Game of Love - 10. Chapter 10: Sergio is confused about his feelings. Is he strong enough to confront his feelings?

“Yes, I want the best for this wedding,” Kim instructed on the phone. “Everything must go well, do you understand?”

‘Yes, ma’am.’ The woman answered on the other end.

“I will be there to give you a list of everything that I want to be done in the next five days.” She smiled. “You know this is my son’s wedding and it needs to be grand. I want the city to know that he’s getting married in five days. Do you understand?”

Sergio was seated on the staircase, watching as his mother made arrangements for his wedding. He didn’t have the strength to argue with her so he just watched as she did her thing, literally ruining his life. He was a bit mad and he didn’t feel like doing anything so he just sat there, daydreaming about Eric and the kiss he’d given him the other day.

As he was there, he saw Steve making a grand entrance, raising a hand in greeting at Kimberly. He was looking handsome in a blue jean suit with black shoes and his hair combed backward. Sergio just stared at him as he headed up the stairs and when he reached where he sat, he sat together with him.

Sergio hadn’t seen his friend in over a week and he missed him but he couldn’t even say a thing to him. He just watched his mother ruining his life with each call that he made.

“Dude!” Steve gasped. “What the hell is going on? I leave for a week to go and visit my family and I find out you’re getting married in the next five days? What happened to 14 days?”

Sergio sighed in frustration. “Well, that’s what mom wants. She just made this decision yester night and I am yet to recover from the shock. She’s ruining my life.”

“What do you mean?” A frown appeared on Steve’s face. “What happened?”

Sergio slowly glanced at his friend without even blinking. “You know that Eric is back, right, very rich and very famous as well?”

“Yeah, I have been hearing about him on the news like every day.” He chuckled happily. “The boy is famous, especially among the poor. He’s been helping them for the last 4 years and I think he’s been doing a great job. Why? Is he the reason that she….” He paused and gasped. “Oh my God, Sergio, please, tell me you didn’t begin any relationship with him again.”

“No!” He said hoarsely. “I haven’t been doing anything wrong with him. I am just glad he forgave me and we’re at least friends again.”

“He forgave you?” Steve gasped. “Have you guys been hanging out?”

“Yes!” Sergio nodded. “That’s what this is all about. Trevor feels threatened and mom thinks I am having an affair with Eric. You should have heard her the other day…” He chuckled in sadness. “…she told me some things that I have never heard from her before. She insulted me and Adrianna. Adrianna is so upset that she went jogging and hasn’t come back up to now.”

“Adrianna?”

“Yes!” He nodded. “She likes Eric and she wanted me to be with him. When mom announced my wedding in six days, she cried a lot.”

There was a moment of silence between the two friends. They just watched Kimberly make one call after the other. She seemed happy and that smile on her face was something Sergio had never seen before. She was serious about this.

“Maybe this is for the best, man!” Steve muttered, squeezing Sergio’s shoulder. “It’s better to get married right now before any problem ensues. You and Trev have come a long way. Getting married to him is only fair, man. He loves you so much.”

Sergio felt a dull pain hit his heart and he gulped. He didn’t wanna show his weakness to his friend.

“Maybe you’re right.” He muttered, tears welling up in his eyes. “This is for the best. We all knew it was gonna lead to this, didn’t we? It’s now official, I am getting married to Trevor in the next five days.”

“And I am still your best man, right?”

“Always!” Sergio chuckled in pain.

Steve smiled, holding his hand tightly. But there was something wrong and Steve could sense it. His friend was fighting with a stronger force. He could feel that he was scared and from those glassy eyes, he could tell he was in so much. But it was for the best, right?

***

“Mommy!” Trev screamed, rushing down the stairs like the hounds of hell were after him. “Mommy, where are you?”

“In here, baby!” Giada hollered as she put a bouquet on the table.

Trev came running to the living room, breathing as he’d been from running a race. He was sweaty… he was smiling and was in ecstatic pleasure. He felt like he was in heaven. When he saw his mother in the living room, he rushed to her and hugged her tightly.

“Mommy, what did I tell you?” He spread his arms wide, spinning like a kid. “I told you that Sergio was gonna be mine. Look at this?”

He handed her the phone and she started reading the news on his phone. It was about Sergio and Trev’s wedding which was happening in five days. It seemed everyone was happy about it from the comments there.

“Mommy!” He gasped. “Can you believe it? Instead of 14 days, I will become Trevor Alvarado in five days. Oh my God, I… I… I have…”

“Come down, my baby doll!” She cupped his cheeks. “I just got off the phone with Kim and she wants this wedding to happen as soon as possible. It looks as though what I had told her at the party got to her.”

“You!” He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, I just gave her a hint that she was gonna lose her son if she didn’t act very soon.” She gave an evil grin, feeling powerful and mighty. “I know Kim’s weakness is Sergio so I used that against her. I was expecting her to do something but not as good as this.”

“Oh, mommy!” He kissed her cheek. “You’re the best. No one is better than you, not even that Eric. Who would have known my wedding was gonna come in so early.”

“I did.” She laughed, holding his hands. “Now we just have to start preparing. We want this to be grand, rub it in that bitch’s face. It’s time to payback what he did to us in the last week. The wedding date is in five days and nothing, absolutely nothing is gonna prevent that from happening.”

“Oh, God!” Trev took in a deep breath. “It’s truly happening, mommy!”

“Yes, I had no doubt. There will be samples of the wedding cards that will be sent this afternoon. You need to choose which one you’ll like.”

“Of course, I will.” Trev was just so excited. “But I want you to help me.”

“I am afraid I won’t be here.” She sighed. “I have somewhere to go, something I should have done a long time ago. But I figure I have to do it for the sake of your happiness. I can’t waste any more time because I am sure that bitch won’t rest now that your wedding is very near.”

“What?” He gasped. “Where are you going, mommy?”

She held his hands and smiled. “You don’t have to worry about that. Just be happy and prepare for your upcoming wedding, my love, okay?”

Trevor felt tears welling in his eyes and he grabbed his mother and pulled her into a hug. He had waited for that moment for a very long time and now it was happening. He felt so emotional and just hugged her tightly. Nothing wrong was gonna happen from that moment onwards. It was payback time.

***

“Thank you so much, sir, for your love, support, and care.” A beautiful woman said with tears in her eyes. “You have no idea how much you’ve helped me, my family, and especially my children. The good Lord will always bless you.”

“Amen!” He smiled, hugging her tightly. “You don’t have to thank me, ma’am. But in case you need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call me. I’ll help in whatever way I can.”

“You’ve done so much already, sir!” She cried, dropping to her knees. “Thank you so much.”

