by Adom Sample
“Hey, are you the one who found him?”
“Are you Isabella Kam, CEO of Aerial & Kam Cosmetics?”
“Where did you find him?” was all I heard. Their yelling annoyed me to the point where I wanted to start pushing them all out of my way. However, if I did that, my company’s image would be put at risk.
I could see it now: “Isabella Kam, owner and CEO of Aerial & Kam Cosmetics, goes psycho on reporters. Did she take drugs on the way back from the Amazon? Is she an addict? Are cosmetics the only chemicals she’s selling? Find out tonight, only on News at 6.”
I took a deep breath and repeated no comment until we made it inside. Dante was sedated, so he didn’t have to hear the ruckus surrounding us. The emergency medical staff wheeled him into one of the executive rooms from the elevator. I followed behind them.
“Sorry, ma’am, but you can’t be in here,” said one of the nurses. I showed them the ring on my finger.
“You know who I am. You know who he is. I’m staying with him no matter what, and I dare you to stop me,” I hissed. She said nothing and stepped out of the way, allowing me to enter the room. They took off his clothes and hooked him up to an IV. He had scars all over his legs and arms, and his feet were busted up pretty bad.
I tried to keep myself from crying. I hated seeing him like this. Maybe it would be better if I did wait outside. The nurse looked at me and then nodded to the doctor. I glanced away. “He’ll be all right in our care, Ms. Kam. I think it’s best for you to wait outside. Dante will be right here,” said the doctor. I sighed and took one last look at him.
“I’ll be right outside, Dante. Don’t you quit on me,” I whispered. I went out into the hallway and called Maya to tell her I’d finally done it. I had found him. I took out my phone and to my surprise, there she was, along with Gaspard, coming out of the elevator down the hallway. I didn’t think they saw me as they walked around aimlessly, looking from one corridor to the next.
“Hey, over here. Maya, Gaspard.” I waved to get their attention. They turned and saw me. Gaspard moved over to the left, and I could see my mother behind him. Dante’s mother was here as well.
My mother walked briskly down to the hallway toward me. “You had me so worried! You were gone for months,” she said.
I hugged her tight. “I’m all right, Mom. I found him and he’s alive.”
“Yes, we heard. It was all over the news,” said Maya.
“I told you I would find him. He was floating on a raft down the Marañón River in Peru. He wasn’t even in Brazil.” Gaspard was taken aback. “They told me on the ride here they were going to perform some blood tests to make sure he didn’t contract any fatal infections.”
Maya hugged me and rubbed my back. “You’re amazing,” she said. I hugged her tighter.
Dante’s mother joined us. “Thank you for finding my son. Gracias, estoy muy agradecida,” she cried. I put my arm around her and embraced her as well. This was the first time I had seen her in person since I was a child. Dante had her eyes and she was about my height. She was slim and beautiful with long gray hair. I remembered her. She used to hand out popsicles to the children in our neighborhood in the summer before they moved away.
“Thank you for giving birth to him,” I said. She smiled before releasing me. Maya joined Gaspard by the door, while Dante’s mother went into his room. My mom headed down to the food court of the executive suite. I guessed she could tell I was hungry.
I took a seat on the floor to rest my legs and back. I was just as exhausted as my poor Dante. I hadn’t eaten a real meal in almost two days. Crackers and energy drinks had become my staples. When the words we found him hit my ears, the only thing I wanted was to be close to him. To see if he was all right.
From the boat ride to Lima, all the way to our flight here to Miami, I rested my head on his chest. Dante’s heartbeat was all I wanted to hear. He ran his bruised fingers through my hair the whole time, although it must have been painful for him to do so. His touch gave me warmth.
Half an hour later, my mom came back with boxes of food.
“Here, eat this,” she said, handing me a to-go box of pancakes and scrambled eggs from IHOP. My stomach growled at the sight of it. It was five o’clock in the morning, so the breakfast made sense.
