Chapter 26

Chapter 26

326

Dominic

Frank’s been my best friend for so many years now. The two of us have had crazy fun together with crazy parties filled with beautiful women from all over the world.

Things changed for me when I met Carmella.

However, Frank’s still living the same kind of life with multiple women at his disposal.

No matter what happens, he knows Carmella’s off limits, which is why I never catch him staring at her lustfully. If he does, it’s probably when I’m not around.

But how dare the check out Vanessa when I’m right here? Is it because she means nothing to me? It doesn’t matter how I feel about her. I need to talk to him about this, but it’ll have to wait.

“There you are!” Frank says from behind, making Vanessa look back at him.

“I was wondering when I’d see you around here.” She enthusiastically smiles at him.

“Here I am now.” He enthusiastically gestures with his hands while smiling at her and I sigh with disbelief.

I don’t think they’ve ever had this level of interaction before, or have they and I just don’t know about it?

Even when he’s close enough, I can see his eyes feasting on her.

“How’s your leg?” he asks, standing beside her.

“It’s okay now,” she replies with a smile.

“I can see that,” he says, looking down at her foot but his eyes travel up her curves.

Even i ift want to say something right now, I still need to wait.

Just then, he mentions that the camera crew is ready and everyone can go in and see Penelope. I’ve been waiting for this for so long. I’ve even checked the shopping bag that I have with me just to make sure all the toys are in there. I hope she likes them,

When we go upstairs, I walk hand in hand with Vanessa and Frank follows right behind us, I glance at him a few times and just as I thought, he’s constantly checking her out. Though he doesn’t make it too obvious, I can still see it.

It’ll have to be today that I talk to him about this. He needs to stay away from her.

Once we get to Penelope’s room, I’m the first to walk in and there she is, looking so small on that big bed and connected to so many tubes, but she’s alive and she’ll be alright. She still has so much to live for. She’s only eleven.

As soon as she sees me, her eyes brighten up. She recognizes me. Even with the tube around her mouth, I can tell that she’s trying to smile. She even raises her hand, as if reaching for me and that warms my heart.

“Hello, princess.” I sit on one of the two chairs close to her bed and hold her hand. “Are you alright?”

She gives me a nod

“I knew you’d make it. See? I told you.”

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Chapter 26

She giggles with strain in her voice, like she’s almost in tears.

“I brought someone with me.”

Just then, Vanessa joins me and sits beside me. “Hello, Penelope.”

Her voice is so sweet and gentle. I’ve never heard it like that.

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“This is my wife. Wondering what’s in the bag?” My tone is cheerful. “We brought toys for you. Actually, my wife picked them out. I had nothing to do with it since I didn’t know what you’d like.”

She looks over at Vanessa and giggles with strain in her voice once again.

I I Just then, Vanessa takes the shopping bag from me and begins speaking to Penelope. At this point, I don’t even feel like I have to say anything. She completely takes over.

Despite this being the first time she’s meeting Penelope, the two of them seem to connect in a way that amazes everyone in the room.

I look back at Frank, the camera crew and everyone else, and some of them are actually in tears.

I’ve never seen Penelope so happy, I hate to admit this, but Vanessa’s doing great. At this moment, I definitely believe she really wanted to be here. There’s no way she’s faking her emotions right now.

Once we’re out of Penelope’s room, the camera stops rolling and one of the crew members wipes his tears.

“Is everything alright, gentlemen?” Vanessa looks around at them.

“That was beautiful, one of them says with a sniffle.

“I was just about to say that,” Frank adds, his eyes a little red. I’m trying so hard to hold in my amusement. The last time I saw him like this

was years ago.

Since it’s Vanessa’s first time here, she insists on meeting everyone else and I didn’t expect that. She’s full of surprises right now…

The camera crew attempts to follow us but I refuse to allow that. Penelope’s state of health was of national interest and since they’ve already covered that on live TV, they’re not needed here anymore. It’s because I know they just want to capitalize on this.

When I request that they’ve done enough and should leave, security accompanies them outside.

Walking hand in hand, I move along the hallways with Vanessa and a few of the hospital staff follow behind us.

She meets the children in the different hospital beds and is so sweet when she speaks to them and asks them what they want the next time she visits them. She even takes note of everything they say. They even hold onto the promise that they’ll get what they really want from her.

Seeing her like this makes me imagine her with the children at the orphanage. They’ll love her so much.

When we get to Jimmy, he’s so excited upon seeing me because I haven’t been here in a while.

I

“Hey, big guy.” I bump his little fist with mine after standing beside his bed.

“You didn’t come to see me.” He pouts.

“I’m sorry about that. I had to travel. Can you please forgive me?”

I know I’m lying to him, but I can’t tell him that it was because of Carmella that I couldn’t make it. I was too disappointed to learn just how

Chapter 26

much she didn’t care about the children.

Just as Vanessa walks in, I say, “Meet my wife.”

“Your wife?” His eyes widen.

Yes, my wife. Isn’t she beautiful?”

At the compliment, Vanessa chuckles and tucks her hair behind her ear. Maybe my eyes are deceiving me, but I see a slight pink on her cheeks. No way, my eyes must be deceiving me.

“So what do you think? She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

He nods with so much enthusiasm. It’s almost like he’s in love.

When she gets closer and sits right beside him, her bright smile never fades even as she speaks to him.

“You know, I heard what happened to you and it made me want to play a match with you when you’re better, but I don’t even know how it’s done. Is there anything I can get for you instead?”

He only nods and says nothing as he looks up at her, his wide smile showing off his crooked teeth. It’s quite amusing how he’s speechless.

She ruffles his hair and he giggles as he finally tells her what he wants.

I didn’t know she was this great with children.

Once we go all–around the hospital, it’s time for me to have a word with management.

But as I head to the boardroom with her by my side, her limp becomes more obvious and I look over at her.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s getting worse isn’t it?”

“No, it’s nothing. Let’s just go.”

She holds onto me tighter as we keep moving but it only gets worse and she’s forced to sit down on one of the chairs in the hallway close to the boardroom.

“I think you should go ahead and speak to everyone. I’ll wait here

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

I’m concerned because she spent so much time walking around the hospital just to meet everyone.

Leaving two bodyguards with her, I head to the boardroom for a short briefing. The only one who isn’t present is Frank. He must be dealing with the press outside.

But when I return to Vanessa, there are no bodyguards and I’m met with the infuriating sight of Frank crouching down while massaging her call