“Please, don’t!” Eric gasped, holding her hands. “Don’t kneel for me. You’re are old enough to be my mother and no matter what I do for you, you don’t have to kneel in front of me. I do not deserve this.”

“Thank you so much.” The woman said, putting her hands together.

“You’re welcome and please, see my team if there is anything you need.” He smiled brightly. “They’ll assist you.”

The woman nodded and left. Eric watched as she left, a smile popping up on his face.

He was wearing a white shirt that was folded at the sleeves, a white skinny pair of jean with white sneakers. He had a band tied around his head which made him look as beautiful as ever. Eric had dedicated his day at a charity organization which was also an orphanage just to help the people there. He was happy that he’d met with a lot of people that had been dying to meet him. They called him their savior because he’d helped them a lot and they all came to meet him for the first time.

“You know, you’re a savior to this organization, Mr. Hernandez!”

Eric quickly turned and found the father that ran that organization coming towards him with a smile on his face.

“Father, Rodriguez!” He chuckled. “I didn’t know you were there.”

“Yeah, I was watching you with the women.” He said with a brilliant smile. “You’ve helped these people and you just don’t know. I always pray to God to make you even more successful so that others can also be blessed through you.”

“I love doing this, father.” He sighed, hugging himself. It was a bit chilly. “I came from a humble background too and… and I made a vow that I would help anyone that needed my help if I ever got successful. This gives me peace.”

Father Rodriguez placed his hand on Eric’s shoulder. “May you be successful in everything that you do! May all your plans come to pass, my son.”

Eric gave a sheepish smile. “Are you sure about that, father? I am not a perfect human being and all my plans are not perfect.”

“No human being is perfect.” Rodriguez tittered. “Whatever plans you have, my son, I am sure that there’s a reason for them. And they’re from a pure heart that I know.”

“Pure heart?” He gave a gloomy sigh. “I don’t know about that.”

Rodriguez smiled, placing his hand on Eric’s chest. “You have the purest of hearts. I can tell and I know that very soon you’re gonna find your happiness. A sign will show itself to you.”

He buried his hands in his hair. “Thank you so much, father.”

“You’re welcome and there’s a reason why I am here.” He held Eric’s hand. “Aside from you, there’s only one other person that helps this organization a lot. He started 3 years ago, I don’t know. He said he wanted to atone for his past sins. It’s great both of you are here at the same time and so I was wondering if you could meet. I already told him about you a few minutes ago.”

“No problem!”

“Oh!” Father Rodriguez gasped, gesturing with his finger behind Eric. “He’s coming over there.”

Eric quickly turned and got the greatest shock of his life. A shaky smile appeared on his face and his body felt extremely cold. He felt frozen and wouldn’t even be able to move. His heart began racing and he felt his skin tingle.

“Sergio!” He gasped.

Sergio was coming towards him, laughing and smiling with the kids that surrounded him. He looked so good with the kids and they seemed to love him. He was wearing a simple black shirt that was halfway buttoned up, revealing his sexy muscular chest. He had blue jeans on with black sneakers.

He raised his face and stared at Eric. When their eyes met, only God knows what they felt. Sergio seemed frozen and the smile that started forming indicated he was nervous. But deep down, he has no words for the gratitude he felt. Seeing Eric, his heart pounded with happiness. He slowly walked towards him with the kids, still staring at him.

“Wow! Who would have known we’d meet here.” He chuckled nervously.

“Yeah,” Eric muttered. “What are you doing here?”

“I brought something for my little friends here.” He bit his bottom lip. “And you? I was surprised when I was told you were here.”

“I am the benefactor of this organization.” He said.

The both of them remained quiet and just stared at each other. They were short of words, especially with what had happened the previous night.

“Err… you two know each other?” The father asked.

“Yes!” Eric cleared his throat, glancing at Rodriguez. “We are friends and you know, people in the business world know each other one way or the other.”

“Oh!” Rodriguez giggled. “Then I guess there’s no need for introductions.”

“Yeah!”

The two men just kept staring at each other, not minding that everyone was staring at them. It was until Eric felt a hand pulling on him that he came to reality. He looked down and saw a few kids holding his hands. He couldn’t help but smile.

“Come and play with us, Mr. Hernandez, please. You too, Mr. Sandoval.”

Eric nodded. “That’s nice. I would love to. What do you want to play?”

“I know!” One of them laughed. “Let’s go for karaoke. It will be so much fun.”

Eric nodded. “Lucky for you, I love karaoke. Let’s go.”

Eric smiled nervously and followed the kids inside. He was so happy and Sergio followed too.

They reached inside the room which had a huge TV and the kids didn’t waste any time to start preparing the songs. They gave one microphone to Sergio and he took it, smiling like he was in orgasm. Then they gave another to Eric.

“What?” Eric chuckled nervously. “Me? I was thinking maybe I could just watch.”

“No!” The kids shouted at the same time. “You need to sing, Mr. Hernandez. Please!”

“Come on, Eric!” Father Rodriguez said with a smile. “Do this for the kids.”

Eric sighed gloomily, nodding. “Alright!”

He took the microphone and went near Sergio who had a smile on his face. Eric was so nervous and he just begged for that moment to be over. He was still thinking about the kiss that they had shared the previous night.

Just then, ‘superhuman’ started playing and he took a deep breath. Sergio couldn’t help but feel excited. He watched as the boy tugged at his ear, getting ready to sing.

‘Weak, I have been crying and crying for weeks.’ Sergio started and his voice was so amazing. ‘How’d I survive when I could barely speak, barely eat, on my knees.’

Eric took a deep breath.

‘But that’s the moment you came to me. I don’t know what your love has done to me. Think I am invincible, I see through the me I used to be.’

‘You changed my whole life….’ Sergio sang at the top of his voice.

‘Don’t know what you are doing to me with your love.’

‘I am feeling all superhuman you did that to me. A superhuman heart beats in me. Nothing can stop me here with you, superhuman.’

They were both so amazing. The way they sang the song so passionately, the way they slowly started smiling, getting closer without even realizing they did. Their voices sounded so amazing that father Rodriguez and the children couldn’t help but admire them. They just watched in awe, smiling like they were in heaven.

The whole thing reminded Eric of the life he had before all this, years ago. He remembered how he used to do karaoke with Riya and Smith when they were kids. It was their thing and after a long time, he missed them so much. But slowly, he was getting into the mood and singing passionately with his entire strength. And he had no idea that Sergio was such a great singer.

‘It’s not a bird, not a plane. It’s my heart and it’s going gone away.’ They sang as Sergio reached for Eric’s hand and held it. ‘My only weakness is you, only reason is you. Every minute with you, I feel like I can do anything. Going going, I’m gone away in love.’