“I thought you went down to the food court,” I said.
“They didn’t have any pancakes.” She handed Maya and Gaspard some boxes of food as well. I took mine and went into Dante’s room. His mother had fallen asleep on the couch at his bedside. Dante was still unconscious. The doctor in charge said it was all right for us to come in.
“You poor, poor man,” Gaspard whispered. I suspected he had never seen Dante like this before either.
“Give him a month and he’ll look just like new,” the nurse reassured us.
“He’s suffering from severe malnutrition, muscle atrophy, and dehydration. From observation alone, we don’t believe he has any life-threatening infections. The blood test will be back shortly,” his doctor said.
“He’s skin and bones,” said Maya.
“It’s a miracle he survived. I told you I was going to bring him home, alive or not.” I took a bite of my pancakes.
“I have never witnessed a love this strong before. If it weren’t for you, this man would be dead. I didn’t think such a love could even exist.” Gaspard flattered me. I could only assume that in his fifty-two years of existence, he had never truly loved before. It went without question that I would risk everything for the man I loved, just as he would do for me. That was what love was all about—to do for that person as they would undoubtedly do for you. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Dante would have done the same for me. Not one single doubt.
I saw him open his eyes.
“Isabella,” he said groggily, compelling me to stop eating and rush to his bedside. He raised his hand and placed it on the back of my head. Pulling me closer, he pressed his dry lips against mine. “You taste like maple syrup,” he said.
“Would it be all right if I gave him some of my food?” I asked the doctor.
“Don’t give him too much. Only a few bites will be fine. I don’t want his stomach getting upset.”
I brought the to-go box over to him and gave him a few bites. He was having trouble swallowing, so I brought a small cup of water to his mouth. “Drink, babe,” I said. He took a few sips before laying his head back on the pillow. Even now, he was so beautiful to me.
“I owe you my life,” he whispered.
“The only thing you owe me is your love. Never forget that.”
“My heart has been yours from the beginning. It always will be.”
“Aww,” everyone said in unison. I blushed just as he did, and we all laughed. A joyous moment out of a tragic incident.
“I suppose the board gave up the search some time ago, right, Gaspard?” Everyone looked at Gaspard.
“Yes, they did.”
“You’d be surprised, but your cousin helped me to find you. After your company’s board decided to give up on the search, your cousin stepped in and gave me the resources I needed to continue,” I told him.
“I knew Felix would get involved if I made him my successor. He was my insurance policy just in case something was to happen to me. The last thing he would want is to run the company, and with me gone, he would have no choice but to step up. Luckily, my plan worked out. Otherwise, I probably would still be there, or dead.”
We all stared at me strangely. No one had understood why Dante would make Felix successor. I guessed that explained it. Now that Dante had been found, Felix was off the hook.
“Strange strategy. You’re lucky you have a woman who loves you enough to risk everything for you. If you had been killed, Felix would be in charge,” said Gaspard.
“I’m sure Felix would have left day-to-day operations in your capable hands,” Dante joked.
My anger started to resurface.
“You shouldn’t be playing games with your life. Do
you have any idea what you’ve put me through?” I snapped at him. He frowned and said nothing. I supposed I would wait until he was fully recovered before I unleashed my wrath upon him.
Maya, however, being the straightforward type of woman she was, walked right up to him. “What were you thinking? Surveying the Amazon during a storm. What the hell is wrong with you?” she exclaimed.
“I know . . . I know what you’re saying, and I am truly sorry.”
“Sorry for what, may I ask?” Maya continued. She knew what he was going to say. He was reckless with his life, and he should never have ventured out there by himself. I could tell by the look in his eyes that no one in this room regretted what happened more so than he did.
He was the one who had to suffer in the wilderness for six months, and he almost died as a result. The sorrow in his voice was evident. Dante’s regretful eyes caused my anger to fade. I guessed he had suffered enough.
