Part Eight

When Gillian reached the table she turned towards Adele whose eyes were searching hers. Then all she knew was that she was in Adele's arms as the world suddenly got dark.

***************

"Someone help me!" Adele yelled as she was trying to hold onto Gillian as she began to fall to the floor.

Immediately they were surrounded by some of the doctors present in the benefit. Gillian was immediately taken to the emergency room with Adele beside her. Adele held her hand and kissed it many times as she whispered words of love to her.

All that mattered at that moment was that something was wrong. She felt deeply inside her that something was very wrong. And not understanding why in her desperation her love went out to Gillian with no reservations.

Gillian opened her eyes slightly and Adele kissed her lips and caressed her face. Gillian seemed to come in and out of consciousness. Once or twice she whispered "Dell…" and the sadness in her voice cut deeply into Adele's heart as she saw tears running out of Gillian's eyes.

The emergency room doctor came in to speak to her. She turned to look at him but never released Gillian's hand.

"What's happened? What is wrong with my wife?"

"She is hemorrhaging. Right now we have to stop that. We are not sure what caused it yet." The doctor answered cautiously.

At that moment Dr. Lanpanduza walked in with Margot not far behind him.

"I will see to everything Contessa. May I see the chart doctor? I am the Contessa's family physician."

"Of course, come this way doctor." Dr. Lanpanduza followed the emergency room doctor out.

Margot stayed and saw and listened as Adele again focused her attention on Gillian.

"Amore mio…open your eyes. Per favore cara mia," Adele's voice was filled with her anguish and concern.

"Dell…" Gillian again opened her eyes slightly and Adele's lips kissed her lightly over and over again. "Ti amo cara mia. Ti amo." Adele then took her in her arms and caressed her hair as she kissed her cheek.

Margot walked out of the room and found herself face to face with Dr. Lanpanduza.

"You have to do something. If this continues she will tell her." Margot growled at him unable to control the anger rising in her.

"I never planned on this. But, I know what will end this. I'll be right back." He walked away leaving her stunned.

Margot then walked back into the room. Gillian had obviously passed out again.

"Adele darling, sit down, give her some room to breathe." Margot could not control the edge in her voice.

Adele stared back at her. "Wait outside Margot."

Margot acted insulted and walked out of the room.

A few minutes later the doctor came back in and gave Gillian an adrenalin shot which seemed to revive her a little. Adele waited patiently on the other side of the bed still holding Gillian's hand.

The shot seemed to take effect a few minutes later as Gillian began to come back to consciousness.

"Gillian can you see me?" The doctor asked.

"Yes," Gillian answered groggily.

"Let your eyes follow my finger."

Gillian's eyes did as instructed until her eyes met Adele's and they did not move away.

"I have been so worried." Adele's voice said filled with emotion as her eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Don't cry darling…" Gillian said not realizing how the endearment had just slipped out. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry." She reassured Adele again.

Adele bent her head down and kissed her hand holding it against her lips as her eyes sought out Gillian's.

"Dell…" Gillian's hand caressed Adele's cheek softly.

At that moment Candice walked in and Margot smiled from the corner of the room.

"Gillian, are you alright?" Candice immediately went to Gillian's side and Gillian released Adele's hand.

"I'm just fine." Gillian now looked only towards Candice. In her weakness she had sought comfort from Adele and things would only be worsening now. At that moment she resolved to go forward. She had killed her baby and now she must be cruel to save Adele. No matter how much it cost her she would save Adele.

"What happened?" Candice asked concerned.

"I fainted. I will be fine, honestly." She reassured Candice.

Candice stared at her realizing that there was only so much she could say in front of Adele. She leaned down to kiss Gillian on the cheek and Gillian turned her face and kissed her fully on the lips. "I'm alright darling." Gillian said looking into Candice's eyes.

Adele stared unable to move as Gillian's lips kissed Candice once more. A moment ago Gillian had called her darling. Adele's world began to spin and fall off its axis. She then simply walked out of the room and out of the hospital.

PART 8

After walking out of the hospital that night something just shut down in Adele. Seeing Gillian kiss Candice had been the ultimate betrayal to her. That one kiss had made it crystal clear to her that she had never truly known Gillian. For a brief moment that night she had believed that they were still in love; that there had been a mistake somehow, a misunderstanding, that they would be together again. That one kiss had shown Adele just how much of a deceiver Gillian could be. She felt used and she was angry. Gillian had fooled her, used her and had made her love her and it all made Adele angrier and angrier. Gillian would never make a fool of her again.

