Chapter 3: Chapter 3
He watched from the door, more like peeped. Her kids were on either side of her bed, clinging to her while Vicky laid on the chair,? sleeping uncomfortably.
He checked the time on his Rolex and sighed, it was 3am. He walked into the room silently and sat at the foot of her bed, she had grown up so well, better than he'd imagined.
Her face was now free of makeup, he'd missed her lips... He'd missed her so much.
He reached to touch her face when Adriano's hand covered her face protectively, still asleep.
"Mi dispiace il mio amore ... io sono davvero spiacenti" he whispered and pulled a strand of her hair that stretched and bounced back to its position.
His phone rang and he stood up walking out of the hospital room, his eyes landing on all three of them before leaving.
"What the hell Max, who was that?... You just embarrassed me and our whol-"
"Where's Gio?" He questioned
"But Ma-"
"Give the phone to Gio, Irene" he placed his palm on his forehead, closing his eyes.
"Fine... Gio! Il tuo padre vuole parlare con voi" she yelled over the phone.
"Papa?, where are you?"
"Gio, I'll be home late tonight. Eat your dinner and go to bed, okay?"
"But papa... Who was that?" Max sighed and felt his eyes water
"Go to bed Gio... I love you" he said and Gio hung up.
"Merda" he slid to the floor and stared at the ceiling.
The feeling of self hatred,the need to hate yourself for the things you've done,a time when you remember only all the bad things you've done, when you wish you'd done some things and sometimes you wish didn't do some others.
He noticed tiny feet in front of him and he looked up, his daughter.
Did he have a right to call her that?...he wished he did.
"Adriana" he said and she pursed her Lips ,sleepiness still obvious in her eyes.
"I don't like you but I don't think you should cry" she said and wiped his tears
"Adriano says Tears are for losers or something" she pouted like she couldn't exactly remember.
"He's a loser Riana, cmon, let's go. We don't want momma getting worried" he pulled his sister away, glaring at Max.
He stepped out of the hospital at 4am and got into his car, driving back home. He wanted to cry but his tears had dried up.
There were no more tears but there were numerous things to cry about.
"Papa?" he heard Giovanni immediately he walked into the silent house.
"Mio figlio" Max smiled and ruffled his hair.
"Why are you still up?"
"There's no one at home papa" Max gritted his teeth and nodded. His wife had gone to one of her useless gatherings again
"Let's get you into bed" he lifted him into his arms.
"Papa, chi era quello?" Max climbed the stairs, feeling stupid with every step.
"You won't understand Son, just go to bed and everything will be okay in the morning,okay?" He said as he walked into his son's room, placing him on the bed.
"Okay papa, good night" Max placed a kiss on his forehead and walked out of the room.
Everything still felt like a movie, like a dream. It felt so...fake, so unreal but he knew this was as real as it could get.
Numerous times he'd fantasized meeting her and making love to her the next second and then they're a happy family the following second but he knew he only lied to himself to trade the guilt for happy thoughts. It helped for a while, until reality slapped him in the face but he was happy for a single reason, she was here, his kids too.
He walked into his study and sat in his chair, thinking about everything... Everything until his phone rang bringing him out of his reverie.
"Yeah?" He said
"Dude, what the hell happened back there?" Dante asked and he couldn't help but laugh, laugh at his own misery.
" I don't understand Man.... " he sighed and gripped his hair muttering a few words.
"Is she awake?"
"I left her alone.? i miei bambini odiarmi e così fa lei" he said and breathed through his mouth for a few seconds.
"You're done for man" Dante chuckled and Max hung up.
"Bambino!" he drawled and rested his back against the chair.
Why was he here... He needed to see her. If she woke up right now, he knew she'd immediately run for the hills.
He shot up from the chair and threw the suit jacket into a corner of the room and walked into Gios room.
"Gio, let's go" Immediately,Gio stood up. Leaving Max to wonder if he was really asleep.
"Dove stiamo andando, papa?"
"We're going to see an old friend...hmm?"? Gio nodded and put a sweater on his pyjamas.
He watched from the glass partition as she tickled her son along with her daughter... His children.
"Papa! Let's go in" Gio grinned and ran into the room, drawing the attention of all the four people in the room.
"Ciao, I'm Giovanni" Gio said and kemi smiled.
"Hey sweetie, c'mere" she wove for him to come closer and he did, shyly.
