Married On Paper To The Billionaire
Chapter 49: Damage Control

"Her vitals are stable for now. If it continues that way, we'll have her discharged tomorrow."

"Thank you, doctor. Please, keep me informed. My office will handle the payments, of course."

"You're welcome, Mr Beaumont," said the doctor.

As soon as he stepped out of the doctor's office, he bumped into 'Lupe who was glaring at him murderously.

"The doctor says she'll be fine," he informed her dryly.

"You do realize that Serena is in this situation because of you, don't you?"

"I don't have time to play this blame game with you, 'Lupe. If I had thrown your daughter in jail as I should have, you wouldn't be here getting mouthy with me."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Do you feel threatened?"

"All she ever did was to love you."

"By kidnapping my daughter and handing her over to my enemy."

"She did that out of desperation."

"I don't care how you spin this, 'Lupe. This is the end of the road for you and Serena. If either of you tries another nonsense with me and my family, I will make sure you pay with everything you've got. That's a promise."

"I will not let you get away with this. You, rich folks, think you can just step all over little people like us and get away with it. That's not going to happen."

"You're just as crazy as your foster daughter. Get out of my way."

"I will sue you for emotional battery and trauma to my daughter!"

"Knock yourself out, 'Lupe," he said dismissively and pushed past her. He went to the lobby where Samuel was waiting for him.

"What's the update?"

"She'll live. Let's get out of here. I think we can finally tie this episode with a neat bow and toss it in the trash."

Samuel smiled. "I like that description. You have shown more grace to that looney and her mother than a saint would. You've done well."

"Thanks for saying that and thank you for helping out."

"Anytime, brother. You've saved my ass way too many times for me not to reciprocate the gesture."

Kane acknowledged the humble comment with a nod. "Let's go home, shall we?"

****

"So, what has any of that got to do with me?" Emilia asked after Kane gave her a rundown of everything that happened at the hospital. He sighed. "Can we just start over?"

"How many times do we have to start over in this marriage?"

"I promise you, this is the last time."

"Your promises don't mean much, Kane. You promised me that Serena wouldn't be here when the kids and I showed up but she was."

"I apologize for that but this time, I mean it. I'm done with all that drama. Let's rebuild our marriage, please."

"First of all, I want to ask you a question and I need you to be perfectly honest with me."

"OK."

"After that supposedly unplanned sexual encounter between you and Serena in your study, did you two have sex again?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "It only happened once and I was... I wasn't thinking straight."

"Then we're even," she said and got to her feet. "You can leave my room now."

"This can't be your room, Emilia. This is a guest room. Let's go back to our suite. That's where you belong."

"I'll probably do that when I no longer feel as if I'm left with Serena's leftover."

"What about me? Am I left with Matt's leftover?"

She glowered at him. "Get out."

"You can't keep this up forever. What else do you want me to do or say? We both cheated, we were both wrong. Can we forgive ourselves and just move on now?"

He was right but her pride won't let her admit it. They were both responsible for the state of their marriage and there was a chance for them to fix things but she wasn't ready to let go of her anger just yet. "I'd like to rest now, Kane. I think you should do the same."

"Of course," he said and walked out of the room.

Outside, he met his mother coming up the stairs. One look at his sad face and she knew what had happened.

"Don't worry, she'll come around soon," she assured him softly.

"Maybe," he said uncertainly.

"She still loves you. If she didn't, she wouldn't come back here, trust me."

"Do you really think so?"

She chuckled. "I'm a woman, Kane. I know how these things work. Allow her to lick her wounds for now. She'll forgive you when she's over it."

"When will that be? I'm tired of being the villain here."

"You know what? I think I might have an idea on how to speed up the process."

Kane smiled lopsidedly. "Is that so? I'm all ears."

"Let's take a family trip together to an exotic location. We will invite her family too. It will be the perfect way to apologize to them and put this horrible chapter behind us permanently." "That sounds like an extravagant damage control."

"And that's why it's a brilliant idea. Nobody will say no to a lavish vacation that they're not paying for. We all need this. It's going to be the perfect opportunity for you and Emilia to rekindle your romance." "Sounds like a stab in the dark to me."

