GETTING THE HEART OF THE CEO

Months earlier, Lindsey had found out where her maternal grandmother was living. She was planning to visit her, but the trip got expedited.

Upon arriving at Peretola Airport, she took a taxi on the outskirts of Florence. The driver dropped her off at the address she provided-a 75-year-old woman was waiting for her at the entrance of the villa. "Grandma! Is it you?" she recognized the lady with white hair.

"My beloved granddaughter, aren't you going to give a hug to this poor old lady?"

Lindsey ran into her grandmother's arms, excited to see her after many years. She could feel her grandmother's caresses in her hair, and the scent of jasmine filled her nostrils, reminding her of her mother. "Granny! I thought you had forgotten me."

"Of course not, my child. I missed you as much as your mom. How many times I longed to caress your hair."

"I missed you so much, Granny. You have no idea how comforting it is to be in your arms like when I was a child," she whispered while shedding tears on the old lady's dress.

Antonella sensed that something bad had happened to her granddaughter because she noticed the deep circles under her eyes and the sadness in her gaze.

"I know, my child. Let's go inside and talk."

Lindsey told her grandmother the reasons she was running away from an unrequited love.

Two months later, Kyle experienced morning sickness and occasional dizziness. He was going through a tough time. Catrina found it strange; these were the same symptoms she had in the early months of her pregnancy. She used this to her advantage to emphasize to Kyle that the baby she believed was in her womb was of his blood.

Kyle couldn't stop missing his doll. He didn't eat well and slept little. Living with Catrina was a hell; she demanded even to sleep with him, all for the sake of the baby.

At Pratt Enterprises, employees tried not to cross paths with the arrogant CEO. He vented his frustrations on work, and Freed kicked him out of the company several times because, buried in paperwork, he wouldn't eat anything all day. Meanwhile, Lindsey was in a doctor's office with her grandmother.

"That can't be; you must be mistaken. There must be an error," she swallowed hard when her brain projected the trimester contraceptive injection that she forgot to get during the events of her failed marriage. She froze, bringing her hands to her mouth. "What am I going to do with a baby without its father?"

"Mrs. Girt, the blood test shows that you are 10 weeks pregnant," the doctor commented, glancing at the captivating young woman who caught his attention when she entered his office. He checked the values on the paper he held in his hands.

"It's the best news you could give us, doctor. I'm going to be a great-grandmother," Antonella declared with joy sparkling in her eyes. With a hug, she lifted her granddaughter from her worries.

The doctor professionally instructed her to lie down on the examination table. Lindsey did it, trembling from the shock. She felt the cold gel spread on her abdomen and fixed her eyes on a large screen in front of her. "Mrs. Girt, I know you were alarmed when you heard the news that you are pregnant, but what I'm about to tell you, you must take calmly."

"Call me Lin! Doctor! Is there something wrong?"

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"I'm sorry, Lin; I didn't mean to scare you. On the contrary, congratulations." He activated the machine's sound. "What you hear is the beating of three little hearts." "What?" she exclaimed in surprise.

"As you heard, Lin," he said, pointing to the machine's screen. "These three circles you see here are your babies."

Lindsey's face transformed into tenderness, and she automatically drew a smile, finding the strength to emerge from the emotional abyss she was drowning in. She took her grandmother's hand and whispered. "Look, Granny, there are three lives inside me."

"Yes, my granddaughter, three beautiful reasons that God sent you to give us love and happiness."

The doctor cleaned her belly and informed her that the fetuses were at term with the expected gestation date. He told her to attend a medical checkup the following month and handed her a prescription with instructions for the vitamins she needed to take.

Months passed. Catrina went into labor, and the nurse attending her couldn't bear the screams and curses pouring out of her mouth. Kyle was with her, holding her hand throughout the process. A low-weight baby boy was born, immediately taken to the neonatal area and placed in an incubator.

In the hospital room, an elderly man with a cane walked in, taking slow steps. With a playful smile, he said.

"Hello, Catrina. How are you feeling?"

Catrina studied the old man's face; a shiver ran down her spine. She knew that the presence of the old man would bring nothing good. She shouted angrily.

"Mr. Hugo! What are you doing here? You know you're not welcome in this room."

"What's wrong with you, Catrina? Don't talk to my grandfather like that. He just came to meet his great-grandson," Kyle grumbled, getting up from his seat and giving the old man a hug. "Sorry, Grandpa, she had a complicated delivery." "Don't worry, my dear grandson. I'm here for the DNA test of the child."

"What? You have no right to do that," Catrina leaned in, frightened and glancing at Kyle. She continued, "Love, you can't let our son suffer because of your grandfather's malice."

"Grandpa, this child is my son, and I won't allow you to take blood from him just to satisfy yourself."

"Do you affirm that he is my grandson? With that right, I had a paternity test done, and here in my hands, I have the results," the old man took a step toward his grandson and handed him a paper. "Take it to check for yourself." Then, he rolled a chair and sat near the door.

Kyle took the paper in his hands, and as he read, his gaze fixed on the words. A genetic test was conducted, and the result was negative. There was no possibility that Kyle Pratt was the biological father of the child, with a 100% reliability of the result stating he is not the father.

Kyle felt his heart tearing apart; his breathing started to fail. He had to sit for a few seconds. Mentally whispering, "My life went to hell because of lies and the whim of a woman."

Like a demon, he got up suddenly, and in two steps, he reached Catrina. He raised his hand, delivering a slap that split her lip.

"I will never forgive you for ruining my life. I curse the day I met you."