They began singing the chorus in unison and some of the people that outside came to watch the people that sang so amazing. They sounded like celebrities and come to think of it, the two of them were famous.

They finished the song with a bang, now closer than ever. They were both panting, smiling brightly at each other. Everything seemed to disappear. It was just the two of them, in a world full of bliss and love. They were staring at each other, yearning for each other while holding hands. Their hearts were racing and they were both a bit sweaty. No one in that room missed the chemistry that the two seemed to have.

“Yeah!”

Then everyone started cheering. Eric nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the cheers and claps. He gasped, taking his hand away from Sergio. With a sheepish smile, Eric took a few steps away from Sergio. Everything seemed so awkward.

“Wow!” Rodriguez said happily, shaking his head. “That was amazing. You two are great singers. Ever thought of starting a music career? I know I would pay any amount to see you sing again.” He joked.

“Thank you so much, father!” Eric scratched his head. He was so nervous and felt like he was standing on hot coals. Sergio was awfully quiet, just staring at Eric with eyes that showed love.

“If I didn’t know better, I could have sworn you’re a match made in heaven.”

Eric gulped, giving a half-smile while staring at Sergio. Then something weird happened. The kids started clapping while shouting.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss!”

Eric’s eyes widened, feeling his heart drop into his stomach. He drew his lower lip between his teeth, biting a little harder. He quickly glanced at Father Rodriguez but the man just shrugged. Eric felt trapped. He looked at Sergio and the man was getting a little closer. Eric wanted to move away but he couldn’t do it. Something was holding him where he stood. His face went blank as Sergio got closer and closer.

The closer Sergio got, the more Eric felt like running away. He fought a rising panic as his heart jumped. He suppressed a shiver when he felt Sergio’s hand take his. Then he knelt on one knee and slowly kissed Eric’s hand. The whole room went wild with cheers. Eric blushed brightly like a bride on her wedding night.

“No, kiss his cheek!” The children shouted. “Kiss his cheek!”

Sergio chuckled, getting up, feeling nervous as fuck. He slowly leaned forward and kissed Eric’s cheek as sweetly as he could. The kids exploded in excitement, clapping his loudly as ever. If only they knew what exactly was going on in the hearts of the two men.

“Kiss him! Kiss him! Kiss him!”

The moment Eric had been afraid of had finally come. He stood still, freezing as he stared at Sergio. It seems the man was enjoying what was happening. He was getting closer to Eric. Eric’s heart pounded violently in his chest, tears welling up in his eyes. His past was starting to haunt him and he was getting hurt again.

“Kiss him!” They shouted.

Sergio took Eric’s hand again and brought him closer. But he got surprised when Eric quickly withdrew his hand and moved away.

“That’s enough, please!”

With those words, Eric ran away from there, tears flooding his face. He got outside and leaned towards a tree, taking deep breaths. He was so scared and felt like he couldn’t breathe. A few seconds passed and he heard footsteps.

He quickly rubbed his tears and stood confidently with his arms crossing his chest.

“I am so sorry for that.” Sergio apologized. “I didn’t know the kids would do that. Are you okay?”

Eric slowly turned, wearing the most beautiful smile. “I am absolutely fine. I understand kids. We’ve all been kids once.”

Sergio leaned against the tree, rubbing on his temple. “Yeah! You’re right about that.”

They remained quiet for almost a minute.

“You know, this place gives me peace,” Sergio said softly. “For the last four years I have been coming here, even when I was sad, the kids used to lift my spirit. It was like a place of refuge for me. And actually…” He laughed. “…I had no idea that you were the benefactor of this organization. And to think that I had been looking for you all that time and I had no idea you were linked to this organization.”

“I believe fate has different plans for all of us.” Eric sighed, trying his best to smile. “What’s meant to be will always be!”

“I used to believe that, Eric. But now I don’t even know what I want. I am so confused.” He rolled his shoulders. “My wedding is coming very soon and I don’t know what to do. I am confused about my feelings.”

Eric slightly closed his eyes. “What’s the confusion about?”

Sergio glanced at Eric who had his back to him. “You!” He said simply. “You’re the reason why I am so confused. I don’t know what I want and… yester night when I kissed you, something awakened in me, maybe the reason why I had been looking for you all this while.”

Eric sighed, taking a turn to leave. “I think I need to do something inside.”

But he got surprised when Sergio caught his hand, bringing him closer. Their faces were so close that they felt each other’s harsh breaths on their faces. Both of them were scared, staring into each other’s eyes like there was no tomorrow. Sergio couldn’t hold it anymore. He was scared but he couldn’t hold in his feelings anymore.

“I can’t pretend anymore, Eric!” His voice was so low, so passionate. “I can’t pretend that I want what is happening in my life. What I see in your eyes….” He paused and bit his lower lip. “….why can’t I see that in Trevor’s eyes? Why is this happening, Eric?”

“Sergio, please…” Eric gasped, trying his best to let himself loose. But Sergio’s grip was too strong. “…I have to go and do something inside. We’ll continue this conversation later.”

“Eric! Please, listen to me….” He wanted to confess his feelings and tell him the truth. “…the thing is that I am….”

Before Sergio could even finish his sentence, thunder roared violently and out of the blue, it started raining heavily. Both of them looked towards the sky and got surprised when they saw how dark it was. They could have sworn that it had been clear when they came outside.

Father Rodriguez came running towards them with an umbrella and another one in his hands. He quickly gave one to Sergio and shared it with Eric. They all went inside the building where everyone else was taking refuge. The rain was very heavy and it was accompanied by roaring thunder that scared some of the kids there.

“It looks like it might rain for a while, Mr. Hernandez!” The father had to shout so that Eric could get him. “You should go inside and rest. I am sure you’re tired.”

Eric grinned. “Don’t worry about me, father. I am alright. I’ll just stay here with you and make sure that everyone’s safe.”

Eric had thought the rain was gonna be gone before he knew it. But he was dead wrong. It continued raining for hours and hours until it even got dark outside. When he glanced at his watch, it was almost 9.pm and it was still raining heavily.

Anyway, he knew Sergio still loved him but he just didn’t wanna hear it because it got him scared. He was just happy that Sergio got busy with helping the kids, giving them food, and making sure they were safe. But the two of them used to look at each other, smiling sheepishly.

After about 10.pm, one of Eric’s guards came to him.

“Sir, the rains are about to stop but we have a problem.”

“A problem?” Eric gasped.

“The roads are flooded and the bridge was washed off.” He sighed. “We cannot cross it and the floods are not making things any easier. It seems we’re gonna have to stay here until tomorrow when they can fix the bridge.”

“I can’t.” Eric shook his head. “I have something very important to do tomorrow morning. I have to get out of here.”