"I'm Fadekemi, this is Adriana, this is-"
"Momma shh! He's the son of the enemy" Kemi rolled her eyes at him and somehow she wanted to ignore the little child but her heart didn't allow it, her eyes couldn't take it...he had green eyes, just like him.
"Adriano! He's a child" Adriano rolled his eyes and glared at the older boy who shrunk under his gaze.
"Stop it Adriano, I'll make him my new best friend if y-" Adriana was saying sassily until she was cut off by Adriano.
"No no" Adriano rushed to his sister's side and stood in between them.
"I'm Adriano, she's Adriana, that's aunt Vicky and that's my momma!"
"Mommy!" Adriana argued and Adriano raised his eyebrows.
"Okay... Momma!" he smiled and she rolled her eyes with a smile.
"Come on Gio" Kemi gestured for him to climb the bed and he sat beside her.
"You're papa's friend" he said and her smile vanished, disappeared into thin air.
"No, we're not friends" she spat with distaste.
"But papa s-"
"Giovanni!" Kemi's skin tingled at the voice of the man who betrayed her and left her.
"Wetin this one dey find here? " Vicky asked, sitting up quickly as she glared at him.
"Cara mia, i need to sp-"
"There's nothing to say anymore Mr. DeLuca... There was nothing to say seven years ago and there will be nothing to say now. My name is Fadekemi." He sighed and shook his head.
"Principess-"
"STOP IT!" She screamed as her eyes twitched in anger, pain and hurt. Everyone in the room stared at her because of the intensity of her voice, they rarely heard her shout.
"Please, just... Just thirty minutes and..."He sighed and put his shaking tattooed hands into his pockets.
"And I'll leave"
"I thought I said no?" She raised her eyebrows.
"Please Fadekemi... I.. I really need to tell you this" her son whispered in her ear and she glared at Max.
"Fine, everyone, excuse us" she said and they all left but none of them left without bumping their shoulders against him except Gio.
"I'm only giving you this opportunity because of my son, Thirty minutes and you're out of here" she said and he nodded, walking to her side.
He pulled out his shaky hands from his pocket and reached for her curly hair but he pulled back.
"I'm sorry I lied to you, I'm sorry I deceived you... I'm sorry I left" he took her hands into his and kissed it, breathing in her scent.
"I still love you Cara....and our kids?" He chuckled lightly.
"We make such beautiful kids" his smile disappeared when he saw her narrowing her eyes at him.
"They are my kids... You did nothing to help. If you love me... You'll let us be"
"You know I can't do that" he stared into her dark brown eyes and she stared into his green ones.
"Babe!" She jumped at the sudden intrusion and found Joseph standing at the door, his shirt rough and his suit held in his left hand. He ran closer to her and held her face in his hands.
"Babe... Are you okay?... Huh?" She nodded and he kissed her lips, she slid her tongue into his and he kissed her back like he wasn't going to see her anymore.
She looked at Max and found him looking at her like he was in pain, like he was hurt.
"God! How the hell did this happen?" Joseph groaned and kissed her forehead.
"It's nothing Josey" Max's eyes widened in realization.
"Josey?" He said and Joseph turned around to face him.
He stared at him till he could remember who he was.
"What the fuck is this asshole doing here?" He scoffed and turned to Kemi, glaring at her with blame in his eyes.
"I don't know Joseph, why are you looking at me like that? Kiini mo tu she nsin?"
"You're really crazy kemi, you need help" he said and walked out of the room, pushing Max out of the way.
An uncomfortable silence reigned in the room and he sighed.
"Ke-"
"Get out"
"Ke-"
"Get ou-"
"JUST FUCKING LISTEN TO ME FIRST!" He yelled and she glared at him then stood up from the bed
"You don't have the right.. The fucking right to yell at me! You lost any right you had over me when you.. "She poked his chest.
"... Asked me to kill our children. You lost that right when you lied to me, you lost that right when you left me, you lost that right when you played with my fucking heart Maximilliano De Luca" she was now breathing against his chest and slowly but surely he wrapped his left arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest.
"I'm sorry cara" he bowed his head to press his forehead against hers, watching her as she closed her eyes and the tears fell.
"I love you" he said
"I-" she opened her eyes and pushed him away like she was in a trance.
"Get out!"
"Car-"
"You know what?... I don't ever want to see you again... Get out" she said and he watched his shaky hands and then glanced up at her, she was crying.
It hurt him to see her cry, he hated himself for letting her go, he hated himself for wanting material things... He really didn't want to be the rich and influential Maximilliano De Luca anymore... He just wanted to be Max Leone.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone