Chapter 43

Alessandro opens the door, walks straight to his office, and pours a drink for himself. Lisa sighs as she gets out and walks to their room. She took off her pajamas and went to the shower. Lisa fell to the ground, crying.

"Why would he behave like that?" She thought. She feels so alone. No one to talk to. She wishes her mother were still here so she could give her advice on how to handle this situation. Lisa let herself cry, then stood up, washed herself, and went to bed. Alessandro was just about to pour his third shot of whiskey when Antonio took the glass.

"Mr. Mancini, I know it's not my place, but what's got you so upset that you are drinking?"

Alessandro laughs: "Can you believe I'm going to be a father?"

"And why is that such a bad thing, Mr. Mancini? I can see that Lisa means something to you; I can see the love you have for her every time she's around you." Antonio tells him.

"I am afraid, Antonio; someone's out to hurt us. What if I can't protect Lisa or my unborn child?"

"Mr. Mancini, so far you have done a good job protecting Lisa. You have friends who not only love you but also love Lisa as if she were their sister. They will help you protect them. My advice is to go to her and explain everything to her. Tell her your fears; she's in your room crying."

Alessandro looks at Antonio and says, "Thank you, Antonio; what would I have done without someone as loyal as you?"

Alessandro runs out of his office to their room. As soon as he opens the door, he hears Lisa crying. He went to her side and kneeled.

"Lisa, I am so sorry for acting like a dickhead. I am excited about our baby; it's just that I am scared. I didn't know how to react." Lisa lifts her head and looks at Alessandro.

"I am afraid too, Alessandro; this is all new for me as well. I just want the father of my child and the man I lo..." Lisa realized what she was about to say and shut her mouth, hoping Alessandro didn't hear anything.

"The man, you what?" Oh, sh*t, he heard. Lisa sits up straight and looks away when talking about "The man I love". Alessandro looks at her, shocked. Did she just admit her feelings for him?

"You don't have to say it back; I just I... you... need to know... Lisa was cut short when Alessandro's lips smashed against hers. This kiss was different from all the others; it's like he's trying to tell her the same thing through this kiss.

"Thank you, Lisa, for giving me the most precious gift I could ever ask for." Lisa smiles and takes his face in her hands. "Thank you for giving me a child."

Alessandro tells her he's going to shower quickly. As soon as Alessandro came back to bed, Lisa was just about to fall asleep. Alessandro kissed her goodnight, then went down to her belly and said, "Hello, little one, this is your father. I already love you so much and will do anything to protect you and your beautiful mother." He then kisses her belly and lies down, holding her.

Lisa wakes up with arms around her waist. She carefully tries to get out, but Alessandro keeps holding her tighter. "Alessandro, I need to pee", Lisa shakes him.

"Mm, not now", Alessandro mumbles.

"Alessandro!" Lisa shouts. Alessandro shot up and landed on his butt on the ground. Lisa can't help but burst out laughing.

"O, you think it's funny?" Alessandro asks as he stands up and crawls onto the bed. Lisa stands up and makes a run for the bathroom, with Alessandro hot on her trail.

"Wait, I have to pee"! She shouts as she reaches the toilette. Alessandro turns around and walks out of the bathroom. Lisa finishes her business, then washes her hands and walks out. As soon as she is out of the bathroom, Alessandro catches her and takes her to bed. He then sits on her and starts to tickle her.

"Stop. Stop, please," Lisa pleads between laughs.

"Say please to your handsome, caring, most adorable man on earth".

"Please, Alessandro", she says between laughs.

"No, that's not it". Alessandro says this and continues his attack.

"Okay, okay, please, your handsome, caring, most adorable man on earth, stop". Lisa tells him. Alessandro lets go of her and helps her up.

"Let's go and take a shower." He says this as he walks to the bathroom. Lisa joins him in the shower.

Everyone was waiting for them at the table when they walked in. "About time", Lilani says to them.

"Sorry, we are late", Lisa apologizes. They sit down, and everyone starts eating. After they are finished, Alessandro tells them he has something to tell them. Well, as you know, last night I took Lisa to the hospital. Well, it turns out we are going to be parents". Maria and the others got up and congratulated both Alessandro and Lisa.

"I am way too young to be an aunt, you guys! Please take the baby back where you got it". Lilani tells them. All eyes are on Lilani, and they try not to laugh.