Things between them after that night were civil at best. Seething anger mixed with undying desire made for an explosive powder keg that time would eventually would not be able to control. When it was her turn to have Catty Gillian would come and stay occasionally. The times that Gillian did not come, Adele never inquired why anymore. They regularly attended public functions but rarely spoke to one another. Adele did not even try to be civil, her veneer was beginning to crack even in public.

Carlo began to visit Gillian at the penthouse regularly once or twice a week when he was home. He and Adele argued over it but she did not stop him from continuing. Gradually Adele began to realize the she was slowly loosing all that she once thought was hers forever. Gillian had promised to love her forever…. Adele believed in nothing but, she had believed the words. The betrayal was becoming more than she could bear on a daily basis.

Catty began to adjust to the new family schedule and didn't complain as much about not having her other mommy always present. They were all adjusting to the changes in their lives. Adele however was becoming progressively more somber and detached from all around her. The cold inside her was taking over her world and this time she knew she would not survive it. A part of her welcomed the oblivion that began to fill her; the other part of her was still so filled with love that it choked her with its pain.

One afternoon Margot walked into the library and found her looking out the window as she usually did when Gillian would come to drop off Catty.

"Will she be staying this time?" Margot asked angrily.

"I don't know," answered Adele without turning to face her sister.

"Until when are you going to act this way?"

Adele turned towards her aggressively "What way?"

"Like a love sick puppy staring out that window!" Margot blurted out. "Look at yourself, you're a wreck."

"This is not your concern." Adele suddenly stood straighter in all her arrogance.

"You are my concern, I love you Dell." Margot said as she approached her.

"Don't you ever call me that!" Adele said seething as if something had erupted in her.

"Why? Because that whore calls you that! She doesn't love you; she's with another woman. When is that going to sink into your head?" Margot spat at her.

At that moment Adele was unable to control her fury and slapped Margot hard across the face.

Margot stared at her in disbelief as Adele shook from the anger within her. "Have you lost your mind?" Margot stood holding her cheek .

"Don't you ever address my wife in that fashion!"

"Your wife?" Margot said mockingly.

"That is what she is. Never forget that Margot. Never ever forget that again. Even she recognizes that."

"You are carrying this too far, aren't you darling?" Margot said sarcastically.

"No, I'm not. I married her before God Margot." Adele stated.

"You what?" Margot could not believe that Adele had gone that far. "You married Carlo's father in a church but that was a detail to you even I knew that. You said that marriage was a sham, you don't believe in God Adele…..what are you talking about?"

"I wanted her to be mine in every way. I wanted to believe in all of it." Adele suddenly seemed tired. "She is in here." Adele's fingers pointed to her chest. "I told her I loved her and that I would be true to her till my dying breath. She said I was her love….she promised to never walk away." Adele's eyes filled with unshed tears. "That made her mine…that made her my wife inside me….I have to believe that there is still a part of me in her. That thought and that thought alone keeps me from loosing my mind." Adele took a deep breath and her demeanor began to pale. "Look at her ring finger Margot. My ring is on it still. She may say that she is not mine, but, I once held her heart, I held her body, she gave me her soul and I loved her…..I love her even now when she lives with Candice. No matter what happens, inside me she will always be mine…. I can't tear her out of me. Even now when she denies me; even now as I am filled with nightmares of her in Candice's arms…. Even now I love her. I gave her all of me, I can't deny that…. I fight it but, I can't deny it."

"You are playing the fool in this ridiculous farce. Don't you see that? She is making a fool of you!"

"Stay out of it. This is not your concern." Adele suddenly sounded weary closed her eyes for a second and breathed in deeply as if to steady herself. Her eyes went to the window as she heard the noise of an approaching vehicle.

Adele left the room as she saw the car approaching the front of the house. Margot walked towards the window as the car pulled up and Gillian stepped out of the vehicle. Catty then followed and ran into the waiting arms of Adele as she stepped out of the house.

Margot touched her cheek. "We'll see how long you think of her as your wife. You never truly loved the others; you should never have fallen in love with her. They all lie; I'm going to teach you they all lie. One day you are going to thank me for it."

