Dante chuckled. He leaned over the table and wiped Ashley's mouth with his napkin. He raised his eyebrows up at her and leaned back against his chair. His heart raced in his chest, staring at the beautiful girl who he had the privilege to call his.

"You had some whip cream on your mouth." He said when he saw the questioning look on her face.

A blush made its way to her cheeks.

"Oh." She muttered, looking down at her cup of hot chocolate, shielding her face away from him. She cleared her throat and picked up her cup.

Dante chuckled. He reached his hand over and clutched hers. His fingers brushed over her skin. "Hey don't hide from me." He smiled, picked her hand up and kissed her knuckles.

She smiled at him. Her eyes shined brightly and Dante relished in the fact that he was the reason for that shine. "Do you want to head back to my apartment?" She asked shyly, glancing around the cafe.

Dante nodded his head. He got up and walked over to her side. He pulled her up and kissed her temple. "Let's go."

He took a few couple of bills out of his pocket and placed it on the table. He wrapped his arm around her waist and they walked out of the cafe.

"You know, I don't really know much about your family." Dante muttered, giving her waist a gentle squeeze.

"You know enough." She snapped.

Dante stopped and looked at her.

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just, I don't like talking about my family that much. You know that."

Dante resumed walking. He sighed and smiled weakly at her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked anyways. You're right. You told me enough."

He kissed her temple again.

She smiled gratefully at him and leaned into his side. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his cheek. "I love you Dante."

"I love you too." he muttered back. He clutched her tighter to his body and promised himself to never let go of her.

She is all he needs to survive.

.

.

.

Dante got out of the elevator. He walked over to the receptionist's desk and threw his keys on the counter. He pulled out his credit card and held it up.

The receptionist did not look at him. Rather, he seemed engrossed in whatever was showing on the side. His eyes were wide and there was hint of tears in his eyes.

Dante turned to see what he was staring.

A news report was playing on the T.V.

"Earlier today, Antonia Valldarri's estrange daughter was seen being rushed into the hospital with Valldarri and his stepson in tow. Nothing has been confirmed yet but sources have told us that Valldarri's daughter is currently pregnant and is going through some difficulties with her pregnancy." The woman on the screen said, standing outside a hospital building.

Dante felt his heart drop in his chest.

So that's why Valldarri cancelled the meeting with him.

Or at least, he tried too.

Dante felt like crap.

He should have just rescheduled the meeting. And now that man is probably in so much pain with his daughter,

He sighed and turned back to the receptionist. He waved his credit card in his face.

The boy looked at him and glared, the tears making a bigger appearance. "Put your card away before I shove it up your ass."

He grabbed the keys on the side and rushed out of the building.

Dante's mouth opened in surprise as he looked at the retreating receptionist.

Did that boy just get up in the middle of no where and left? He had a job to do.

Dante huffed in annoyance and tried to keep his cool when the new receptionist came. He nodded at her.

She smiled back at him and went to grab his card when the woman on the T.V. spoke up again.

We have update on the young heiress. According to sources, she had been pregnant with twins. Sadly, one of the twins had died in the womb.

Upon hearing that, Dante thought about Ashley and her babies.

How are they doing? Are they well?

He shook the thought out of his head and glared at the new receptionist. He pushed his card into her face.

She snapped her eyes away from the screen and smiled apologetically at all. "I'm sorry for that sir."

She took the credit card out of his hand and placed the keys next to her mouse.

She slid the card.

"I wonder what you're sorry for." He said sarcastically.

She didn't seem to sense it. "For Frankie storming out earlier. He's our boss's nephew and seeing his cousin in the hospital must hurt him."

Dante raised his eyebrows up at her. "Valldarri owns this hospital?"

The receptionist laughed and handed his card back to him. "He owns all the hotels within a 50 mile radius."

Dante nodded his head in understanding. Whoever was married to Valldarri's daughter was lucky. He would inherit everything.

He looked at the receptionist and tilted his head to the side.

"You seem distressed by the news as well." He remarked, taking his card back.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I went to school with her. We weren't the best of friends but still had each others' back. "

Understanding coursed through him. Dante nodded his head. "Thank you."

He walked out of the hotel and hailed a cab with one thought in his mind.

He had to go apologize to Valldarri and that assistant of his.

.

.

.

Valldarri's assistant, Rafael, led him into a room. The boy nodded his head at Dante before turning on his feet and walking out. He closed the door behind him and muttered incoherent words.

Dante sat on one of the chairs in the conference room and pulled out all of his files. He placed them on the table and flipped the file with the contact open. He pulled the contact out and read through it a second time.

Though his eyes skimmed the words on the paper, they didn't register in his mind.

How can it when the only thing he can think about is 'Ashley and her children? The children who wasn't his but yet he still loves.

