If Loving You is Wrong

47: New Beginnings

A few days later, Antonio was back at his home staring at the spot where Olivia had been laying after her fall.

He couldn't take his eyes off it and even though he knew he did not kill her, he knew he was no less responsible for her death.

Despite everything he had done for her in the beginning and sticking by her side after her accident for all those years, he had allowed himself to feel and believe that he had a right to cheat with Liana because he had not cheated for so long.

No matter which way you looked at it, he had cheated on his wife and no matter how much she had treated him unfairly, he should have continued to stay true to those vows.

At the very least he could have told someone the true nature of their marriage instead of leading others to believe that everything was fine.

Maybe that's why they had been able to believe such a horrendous thing about him? Olivia had been the perfect wife and he had been the cheating murderous husband in their eyes. What else would everyone believe?

Antonio took a deep breath and turned to leave the house he had called home for over ten years for the very last time.

He was selling.

There was no reason for him to stay there and nothing in the house he wanted to take so he just, left.

His clothes and other personal belongings had been brought to the hotel he was staying in and would remain there until he decided what he wanted to do.

He would not return to the apartment that he and Liana had shared, it seemed...disrespectful somehow.

He hadn't seen Liana since the trial and when he'd finally got his belongings back, he'd seen missed calls from her on his phone but hadn't called her back.

He didn't know what to say or what to do with this new-found freedom.

He still loved her of course, he had loved her for a long time and now they were going to have twins! However, he had to get his life back on track before he could bring Liana back into it.

He had to reassemble his career and be able to provide for his upcoming family. He was by no means poor at any rate, but his reputation had been smeared and that was worse than bankruptcy in the world he lived in.

With that thought in mind, Antonio knew then that he needed to speak to his father. For once he would use the Sabbatini name to get back into the good graces of the legal elite until he was back on top where he needed to be.

---

Gregorio Sabbatini sat behind his desk in his home office and took a deep breath as he looked at his youngest son.

"It will be difficult," he said. "But I will help you."

"Thank you Papa," he said gratefully but his father only nodded.

"You know, of all my sons you are the only one to never ask me for anything. Even as a child you always wanted to do things on your own, at your own speed. I adored that in you...its why you are so successful today."

"Thank you Papa," his father had never lacked in showing him love or attention to get such specific praise from him was rare.

"How are you keeping up? I'm aware I am to be a Grandfather again..."

"Yes, to twins."

"Twins!"

"You have a picture, a scan?" Antonio shook his head regrettably.

"I haven't seen Liana since the trial."

"Why on earth not!"

Antonio looked away from his father, ashamed that he had been running from Liana and more importantly...her father. He knew Leonardo Vargas hated him for what he saw as defiling his daughter and he really didn't want to face him again. He was ashamed of his actions even if he didn't regret them.

He loved Liana and wanted to be with her still.

"I need to get back on my feet before I can go crawling back to her and her father Papa. He already hates me, I cant give him more reason to do so."

"He hates you no matter what you do so that is no real reason. What of this poor girl, pregnant and alone. What must she be thinking if you have not spoken to her?"

He hadn't thought of that.

Surely Liana would know he just needed some time...?

"Call her this instant Antonio. She has waited months for you and to all it would like like she has been discarded; to her father more so!"

Christ!

He definitely hadn't thought of it like that.

She had stood by him through his trial but he had yet to see her. The press must be having a field day covering the jilted woman!

He got up from his seat and went to make a call.

***

Liana was drinking a smoothie in an outside Soho juice bare with Emilia when Antonio approached her. He didn't seem to fit in the cosmopolitan space and it more than confused her.

She had heard from him in days since his trial and every attempt to contact him had failed.

So here she was, drowning her sorrows in a smoothie when she really wanted Tequila, and there he was; looking as sexy and beautiful as he ever had.

"What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you...to explain."

"You couldn't do that on the phone?" she snapped and she saw his guilt.

"I'm sorry Liana, I've been...confused lately and I didn't know how to deal but I'm here now and I want us to be together."

"So I must drop everything for you, because you come running?" she snapped before Emilia interjected,

"Should I go, I think you two need to talk."

"No Em, don't leave...we'll both go!" Liana said angrily as she collected her bag from under the table between them, collected her smoothie and proceeded to storm off.

"Liana please wait!" Antonio called after her before stopping in front of her, looking desperate and afraid.

"Liana, please...please do not do this. We've been through so much to be together...now is our time."

Liana didn't say anything because he was right in that regard. They had gone through hell to be allowed to love one another and she was being stubborn.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be with him, but she wanted him to suffer the way he had made her suffer these past days by ignoring her.

"Press hounded me," she said hatefully. "Asking where you were, why you weren't by my side if it was true love!"

"I'm sorry Liana,"

"Do you know how that felt? To have your children growing inside of me and having to wondered if you cared, if you'd ever loved me at all!"

"I do love you Li, from the very first moment I met you ive been in love with you!"

Antonio stepped closer to her and took her hands into his and squeezed them tightly.

"I've put you through too much since then to lose you now. I want to make this right for you and our babies, I need to make this right!"

By now people were watching them and Liana was beyond embarrassed. She looked behind her to Emilia who imply shrugged her shoulders with a smirk on her face. She turned back to Antonio,

"You know I love you but we can only be together if you do something for me."

"Anything, name it." Liana took a deep breath,

"You have to speak to my father."