“Please, forgive me, everyone. No one is sorrier than I am. I’ve been through hell.” Maya exhaled slowly and Gaspard took a seat on the couch next to Dante’s mother.
“I guess I’ll let you off the hook this time,” she said jokingly. Maya consoled him by giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you for sparing me,” Dante said, laughing.
“Well, I have to get back to LA for a meeting. Now that you’re back, Isabella, I’ve forwarded you some information on the new product line we’re planning. We can talk about it later,” said Maya. She hugged me and bid me farewell. I could tell by the look she gave me she hoped that I would return to the office sooner rather than later. But I needed to be by Dante’s side right now.
My mother followed suit and headed to her car, happy I’d made it back in one piece. She asked Dante and me to stop by before heading home to California. Depending on how long the doctors said he had to stay here, I planned to take him someplace comfortable, someplace familiar, when we were free to go.
“Mother, Gaspard, could you please give us a moment?” Dante asked.
“Yes, of course. We’ll be right outside,” his mother said. They closed the door and left us a moment to ourselves. Dante looked worried about something. I moved the couch closer to his bed and laid my head on his stomach.
“Are you feeling fine now?” I asked.
He brushed his fingers through my hair. “I think I’m having a problem with my memory.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. Please don’t tell me he’s suffering from amnesia or something worse. I don’t need that type of shock right now.
“The last thing I remembered was seeing you in the Amazon. The next thing I know, I’m sitting here in a hospital bed.”
“That’s it?”
He nodded. “I don’t remember anything in between.”
“Dante, you scared the crap out of me. I thought you had amnesia or something. You were sedated the whole trip back.”
“Oh, all right.” He looked at me with relief. As he sipped the orange juice next to my pancakes on the table, a look of ease overcame his eyes. I squeezed him tightly after he’d finished drinking. His body was so brittle it made me want to cry.
“Don’t you ever do anything that stupid again. Do you have any idea what I’ve been through while you were gone? I fell into depression, I couldn’t eat or sleep, and I burdened Maya and my new CFO, Julianna, with so much work it’s a miracle that they still choose to work for me.” I knew I shouldn’t have been scolding him, but I had to get it off my chest. We gazed into each other’s eyes, and he gave that smile I missed so much.
“Of course they wouldn’t leave you. Maya loves you just as I do. I promise you I will never do anything like that again. The last six months were a complete nightmare for me. When the indigenous tribes weren’t hunting me, I was being stalked by some wild animal. It was a hunt and I was the prey. I was trying to drift my way to any civilized city I could find.
“Navigating the forest was too dangerous. I tried that for the first two months I was there. I told the time by each nightfall. My smoke signals didn’t do anything but draw attention from the indigenous. For my safety, I stuck near the rivers and other waterbeds in the hopes someone would find me. That was the reason you discovered me floating down the Marañón River.
“I used my survival training to make fires, build myself a shelter, and hunt. My diet consisted of fruits, bugs, and whatever protein I could manage to hunt and kill. In the beginning, I built a raft and paddled my way down whatever lake or river in view. The waterfalls and strong currents almost proved to be fatal.
“I was hoping to run into civilization eventually. But all I encountered were indigenous peoples and alligators. I swear this one alligator was tailing me wherever I went. I steered clear from them as best as I could. When rafting failed, I set up shelter in one place. I believed that if I stayed still, eventually someone would find me.
“It wasn’t until I saw this freakishly large anaconda staring me in the face one night with its mouth gaping that I said enough was enough. I was only minutes away from being devoured by that damned thing. That snake would have had a hearty meal if I hadn’t woken up when I did. I stabbed it in the eye with a spear I made and ran for my life. For me, that was it. I had to get the hell out of there. I took my raft and headed for the nearest river.
