Dante looked over at his girlfriend, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her. He looked back onto the road and smiled to himself.

Girlfriend.

When was the last time that he had one of that? Probably in middle school. Girls were never special to him. It had all been fun and games.

All until he met her.

She captivated him ever since the first time her saw her. With her wavy brown hair and her deep brown eyes, she stole all of his attention.

He never looked at a girl the same way that he has looked at her.

She is his everything.

He reached his right hand out and intertwined his fingers with hers. He looked at her, seeing her beautiful smile gracing her face. He smiled back at her and ran his thumb on her skin, turning his attention back to the road again.

"I'm scared?" she whispered.

"Of what?" Dante stole a quick glance, seeing the cute worried look on her face. He chuckled. That is a face that he has gone accustomed to seeing every single day since their first date together.

"Well, I am meeting your mother for the first time ever. That's a little nerve-wracking." she responded.

He chuckled and turned on the street. He pulled up into the house and placed the car in park. He looked over at her, leaned over, and kissed her forehead. He held her hand up and kissed her knuckles.

Ashley looked at him with a smile on her face.

"My mom is going to love you. You're the first girl I ever introduced as my girlfriend," he said pressing another kiss on her knuckles.

He grinned when he saw the teasing smile gaze Ashley's lips. "That's because you've been busy being a manwhore."

He rolled his eyes and grinned at her. "Well, that all changed since the moment I started dating you, didn't it?"

"Yet girls still throw themselves at you." She tried to make it sound like a joke but Dante knew how much it bothered her when he talked to other girls.

They had constant misunderstandings that had to always be cleared up. It had always bothered him how little she trusted him but he knew a girl like her had a hard time trusting guys like him. Afterall, her father had kicked her out without a perfect explanation.

"You know they don't mean anything." he caressed her face and smiled lovingly at her. "You're the only girl that matters."

She shoved his shoulders and nudged her head to the house. "What about the woman who birthed you?"

"My mother could never compare to anyone." he grinned, staring at the house. "She's just the best there is."

Ashley laughed, the sound bringing joy into Dante's heart. "You're such a mama's boy. Hard to imagine with that macho image that you carry."

"Underneath all this muscle, there is just a small boy who wants a hug from his mother." Dante smiled and opened his door. He quickly jogged over to the other side and opened up Ashley's door also. He bowed. "Milady."

Ashley laughed and shoved him out of the way. She got out of the car and placed her hand into his awaiting ones. She took a deep breath. "Are you sure your mother is going to like me? I don't know what to do if she doesn't."

"She's not going to like you." Dante said seriously.

Ashley gasp and reached for the car handle. "Okay, i'm going home then."

Dante laughed and pulled her into his chest. He stared down into her eyes. "She's going to love you." he whispered. He leaned down and pecked her lips softly.

"Now, don't start making babies on my front lawn."

Dante grinned and pulled away from Ashley. He released her hand and ran over to the front door. He engulfed his mother into a hug, spinning her around. "I missed you mom."

His mother laughed and patted his shoulders. "Okay Dante. You can let me down now."

He placed her back down at the ground. Turning around, he smiled at Ashley and signaled her to come forward. As Ashley came closer, he pulled her into his arms. He looked at his mother and grinned. "Mom, this is my girlfriend, Ashley."

His mother's eyes widened and she looked from Dante to Ashley. "Girlfriend?! Since when?!"

Ashley looked at her nervously and pulled a piece of hair behind her ear. "Hello, Ms. Hastings. My name is—"

"Oh I want nothing of that." His mother grinned and pulled Ashley into an unexpected hug. "Call me Violet."

Ashley looked shocked and Dante sniggered at her expression. She slowly wrapped her arms around his mother.

"Oh, finally. You bought home a decent girl for me." His mother exclaimed happily, pulling away from Ashley. She wiped away an imaginary tear. "I could die a happy woman now."

Dante laughed at her theatrics. "Mother."

His mother looked at him and glared. "What? Let your mother be happy. You always bought home tramps and finally brought home a nice looking girl." She turned to Ashley. "Come on in dear, I'll bake you a pie." With that, she walked into the house, humming a happy tune.

Dante turned to Ashley and laughed. "Told you that she'd love you."

Ashley smiled and pecked his lips. "I already love her also."

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Dante got out of the hospital building, rage building inside of him. He stood to the side and with a scream, he punched the wall. Agony flowed through his nerves but it had been nothing next to the agony raging inside of his heart.

He looked up at the building and glared at it. He couldn't believe what had just happened. They had kicked him out of the hospital all together, putting his name down on the reject list. Did they not know who he was and how fast he can ruin them?

His mind drifted off to her. To Ashley.

He couldn't help but let the worry seep into his body. The worry of whether or not she'll be okay.

The last look that he got of her showed her in immense pain.

He didn't want to admit it but he knew that pain had been caused by him. He should have been happy that she felt pain but all he felt was worry and heartbreak.

A part of him still wanted to continue to believe that she had never cheated but the encrypting photos said otherwise.

It had been ironic how things had turned out.

She constantly accused him of cheating yet she had no evidence but she had been the cheater all along. And he had the evidence to prove it.

She doubted him when all along, it should have been him doubting her. He loved her with every ounce of his beating heart but she couldn't return his feelings. If she had loved him, she wouldn't have cheated.

But then he remembered Samuel's words and he felt his world crashing all around him all over again.

What Samuel said.