Lisa went to sit by her side and said, "We can't give the baby back, Lil. The baby is going to grow in my belly," Lisa explains, putting her hands on her belly.

Lilani's eyes widened, and she exclaimed to Alessandro, "Oh no, Ali! Lisa has swallowed your baby!" Lisa couldn't hold it any longer and started laughing.

"This is not a joke, Lisa; why did you swallow the baby?" Lilani demands. Lisa takes Lilani's hand and puts it on her belly.

"Lilani, I haven't actually swallowed the baby."

"Then how did the baby get there?"

"Well, you see, Jesus saw that Alessandro and I loved each other, so one night when we were sleeping, he came and put a tiny seed in my belly. Now that seed needs to grow until the baby is big enough to come to us." Lilani looks at everyone around her, then at Lisa's belly.

"Alright, but how is the baby going to get out?" Lisa smiles and thinks of an acceptable answer.

"Well, when the baby is ready, Ali will take me to the hospital, where the doctors will help me take the baby out."

Lilani still looks at Lisa's belly and says, "Okay, then the baby doesn't need to go back. When are we going to get him out?"

"Well, it's still a few more months, but we will get to see the baby every month when we go to the doctor," Lisa explained.

"Can I go with you?" Lilani asked. Lisa nods in agreement and warmly embraces Lilani. Lilani then got up and went to get her back.

"Phew, I don't know how you did it, but you did a great job explaining things to her," Alessandro says.

"Yeah, I thought I was going to faint; sh*t, I never knew it would be this hard," Lisa admits. Alessandro kisses Lisa and says, "I will make an appointment with a doctor today. Take care of yourself." Alessandro tells her.

"I will do so; enjoy your day, and don't stress too much; I love you." Alessandro looks at her and replies, "Ditto". And then walks out of the door.

Alessandro went to the warehouse, and when he got there, the others were already waiting for him. "About time, Mancini, did wifey keep you busy all night?" Kevin asks, wiggling his eyes.

Alessandro shakes his head and replies, "No, but last night I took her to the hospital and got the biggest shock of my life."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Is she alright?"

"Where is she now?" All three ask at the same time.

"Relax guys, she's fine and at home, and we are expecting." He finally tells his friends.

"Congratulations, my friend". Johnny says this and hugs him.

"Yeah, man, congratulations!" Kevin and Jake exclaimed, embracing him.

"We must quickly locate the Lombardi. I don't want to put Lisa and my unborn child's lives in danger."

"We've got your back, man; don't worry, we will protect them," Kevin assures him. Alessandro thanked his friends and went inside.

Alessandro walked up to Stefano and said, "Are you going to tell me what I want to know?" Stefano just looks at Alessandro and then spits on his face.

Alessandro hit him with his fist and turned to Johnny, saying, "He's all yours; use as much torture as possible, then cut off a finger and send it to his father". Stefano looks at Johnny and realizes who he's dealing with; he keeps calm and doesn't show any fear.

Alessandro went outside and called a doctor to make an appointment for Lisa. After the call ends, he hears how Stefano screams inside. He doesn't do this kind of torture, which is why he's thankful for Johnny and the others who know how to get a guy to talk. Johnny approaches Alessandro with a sense of urgency. "Listen, Stefano's father has a sinister plan in motion," he revealed. "First, he aims to bring you down, but that's just the beginning. After that, he set his sights on Lisa. By the time he's done with her, no man in his right mind will ever desire her again. He says Lisa is the reason you won't take Bianca back."

Alessandro shakes his head and asks Johnny if he told him where to find Mr. Lombardi. "No, he doesn't know where his father is; he only calls him from a burned phone with instructions."

"Shit, I have to do something; otherwise, Lisa's life will be in danger."

"Don't worry, we will figure something out", Johnny assures him.

Lisa went up to her room and took a nap. She feels sick after vomiting the whole morning. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Alessandro arrived home after he went to the warehouse. "Where's Lisa, Maria?"

"She went to lay down, Mr. Mancini". She tells him. Alessandro went to the room and found Lisa sleeping peacefully. He takes a blanket, throws it over her, and goes to lay down next to her. He informed Leonardo that he would take the rest of the day off. He pulls her close to him and then falls asleep, knowing they are still safe with him.