Lorenzo's POV
3 days later...
The last few days have been really calm and drama free. Lately I've been able to take time off work and spending the extra time with Klarissa. We've definitely learned more about each other which has been good.
The only type of stress that I was feeling was last night when Ciro came home. Just like I expected, he was still drunk and high from whatever he did the last night in Fiji. Even though the girls showed him their unique party techniques, he said that he still wanted to be invited on the next trip. Honestly I'm just glad they brought him back alive.
However, last night I noticed a weird vibe coming from the girls. They kept looking between each other and speaking quietly in Chinese about something. I asked Ciro if they said anything to him, but he said no. He did say that Anika sat out the festivities on the last night though. I thought it was really odd but I didn't ask anything further. If something is actually wrong I'm sure I'll hear about it soon enough.
Currently I was sitting in my office making last minute adjustments to the Christmas Party. Since it's tomorrow, I really don't have any more time to change to much.
As soon as I finished the arrangements, I heard a loud knock on my door. The only two people that knock that aggressively on my door aren't afraid of me. I knew that it was either Ciro or Portia and Anika.
"Come in." I said as I closed my laptop.
"Hi." Anika said as she pushed the door open and immediately closed it behind her.
"Hey, is Portia not here?" I asked as I gave her a confused look. Honestly I can't even remember the last time I saw those two apart.
"No she's home with some guy." Anika said as she walked over to take a seat.
Her whole demeanor was off. She's usually very witty and sharp whenever we speak.
"We need to talk about something important." she said as she commanded the conversation. She's usually very calculating and quiet in a conversation, so I knew this was important.
I noticed she had a raw expression on her face. The type of look that I've only seen a couple of time in her life.
"Yeah, what's wrong?" I asked with anxiety in my voice.
She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. I could see that she was obviously struggling to tell me what she was thinking.
"Anika, what—"
"I'm pregnant." she blurted out.
My eyes all but popped out of their sockets. This has to be a joke, right? The only thing that stopped me from asking if she was serious, was her expression. When she silently confirmed she wasn't messing with me I froze.
A thousand things ran through my mind. Was she planning on keeping it? Is she going to be quitting work? Does she need more money? And why is she even telling me about this right now?
However, there was one question that I was dying to know the answer to. And that was who was the babies father?
"I-i...wow. I don't know what to say." I told her honestly.
"Well, I don't know what to do." She said as her voice started to break. Shock ripped through my body as I watched her cry. Never in our entire lives have we seen each other cry. My heart was breaking as I watched her body rise and fall due to her sobs.
"Have you told Portia yet?" was all I could think to ask her.
"Yes, she's the one that told me to come and talk to you." She told me as her watery eyes met mine.
It pained me to watch her be so upset over this. I started to rack my mind for a solution.
"I know this is terrible, but have you thought about getting rid of it." I whispered to her. I knew that Anika is not mother material, but deep down she is a good person. But I also know that this baby would kill her. The guilt of hating her own child would eat her alive.
"I can't just get rid of it." She said as she wrapped her arms around herself.
"Why not? You can't be that far along." I said as I ran my hands through my hair. I looked down at her stomach, it was the same size as it usually is.
"I can't because of the babies father." She said as a serious expression took over her face.
"I can't do that to him, he would hate me for it." she whispered. This last part sounded like she was talking more to herself then she was to me.
"How do you know he will hate you for it! Do you even know who the father is?" I asked.
She gave me a guilty look before she looked back down at the floor.
"Spit it out already." I said in a loud tone.
"Luca." she said quietly.
"Luca?" I said with confusion. "Like my brother Luca?!" I asked.
She nodded her head in confirmation.
Right when I thought everything couldn't get worse, it did. How could the baby be his! He's in a relationship with Klarissa's sister!
My heart was absolutely beating out of my chest. For the fist time in my life I felt like I was at a loss for words.
"But he's with Alicia!" I said as I stood up from my chair and walked over to her.
"I know! Whenever he had extra time, he would call me. He said he would leave her if I would commit to a relationship with him." She told me as more tears fell from her eyes. "But you know me, I don't want a relationship. I want to do my work and travel with Portia."
"So that night, when I caught you wandering around the house, you weren't really there to see Ciro?" I asked as I finally put the pieces together.
