Chapter Seven
Scarlet after a long night before dawn decided to call her best friend in Canada. Sabrina Fox was Scarlet's classmate and best friend with whom they has shared weal and woe and laughed together for five years of medical school and internship. She is one person Scarlet can instinctively turn to without being judged. Though not many had known of Scarlet’s billionaire background, Sabrina had known and never taken advantage and their friendship had grown beyond friendship and evolved into sisterhood where they had found a sister in each other.
Scarlet dialed Sabrina, knowing the time difference between Canada and Verona: nine hours.
In Ottawa, Sabrina Fox, who had just left the pediatric ward in Hospital Montfort and was moving towards the nurses' station, heard a characteristic beep from her phone, indicating Scarlet's call was frowned. She knew that it was dawn in Verona, so for Scarlet to call her, it meant something very important.
"Yes, baby, how are you and what is worrying you?" On the other end of the line, Scarlet gave a small smile. That's her Sabrina, for sure. She knew her so well. "Babe, my world is turning upside down. I don't know what to do." Scarlet cried into the sniffling. Sabrina guessed that this was an important discussion, cat-walked in her usual elegant way into her office, and plopped on the nearest chair.
"Okay, coast clear, shoot, what is the matter? I have never heard you cry over a phone call.
Sabrina said it in a soothing tone. Scarlet, on hearing her mention cry, gave out a loud wail, which immediately began to shake every part of the room so much that small bottles of perfume placed on a banister by the wall began to explode, and Sabrina, hearing the sounds over the phone, was so scared that she shouted in a high tone, "Scarlet! Are you alright? What are those sounds I am hearing?" Sabrina's voice was so high that it attracted the nurses whose station was close to Sabrina's office.
The Head Nurse,Charlotte with other nurses in tow, barged into Sabrina's office to hear Scarlet's name on her mouth. “What's happening Dr Fox?” "We heard you shouting". "Is that Dr Montgomery you are talking to, is she alright? " The nurses continued to barrage her with a lot of questions. Sabrina, agitated beyond measure tried to calm down, her cell phone still glued to her ear. She motioned for the nurses to keep quiet and shooed them away with her hand.The nurses left with a puzzled look on their faces but Charlotte remained.
Sabrina continued to listen to the phone. While the exploding noises had reduced, she could still hear Scarlet crying quietly. “Calm down baby .Please stop with the tears and give me the full gist". Sabrina admonished her friend with the harshest tone she could muster. "Tell me, what happened?". Scarlet quietened down and down loaded the full story. She did not however tell her the matter of her having supernatural powers or whatever it was she was feeling. “What did you just say? What about Allessandro ? You told me you had found the man of your dreams." Sabrina said incredulously.
“That is why I am calling you. I need you right now. When can you come over? I am going crazy by the minute. Please babe if you don't come I don't know what I will do”. Scarlet said, hiccupping. "Hold that thought. I am coming right away. Let me make some arrangements concerning my patients". "Thanks babe, I knew I could always count on you. I love you to the moon and back, kisses"
"Hugs baby. See you soon."
Sabrina put down her phone and looked at Nurse Charlotte, who had been listening in on the conversation. "Can you now fill me in? What's happening to you girls and why was Scarlet crying over the phone?" She queried with raised eyebrows that brooked no arguments. "Please, could you give me a few days? I can't tell you anything for sure. Scarlet needs me right now, and I have to be in Italy as fast as I can. Please, could you go talk to Chief Stephan for me? He will listen to you" Sabrina begged Charlotte, who has become more than a mother to her and Scarlet over the years, with a desperate look. I will do that. Have I ever said no to you girls before?" Charlotte replied with an affectionate look, giving Sabrina a motherly hug. While still in Charlotte's comforting arms, Sabrina wondered what was going on with her friend. She must find out, or else she won't be able to rest easily.
After her chat with Sabrina, Scarlet felt relieved and knew there was somebody she could talk to soon. While thinking that, she fell asleep with a reminder to ask her brother Mario if he knew what was going on.