He remained quiet, rubbing his head. “Errr…. Call David and tell him to send a chopper as soon as the rains stop.”

“Yes, sir!” He bowed and quickly left.

Eric felt a bit frustrated but he was okay. He didn’t want to spend the entire night there. He still had to do something at the office. As it was, he had spent the entire day away from work. He had to make it up for it.

***

A strange-looking woman threw some strange black power on a fire burning in the middle of a drawn pentagram on the floor. Then she raised her hands and began an enchantment so powerful that the energy emanating from the pentagram could be felt. There were candles at each corner of the pentagram and they were burning a bright blue color.

The enchantment was quick and she threw in some red powder and began another enchantment. The flames began glowing red and there was a strange wind that began blowing throughout the room. It was very dark, except for the light from the candles. Whatever the woman was doing seemed powerful.

She did a quick enchantment and smiled at the woman who was seated on the other side of the flame, looking sexy in a black jumpsuit with her hair tied in a ponytail, Giada Sandoval. She had an evil grin on her face.

“Well?”

“You don’t have to worry about anything, Giada.” The woman spoke in a strange voice. She had studied the dark arts and Giada had used her from time to time. “Your path is very clear. You shall become powerful and influential. Whatever storm had come your way, it shall remain calm. You shall rule again.”

An evil grin appeared on Giada’s face. “Well, that’s nice to hear. I hope that whatever you’ve told me is the truth. My husband’s illegitimate son has returned and he is causing problems for me and my son. My son’s wedding is in three days and I was wondering if…”

“You know me, Giada!” The woman was really strange and her voice sounded like a robot. “I do not kill.”

“I wish you did. Because what you did for me five years ago, it still came back.”

“And I remember telling you that I saw a very powerful, a stronger force in your future. I told you that it was either going to help you or come against you. Didn’t I? It’s come to pass. I do not lie about what I see, what my spirits tell me. You wanted to kill this boy but I told his spirit is very strong. He’s got a pure heart.”

“I don’t care!” Giada seethed, balling her fist. “I know he’s gonna try to seduce my son in law to stop this wedding. But I want you to do something. I know you have the power to do this. I need your help.”

She took out a bundle of money and threw it on the floor, near the strange woman with dreads. They both grinned evilly at each other.

“I can tie your son’s soul to that of the man he loves.” The woman said with a giggle. “They’ll be together forever no matter what. I cannot do anything to your step-son because his heart is pure and his spirit is very strong. It will jeopardize the entire plan.”

“I never wanted to do this. I wanted my son and Sergio’s life to not be tempered with. But now, I have no choice but to do this. Even if it’s just until they get married.”

She took out Sergio’s photo and her son’s and handed them over to the woman.

The woman took the photos and then tied them together with red clothe. Then he put them in a small pot filled with roses. She threw in some oil and began her enchantments. They were long but she eventually finished them and smiled at Giada.

“It’s done!” She chuckled manically. “You can now go, Giada. You have a smooth wedding coming your way. Rejoice and do everything you want. Afterward, I am seeing a very rich woman, powerful and influential. You’re gonna defeat your greatest enemy.”

Giada took a deep breath, smiling like an evil queen. “I always knew that I was gonna outsmart that boy. Thank you so much!”

“Now go!” The woman gestured. “Go and rejoice and when everything I have said comes to pass, you’re gonna come back and thank me.”

“Of course!” Giada laughed, getting up from where she sat. “Thank you so much!”

“Go well, my child!”

Giada slightly smiled and then took her bag, getting up. She wore her shoes and quickly left. The woman laughed and then began her chants again. She closed her eyes, focusing her energy on whatever she was doing. Then suddenly, there was a terrible wind that blew her door open. She was ripped off the floor without even realizing what was going on. Then she was sent flying out of the pentagram, hitting her head terribly. She felt it break and she winced in pain.

The woman slowly got up, taking her eyes to the pentagram. What she saw there scared her so much. The fire had been put out and the pot where she had put the photos she had tied together was broken. To make matters worse, the only picture she saw was Trevor’s. The other one had been burned to ashes.

Seeing that, the woman’s heart started pounding in her chest and her breaths became harsh. She had a cut on her forehead and she was bleeding but she managed to get up, slowly walking to the pentagram.

“What could this mean?” She muttered as she looked at the burnt picture. “How did this picture burn when the fire was set off?”

She quickly took her bones and started an enchantment, consulting the spirits. Then she threw them on the floor. What she saw not only shocked her but weakened her. She gasped in fear, covering her mouth.

“What’s been tied together cannot be separated!” She gulped, her eyes almost popping out of her sockets. “What does this mean?”

She was confused and she continued staring at the bones like she was expecting something to come out of them.

***

Eric slowly walked to the window, hugging himself. It was a very cold night and he could tell from the whirling wind outside that it was worse outside. He was in Father Rodriguez’s office where he had been sleeping but was now up. It was almost 5.am and the rains had stopped but that didn’t make anything any easier.

As he was staring outside, Eric felt something cover him and he almost jumped out of his skin, quickly turning. It was Sergio and he had the brightest and warmest smile ever. Eric couldn’t help but smile at the guy back. He was only wearing a shirt that was halfway buttoned up and folded at the sleeves.

“I figured you were cold since it’s a cold night.” Sergio gestured to the jacket he had put on Eric.

Eric smiled brightly, pulling the jacket closer to himself.

“Thanks a lot. But what about you? You need to keep warm too. It’s a cold night. Maybe…”

“No, don’t!” Sergio quickly held Eric’s hand, preventing him from taking off the jacket. “I insist. I wouldn’t want you to be cold while I am warming myself.”

Eric felt a bolt of joy pass through his system. He couldn’t help but blush. He felt really happy and he sighed happily, looking through the window. It was a bit dark outside but he loved the view.

“I have heard a lot about Zelda’s rains. But this is the first I experienced its wrath.” He chuckled nervously, glancing at Sergio. “My mother used to tell me that it sometimes rains like this but I never believed. I guess I am gonna have to tell her about it. It was like the rain was trying to keep me here or something.”

‘Yes, Eric!’ Sergio thought with a grin on his face. ‘The rain was trying to keep you here with me. Seeing you here, spending some time with you even though it was just a few minutes together, I appreciated it a lot.’

“But I guess it’s for a good reason. I got to spend the entire evening with the kids. That’s something that I never get every day.” He spread his hands, chuckling like a little kid. “I missed this city a lot. This is home to me and I’ll always love it. How I wish I could just go out and dance in the rain. I would give anything to just dance in the rain.”

Sergio was getting emotional with every word that Eric used. It was reminding him of his past, how happy they used to be although everything was a lie.

