Episode 10

After Riccardo left Eva in one of his apartments, he returned to the warehouse where he had left unfinished business.

"Has Caleb recovered my money?" Riccardo demanded.

"Yes, boss."

"I want you to gather the men and go after Margareth. Bring me the girl who is with her and that old woman alive," the man's voice seethed with anger.

"Sure, boss. I'll do it now. And what should I do with this man?" asked one of his subordinates.

Without hesitation, Riccardo pulled out his gun from his belt and delivered a precise shot to the man's head.

"Just dispose of him."

Riccardo then left and headed towards his mansion. That was his intention, but before he realized it, he found himself back at the apartment where he had just left Eva with his child.

Silently entering through the door, he walked through the apartment searching for Eva. He found her in the bedroom nursing Mathias. The scene was simple yet touching to anyone who witnessed the affection she showed for her son.

Seated near the room's glass door, she gazed out at the spectacular view of luxurious buildings before her, the afternoon sun streaming in, illuminating Mathias and her, making her blonde hair even more golden, as she sang a lullaby.

Riccardo leaned against the doorframe, observing the scene, and feeling within him something other than the man who desired Eva solely for her virginity. He now felt an obligation to take care of the girl.

Startled upon turning and seeing Riccardo, Eva gently placed Mathias on the bed and approached him.

"Did you find my daughter?" she asked, closing in on him.

"My men have gone to retrieve the girl. Don't worry," Riccardo assured her as Eva moved past him into the living room of the apartment.

"Don't ask me not to worry. I can't help it. I'm fearful of what that witch might do to my daughter," Eva said, looking at him.

Riccardo took two steps towards her, pressing his body against Eva's, holding her waist, and leaning in close to her lips.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, mere inches from her mouth.

"No, but you're my only option," she replied.

Releasing her, Riccardo turned and poured himself a shot of whiskey from a small sideboard. He returned to Eva's proximity and sat down on the sofa.

"Tell me more about yourself and why you want these children so badly?"

"I don't want to talk about my life with you," she said, taking a seat on another sofa opposite him.

"If you want my help, I need to know everything about you."

Eva looked at Riccardo as he sipped his whiskey in calm disposition, then leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes, recollecting her years-past story.

"I was born into a religious family; my parents worked at a school run by nuns. I spent eight years of my life happy. They gave me love, affection, and took good care of me. An accident took both of them away from me. In seconds, I lost a home where I had love, respect, and was taught the values of life. Despite my youth, I knew I wanted to dance. I took classes at school and was shunned by the rich girls who studied there for being the caretaker's daughter, but I took pride in it all. After losing them, I was moved to a shelter."

Pausing, Eva took a deep breath as tears streamed down her eyes, even as they remained closed.

"The shelter was the opposite of my home – no affection, love, or respect – where those who were supposed to care for us mistreated us. One day, a caretaker dressed as a ghost in the middle of the night and entered our room to scare us because some kids had been causing trouble during the day, to instill fear and stop the mischief. At fourteen, I ran away from there because the director would come in while the girls bathed and would touch himself, and after he tried something with one girl, she was never the same. I fled before he could do that to me."

Riccardo listened intently as she continued her story, his elbows resting on his leg, his body leaning forward, holding his empty glass.

"I lived under every overpass, in every abandoned building in this city. I went hungry until I managed to get a job as a waitress and met Lara, who helped me through it all. I joined a ballet school since it was part of my childhood dream to become a professional dancer. Lara helped me dance for Mercedes and get closer to my dream, but that all changed with your proposal."

"Are you saying I'm to blame for everything?" he asked after drinking his warm beverage.

"Do you not feel guilty?"

"Eva, I was going to pay you for one night, and it was supposed to be simple: accept, enjoy the pleasure for the night, and then it would be like nothing happened. But you chose the worse option. Why did you choose surrogacy over going to bed with me?" Riccardo's voice was deep but controlled; he wasn't upset.

"That doesn't matter now. I have to take care of the babies and protect them from hunger and homelessness. I know what it's like to sleep out of hunger, to go to school just for the meal, even though I was living on the streets."

"I'm sorry, you've had a hard life, but you're not the only one."

"Tell me about you," she said softly.

"I'm sure you don't want to hear about a screwed-up man's life."

"Yes, I do," she insisted.

Riccardo's phone started to ring. He looked at Eva and answered the call.

*Call in progress*

"We found the baby and elders at the airport returning to the United States."

"Bring them all to me. I want the baby unharmed, understood?"

"Yes, boss."

*Call ends*

"They found the baby," Riccardo informed her. At this, Eva stood and embraced him, smelling his floral perfume, as he pulled her closer.

Bewildered by his feelings, Riccardo kissed her in a way unlike any he had experienced before.