Death and Rebirth
Dimitri looked around without recognizing where he was. The doctor quickly approached to examine him.
"Mr. Petrov, I will proceed with the examination," he said with fear, still remembering the bad temper of the man in front of him. Petrov didn't respond, continuing to survey his surroundings. The doctor took some blood samples and called the hospital to bring in some equipment to confirm that the patient was in good health. The aftermath of being in a coma for so many years could be severe.
"How is my son?" Boris asked, feeling anxious.
"Well, I have the results here, and I don't know if I should call what happened a miracle," the doctor said, feeling perplexed. As the best doctor in his field, Dimitri's case left him puzzled.
"My son is a Petrov; it was obvious he couldn't give up. He defeated death; he's a born warrior," Boris said with pride. Dimitri observed them talking, not quite understanding what they were saying.
Uncontrollable thoughts raced through his mind; he didn't understand what was happening. The doctor, noticing his confusion, approached to explain.
"You'll feel confused for a few days. You'll need therapy to regain movement and probably to recover your speech."
Dimitri opened and closed his eyes as if nodding. He needed to exert great effort to move; even moving a finger seemed like a daunting task.
Yulia, his fiancée, had left angrily for her parents' house. The Petrov family's housekeeper, who was her staunch ally, called her to return immediately; a great miracle had occurred.
"I guess we won't starve after all. Dimitri has awakened," the girl exclaimed joyfully to her parents.
"Well then, hurry up, go to his side," Yulia's father smiled broadly. His daughter was finally going to get married, and Petrov would have to assist him.
Yulia rushed to the Petrov mansion. She had fought hard to hide from the Petrovs that her family was ruined. They had been powerful and wealthy in the past, but almost no one knew about their downfall.
The mortgage payment on her parents' house was about to expire. If she didn't hurry and manage to get money from Dimitri, they would end up on the streets.
With her best smile, she entered the room. Dimitri fixed his gaze on her as Yulia approached to kiss him.
"My love, you've finally awakened. I didn't agree with your father ordering to disconnect you. I knew you would wake up soon."
While the girl hugged him, Dimitri's face showed displeasure. He didn't know who this woman was or why she dared to touch him.
"Yulia, my son must be feeling tired, and your attitude is bothering him. Step away from him immediately," her father-in-law said. The girl pressed her lips together; she found the old man intolerable, but she had to make an effort to endure him.
"Sorry, dear father-in-law. It's just that I feel happy; my Dimitri has awakened after all these years."
A few days passed, and Dimitri felt increasingly confused. The girl didn't leave his side; she seemed to love him too much. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember her. In fact, he couldn't remember anything from his past.
On the other side of the city, Laura stood in front of Luke's grave, watching with profound sadness as the coffin was slowly lowered to rest eternally in that dark pit.
Instinctively, she covered her abdomen with her hands, an unconscious attempt to shield her little one from the pain she was feeling.
"Calm down, my love. Mom will take care of you forever, and we'll carry Dad in our hearts, eternally."
She said as her gaze remained fixed on the coffin; the tears that had dried up days ago seemed to have run out, or perhaps she had none left.
She had gone through difficult days, but in a moment of clarity, she heard the doctor say that if she continued in that state, she could lose the baby. That was enough for her to quickly regain her sanity.
Her little son was the only thing left of her beloved, and she was going to do the impossible to keep him safe.
When the coffin was covered, a marble headstone was placed on the grave. Laura placed a bouquet of beautiful white roses, Luke's favorites to give her. A few days before his death, before leaving on a trip, he had left the last rose and a note on her pillow.
"Remember that we have a date at the altar. I'll be the happy guy in a black suit, and you, the beautiful bride in white. I can't wait for that moment," a faint smile appeared on Laura's face as she recalled Luke's sweet words in the note.
An attractive man approached Laura to offer his condolences, giving her a warm hug.
"I'm so sorry for what has happened. I still can't believe all this is happening. Please, Laura, if you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call me."
Laura fixed her sad gaze on the face of that man; he had an incredible resemblance to her deceased husband, even sharing the same name.
"Lucas, son, I thought you were away," James, Luke's father, approached to greet him.
"That's right, Uncle, but upon hearing the sad news, I returned immediately," Lucas's face had the same effect on James as it did on Laura.