“Listen…” He gasped. “….Eric, please, don’t get mad at me with what I am about to say. But I appreciate your forgiveness. I still can’t believe that even though I had broken your heart, I literally used you for my own selfishness but you still forgave me. I am thankful! And I am sorry that everything is as it is right now. If only I could turn back the hands of time.”

Eric lost the smile on his face, lowering his head. He took a deep breath and then looked at Sergio without even smiling at him.

“I won’t get mad!” He shook his head. “I understand that everything happens for a reason. No matter how much someone tries to avoid his or her destiny, what’s meant to be will be. I believe you when you tell me it wasn’t intentional. I know it was Giada who had used what we had against me.

I am just glad that I found a changed man when I returned, a man who loves his family and with a heart for charity. For that, I am thankful. There are a lot of people that love you and I am one of them.”

Sergio’s heart jumped with joy and tears welled up in his eyes. He slowly started raising his hand to caress Eric’s face but…

“Oh my God!” Eric gasped, quickly gripping Sergio’s arm. “How did you get hurt? You’re bleeding!”

“What?” Sergio quickly glanced at his hand and found a wound near his elbow. It looked fresh and he had no idea he had even gotten hurt. It was big.

“How did you get injured?”

“I don’t know. It’s just a bruise. It will…”

“Nonsense!” Eric threw his head, carefully blowing on Sergio’s wound. “What are you saying? That’s not a bruise. Come and sit down, I’ll do something about it before you get an infection.”

“But…”

“No, Sergio!” Eric warned, pulling him towards the couch. “I don’t wanna hear anything. Just come and sit down and then let me treat it.”

Sergio couldn’t argue. He followed Eric to the couch and sat carefully. Then Eric moved away to the table where he had seen the antiseptic together with the first aid. Eric opened the antiseptic and poured a bit on small cotton wool.

He took Sergio’s hand carefully, examining the wound. It a bit deep and he knew he had to treat it to stop any infection. He took the cotton wool and then started cleaning the wound carefully. Sergio winced, trying to pull his hand but Eric started blowing on the wound carefully. God, Sergio’s pain went away the moment he saw what Eric was doing. He was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. With what he was doing, it was like everything started moving in slow motion.

Sergio’s heart started racing. He got stuck staring at the boy and he didn’t even realize that a smile had popped up on his face. The way Eric was carefully taking care of his wound, blowing it like he was handling a child and the look on his face. He was hypnotized… he couldn’t feel the pain anymore.

What he felt was a peace and a pleasure he’d only felt long ago. He was so lost staring at the boy that he didn’t even realize that Eric had cleaned his wound and had also tied a bandage on it. He didn’t feel a thing.

Eric, on the other hand, was about to tell Sergio he was done but when he raised his head, he felt Sergio’s hot breaths on his face and his body vibrated in ecstasy. He got caught, smiling and scanning the man’s features and how wonderful he was made. Those breaths on his face, awakened a fire deep within him that made him feel cold and hot at the same time.

Meanwhile, Sergio kept on scanning Eric’s face to those lips that looked kissable and inviting… the smooth skin that was inviting him to touch it and those eyes, those beautiful eyes that were hypnotizing. He bit his lips, suppressing a moan as his hormones started preying on him. His breaths quickened and his body began trembling.

Their faces were so close and the space in between them was closing without even realizing it. They were being controlled by their feelings for each other and they had no idea they were. There was only one thing at the back of each of their mind, forget what was surrounding them, the world, and just taste those lips once again.

They were almost close… their noses were brushing on each other and their eyes were already closing. But suddenly, there was a knock on the door that got them back to the real world. Eric quickly rose, moving his eyes to the door. His guard was standing there with a stern face.

“The chopper is here, sir!” He announced. “We are ready to leave if you are.”

“Yes! I will be there. Thank you!”

He then looked at Sergio and gave a sheepish smile. He was yet to recover from the impact of his feelings.

“Well, it’s all done now, Mr. Alvarado! I have to go now.” He took off the jacket and handed it to Sergio who was staring at him like he wanted to devour him. “Thank you so much and take of yourself.”

He turned and started leaving.

“Eric!” Sergio quickly got up.

“I’ll see you later, Sergio!”

With those words, Eric left the office. Sergio felt cold and abandoned. He was staring at the door with a smile on his face. Then he stared at his arm and just went crazy with happiness when he saw how carefully Eric had attended to his wound.

“I love you so much, Eric!” He muttered. “And now I know you still have feelings for me.”

He dropped to the couch and then giggled. He started day dreaming about Eric and couldn’t wait to meet him again. But his heart was troubled again and he lost the smile on his face. What was he going to do?

***

Sergio got out of his car, stretching his arms. He was feeling extremely tired and dirty. It was almost mid-morning. The bridge had taken a long to fix but at least, he was home. He started heading inside, whistling to himself after having a great day. Being so close to Eric had made him so excited that nothing was gonna ruin it for him.

But as soon as Sergio reached the living room, he got a surprise when he found Kim moving from side to side like she was waiting anxiously for something. When she saw him, she rushed to him.

“Where were you, Sergio?” She snarled. “Do you know how worried I got yesterday? You even switched off your phone.”

“Oh, sorry!” He apologized, smiling at her. “I had trouble with the network. I went to donate some things to a charity organization not far away from the city. The heavy rains ruined the bridge and so I had to spend the night there. I am so sorry, mom. I should have called.”

He took her in his arms tightly, kissing her forehead. But then suddenly, Kim smelt him and she quickly pushed him away.

“Sergio, whose cologne do I smell on you?” She asked, a frown appearing on her face. “Where were you last night? Whom were you with?”

“What are you talking about? That’s my cologne!”

Kim shook her head angrily. “No, Sergio! That’s not your cologne. I am your mother and I know how you smell. Whose cologne is that?”

“But mom….”

Sergio paused and remained still, his mind taking him back to when he had put that jacket he was wearing on Eric. It was probably his cologne that she smelt. Sergio felt a shiver go down his spine and he gulped.

“Well? Why aren’t you talking anymore?” She snapped. “You were with that boy, weren’t you? Despite my warnings, you continue to see that boy. What do you want me to do, Sergio? What should I do so that you can just sit your butt home?”

“Mom, I wasn’t with him.”

“Do you think I am stupid?” She threw her hands in the air. “Do you think I am blind? I know what’s going on here and so don’t you deny it.”

“Fine!” Sergio said angrily. “If that’s what you wanna hear then, fine! I was with Eric but it was just a coincidence that we were at the same organization. He’s the benefactor and…”

“So you’re telling me you spent the entire day and night with that boy?” She held up a finger, her chest rising and falling with harsh breaths. “How dare you, disobey my orders! I can’t believe you’re my son. I can’t believe I have been so stupid as to trust you. What has that boy fed you, huh?”