She gave me a guilt look confirming my suspicions.
"Anika..." I groaned as I held my head in my hands.
"I can't be a mother! Lorenzo, you know what a baby will do to me." She said as cried into her hands.
"I know, but you can't terminate it now. It would kill him, you know he's been in love with you since we were children. Why couldn't you just stay away from him?" I asked to her.
"He's an easy lay. You know how it goes." She told me as she whipped the wetness off her cheeks.
"Have you told him?" I asked her.
"No, I wanted to talk to you first. I wanted to decided what I should do before I said anything." She told me.
"Why are you talking to me about it! Shouldn't you be having this conversation with Luca. He's the babies father after all!" I said with stress in my voice.
"Because Lorenzo, he'll get too emotional. I know you will give me your opinion all emotions aside." She in a very serious tone.
She's not wrong. But how am I supposed to give her advice when I'm not even sure what she should do!
"You want me to play god with my brothers child! My niece or nephew! Are you out of your mind!" I yelled at her.
"You and Portia's opinions are the only ones I care about. And you already know what she wants me to do with the baby." she as she gave me a knowing look. "My career will be over. People will have leverage over Portia and I if we get caught."
"You should have thought about that before you started fucking my brother!" I said to her with exasperation.
"I know, but I need you to help me!" she begged me.
I took a deep breath in, before I started to give her my opinion:"If I were you, I would keep it. The baby can stay here with me and my brother, and you can come visit it. That way you can keep working and doing whatever it is you want. Luca will step up, he'll be a good father."
"But what about your girlfriend and her family? I don't want the baby to grow up in a hostile environment." She said with worry in her voice.
"That baby will be my blood. My brothers and I protect our own, even if it will be against the woman I love." I said as I went to hug her.
"Thank you so much Lorenzo." She said as she wrapped her arms around me.
"You know you are putting me in a shit position with my girlfriend." I grumbled to Anika.
"Yeah, I'm sorry." She said whole heartedly.
"Now you have to go and tell Luca." I said with fake excitement in my voice.
"Ugh, don't remind me." She groaned as she pulled away from me.
"Good luck." I said to her as she walked out of my office.
As soon as she left, I went over to my scotch cabinet to get something to drink. My mind was spinning with everything that Anika just told me. I knew that once everyone found out about the baby, all hell is going to break loose. I also know that Klarissa is going to want me to be on her and Alicia's side, but I won't.
Technically, this news has nothing to do with Klarissa and I's relationship, so she shouldn't expect anything from me. But when the time comes, because it will come, I will pick Luca and Anika's side.
Not only does Alicia annoy me, but I could really careless about her feelings. The only reason why I am slightly worried about her reaction, is because it will affect Klarissa.
Now, the only thing that is left to do was wait. Wait for the fights to begin.
Anika's POV
I slightly pressed my forehead against his now closed office door. I knew that I needed to regain my composure before anyone saw me like this.
After adjusting my clothes slightly and redoing my hair, I set out to find Luca. My heels tapped loudly against the marble floors and I walked. Right when I was about to pass the sitting room, I heard women's voices.
When I finally arrived in the room I saw Alicia, Gianna, and Klarissa all sitting and talking. Before entering the room, I took a long hard look at Alicia. I'd be lying if a part of me didn't feel a little bad for ruining her relationship. But there is nothing I can do about it now. I took in a deep breath before I stepped into the room.
"Hey, have you guys seen Luca?" I asked. I made sure my face showed no emotion, I didn't want them to suspect anything. They won't see me crack.
"Yeah I saw him a little while ago. He said that he was heading into the gym to work out with the others." Alicia said as we made eye contact.
I could feel Klarissa's eyes burning into me. She was probably starring at my ruined mascara caused by my little out burst in Lorenzo's office. I knew that she could sense something was off.
"Okay thanks." I said as I turned on my heel.
"Yeah, sure." Alicia said in a timid tone. I could feel how intimated she was of me.
"Anika, are you alright?" I heard Klarissa call to me.
I could feel all of their eyes on me. When I spun around to look at them, I had a deep scowl on my face.
Something that I've always hated about women like this is how much they like to talk about their feelings. They don't understand how the world works because men like Lorenzo take them and protect them. And the major flaw in that, is that always need protecting from something. Today that something was me.