Sarah, who had observed Lucas's arrival, thought that Luke should have inherited the presidency of the corporation from his cousin. With this thought in her mind, she approached to greet him.
"Lucas, it's good to see you, although I wish it were under different circumstances."
"Sarah, look at how you've grown, girl. I remember not too long ago you were a little mischief-maker."
"Well, you see, I've grown up. I'm finally of legal age, so I can do things that were forbidden to me before," she said, licking her lips.
Sarah's grandfather approached to take the girl away. "Girl, don't be bothering Lucas," he said, leading her away by the arm.
"I apologize for my sister's behavior. She's still immature."
"Don't worry; I know she's still almost a teenager."
Laura said a quick goodbye, seeing Lucas's face reminded her too much of Luke, and it hurt terribly. Before getting into her car, Luke's parents approached her to talk. They seemed to have aged several years in a few days.
"Laura, my dear, you can't imagine how happy it makes us to know that you're giving us a grandchild. A small part of my son lives within your belly. Please, allow us to be present in his growth. I know we may not live for much longer, but we want to be with you," Luke's mother hoped that Laura would agree.
"Of course, you will be present in my son's life. Luke loved you so much, and that's enough for me to love you. I would like you to move in and live in the house that we built with so much love, I want my son to grow up in that mansion. The design was chosen by his father."
"Thank you, dear. We consider ourselves from now on, your second parents," Laura gave them a tight hug; they were Luke's parents, a part of her beloved.
Laura's grandparents wished that she would stay and live with them. When she refused, they agreed to move. The mansion was very large, and everyone would live comfortably there. Luke had commissioned the construction of several rooms; he wanted to build a large family with Laura.
A week later, everyone was already settled into the new house. Laura placed a photograph of the two of them on their wedding day just above the fireplace in the living room—a large and meaningful painting.
Then she placed another one in front of her bed. She wanted to see Luke smiling every day when she woke up. That day marked the first time she ate with her in-laws and grandparents in their new home.
"Try to eat a bit more, daughter, or you'll weaken. Your baby needs you strong so you can help him grow quickly," the grandmother insisted, seeing that Laura had barely touched her food.
The girl took a bit more food into her mouth. She ate because she had to; otherwise, it would harm her child, not because she wanted to.
Sarah felt pleased with the move. The mansion Luke had built for Laura was much larger than her grandparents' house.
The girl knew that Laura didn't remember anything she had said to her days ago, so she continued pretending to be the perfect sister.
"Come on, you need to lie down, sister. That baby has to be born healthy and strong," she said with a sweet smile after the meal.
"Thank you for caring, sister," Laura sincerely thanked her as Sarah covered her with a blanket.
"If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me," she hypocritically said, pretending as always. "If that child doesn't manage to be born, you'll lose the opportunity to have a part of Luke with you," she thought as she watched Laura caress her belly and talk to her child.
The next morning, Laura woke up very early. She had realized that with her current attitude, she was putting her child's life at risk. So she asked for her breakfast to be brought to her room. While waiting, she decided to go out to the terrace.
Approaching the railing, the garden was still adorned with the autumn hues of ocher. She closed her eyes, wanting to breathe the fresh air. For a moment, she thought she could smell the distinctive scent of tobacco and mint that Luke always had.
Opening her eyes, she found Ares in front of her—a magnificent peregrine falcon that had been Luke's favorite pet. The bird observed her intently.
"Do you miss him too? I understand. Sometimes I feel like I won't be able to bear his absence. It still feels like I'm living in a nightmare and will wake up at any moment."
Ares inclined his head, and Laura wondered if the falcon understood what she was saying.
Days later, the reading of the will took place, with only Laura and her in-laws present.
Laura was the universal heir to all of Luke's assets, including the corporation. The Lombardo fortune passed into her hands. In the document, Luke asked her to take care of his parents. He seemed confident in making that decision, believing that she would fulfill his request.
"As you can see, Mr. Lombardo has named you the universal heir to his assets. This includes the properties I've mentioned in different cities and countries worldwide, as well as the company Shangri Tech Lab and all its subsidiaries."
Laura was completely surprised to hear that. Her husband's last will was insane; she couldn't inherit all that fortune. Besides, she thought that her in-laws would be upset. When she turned to look at them, both had their eyes fixed on her.