Why did she have to cheat on him? Was he not good enough for her? Those children made him love them thinking they were his but in the end, they weren't.

He groaned and leaned back against the chair, pulling his hair to the side with his hand. An exasperated sigh left his lips. He leaned back and pulled out his phone. He dialed Thomas's number.

Thomas didn't pick up.

Dante cursed under his breath and pushed his phone back into his pocket.

The door opened.

Dante looked over to it and stood up. He nodded his head at the two men that walked in, both with grim looks on their faces.

They came in front of Dante and shook his hand.

"Good morning. My name is Dante Hastings." Dante greeted.

One of the man, the older one, nodded his head and shook his hand firmly. "Antonio Valldarri." He nudged his briefcase towards the younger man. "This is my son, Samuel."

The younger one didn't say a word. He just shook Dante's hand and sat down across from Dante and next to his father.

"We apologize for our unprofessional behavior earlier. We know that we should not have cancelled but some things came up." The older man said, a look of pain in his eyes.

Dante nodded his head and sat back down. "Let's get started. There's much for us to do." Dante pushed the file towards Antonio and put a pen on top of it. "All you need to do is read it and sign it. After that, we can discuss your business."

Antonio nodded his head. "Very well."

"Your daughter. I heard she was in the hospital." Dante said casually, leaning back against his seat. "It must be hard."

Dante saw the grip of Antonio on the pen tighten. "Yes." He said with pain in his eyes.

"Do you mind if I visit her?" He said. He saw the questioning look on Antonio and Samuel's face and questioned himself the same thing.

Why did he want to visit a stranger?

"Out of respect of course." Dante added in quickly.

Antonio looked over at Samuel and then back at Dante, nodding his head. "Of course. Thank you for caring." He said and signed the papers.

.

.

.

Mayla knocked on Ashley's door and then opened it. She smiled softly at Ashley. "Hey." She muttered, walking in. She walked over to the bed and placed the blue roses down on the table. She grabbed a chair and sat down on it. "How are you feeling?"

Ashley shook her head and stared up at the ceiling.

"I just lost my child. How do you think I feel?" She said coldly.

Mayla winced at the ice in her voice. She sighed and brushed a piece of hair away from Ashley's face.

"I'm sorry." She muttered again.

She leaned back against the chair and glanced around the room. She saw a bouquet of white roses on the windowsill and walked over to it. She looked and pulled a card out.

Opening it, she smiled. "You and Samuel made up?"

Mayla looked over at Ashley and saw her nodding her head.

"He's trying to be a better brother." Ashley whispered. A tear slip down her face. "I'm a horrible mother."

Mayla gasped and walked over to Ashley. She grabbed her hand and held it tightly. "Don't say that Ash. It wasn't your fault."

"I couldn't protect her. She was my baby and I couldn't protect her. She died." Ashley's eyes closed as tear after tear slipped down. Her hand moved to her stomach and clutched it. "Look at me Mayla. I'm a pathetic mother."

Mayla felt her own tears coming to the surface. "Don't say that. Everything will be okay again. Just you wait and see. You still have one perfectly healthy baby."

Ashley nodded her head but Mayla knew that nothing would make her feel better at the moment.

How can it? There was no bigger pain than a mother losing her own child.

Mayla knew that better than anyone else.

Mayla stood up and kissed Ashley's forehead. "Get some sleep. I'll be out there if you need me."

She smiled down at Ashley and walked out of the room. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it.

Tears slipped down her face as memories surged forward. She understood better than anyone else how it felt like to lose a child. How helpless one feels when their child is ripped away from them.

She wiped away her tears and turned to the left. Anger coursed into her body. "You!" She shouted. She walked up and slapped him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Mayla!" Samuel shouted. "What the hell?"

"Mayla?" He whispered. "What—?"

Mayla slapped him again. "You have no right to be here." She hissed. "Get out."

Dante rubbed his cheek and glared down at her. "I have as much right to be here as you do. This is a public hospital Mayla. Anyone can come here."

Mayla scoffed. Tears slipped down her cheek. "I won't let you come back here and ruin her life. She's already going through so much and don't need you to come back into her life." She whispered.

"Mayla, what's going on?" Samuel muttered, grabbing her hand. He clutched it and looked at her eyes. "Tell me. How do you know Dante?"

"I don't know what you're blabbering about Mayla." Dante said coldly. "She is dead to me. I'm not here for her."

"Then what are you doing with her father and brother you asshole!" Mayla shouted.

Dante's face paled over. "What did you just say?"

"Mayla!" Samuel shouted.

Mayla snapped her head towards Samuel. She pointed towards Dante. "That thing doesn't deserve to be here. He is the reason why Ashley is in that room right now."

Antonio's body froze. "W-what?"

"He's her ex-husband." She hissed.