“Things couldn’t have gotten any worse until my raft broke when I hit an unrelenting current. A piece of bamboo struck me right in the head, knocking me unconscious. There wasn’t any doubt that I was destined to die that day. That’s when I awoke on that boat with your sweet voice calling my name. When I saw your face, I figured I was in heaven. I thought I was drowning and my life was flashing before me. But it was real. You saved me. I knew that I wasn’t dead. You kept me alive, Isabella. You saved me. Everything I am belongs to you now, just as it always has. I will love you forever.”
I wiped my tears. No longer was I confused. No longer was my mind spinning in the face of uncertainty. This was where I wanted to be. This was where my life needed to be. Dante, the love of my life, the real love of my life, was finally in my arms. No more Nathan and no more drama. I was right all along. I should have gone down there and searched for him myself from the beginning. I reached over his chest and took off the necklace that bore the ring.
“What are you doing?” he asked. I took the ring off the necklace and put it on his finger.
“Now we’re one,” I whispered. He held my hands and fell asleep. I was his. I put my head back in his lap and closed my eyes. Never had I ever dared to love a man this much.
Chapter 12
Isabella
After two months of recovery, Dante received approval from his physician, who flew in from New York, to be discharged from the hospital. I practically moved into his room while he was there. The executive suite and the hospital staff were very accommodating. I did most of my work and meetings at the hospital. I hoped I wasn’t too much of a burden on him. I asked him plenty of times if he would like me to leave and do my work elsewhere. Each time, he smiled that smile and told me to stay put.
He said watching me work and run my business helped him to cope with the drama of being gone for so long. My management teams under the supervision of Maya thought I was torturing the poor guy by being there, but it was what he wanted. It made him feel at ease, and I was more than happy to do what I could to bring him back into the world.
The skinny, malnourished Dante I found on that boat had been replaced by what I remembered him as—a handsome, strong angel with beautiful gray eyes, pronounced cheekbones, and slick black hair. We probably could have left a week earlier, but I wanted to make sure he was okay before doing so.
I asked his physician to order various tests to make sure of it. Call me paranoid, but I didn’t want to get him home and suddenly have him drop to the floor in convulsions because they missed something. Dante needed the reassurance just as I did.
I had yet to mention the little secret he had been keeping this whole time. I thought I
would save that conversation for when we got home. I needed to know why he would keep it from me. For now, I wanted him to see the house I’d purchased. I’d coordinated with Maya to sell the condo she bought on my behalf at Sierra Towers.
The only time I’d left Dante’s side was to go house-hunting. I needed a secluded place away from all the media and distractions. I hoped to have him move in with me. I had yet to ask. I was a little nervous about what his answer would be. I thought of all the time that was lost, only for us to come together again. How different would our lives have been if my father hadn’t hidden him from me when we were kids? Maybe this was all fated to be.
Either way, I was glad I had him by my side now, and I couldn’t wait to get him out of those clothes and to my home. I’d had a luxurious bathhouse for two installed three weeks ago. Maya oversaw the construction under the terms of letting her use it once a week. I agreed. She’d helped me in more ways than one.
Our driver pulled up to the back of the hospital to avoid the press who had been circling the building for days like vultures. They were just as relentless as they were inconsiderate. Had Dante not developed an extreme fear of helicopters, leaving via the helipad would have been a much simpler option. Now, however, it was out of the question. I guessed we would just have to push through it if any of those reporters were out back waiting for us. We left the waiting area and entered the hallway next to the exit door. The bodyguards surrounded us as we stepped outside.
“Just a few questions, Mr. Alonso!” I heard in the distance. They were here. These people just didn’t give up.
“Let’s go to the roof,” said Dante.
“The roof? Why?” I asked, confused.
“The helipad.”
I gazed at him, shocked. “Are you sure, babe? I thought you . . .”
“It’s all right. I own ten helicopters. Collecting and fixing them up is one of my hobbies. I’m going to have to face my fear of them someday, so I might as well start now.” We went back into the building as the bodyguards stood by the door. Dante and I headed to the elevator. Soon, we were on the roof. He called the pilot, who met us there. Shaking, Dante held my hand tight before getting on.