“Mommy, you’re taking this the wrong way?” He tried to touch her hand but she retaliated.

“Don’t touch me!” She warned. “I am not stupid, okay? Don’t take my silence for weakness. You were having sex with that boy and….”

“Enough!” Sergio barked, stomping his foot on the floor. Kim gasped in shock, holding her chest while her eyes widened. “What do you want me to say, mommy, huh? You’re my mother but you don’t have any right to pry too much in my private life. I am an adult and I know what I am doing!”

“How dare you!” Her hand cracked across Sergio’s face, snapping it back with the force of her blow.

It hurt like hell and Sergio just remained like that, his head lowered. He couldn’t even raise his head to stare into his mother’s face.

“How dare you talk to me like that? Do you know what, I blame myself for spoiling you the way I did!” She chuckled bitterly. “I am your mother and it seems like I have given you too much freedom. Your wedding is in four days and instead of doing all you can to perfect it, you’re busy chasing after that slut! Now you listen to me…” She paused, taking a harsh breath. “…from now on, you won’t go anywhere without your guards.”

Sergio raised his chin, his eyes widening. “What? Mommy, you can’t do this to me.”

“I just did.” She said hoarsely. “If they see that boy an inch closer to you, they’ll act. If you want his safety then you better stay away from him, do you understand? And this afternoon, you’ll be meeting with Trevor so get prepared.”

She hissed and stormed out. Sergio felt like a vessel of anger. He groaned angrily, kicking the wall itself. It hurt but he didn’t care. Once again, she had managed to ruin his mood. He was starting to hate all that was going on.

***

“Reina, can you please take these to Mr. Smith’s office?” Eric asked, handing over some papers to her. “Those are some of the designs for the collection we’ll be launching before the end of this month. Make sure you give it to him personally or his assistant.”

“Yes, sir!” She bowed.

Eric had already gone home, changed, and had even attended a very important meeting. He was just from the conference room where he had an online meeting with the board members of D&E in Australia. Everything was okay.

He was wearing a beautiful pure white designer’s shirt that was tucked in a tight black skinny jean with blue snickers on his feet. He was wearing a red blazer that was fishnet on the sides and his hair was tied in a sexy braided ponytail.

He was on the ground floor because he was about to leave for something important. He took out his phone to call his mother but….

“Hello!” He heard a voice, a very familiar voice behind him.

He slowly turned and got the shock of his life when he saw Trevor there, looking at him with his arms crossed on his chest. He was wearing a black designer’s shirt, blue trousers and blue shoes. His hair was made in a bun.

“What are you doing here?” Eric asked harshly. “I don’t remember giving you an invitation to come here. Is it that you’re so bored with your life that you decided to come to cause trouble here?”

Trevor chuckled manically, taking a deep breath. “You know what Eric, I just don’t know how you feel when you keep losing all the time. Honestly, I pity you. But obviously, you must be so used to it now that it has become a normal part of your life.”

Eric chuckled softly, giving a mocking smile.

“But what can I do?” He raised his shoulders in a half shrug. “I guess I am just too good that I outsmart you at everything. You tried your best to separate Sergio and me but look at us, no matter what you do, we keep on getting stronger. Our loves keep on burning and not even a snake-like you can put it off.”

Eric chuckled. “That’s a very nice speech. I have heard of it several times that it’s starting to get boring. Are those the only words you know? You’re simply wasting my time so please leave. I have very important things to do.”

He tried to go but Trevor pulled him back.

“Where are you going?” He chuckled bitterly. “Don’t you wanna know why I am here?”

“I don’t have time.”

“Well, you’re gonna love this one since it looks like losing is your middle name.” He laughed. “Even though you’ve tried your best to seduce my Sergio, I just wanted to tell you that we’re getting married in the next four days.”

Eric just smiled, taking a sigh.

“Our wedding has been scheduled and we’re gonna get married right in front of your eyes.” He took out a card and handed it over to Eric but Eric just stared at him with a mocking smile. “Must hurt, doesn’t it? The man you’re so obsessed with, the man that you’ve tried so hard to make yours getting married to someone else, someone that he loves.”

“Well, if you came here to talk about that then you’re wasting your time.” He chuckled bitterly. “I am not interested in your boyfriend.”

“And why would he even be interested in you when he’s got me?” Trevor slowly turned, showing his body to Eric. “I am classy, sexy, rich, and very beautiful. Every man out there wants a piece of me, including Sergio. You might be all polished up but you’re still second grade to me, a cheap copy.”

“Is that why you came here?” Eric was shocked. “So you left your house and your wedding preparations just to come and say that? Don’t dare me, Trevor, or else you’re gonna regret it! I can have any man I want just like that.” He snapped his finger in Trevor’s face. “And Sergio is no exception.”

Trevor balled his fists, trembling like a leaf. “How dare you! Who do you think you are to talk about my fiancé like that?”

“Well, I am glad you said fiancé and not husband. Don’t you think 4 days is still a long way for you to be making trouble?” He gave an evil grin. “Chill! You’re too insecure for a groom.”

Trevor groaned, raising his finger at Eric. “Well, there’s nothing you can do because Sergio is mine and mine alone.”

“You’re the only one arguing with yourself. Whatever I had with Sergio was destroyed years ago but if you push…” He chuckled, shaking his head. “…I swear if you push me, you’re gonna awaken the monster in me. And you’re not gonna like the results.”

“Do your worst but Sergio will marry me in four days right in front of you!” He threw his hands in the air, chuckling like an evil genius. “But looking at a shameless boy like you, I am sure you won’t stop chasing after him. After all, it runs in your family. You always go after married men and men who have people they love.”

Eric’s smile started fading when Trevor went in that direction. His anger began rising.

“Your mother was chasing after my father until she became his mistress even after knowing that he had a wife!” Trevor snapped, getting the attention of some people. “That is how you were born, an illegitimate child. And now you’re doing the same, chasing after my man. It’s like your family is under the curse of mistresses. It’s a pity. But like they say, love conquers all and my love for Sergio is gonna break whatever spell you’ve put on him.”

Eric wasn’t smiling anymore. His anger was taking the best of him and he just stared at Trevor with his face blank. Seeing him like that, Trevor burst into laughter, chirping as he got closer. He knew he’d hit him where it hurt the most. He’d found his weak spot.

“Why are you quiet? I thought you were talking a few seconds back.” He laughed in mock. “That only shows that you know what I am saying is true. You call yourself sophisticated but only God knows how evil your mind is. I thank God I saved my fiancé from the clutches of evil people like you. No married person is safe from boys like you, boys willing to destroy happy marriages.”

