It belongs to me
Leandro repeated the question to himself over and over again as he traveled through several cities in Italy. They had investigated airports, and Deborah and the n**o had not left the country. A woman like her would have to be hiding wherever she was surrounded by luxury. They had found the helicopter abandoned on the outskirts of Milan.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, taking Santi with you, Deborah?” Leandro asked himself the same question again and again.
Meanwhile, Sergio was going crazy searching for them. He had nothing to blackmail Bruno and Nicole with, so he believed they could act against him at any moment.
Bruno hired the best lawyers who recommended filing a report about the n**o’s kidnapping. They would show that Nicole signed the documents under coercion. Coswell remained under the protection of Gío and Rina. He was willing to testify against Sergio, and they could also prove that Rina had been forced to give up Nicole’s inheritance.
“You’ll soon recover what is rightfully yours. Sergio will pay for what he has done. He will have to flee if he wants to preserve his freedom, but he will do so without a single penny,” Bruno said, enjoying the thought that the time had come for Sergio to pay for all his misdeeds.
“For a man like him, that will be a complete hell,” René exclaimed.
“He will simply get what he deserves,” Rina finally had the opportunity to take revenge on the man who had caused her so much harm.
Gío approached Rina and hugged her. Nicole watched them, noticing that this woman resembled her too much. It bothered her that they refused to tell her the truth.
Sondra, on the other hand, was desperate. Her parents had cut off all their support, and they had also forbidden her from entering the house or the company. She had to leave the room she was staying in because she couldn’t afford it anymore. She either had to leave or be kicked out. That day, she had no money left to buy food, and her stomach growled with hunger.
She left the place with no specific destination in mind. The suitcases weighed her down, and she couldn’t make much progress. She would wait for her father outside their house. It was impossible for him not to feel compassion when he saw her in that state. She was sure that Noah loved her like a daughter; he had always shown it.Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.
“It’s not fair. Nicole took away everything I love the most. I won’t stop until she pays,” Sondra said.
She waited for a couple of hours while the rain poured down, and the icy wind chilled her to the bone. She tried to light a cigarette, but being soaked as she was, it was impossible. Shortly after, she saw her parents’ car approaching. When Emma saw her, her heart ached. She had overprotected her since she was a child, and fulfilling all her whims had not been her best decision.
“Stop, Noah, it’s my daughter,” Emma said.
Noah stopped the car, and only then did he notice the red-haired girl standing in the rain. She looked so fragile, so defenseless. He got out of the car and covered her with his coat.
“Get in the car, daughter,” he said. Trembling, the girl obeyed. Noah took her suitcases and loaded them into the car. They drove towards the house, all in total silence. Emma was dying to hug her daughter, hoping that seeing her in that terrible situation would make her reconsider.
Upon arriving at the house, Emma accompanied her to her room. While she took a shower, Emma went downstairs to prepare her a cup of tea. Noah approached her to talk.
“You know I love Sondra like my own daughter, but what she has done is not something trivial. You know she will go to jail if it’s proven that she provided information to Sergio to help with Santi’s kidnapping.
“I know.”
“I will allow her to stay here while the investigation progresses, and deep down, I truly hope that she had nothing to do with it as she claims. But if she did, I will personally hand her over to the authorities, even if it breaks my heart. Warn her that one more foolish act on her part, and she’s gone, this time for good.
I don’t want to hear that you’re giving her money. I will monitor your bank transactions and control your cash flow. Sondra needs to understand that she can’t go around hurting people. Our actions have consequences,” Noah said.
Emma listened to him in silence as she cried. She hadn’t seen Noah behave like this since she met him. He would get furious every time he remembered Deborah. This man had the kindest heart in the world. He was caring, loving, and concerned about his family. She couldn’t contradict him, especially because, despite loving her daughter, she agreed with what he was asking.
Noah retreated to his study, poured himself a glass of water, and took a pill while placing a hand on his chest. The bad news had taken a toll on him. He had to keep himself under control, or he would relapse.
At what point had his daughters’ lives become complete chaos? Perhaps he should have worked less and dedicated more time to them.