***************************

Adele looked from Gillian's ring finger up to her eyes. Gillian no longer wore the ring; she remembered buying it with so much love; something of hers that would touch her lover. For a moment she thought she saw something in those eyes but she new better. Gillian's eyes like her words only held lies. Her body stiffened as her soul pulled away. She had but a minute ago reaffirmed her love for Gillian in front of Margot and now all she felt was the pain that loving gave her and her heart hardened as her soul began to die again.

Adele turned to her daughter and gave her her undivided attention. "Come little one, mama has a surprise for you." Adele said excitedly as she picked up Catty and walked into the house with her daughter in her arms. Gillian followed them in silently. Gillian never noticed the crease between Adele's brows as she held back a sob that reached her very soul. Pain it seemed had become a constant inside them.

"Gillian!" Carlo said excitedly as he ran down the steps when he saw Gillian enter the foyer.

"Carlo, hello sweetheart," Gillian wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek as he rushed into her embrace. "How did you do against your archenemies?"

Adele listened in fascination as she tried desperately to control the turmoil inside her.

"We won by two points." Carlo laughed heartily as he released her from the bear hug. "It was close. Are you coming to the next one?"

"Of course, nothing could keep me away." Gillian said as she hugged him again. "You were great you know."

"Thanks," Carlo said as he blushed.

"My surprise mama, my surprise," Catty insisted in her mother's arms.

Carlo and Gillian turned to them. Adele then looked down at her daughter and smiled, "Come."

They followed her to the courtyard behind the house. Catty began to clap her hands excitedly when she saw the pony. Adele smiled at the delight expressed by her daughter. At least she got this right. She was able to make her little girl happy.

Gillian's mouth opened in surprise then her displeasure was mirrored in her face.

"Come my principessa, let's meet your pony." Adele carried her daughter towards the pony.

Gillian was filled with fear. All she could see was Catty being hurt as she fell off the pony. How could Adele have done this without discussing it with her first? Carlo looked from his mother to Gillian and knew that and argument would be following soon.

As Adele was about to place Catty on the saddle Gillian spoke up. "Please don't."

Adele turned to her in confusion and exasperation, "Why not? I got her the pony so that she could ride it."

"We need to talk about this Dell," Gillian insisted.

"Mama, pony please," Catty pouted as she tried to get out of Adele's arms trying to grab the pony.

Adele challenged Gillian's eyes. This was her time with her daughter and Gillian was not allowed to interfere in that.

"Catty, why don't we walk the pony so that she gets to know you okay?" Carlo took his sister from his mother's arms and he and Catty walked away happily leading the pony by the reins.

"Why would you do something like this without discussing it with me first?" Gillian approached her in anger and disbelief.

"I don't need your permission to give my daughter a gift," Adele replied angrily. "I don't need your permission for anything I want to do Gillian."

"You do when it comes to our child. She is too young for a pony Dell," Gillian said as she got closer to Adele.

"She is almost three; I was two years old when I rode my first pony."

"And that's how you got that scar near your left temple," Gillian replied.

Adele touched her left temple and remembered when she had told Gillian about the scar. It had been one night in the beginning when they had made love. Gillian had kissed her scar many times over. Adele's eyes looked into Gillian's and as she did she knew that Gillian had remembered too.

"I don't want our baby to get hurt Dell. She's still too fragile. Let's wait just a little longer" Gillian was asking in her usual way. She had always known how to talk to her. Even now Adele had a hard time refusing her.

"Catty is stronger than I ever was," Adele said introspectively as she looked towards the children walking the pony.

"Catty is so like you," Gillian said softly and Adele looked towards her again. "She's so like you Dell. I just…I couldn't bear it if anything happened to her," Gillian finished saying as her eyes filled with tears.

"I would never let anything happen to her. I will be with her every moment she is on the pony", Adele insisted.

The tears spilled out of Gillian's eyes. "It's always your way" Gillian walked back inside.

Adele stared at her as she walked back into the house. Had that been an issue between them? Had she always had to have things her way? Her memories were uncertain and could not be trusted these days. Nothing that she believed to be true once was real anymore. Gillian was with Candice, and that was a reality that she had to come to terms with. Gillian had never loved her…. All the words had been lies, all the promises of love had been empty words…Adele closed her eyes as a tear slid down her cheek.

Carlo brought Catty back to her when he saw Gillian go into the house. He waited in silence to see what his mother would do.

"Mama, pony please."