Eric smoldered with resentment as his fury sprang to life. Rage pulsed through his veins and his heart started pounding violently in his chest, threatening to rip out. His breaths were harsh.

“I came here to tell you that you’ve lost, Eric!” He giggled in mock. “You’re a loser because my Sergio’s love for me is stronger than any seductive skills you were using on him. He couldn’t even wait to be with me, to have me in his arms forever, and to be called his husband. He brought the wedding even closer because he can’t stand the likes of you. I am going to get married to Sergio right in front of your eyes in four days and there’s nothing that will stop me! You have a good life, Mr. whatever!”

He laughed manically and was about to leave but…

“Hang on a minute!”

He moved closer to Eric and smiled. Then he chuckled and connected his hand with Eric’s cheek and everyone that watched went silent, watching everything in surprise. Eric held his cheek, looking at Trevor in shock. He could believe Trevor had dared slap him like that. His body shook in anger as he looked at Trevor with so much hatred.

“That is for trying to sleep with my husband, you whore!” Trevor warned, still wearing a smile. “Stay away from Sergio or what is gonna come next will be worse. He’s got a husband and doesn’t need hoes chasing after him.”

Trevor quickly turned and left laughing at the top of his voice. Eric just stood there holding his cheek and watching as Trevor left. Boy, Trevor had made the most terrible mistake of his life and he was gonna pay dearly for it. That was the promise Eric made.

“Sir?” Eric heard his assistant’s voice behind. “Oh my God, sir, I am truly sorry for that. Do you want to send security after him?”

“No need!” Eric chuckled bitterly. “I know exactly what to do. Did you do what I had asked?”

“Yes!” Reina nodded. “I have handed it personally to him.”

“Great! Call me if anything comes up.” Eric commanded. “I have something important that I have to do.”

“Sure, sir!”

Eric smiled like an evil genius. He was gonna make Trevor pay for that slap and that was a promise.

***

“Hello, mommy!” Eric chuckled when he heard his mother’s voice from the other end.

‘Hi, baby!’ She screamed. ‘How have you been? I have missed you so much, my love. You haven’t called me in almost two days and I have no idea how you are. Why are you doing this?’

“Mom, calm down!” Eric took a deep breath as he rushed down the stairs. “I have just been busy. And besides, I didn’t wanna bother you. You’ve got work and…”

‘Nonsense!’ Laurel said harshly on the other end. ‘You’re my son and that’ll never change. The fact that you’ve become very successful and all grown doesn’t change a thing.’

“Okay, ma!” Eric held his ear. “I am so sorry. I will be calling you every day, I promise.”

‘You better!’ She warned. ‘You know how I get worried, especially now that you’re with that snake in the same city. I am always worried.’

“I am no longer weak, mommy! No one can hurt me anymore. And besides…”

Eric just paused and paid attention to the voice in the background that he’d been dying to hear since he had come back to the country. A smile appeared on his face and his heart began racing with joy. He got excited and he couldn’t even hide it.

“Is that Lilly?”

‘Yeah, she just woke up and she won’t give me any peace.’ Laurel sighed. ‘She always wants attention whenever I am talking to you.’

“I understand, mommy! I love Lilly and you take care of her and everyone else. Say hi to Douglas for me.”

‘Alright, baby!’

The call was cut but Eric just remained standing there like a statue with a smile on his face. God, he missed his mother so much and he was wishing she was there with him. But she had a whole new life now and she was very happy. She wasn’t just his mother now. She was had a lot of responsibilities and he didn’t wanna burden her.

Eric took a deep sigh and then started heading towards the car park. He was just so excited and so tired. He had come from meeting with a client and just wanted to go home and just sit in the Jacuzzi for the entire night.

Eric was rushing to his car when suddenly, he bumped into someone hard. The next thing he felt was a thud and he quickly covered his mouth, glancing at the ground. Fortunately for him, there was only a handbag on the ground.

“Oh my God, I am so sorry. I had no idea that…”

But Eric froze when he raised his head and stared at the woman that was staring back at him with utter shock on her face. Tears immediately welled in Eric’s eyes as his fingers spread. His heart started racing and his body felt cold. It was like someone was pinching him with needles.

He felt like he was dreaming. His mouth shook in both fear and excitement. The woman in front of him was extremely beautiful with her beautiful short perm bob with large curls. Her beautiful eyes were staring at him without even blinking. She had tears in her eyes.

“Eric?” She muttered.

“Riya?” Eric gasped as a tear of mirth went rolling down his cheek. “Oh my God, is that you? Riya?”

Both of them couldn’t help it. They rushed to each other and hugged tightly, sobbing like little kids. It was emotional. Eric couldn’t believe that moment was happening, he was holding Riya in his arms.

Quiet contentment spread through him. It was almost more happiness than he could take. He pulled away but held her hands, checking her out. She was more beautiful than ever.

She wore a classy blue dress that showed off her curvy figure and red high heels on her feet. God, he couldn’t believe he was seeing her.

“Riya?” He gasped. “My goodness, you’ve got no idea how happy I am to see you. I have been thinking of you since I came back but…”

“Why did you do this Eric?” Riya sobbed as tears flowed down her cheeks. “Why, Eric? Do you know how much I have suffered in the last five years? Not a day had passed by when I didn’t think of you. I cried like I was crazy for months but you went quiet. You deactivated all your social media accounts. You were untraceable.”

Eric took Riya’s hands and kissed them as he cried softly. “Oh my God, Riya, I am truly sorry. I have so many regrets about leaving you in the dark but I had to protect myself. I had to leave my painful past behind and I know I shouldn’t have kept you out of my life…”

“But you did.” Riya took her hands away furiously, shaking her head. “I hated you for what you did, Eric. I promised myself that if I saw you, I was gonna be mad at you but when I eventually did…” She paused and chuckled in pain. “…I got excited. My friend was back. My best is back to me.”

Eric smiled, more tears flooding his face. “Riya, I am so sorry. I should have tried to communicate but I had no way. I couldn’t even locate your Facebook account.”

“I deactivated it because it reminded me of the painful past. Smith and I wanted to move on so we deactivated our accounts and just concentrated on studies.”

“Oh, Smith!” Eric chuckled, rubbing his tears. “How’s he?”

Riya lost the smile on her face, taking a deep sigh. “After graduation, he landed his dream job in Mexico. He went there and I lost communication with him a few months ago. But he’s fine. Last I talked to him, he got engaged and was thinking about starting a family.”

“Really?” Eric gasped. “That’s good for him. And you…”

He didn’t even finish his sentence before Riya raised her hand, showing the beautiful band on her finger.

