Delectable Benefits

Epilogue

Nick and Anya joined her family for breakfast the following morning. They finally emerged from their bedroom and Anya was completely red in the face when she faced her family. Her mother looked at her with a smile, Anya mentally cringed, she was almost sure she was going to get scolded for leaving her daughter alone. But she was glad Dimitri was there, Nicolette could charm her uncle into giving her whatever she wanted.

"Good morning!" Nick announced at the same time Anya noticed her father's presence in the dining room. It was certainly a first to actually see him there with her mother on his right and Ryushka on his left. Her brother was next to their mother and Nicolette next to him. Anya winced and wondered what her father was going to say as she noticed their place on the table was on the other side with Nick on the other end and her on his right.

"Good morning, mommy, daddy," Nicolette said and immediately rose to give her parents hugs and kisses.

Anya looked up at her father and saw he was eating soup. He had lost a terrible amount of weight. Gone was his robust zest for life, now he was skinny and wheelchair bound. "I assume you have read my letter, son?" his father was speaking in Italian.

"Yes, papa, I have read your e-mails. You have given Anya a rather sizable inheritance. Controlling shares of all of your restaurants and pastry shops," Nick replied.

If Anya was drinking juice, she would have choked. Luckily she was just about to. "What?"

"However, I am not allowed to touch her inheritance nor merge with Santinis. It's in our prenup." Nick said and tasted their homemade sausage. Chadwick would have a gastronomic orgasm with just one bite.

Anya remembered their contract, he was adamant about that. He just wanted the world to know he didn't marry her for her restaurants. He married her for Nicolette. Her father glared at her. "Why?"

"Because, papa, Nick just wanted to marry me, not the business. I also told him we cannot form a merger."

"Why not?" Her mother asked.

"Because, you didn't approve of me. I am the outcast," Anya replied quietly. "That's also one of the reasons I never came back."

Everyone was silent on the dining table, all except Ryushka. "Yes, you weren't really needed."

"No, we need her, Ryushka,  and we wouldn't have survived if it weren't for your sister. Especially whenever you messed up," Papito said harshly and joined them and sat next to Nicolette. "My little jewel," he said and kissed Nicolette's forehead.

Nicolette looked at her mother then mouthed the word fossil making Anya spit out her drink. She glared at the little girl who pretended nothing had happened. "Are you all right?" Nick asked worriedly. "Is it the babies?"

Anya wheezed and shook her head, "No, I'm fine," she rasped out.

"Anya! Try to hold it in please. You're a grown woman," her mother scolded.

When Anya was done coughing, she looked at her mother. "Sorry, mama, it went down the wrong pipe."

Nick shook his head. He held his wife's on top of the table. "Papa, the merger between us cannot work. My Anya and I have agreed upon  acting as board members."

"But who will run it? None of my children have acumen for running such a big business." Papa said with a scowl.

Anya sighed, "The only person related to you who is capable of running a business is my daughter and possibly my triplets knowing that their father has such a talent. However, I cannot force my children to do so because they have the right to choose whatever they want to to do with their lives."