"It's yours my principessa. When you are bigger you can ride him. What will you call him?" Adele tried to appease the child.

Carlo smiled to himself. Why was this happening? Surely he wasn't the only one that saw that Gillian and his mother still loved each other. He just didn't understand and they refused to address it with him. At first he had thought that it had something to do with the woman that lived with Gillian at the penthouse. But he could tell right away that the relationship they had was nothing like the one that Gillian had always shared with his mother. Gillian cared for Candice he could tell, but the look in her eyes when she saw Adele was undeniable. He saw it in the way they spoke to each other; it wasn't what they said its how they looked at each other. It was the way their voices softened. It was in the distant looks of hidden loneliness. They always seemed to want to say more. He would try to talk to his mother again soon.

Gillian was looking at them from a window close by as she saw Adele walk the pony with their daughter by the hand. A part of her was happy that there was still something in Adele that she was able to reach. The last two months had been horrible between them. Adele had cut her off emotionally. It had been what she had wanted but she had not counted on just how hard that would feel. The last time she had not stayed; it was more than she could handle to feel the coldness with which Adele treated her. This time she was staying because she needed to see her lover even if she knew that it would hurt. She kept telling herself that she was doing the right thing. This was best for both of them; and yet the right thing felt so wrong. She closed her eyes and dreamed. Dreaming of her love was all that she had to get her through her day.

Later that night she looked on as Adele put their daughter to bed. How she missed the everyday things like this with Adele, Carlo running down the stairs and having dinner together as they had done tonight as a family. She had felt the distance from Adele but a part of her closed her eyes and she remembered how once it had been and that was like a drug that she had begun to need and couldn't do without. She remembered in the past how when they sat down to dinner, the happy chattering between them and the children never seemed to end. They planned their garden and the color schemes of the renovations to the house. Everywhere she looked she remembered a part of them lived in it. It had all been so perfect. They had been so happy. Memories of these times were sometimes more painful than her disease.

Gillian felt in pain most of the time now. The pills were no longer helping and she had begun to experience more fainting spells. She no longer went out alone with Catty. She feared that she might faint and Catty might be left defenseless. She felt her mortality more than ever on a daily basis. Her days were getting shorter and as she looked around the table during dinner she let herself imagine how it once was again. She closed her eyes as she saw Adele kiss their little girl and say goodnight and wallowed in the joy of it. There would not be many days like this; she knew that they were getting shorter and shorter.

Adele had walked passed her without saying a word.

*********************

Gillian could not sleep. It seemed that she never slept much anymore. The new medication seemed to help her pain but would keep her from sleeping. She ran her fingers through her hair as she walked out of her bedroom. Perhaps a walk in the garden would help. She missed walking the garden at night. She and Adele had taken long walks when she was pregnant with Catty and was unable to sleep. How sweet and distant those times seemed now.

Gillian was coming down the staircase when her attention went towards voices coming from the opened door of the library. She took a few more steps down and stopped as soon as she saw Adele in her robe handing a young woman money.

"Please call me again," the woman said as she smiled and kissed Adele on the cheek.

"Paolo will drive you." Adele spoke softly.

The transaction that had taken place before her almost made Gillian double over with the pain she felt inside her, leaving her unable to move or breathe. She felt her knees give out as she unceremoniously fell onto the step; one hand on the banister the other covering her mouth. The horror of what she had witnessed filled her whole being.

Adele stood by the door and watched the young woman walked away; as she turned back into the library her eyes caught site of Gillian on the staircase. Gillian's eyes stared back at her in accusation. Gillian turned suddenly and ran up the stairs. Adele ran after her. Both women filled with despair ran for different reasons. Adele pushed her way into Gillian's bedroom as Gillian tried to shut the door.

"Get out!" Gillian cried out. "Get out!" She could not control the sobbing that wracked her body.

Adele pushed her way inside, grabbed Gillian and pulled her hard against her. "Did you think that you were the only one allowed to fuck someone Cara?"

"Let me go! Let go of me!" Gillian cried all the harder as she pushed Adele away.

"You fuck Candice. Do you fuck her every night that you are not here?" Adele pulled her harder against her as Gillian fought to set herself free. Adele began to press her body harder against her and brought her leg between Gillian's. A guttural groan escaped her lips as she pressed harder against Gillian's center. Skin burned on skin and Adele was suddenly consumed with passion. Robes had opened and skin fused with skin. Adele's mouth went to Gillian's neck and she began to suck with a hunger she had never known. Her body moved against Gillian and she began to feel Gillian's wetness on her skin. Her head lifted and fell back in joyous abandonment. A groan escaped her as her mouth then hungrily took Gillian's lips.

