doesn’t take away a tiny bit of the love you have for your mother. If anything, I’d think you might love your mom more, knowing how she dedicated herself so completely to you and Adrian, despite the fact that you weren’t hers biologically. And
you’re
still the same person. Vanni?” she asked, her desperation mounting. “
Say
something.”
“That
bitch
,” he bit out. Emma started at the venom in his tone. “I can’t believe she did that!”
“I told you, she hated herself for not being capable of being a good mother. Cristina suffered more than you’ll ever know with the knowledge of her lack—”
“I don’t mean Cristina,” he interrupted. “I mean Vera. She spewed all that at you, and then told you that if you saw me again, she’d tell me about Cristina and . . . what? I’d go into a tailspin? The truth would ruin me forever? And you
believed
her?”
Emma’s face went slack. “I believed her, but with good reason. She had the proof. Are you telling me you think she was making it all up? Cristina wasn’t really your biological mother? I was being gullible?”
An expression of pure frustration and fury tightened his face. “No, I didn’t mean it like that.
You
didn’t do anything wrong. Vera
was
telling the truth. Cristina was . . .
is
Adrian’s and my blood mother. My father told me before he died.
That’s
not why I’m in shock. I can’t believe that Vera has known all these years, and that she used the information to blackmail you. What a fucked-up bitch.”
He shook his head distractedly, obviously lost in thought. His gaze eventually landed on Emma’s face. He blanched.
“Jesus,” he muttered heatedly under his breath. He stood and poured her more ice water. “Here. Drink this. You’ve gone white as a sheet,” he said grimly, handing her the water and sitting back on the bed next to her. He waited until she’d taken a swallow. “I’m sorry,” he said, taking the cup and setting it back on the bedside table.
“You
knew
? You knew all along Cristina was your biological mother?” she asked, shock ringing in her voice.
He sighed and shut his eyes briefly. “Just since my father died five years ago.” His gaze sharpened on her. “It wasn’t the most welcome of news, and I can’t say I took it well. Still . . . it didn’t
ruin
me, even if it did confuse my feelings for Cristina all that much more,” he admitted bitterly. “But that’s not the point. You were willing to keep this from me because you thought it’d hurt me that much? You were willing to sacrifice what’s happening between us because you thought that would hurt me more than losing you?” Stark pain flashed in his eyes. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
Emma shook her head, clobbered by the turn of events. Relief swept through her, escalating her emotional state even more.
He shook his head, clearly as incredulous as she was. “And the worst of it all?” he asked. “It almost worked, what Vera did.”
“No. Don’t think about that,” Emma said firmly, finding her voice. She reached for him. “It
didn’t
work. We’re here together.” He held her fast and she squeezed him back. “You know what I’m thinking?” she asked him with a bark of hysterical laughter after a moment, her voice thick with emotion.
“What?” he asked as he pressed his lips against her neck with feverish intensity.
“Maybe that car wreck today wasn’t such a random accident, after all.”
He stilled. His hand rose to cup the back of her head. He pulled her back slowly. Before his face lowered next to hers, she saw the fierce light in his eyes.
“It wouldn’t surprise me. I may have said I doubted you at first, but I was kidding myself. It couldn’t be more clear to me now that you can make miracles, Emma,” he said with grim finality before his mouth claimed hers.
Epilogue
One Month Later
Emma curled up on her side on the cushioned lounger and looked out at paradise. Vanni noticed
you’re
still the same person. Vanni?” she asked, her desperation mounting. “
Say
something.”
“That
bitch
,” he bit out. Emma started at the venom in his tone. “I can’t believe she did that!”
“I told you, she hated herself for not being capable of being a good mother. Cristina suffered more than you’ll ever know with the knowledge of her lack—”
“I don’t mean Cristina,” he interrupted. “I mean Vera. She spewed all that at you, and then told you that if you saw me again, she’d tell me about Cristina and . . . what? I’d go into a tailspin? The truth would ruin me forever? And you
believed
her?”
Emma’s face went slack. “I believed her, but with good reason. She had the proof. Are you telling me you think she was making it all up? Cristina wasn’t really your biological mother? I was being gullible?”
An expression of pure frustration and fury tightened his face. “No, I didn’t mean it like that.
You
didn’t do anything wrong. Vera
was
telling the truth. Cristina was . . .
is
Adrian’s and my blood mother. My father told me before he died.
That’s
not why I’m in shock. I can’t believe that Vera has known all these years, and that she used the information to blackmail you. What a fucked-up bitch.”
He shook his head distractedly, obviously lost in thought. His gaze eventually landed on Emma’s face. He blanched.
“Jesus,” he muttered heatedly under his breath. He stood and poured her more ice water. “Here. Drink this. You’ve gone white as a sheet,” he said grimly, handing her the water and sitting back on the bed next to her. He waited until she’d taken a swallow. “I’m sorry,” he said, taking the cup and setting it back on the bedside table.
“You
knew
? You knew all along Cristina was your biological mother?” she asked, shock ringing in her voice.
He sighed and shut his eyes briefly. “Just since my father died five years ago.” His gaze sharpened on her. “It wasn’t the most welcome of news, and I can’t say I took it well. Still . . . it didn’t
ruin
me, even if it did confuse my feelings for Cristina all that much more,” he admitted bitterly. “But that’s not the point. You were willing to keep this from me because you thought it’d hurt me that much? You were willing to sacrifice what’s happening between us because you thought that would hurt me more than losing you?” Stark pain flashed in his eyes. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
Emma shook her head, clobbered by the turn of events. Relief swept through her, escalating her emotional state even more.
He shook his head, clearly as incredulous as she was. “And the worst of it all?” he asked. “It almost worked, what Vera did.”
“No. Don’t think about that,” Emma said firmly, finding her voice. She reached for him. “It
didn’t
work. We’re here together.” He held her fast and she squeezed him back. “You know what I’m thinking?” she asked him with a bark of hysterical laughter after a moment, her voice thick with emotion.
“What?” he asked as he pressed his lips against her neck with feverish intensity.
“Maybe that car wreck today wasn’t such a random accident, after all.”
He stilled. His hand rose to cup the back of her head. He pulled her back slowly. Before his face lowered next to hers, she saw the fierce light in his eyes.
“It wouldn’t surprise me. I may have said I doubted you at first, but I was kidding myself. It couldn’t be more clear to me now that you can make miracles, Emma,” he said with grim finality before his mouth claimed hers.
Epilogue
One Month Later
Emma curled up on her side on the cushioned lounger and looked out at paradise. Vanni noticed
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