The Frenchman Chosen Bride✔️(Completed)

Seventeen

Hi guys! We're finally here! The final chapter of this lovely book!🤗🤗🤗
I can assume you love RANE like I do....

I'm feeling happy and sad at the same time. Happy that their ship sailed smoothly...and sad that I would miss RANE!!! 😥😥😥

Please vote and comment for the sake of RANE.... Happy reading...😘😘😘

*****

Vanessa opened her eyes slowly and realized that she was lying on their bed, dim light casting shadows into the room. Then she saw Rafael standing at the base of the bed, talking to some man in a suit. That was weird. Why was she on the bed? And what was the man doing in their room?

    She tried to speak and a croak came out. The man turned to face her. The older man hurried to her side. He lifted her hand and took her pulse.

    "Hello, my dear, you gave us quite a fright..."
    His words meant little to Vanessa as she struggled to take things in.

    "What...what happened?"
She looked from Rafael to the man with a frown on her face.

    He sat on the bed and kept her hand in his. "Vanessa, I'm Dr Luca Digne. Rafael called me when you collapsed a short time ago. Luckily I was here on the island, doing my rounds, and was close by...otherwise you would have been taken to the hospital on the mainland."

    Suddenly it all came back -- every single second of what had happened. Her hand went straight to her belly, her face white.
    "The baby...?" But even as she felt her bump, she knew it was all right. The relief she felt made her feel giddy with light-headedness. She caught Rafael's eye, but his face was immobile, shuttered.

    Dr Luca patted her hand and looked at Rafael. "If you'll excuse us for a moment, Rafael? Now that she's awake I'll need to do a thorough exam, just to make sure she's safe to rest here for the night. But she will need to go to the hospital first thing tomorrow."

    "Of course." Rafael's voice was tense and he left the room.

    The doctor helped Vanessa to undress, and examined her for any signs of anything more serious than a cramp. When she had changed into nightclothes, he came back and sat beside her on the bed.

    "Vanessa... I'm happy enough that nothing is wrong. It's clear that this is stress-related and it can be common enough, although very frightening. I know it's your first pregnancy, and it can take a lot out of you. You need to take care of yourself...is there anything bothering you?"

    She looked into his kind, jovial face and felt like crying.
    Only that Rafael doesn't love me and wants to separate.
    She shook her head. "No...don't worry. Doctor. I'll take care of myself and the baby."
    He gestured to the door with a smile. "And that man out there, wearing a hole in the floor! I've never seen him so frantic. He pulled me out of my car before it had stopped moving. I shudder to think what he would have done if I hadn't been passing. He'd asked me to stay for the night, and I'll come to the hospital with you in the morning...he's a very persuasive man."

    She smiled weakly. Rafael's concern for the baby was admirable but not exactly a soothing balm to her spirit. The doctor left her, and when he was gone she heard his and Rafael's steps echo down the hall.

    She sank back into the pillows. The last thing she remembered was Rafael wanting to talk things through, and then that awful pain. She focused on her breathing and staying calm. She wouldn't think about what they had said now...knowing very well that her cramp had been broughg on by the sheer shock of Rafael informing her he wanted a separation.

    Thank God she hadn't spoken first. To have to separate and have Rafael know how she felt would have made him look at her with such pity...at least this way she could leave, dignity relatively intact.