Gillian's body reacted to her lover's touch. Sweetness, such desire and sweetness filled her that for one moment all she allowed herself to do was feel and wallow in the passion of her lover before her. When she felt Adele's hands begin to remove her robe and caress the side of her breast Gillian began to struggle. She had to stop this... she had to. Suddenly desire had taken a different context. Adele's touch began to roughen as Gillian began to try and push her away. Her hand went down between Gillian's legs and her fingers felt the wetness she need to taste again or die.

"No!" Gillian exclaimed in desperation.

"You're mine!" Adele growled as her grip tightened on Gillian's wrist and she began to kiss her again harder this time.

"Don't, please don't!" Gillian then slapped her hard across the face.

Adele suddenly pushed her hard away from her and Gillian landed on the bed half recumbent. She could not look away from Adele as she wept. "Get out, please get out" Gillian sobbed.

Adele stared at her trying to understand. The blow to her face had stunned her. At that moment she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again the sadness that now resided inside her was visible in them. "I can't make love to a woman anymore Cara." Adele said wearily. Gillian suddenly looked at her in shocked silence and stared at Adele as tears still ran down her face. "I can't bear for anyone to touch me." Adele looked sadly into Gillian's eyes. "I don't understand… why does it matter to you, when you don't want me?"

"Dell…" Gillian cried and covered her mouth as tears that she could not stop rolled down her face.

"I sent her away Gillian. I couldn't touch her or bear it as she tried to touch me. I am dead inside. You have ruined me, I don't feel. I don't feel … all my body knows is you. And you don't want me…. Why does it matter to you if anyone else touches me if you don't want me?" Adele could no longer hide her despair. Gillian saw in her lovers eyes what she had never wanted to see. She had broken Adele's heart. She had broken Adele…..

Adele turned to leave the room and stopped with her back to Gillian as she was about to walk out the door. "I'm going away… I can't stay here any longer…"

Gillian sobbed. "Dell…"

"I won't take Catty… she belongs with you. Both children will be happier with you." Adele walked out and closed the door behind her.

"Dell…" Gillian lay her face down on the pillow and cried like she had done when she was a child. She would never see Dell again. This had been their final good-bye and it broke her heart to know that it had happened this way. She had gotten her way. She had done what she thought was right. What she had never counted on was the pain that her choice had brought to them. She was dying but so was Dell….

**************

"This is not working. You promised that it would all be over by now!" Margot wined.

"Cara mia, it will happen." The male voice cajoled her.

"I am going back to Europe."

"No! you said you were going to stay here for good." The desperation coming through in his voice. "Give me just a little more time cara mia. Will you do that?"

"I won't wait for ever. I want to believe you. I love being with you. Will I see you tonight?" she said coyly

"Yes, tonight at the same place."

**************

"Hi, how was your weekend?" Candice asked as soon as she walked into the kitchen where Gillian was making dinner.

"It was fine." Gillian avoided her eyes as she spoke.

"Everything okay?" Candice waited. "Did Catty come back with you?"

"I left her with Dell. She wanted to take her to the zoo. I will pick her up tomorrow morning."

Candice looked at her as she saw the uneasiness grow in Gillian by the second.

"How was work?" Gillian asked as she continued to stir the contents of the pot.

"I am fitting in nicely. Selsnik visited our offices back in Wisconsin about a year ago."

"He is the senior partner right?" Gillian briefly looked at her and smiled slightly.

"Yeah,"

"I'm glad that this is working for you Candy." Gillian smiled and began to stare at the pot again.

"So, how was it really?" Candice asked. She began to rub Gillian's back as she held her in a light embrace.

Gillian looked up and faced Candice. "She's going away."

"Catty…"

"She's not taking Catty. She's leaving both children with me." Gillian began to cry as she went into Candice's arms. "I don't know if what I'm doing to her is worse then just telling her the truth."

"Oh honey…" Candice stroked her back as she held her tightly.

Gillian pulled away slowly and walked a few steps away with her back to Candice.