It couldn't be true right?

He's a lawyer, of course he's going to know if a photo is photoshopped or not. That photo seemed all the way real.

But should he take the chance?

He pulled out his phone and called Thomas.

"Hey, how's Italy." Thomas answered within the third ring.

"The pictures of Ashley. Run them through for me. Figure out if they were photoshopped or not." he demanded, getting straight to the point.

"Well hello to you too." Thomas muttered. Dante heard some ruffling on his end. "Alright I'll do that right now."

"Okay."

"Dante?" Thomas's voice held curiosity.

"What is it?" Dante asked with a hint of roughness.

"What got you to finally see that you should have gotten it check? You never wanted to before. Why start now?"

Dante sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I need to know the truth, to decide whether or not I should—"

"I understand." He paused for a second. "Listen, you can't forget about the deal with Valldarri. Remember what I said about the daughter. She's your gate-way right now. He doesn't have a son. He might give us some of the shares. We need this deal, Dante."

Dante looked up at the building, specifically the floor that Ashley is in. For the first time, he grinned. "Don't worry. That deal is as good as ours. I got him the sign the first part already."

"Alright, don't mess this one up."

"I won't." he promised.

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Mayla ran straight into the hospital building, ignoring the familiar figure standing right outside it, talking on the phone. She fast walked towards the receptionist. "Ashley Valldarri. Had she been moved?"

The receptionist nodded her head and hand Mayla a pass. "You need that to get into ICU."

Mayla's face paled over. "The ICU? What happened to her?"

The receptionist shrugged her shoulders and looked at Mayla in pity. "Dr. Morcelli will explain to you when you get there."

Mayla nodded her head. She thanked her before running straight into the elevator. She quickly pressed on the floor she needed to be on and closed the doors. The music in the elevator did nothing ease her worries.

The passing seconds caused her to think about the worst case scenarios.

When the door finally opened, Mayla booked it out of there. She ran to a near-by nurse. "I need to see Dr. Morcelli."

The nursed opened her mouth but then closed it. She pointed her finger behind Mayla.

Mayla turned around and saw a handsome looking doctor looking at her with his hands shoved into the pockets of his scrubs. He motioned for her to follow him. She walked into his office and sat down on one of the chairs.

"Please, can you tell me what happened with Ashley?"

He pulled out a file and looked at her. "Are you her family member?"

"I'm her brother's wife." she lied.

He raised his eyebrows up at her. "Only immediate family members can make a decision regarding Ashley's health. Are you sure that you're her brother's wife?"

She nodded her head. "Yes."

He nodded his head though he didn't seem to believe her. He opened up the file. "It seems as though you're the first person Ashley had put down to make any health related decisions if she were unable to."

Worry coursed through Mayla. "Is it that bad that she can't make her own decisions?" she whispered.

Alessio nodded. "She's under a sedative now but we need a decision made now."

"What's wrong with her?" Mayla whispered.

Alessio sighed. "Ashley suffered from HELLP syndrome."

Mayla furrowed her eyebrows at him. "What does that mean?"

"She has a combined liver and blood clotting problem." he explained. He put the file down and crossed his arms. "The only way to treat this condition is to deliver the baby."

Mayla's eyes widened. "Now?"

He nodded his head.

Mayla shook hers, tears coming into her eyes. "You can't. The baby. It's not going to make it at this early stage."

"She's in a very critical stage right now. If we don't deliver the baby," he gulped, "she might not be able to make it."

"No. You will save the baby." Mayla stated firmly.

He looked at her in shocked. "Listen the baby has a low chance of making it whether or not we deliver now or in two more months. It's better that we save the mother."

Mayla shook her head. She stood up. "I know her. She would want to do what is best for her child. You may have her best interest at heart but I have her best wishes. She will never be able to live knowing that her baby had a chance of survival but wasn't able to get it."

"Is that the decision that you will go with?" he asked her coldly. "There is a 70% chance that she won't even make it and a 60% chance that the baby wouldn't either."

Mayla closed her eyes and prayed that she made the right decision. "Yes." she whispered.

"Alright then. There's still time for you to change your mind." He nodded at her and walked out of the door.

Mayla felt a tear slip down her face at the thought of losing her best friend. But she knew deep inside of her heart that she had made the right decision.

This is what Ashley would want.

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.

.

Alessio Morcelli walked towards her hospital room. He opened the door and walked in. His eyes zoomed in on the heart monitor beating at its normal rate. He sighed and looked at her charts. Everything seemed to be good so far.

His eyes zoomed in on her stomach and he placed a gentle hand on it. He felt a small kick and a sense of protectiveness came over him.

"Dr. Morcelli." she whispered hoarsely.

He removed his hand and helped her up the bed. He held up a glass of water to her lips and helped her. "How are you feeling?"

She nodded her head. Her hands went to her stomach. "Better." she muttered.

He nodded his head. "Ashley, I need you to answer me honestly."

She looked at him with confusion. "What is it?"

"Do you love your child?"

She gasped and nodded her head. "Of course I do. What kind of question is that? My baby is everything to me right now."

He gave her a solemn look. "Would you risk your own life for you child?"

"In a heartbeat." she responded without a moment of hesitation.

He nodded his head and for the first time, smiled at her. "Feel better soon. I'll be back to check on you in an hour. Rest up."

He walked out of the door before she could say anything. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he closed his eyes. A sigh left his lips.

He knew what he needed to do.

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