He closed his eyes and began to recall the happy times when his daughters were always together, one following the other. They had tried to treat them equally, avoiding any differences between them to prevent problems. Where had they gone wrong? No matter how much he thought about it, he didn’t know.
Emma entered the room shortly after. He still had his eyes closed, his hand on his chest, and the other covering his eyes. As she approached him, she realized he was crying. She hugged him, crying with him. She feared for his health. It was impossible for him to remain calm with everything that was happening.
“Did you talk to her?” Noah asked.
“Yes.”
“How did she take it?”
“I wish I could tell you that she took it well, but I would be lying. You know her,” Emma replied.
Noah removed the hand covering his eyes, and Emma could see infinite sadness in his expression.
“Let’s talk to her tomorrow. I plan to offer her the opportunity to do a master’s degree in Spain. It will keep her distracted from thinking about hurting her sister. I’m extremely worried about Sondra. If she continues like this, it will end very badly,” Noah said.
“I know. Tomorrow, after lunch, let’s talk to her. I hope she accepts your proposal. She can stay at the house we have in Madrid, and I’ll try to visit her often so she doesn’t feel alone,” Emma suggested.
The next day, after lunch, Noah called Sondra into his study, and her mother sat next to her.
“Daughter, we want to propose something to you. You know that we love you just as much as your sister. Our love is not greater for one or the other,” Noah began.
She listened silently, having no idea what this proposal was about.
“We want you to pursue a master’s degree in Spain. You know we have a house in Madrid, and it will be good for you. It will also help you advance in your career,” he continued.
Emma, noticing Sondra’s silence, took her hands.
“Daughter, I know you think we don’t love you, but I love you with all my soul. Your father and I discussed it last night, and we believe that traveling to Spain is the best thing for you.”
Sondra stood up, feeling deeply hurt by what her parents were trying to do. She saw it as their way of getting rid of her so that she wouldn’t bother them anymore, or at least that’s what she thought.
“So, you think this is the best way to get rid of me? To you, I’m worthless. You want to keep me away so that I don’t bother your precious daughter. You want me to distance myself so that she can be happy with the man I love. I will not do it in any way. I won’t settle for that. I have the right to half of the inheritance. The company also belongs to me. I know you will do everything possible to take it back,” Sondra exclaimed.
“Daughter, your father founded that company with the money given by Nicole’s mother. He had nothing back then, which is why it belongs to her. Even this house was purchased by Rina,” Emma explained.
“I won’t allow it. I would kill Nicole before letting her take the entire fortune. It belongs to me as well, just like Bruno. I know he will love me when she no longer exists,” Sondra declared.
Emma couldn’t believe her daughter’s reaction. She turned to look at Noah, who remained silent. She noticed that he had both hands on his chest, and by his expression, she realized that something was wrong.
“Noah, what’s wrong? Answer me, Noah,” Emma pleaded.
Sondra became scared when she saw the consequences of her words. It was clear that her father was having a heart attack.
“Don’t just stand there, call an ambulance immediately! Noah, for God’s sake, hold on,” Emma cried out.
The ambulance arrived minutes later. Noah was unconscious. Emma went with him in the ambulance, horrified as she watched the paramedics try to revive him.
Later, everyone was in the hospital waiting room. Bruno feared that if anything happened to Noah, Nicole wouldn’t be able to handle it. He embraced her, trying to give her strength. Sondra arrived at that moment, and Emma stood up angrily upon seeing her.
“How dare you come here? Your father is behind those doors, fighting between life and death. You were too cruel, Sondra. He was only trying to make you understand and correct your path. Despite everything you did to his daughter, he tried to support you. Leave, Sondra. When I return home, I hope not to find you there. I have asked for your things to be packed and left in the garden. From this moment on, you are not allowed to enter the house again.”
“Mom, you can’t do this to me. I have no money and nowhere to go,” Sondra pleaded.
Sondra felt remorse for what she had done. She loved Noah, and she wouldn’t forgive herself if something happened to him. Everyone there looked at her with contempt.
“I won’t repeat it. Leave right now,” Emma said coldly.
She walked away from her, and the others did the same. Sondra had never felt so hurt and rejected in her life.