"The fuck you say to me?" I said as I strutted over to where they were sitting.
"I was just ask-" Klarissa stuttered with a panicked look on her face.
"We are not friends, we never will be. So don't ask me questions that you have no business knowing the answers to." I said to her.
"I'm-m sorry." she then said in a defeated tone.
I gave them all one more glare before I walked out of the room. In my head I quietly practiced what I'm about to say to Luca.
When I approached the gym door, I stopped before I went inside. I know that once I walk in that door, I can't ever walk back out. This very decision might change my whole life.
After considering it, I walked inside. When I entered I saw Luca sitting alone on the bench press seat with his shirt off.
"Hey." I said as I slowly walked over to him.
"Oh, hey Anika." he said as he looked at me.
"I was wondering if we could talk about a few things?" I asked him as I went to sit next to him on the seat.
"Yeah, sure." he said as he reached for his thin white tank top. Once he pulled the shirt over his head he turned to look at me.
"Were you crying? What wrong?" he asked as he touched my arm.
"I'm fine." I told him as my voice cracked. There was no way I was going to cry in front of Luca. I still can't believe I allowed myself to do it in front of Lorenzo.
"You're clearly not. Just tell me what happened." he said as he lightly squeezed my arm.
Luca didn't deserve what I was just about to tell him. Out of all of the brothers he really is the most gentle and genuine. I felt so terrible that I let this happened.
"I'm pregnant.." I whispered out to him.
I watched as shock washed over his face. His grip on my arm started to loosen as he searched my face. His expression showed a trace of hope of some sort. Was he hoping that the baby was his?
"Like you're preg-nant with m-my baby or is it someone...else's?" he said slowly as he tried to wrap his head around the situation.
"It's yours." I told him. My eyes started to slightly water as I watched him.
"But I have a girlfriend." he said as he put his hands over his face. I could see his brain moving a hundred miles an hour.
"Well are you going to keep it?" he asked as he looked deep in my eyes. His eyes were big, with hope. I could see how bad he wanted this and this baby. Lorenzo was 100% right, if I were to terminate the baby, it would kill him.
"I-i haven't really decided." I answered quietly. I wasn't sure what to say to him, and saying that I haven't decided wasn't really a lie or the truth.
"Okay, just let me know when you decide." he said with emotion clear in his voice. He then directed his gaze away from me and started to pick up a few of his belongings.
"Do you want to keep it?" I asked him. Even though I already knew the answer, I wanted to hear him say it.
"Anika, do you even have to ask that question? I've been in love with you for forever so why would I want you to kill our child." he said as his breathing started to shallow.
"And I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't happy about you having my baby." he added quietly.
"Don't say that to me!" I screamed at him.
Hot tears ran down my face as I started to hit my fists against his hard body. I felt him struggle as he tried to wrap his arms around my body. Once I was in his arms he brought me close to him, offering me comfort.
"Just please Anika, give us a chance." he said against my ear.
"I'll keep the baby, but it's not fair to you for me to commit to a relationship." I told him as I pulled away from his grasp.
I could see how crushed he was by my rejection. But he had to know by now that I will always choose me over anyone. Even if it is my own child.
"What about the baby once it's born? Will you still work?" he asked me.
"The baby will stay here with you and your brothers. You will be able to give it a better home then I can. And yes, I will still work. My work is the only thing that makes me happy. I will work out all the details later with Lorenzo." I told him as I stood up.
"So just like that. Everything that happened between us meant nothing. You are going to walk away from me and our child for work?" he asked with exasperation.
"Yeah, just like that." I said in a cool tone. Even though tears were still falling, I still turned to walk out of the gym. I couldn't be in this house any longer. My pride couldn't stand to have another person watch me cry.
As I walked out of the gym, Lorenzo was walking past the door with his girlfriend. She seemed to be talking his ear off about something because he had a bored expression on his face.
"E 'fatto." I told him as I gestured towards the gym. (It's done.)
"Proprio così?" he said as he looked back towards the door. (Just like that?)
"Sì, proprio così." I told him in a cold tone.
"What's going on?" I heard his girlfriend wine as I walked away.
All I could think was how glad I am that I'm not going to be around when the shit hits the fan.