"Oh, don't be so pessimistic," she said and smacked him playfully on the arm. "It's worth a try."

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.com is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away! He shrugged. "What do I have to lose at this point?"

"Nothing."

"Ok. Let's do it."

"Have you all concluded preparations for the children's birthday party?"

"Yes. We'll have a small luncheon in the garden as we did for their first birthday. I think it's the perfect time to announce the vacation to everyone including Emilia's family."

"I hope they share your excitement," he said dryly.

"They will. Stop being such a sour puss!" She laughed.

The party happened exactly as Elsie planned and everyone was there except Chloe who had traveled to New York for the fashion week. Emilia knew the real reason her sister didn't show up was that she didn't want to be in the same place with Samuel but she didn't make a fuss about it.

"I'm glad we can finally put that ugly situation behind us," Elsie said to Emilia's parents. "Should we be expecting another vow renewal ceremony?" Lara asked, wiggling her eyebrows at Emilia and Kane.

"Let's just take everything one step at a time, ok?" Emilia said quickly.

"I agree," Kane added.

"It's time to cut the cake!" Lillian announced, switching the awkward mood immediately.

The cake-cutting was followed by the announcement of the proposed family vacation. To Kane's surprise, Emilia's parents were excited about the idea.

She on the other hand maintained a straight face throughout the conversation.

"Are you ok?" He asked her softly.

"Do you care?"

"Yes. That's why I'm asking. Will you go on the trip with us?"

"Wouldn't it be crazy if I didn't?"

"How long do you plan to stay mad at me?"

She shrugged.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened. From now on, you'll be the first to know everything that happens in my life, both the pleasant and unpleasant. There will be no more secrets between us." "We'll see about that, won't we?"

He had been hoping for a more positive reaction from her but this was a start. At least she wasn't snapping at him anymore.

"So, has Mother decided where we're going?" She asked him casually.

"Actually, she wants you to choose."

Emilia raised an eyebrow. "Am I the golden child now?"

Kane chuckled. "We're all doing our best to show you just how sorry we are for hurting you again."

"I'll give you all A for effort," she joked. To everyone else, she said, "How about we tour Greece for a week?"

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.com is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away! "Ooh, I love that!" Her mother exclaimed happily. "I've never been to Greece."

"Excellent choice," said Lillian.

"Is that a unanimous yes?" Samuel asked.

"I think so," said Emilia's father.

"It's agreed then," Elsie grinned and clapped her hands delightedly.

"Will Chloe travel with us?" Samuel asked Emilia. "This is supposed to be a family trip after all."

"I'll ask her," she replied coolly.

She didn't feel comfortable discussing her sister with Samuel, not after everything she knew about them. She suspected that Lillian was probably not aware of the affair.

"You know how important the fashion week is to all designers," said Lara. "Some of her creations will be showcased too. She's been very excited about that."

"She's a talented young woman," Samuel beamed.

"You talk as if you've seen her works already," Lillian commented.

"Does anyone care for more cake?" Emilia asked, changing the subject.

The conversation switched to food and then somehow returned to the topic of the vacation. It was agreed that everyone will review their schedules for the coming work before the tour date would be fixed. With that, both families buried the hatchet and resolved to be respectful to each other going forward. As for Kane and Emilia, the jury was still out on their possible reconciliation.

After Emilia's parents left, the children were taken to their rooms to retire for the night. Once they were tucked in bed, Emilia made her way to her room but was stopped on the way by Kane.

"Will you come back to our room tonight?" He asked her.

"No."

"I thought we were already on the same page again."

"Not quite. Have you heard from your mistress?"

"Serena is not my mistress, and you know that. She has been discharged from the hospital and that's all I know."

"You should keep an eye on her. She's not the type to go away quietly."

"Trust me, I know."

"Good."

"So? What about us?"

"I don't know what you want to hear, Kane. It's been a loaded day and now I need to rest. In my room. Alone."

"We should be together."

"Not yet. We're taking this one step at a time. Don't rush me."

He nodded patiently. "I'll wait, Emilia. I'll wait until you're ready to let me back you're your life. Goodnight."

She watched him walk away and felt a gaping hole in her gut. Why was she still holding back? What was it going to take for her to get over her hurt and give Kane another chance?