"I'm going to tell her. I thought I was doing the right thing. I wanted to protect her. And…I don't think anyone has hurt her as much as I have. Maybe I am being selfish to want her till the last minute of my life…." Gillian began to sob as she wrapped her arms around her self. "I need her Candice. I need her so much…."

Candice was immediately next to her holding her tightly. She held Gillian to her not exactly sure if she could stand the ramifications of these words now.

"Take a few days to think it over honey. If that is what you want then do it. But, give yourself some time to think about what this will mean okay?"

Gillian nodded in Candice's embrace.

Candice held Gillian to her possessively. Gillian would never go back to Adele. Gillian had been hers first. She had the right, Gillian was where she belonged. Moving to New York had been taking a big chance but she would use all her influence to keep Gillian. She told herself over and over again that she knew Gillian. She knew what was good for her. And Gillian would eventually come to agree with her. It was just a matter of time; time…. Time is the one thing they didn't have. All the time that Gillian had left would be hers.

When Gillian went to pick up Catty the next day she was informed that Adele had gone to a board meeting. Gillian took this as a sign that she should indeed give more thought to her decision to tell Dell or not.

******************************

"Contessa, we haven't seen you in quite some time." Georgio Passeti her VP for Acquisitions in the New York office welcomed her as she walked in.

"Hello Georgio, I may not be here often but, I know all that goes on here." She said with a sardonic smile.

"You Contessa are a remarkable woman; anyone that doubts that is a fool. Please sit." He smiled in agreement and pointed to the chair in front of him. "What has brought you here?"

"There are some things that I am wrapping up here for the next few days and I came to bring you up to date."

"I will clear my calendar."

************************************

Adele was busy for the next few days tying up all loose ends in New York. She included Georgio in all the meetings since he would be overseeing all of the projects in New York for at least the next year. Adele was going back to Europe to focus on the winery. She had extensive plans for its growth and some of the preliminaries were also being arranged from there as well.

That particular morning was as busy as the others had been when she was interrupted by her personal secretary.

"Contessa, I have Sabina from billing here and she wishes to speak to you personally."

Adele thought for a moment and asked Diane to show Sabina in.

Sabina had been working for Adele for over 10 years. She had rendered Adele a few considerations from time to time in the past. Usually bills of questionable references that should not be put through to avoid embarrassment or speculation of her past indiscretions. The press had people everywhere and some things were better dealt with privately then put through and made real by existing paperwork. Sabina had been a loyal employee and was held in high regard by Adele for this.

"Come in Sabina." Adele stood up. "Sit down please." Adele looked towards Diane that was lingering at the door. "You may leave us Diane."

Diane closed the door behind her and Adele sat back down and gave Sabina all of her undivided attention.

"You needed to speak to me?"

"Yes Contessa." Sabina hesitated and seemed suddenly very uncomfortable in her chair.

"Sabina?"

"I…a bill came through Contessa and…" she stuttered.

"Still? It's been years…." Adele trailed off in confusion.

"It's different." Sabina seemed more embarrassed by the second.

"Sabina, I can't imagine… I haven't…"

"It's not you Contessa…"

"What? Please, Sabina tell me what this is all about." Adele could not figure what it was. Sabina had brought her bills of dubious situations and they had been privately paid for. Adele did not understand since she had not had any questionable incidents to cover up since she and Gillian had gotten together.

"This bill is for Mrs. Visconti, I wasn't sure how … I mean, I didn't know if you wanted it processed….or just taken care of privately." Sabina would not look at her in the eye as she handed Adele a piece of paper.

Adele took the paper from her and began to read it. Her features suddenly turned ashen as her hand began to shake.

"Contessa?" Sabina suddenly realized that she had delivered news that had shocked and surprised.

"Thank you Sabina, you may go now." Adele heard herself say and did not recognize her own voice as she spoke. She felt an incredible coldness fill her being. Her face felt hot and the vile rose from her stomach into her mouth. Adele left an opened mouth Diane as she stormed out of her office.

"Contessa, will you need a car?" Diane finished saying to empty space.

Sabina walked passed Diane embarrassed and not able to look at the woman in the eye. Diane stared in disbelief and wondered what had just happened.

Adele was beyond rational thought as she ran out the building. All she felt was an incredible fire growing out of her and all it wanted to do was burn and destroy. She walked out of the building and got into a cab.

The crushed piece of paper was still in her hand. All she felt was anger…. It filled her, seeped into every part of her. Gillian had killed their child….


Continued