually, I'm dying to bed you," his hands gripping Eva's face firmly.

Riccardo gazes at her, the desire he feels for this girl is powerful, uncontrollable; he grips her more tightly, brings their lips together in a heated kiss, his tongue invading Eva's mouth, savoring all the sensations. When they part, her eyes remain closed, feeling vulnerable at the moment he takes advantage and kisses her.

"You're an asshole; you shouldn't do this," She speaks, her eyes still shut.

"Open your eyes, dear," He soothes, caressing her face, "you ignite a great desire in me. Eva, I must go now; don't worry about the babies."

The man strokes the girl's face and steps away.

Alone, Eva contemplates how her life changed in the blink of an eye; the dream to become a great ballet dancer had to be put aside, her children and Mathias being her new priorities.

Throughout the pregnancy, Eva wasn't allowed to leave Margareth's house; she only went out for doctor's appointments, but she still kept in touch with Lara.

Eva messages her friend, informing her the babies have been born; they're in the NICU but should be out soon.

The next day, early in the morning, Lara visits the hospital to see how Eva is doing.

"May I come in?" Lara asks, peeking her head into the room.

"Yes, I've missed you so much," Eva says, tears flooding her eyes.

"I've missed you too, but understood the lady's concern about you not visiting our house; sometimes it can be dangerous."

"Yes, but Lara, I don't know what to do, Margareth only wants the girl; she said horrible things about the boy." Eva weeps.

"Tell me everything – why are you crying?" her friend asks, sitting in an armchair next to the bed.

"The pregnancy was smooth, even though she wouldn’t let me leave the house because of her fear of the streets, thinking we're in the United States. She treated me very well but went insane after the babies were born, revealing a side I hadn't seen in nearly nine months," Eva's tears trail down her face, "She wants only the girl, Lara, she called my boy a monstrosity, she doesn't want to take him, just the girl. I refused because if it’s about breaking the contract, I'll stay with both babies."

"Are you sure you want to keep the children? How will you manage? What about ballet? You did all this to raise money for your education," Lara says, looking intently at Eva.

"I know, but they were born from me; I can't leave these kids on the street or in a shelter like much of my early life."

"You know our home is there; I’ll help you with the babies if that’s what you want."

"Thank you, friend, I knew I could count on you," she says, drying her tears.

"But what's wrong with the boy that the witch didn't want to keep?"

"He has a lip deformation, but the pediatrician explained a bit about it; he can have surgery at six months old."

"Do you know how much that surgery will cost?"

"Ten thousand euros."

"Eva, how are you going to raise that money?" Lara exclaims, her eyes wide.

"I'm not sure; I have some savings, but it won't cover the total cost of the surgery. I'll have to go back to dancing for Mrs. Mercedes; I have six months to get the money."

Lara looks at her friend and forces a smile; Eva narrows her eyes, analyzing her—they’ve known each other long enough to know what the other is thinking without words.

"I can't believe you're considering that," Eva asserts, eyeing her friend gravely.

"Do you have another option?"

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***