On the other side of Verona, Edwardo has been driving Alless for the past thirty minutes in circles, which explains why Alless has remained in taciturn silence, looking over the scenery.
"Allessandro Rossi, I hope this is not why you called me away from paradise; to watch your face and look at endless trees and passersby. If you wanted a chauffeur, you should have called one from Rossi's residence. There are numerous employees there looking for this kind of job". Edwardo lamented sullenly. "Tell me, what's eating you up?" "I am engaged to be married to someone I have no idea of. Can you believe that, Edwardo? Does it make sense?" Alless exploded with fury. He looked so angry that Edwardo held his breath, feeling as if his breath would cause further explosions. "And the worst of it all is that Lorenzo,my brother, whom I regard as my best friend, knew about it all these years and never uttered a word!" "My parents hid such a secret from me for such a long time. What are they expecting from me? Just because I obey them implicitly, they feel they can impose anything on me. I obey them because I love them, but not this time! I have found the woman of my dreams, and nothing in the world can stop me from being with her. A fanatical blue light began to glow behind his gentle blues. So intense that it could ignite anything nearby. Edwardo screeched to a stop, quickly opened his side of the door, and stepped out. Danger was looming; he knew it. He has never seen Alless like this. He needed to contact Mr. Rossi ASAP! While Alless was ranting, he felt a surge go through him like lightning, and he fainted immediately with his head hung over the passengerar seat.
Edwardo, noticing everywhere was quiet, was surprised because he expected an explosion from the way Alless looked. He went over to the passengers' side and looked to see what Alless was doing. He touched his shoulder gingerly in a shake, but there was no response. Alless was far from cold. He gave a sigh of relief. That was close. He just escaped major danger. He went over to the driver's side and drove back towards Rossi's mansion.
Antonio and Carla, in their pajamas, were waiting for Edwardo on the porch overlooking the driveway. They saw him carrying a grown man, striding into the mansion as if he were carrying a weightless doll. The duo on the porch did not even blink at the sight of their son being carried in. They already knew what had transpired, and of course they will have a lot of questions to answer in the morning.
"Take him to his apartments quietly; do not wake the servants". "I know, my Lord!" Edwardo bowed deeply to the king and queen and passed them with Alless still cradled in his arms. Antonio and Carla turned to follow Edwardo with their eyes. "It's time," Antonio said, looking at Carla with knowing eyes. "Yes, it's time, my love, the king."
In the morning, Allessandro woke up feeling disoriented. After sitting up, he laid back down again and began to muse over the affairs of the previous night. He remembered driving around with Edwardo and trying to tell him about his supposed "engagement" After that, he could not remember a thing. What happened? How did he come back to his room? Did they go for a drink, and he passed out? But he is not a heavy drinker, and he has never been drunk in his life. No matter how he drinks, he never gets drunk. But passing out from a few drinks? He tested his breath for alcohol and found nothing. He rose up from the bed and looked at the time; it was already past ten o'clock in the morning! What? How did he sleep through that? Allessandro Rossi overslept for the first time since he became an adult. What's going on? He went to his bathroom and freshened up.
A few minutes later, he got to the dining room and met an empty table. Looking at the covered dishes on the table, it was obviously his breakfast, which was about to become brunch. With a grimace, he reached for his phone in his pocket, dialing Edwardo's line. "Where are you? Why have I not seen you this morning, and what happened yesterday?" He fired at Edwardo without waiting for any greeting. "I am already in the office. I was in your
Your apartment was empty earlier, but you were sleeping so peacefully that your parents asked me not to wake you. "Really? You have some explaining to do". Alless replied in a disgruntled voice, moving towards the parking lot. A servant, seeing him leave, rushed to get his bags. Alless waved him away. Choosing the Ferrari today, Alless entered and backed out of the driveway in a bid to reach Rossi's Towers in less than twenty minutes.