28. News of the Accident

Marco leaned comfortably against the door frame, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. However, my eyes were irresistibly drawn to the graceful Russian maid moving inside the room. It wasn’t just the fact that Marco had a maid; it was this particular maid's striking presence that caught my attention. Her seemingly endless legs contrasted sharply with the deep hue of her uniform against her porcelain skin, each curve of her physique perfectly accentuated. Her presence was both unexpected and startling.

I shot Marco a hard, questioning look, my eyebrows knitting slightly in discomfort. I stepped inside without waiting for his response, trying to appear nonchalant. Yet, I could hear Marco's chuckling footsteps right behind me.

"Where's my mother?" I asked Marco, my voice icy cold. Even though I tried to hide it, the sharp edges in my eyes were unavoidable.

However, it was the surprising Russian maid who answered. "Your mother is having tea in the winter garden, sir," she said, a hint of an accent and unexpected confidence in her voice. I narrowed my eyes at her. Why was she speaking with such authority? Moreover, who was she, and why was she so comfortable here?

As I shifted my gaze back to Marco, I muttered, "I didn't ask her."

The maid slightly curled the corner of her lips in a faint smile. Marco, sensing the tension, interjected. "Come, let me take you to your mother," he said, a hint of sweetness in his voice. Then turning to the maid, he commanded, "Bring us some coffee." At this, a warm hand settled on my waist.

The warmth of Marco's hand seemed to melt away all the tension, stress, and unease. I was unsettled by this warm surge in my body. I loathed his influence over me. I had to guard myself. The events of the night before were still fresh in my mind, vivid and pronounced. Marco's lips, hands, words... They all came flooding back. But here, in his house, with my concerns about my mother and the unexpected presence of this maid, my feelings became muddled. I didn’t have an answer as to why Marco empowered this maid so much, but I had to find out.

As I stepped into the winter garden, my mother's elegant silhouette greeted me. Behind the large glass panels in front of her, snowflakes danced gracefully, gently laying down a white blanket. All the plants and trees in the garden were draped in a snowy gown. As she sat there watching this serene and peaceful view, a nostalgic smile that even made her wrinkles beautiful adorned her face. Seeing her so content and settled in one place brought a touch of relief to my heart.

"Mother," I called out, my voice filled with longing and love.

Her beautiful eyes slowly turned to meet mine. "My baby," she responded, her voice vibrating with affection. Rising from her chair with agility reminiscent of her younger days, she stretched out her arms towards me. I momentarily forgot about Marco and, feeling as if I had wings, rushed into her warm embrace. It had been too long since I was this close to her.

"I missed you so much," I whispered, burying my face in her shoulder, inhaling that familiar and comforting scent from my younger days.

Gently stroking my hair, she murmured, "I missed you too, baby. But you kept some things from me," her voice tinged with a hint of hurt. "Why didn’t you tell me you got married? And my grandchild... Why did you hide the fact that I had a grandchild? I wanted to be there with you, to share those special moments," she continued, the sparkle in her eyes replaced by sadness.

My heart tightened. I never intended to upset her this much, but sometimes the decisions we make in life stem from our instinct to protect our loved ones. For me, it was the same. However, now it was time to mend these shattered feelings.

I shot Marco a nasty look. The marriage was one issue, but the baby was another. My mother's eyes shone so brightly, how was I going to tell her that I wasn't pregnant with that reality?

"Darling, why don't you make sure your mother sits? She shouldn't stand too long, given her condition," Marco said.

Ill...

My mother was sick. Was the heart attack real? Had Marco not deceived me?

"Mom, is it true? Did you have a heart attack? Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

"I didn't want you to worry, Sofia. I'm fine, my little one. When Marco visited and told me you two got married and were expecting a baby, I was so happy. Especially knowing you wanted me by your side," she replied.

I swallowed hard with a forced smile. I'll kill you, Marco. There was no baby. Seeing my mother's happy eyes, I struggled to hold back my emotions.

When our coffees arrived, even though I began giving Marco even darker looks, he didn't mind and had already started chatting with my mother.

Where was my life headed? First, I found myself married to Marco, and now I was hearing my mother's dreams about a non-existent baby...

Marco's phone rang. Initially, he frowned, but he took the call and just listened.

Marco's face darkened, and his entire body tensed up. He got up and went outside. What was happening? Why did he look at me that way?

"Mom, I'll be right back," I said without waiting for a reply and followed Marco, who was still on the phone.

"Alright," he said as he hung up.

"What happened?" I asked curiously.

"Why are you so curious, my wife?" he said, slipping the phone into his jacket's inner pocket.

"Marco, whoever was on the phone, you looked at me after that call. Is it about me? After all this, are you still hiding something from me? Seriously?"

"Sofia..."

"I want to know what happened. Tell me! Or I will leave, even if it means upsetting my mother."

"Can you first calm down?"

"You're the last person to talk to me about staying calm. I'm listening, Marco Moretti." He took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. Why was he so tense?

"Isabella," he finally said. My hand instinctively went to my heart, which was pounding heavily.

"What happened?"

"She had an accident. She's in the hospital now."