“No!” He gasped, shaking his head. “You’re married?”

“Yes, going three months.” She laughed. “Scott and I...”

“Scott? You guys were really serious with your relationship, huh?”

“Yes!” Riya raised her eyebrow. “After graduation, everything turned out to be great. We live in the next city and we own an engineering company and bridal shop.”

“Wow, you know…” Eric paused and picked Riya’s bag from the ground. “You know what? I am not gonna let you go until you and I talk. Let’s go to a nearby restaurant and we can catch up if you’re not busy.”

“No!” She shook her head.

The two friends headed to Eric’s car and drove off, laughing at the top of their voices just like old times.

***

“Like I said before we changed the date of the wedding, I don’t want anything to change,” Kim instructed the woman that was taking some notes. “I still want this wedding to be very grand and the best wedding ever.”

“Ma’am, my team and I will do the best we can in the shortest possible time.” She said, wearing a smile. “I know how important this wedding is to you. And some of the things are ready like the venue but I just want you to take a look at these brochures and choose the theme of the wedding.”

She handed all of them brochures so that they could check the theme. Giada got so excited. She couldn’t believe it was happening. Trevor was blushing, holding on to Sergio’s arm with his life. He couldn’t believe that in four days, he was gonna be married to Sergio. Even Adrianna was there although she didn’t feel like she was even a part of that meeting.

“What do you think, Sergio?” Kim asked. “Which one would you love? I was thinking maybe gold and silver or diamond. It would be lit and it would show just how rich we are.”

Sergio smiled sheepishly. “Anything, mommy. Whatever you choose will be okay.”

“Come on!” Giada chuckled, shaking her head. “This is your wedding Sergio and it only happens once in a lifetime. Although the theme that Kim has chosen is wonderful, I still think this rests on you and Trevor. What do you want?”

“I think I agree with mother.” Trevor raised his chin, smiling at Kim which made Adrianna roll her eyes. “The theme she chose is just great. But baby, if you wanna change it, I will support you.”

“No!” Sergio shook his head. “I am okay with anything.”

Kim could see that something was wrong with her son. He wasn’t his usual self and it made her worried. She took his hand, rubbing on it sweetly while smiling.

“Sergio, what’s wrong? You seem to be absent-minded. Are you sick?”

Sergio shook his head. “Um, nothing!”

“Sergio, I am your mother.” She said with a smile. “I can sense that you have a problem right now, something is bothering you. You can tell me about it. If there’s anything you want to change about the arrangement, I’ll gladly do it for your happiness.”

‘How about you cancel this game of shame?’ Adrianna thought, her hands squeezing into fists. ‘If you truly cared about his happiness then you wouldn’t be doing what you are doing to him. But go ahead, Kim, destroy your son’s life and see how unhappy he’ll be.’

“It’s nothing, mommy!” He sighed. “I guess it’s because of the pressure from work and the upcoming wedding.”

“I am sorry, sweetie!” She kissed his hand. “It’s just four days, okay? You’ll rest afterward and go on your honeymoon with Trevor. It will be fun.”

Sergio gave a fake smile, nodding. If only his mother knew what was at the back of his mind was far away from what he had said. He was thinking about Eric, his beautiful smile, and the way he smelt. He had to try his best not to break down. He didn’t wanna upset his mother.

Adrianna was getting sick with the whole emotional blackmail her mother was using on Sergio. She rolled her eyes angrily, getting up from the chair.

“Excuse me!” She muttered. “I need to go outside for a second.”

“Why?” Kim asked with a frown. “You are supposed to be here helping us with….”

“Mom, whatever they choose is fine by me. It’s not like this is my wedding or something. I need some air.”

She got up furiously and started heading outside. Boy, she was so mad that she felt like punching something. Her breaths were harsh and her heart was racing so much. If she stayed there for a few more seconds then she was gonna make a really big mistake.

“Stupid bitch!” She cursed under her breath. “Always finding ways of ruining everything and…”

Adrianna paused when she bumped into someone. She gasped, quickly raising her head. Then instantly, her mood changed. A smile popped up her face and she felt like she had just stepped into heaven.

“Eric?”

“Adrianna!” Eric chuckled, quickly giving her a peck. “What a surprise. What are you doing here?”

“Err…” She chuckled nervously. “I was having dinner with my mom and Sergio. We came to meet someone.”

Eric felt his heart race the moment he heard that. He quickly raised his head and felt his heart pound violently when his eyes locked with Sergio. Boy, he got really scared and gulped. The whole crew was there and he didn’t need to be a genius to know that they were discussing the wedding.

He took a deep breath, smiling at Adrianna. Adrianna could tell that the smile was fake. Riya on the other hand got scared when she saw Sergio. She hadn’t seen him in four years and the last time they spoke, she had given him a hot slap. She glanced at Eric and could already feel the tension in the air.

“Eric, I am so sorry.” Riya apologized, squeezing his shoulder. “I had no idea that this was going to happen. Maybe we should go to a different restaurant or my hotel?”

Eric shook his head. “We’re already here, Riya. I don’t mind. And by the way…” She chuckled happily, holding Riya’s hand sweetly. “…this is Adrianna, a very good friend of mine. And err… she’s also Sergio’s sister.”

Riya almost gasped when she heard that. Her eyes widened but she played it cool and shook the young lady’s hand powerfully.

“Nice to meet you, Adrianna.”

“Same!” Adrianna smiled. “Anyway, I was just going outside for some air. I will see you later.”

Eric nodded and Adrianna quickly left. Riya and Eric went and sat on an empty table, a distance from where Sergio and his family were seated. Sergio’s mind completely shifted to Eric. Though he had his back to him, Sergio couldn’t help but check the boy and he was also shocked to see Riya after such a long time. God knows he wanted to go there and talk to her.

Trevor saw it but he caressed Sergio’s cheek, getting him back to him. He then kissed his cheek, chuckling like he was horny. Sergio gave a sheepish smile although he was very much still thinking about Eric.

Kim saw it and she felt like she was burning in anger. She balled her fist, clenching on the table cloth. She wanted to punch something. Seeing Eric in that restaurant made her fume. She was really mad and she was ready to do something bad.

Giada on the other hand had her eyes on Eric and she also had an evil grin. Her temper sparked as she remembered what he had done to her a few days back. He had humiliated her and made her look like a whore in front of David. She wasn’t worried about him seducing Sergio because she had taken care of that. He was there to seduce him, right? Well, she had a few plans up her sleeve and she was gonna deal with him that night.

“Excuse me!” Giada said, rising with a smile. “I need to go to the rest room.”

She chuckled happily, took her purse, and left. She was watching him, feeling all excited. It was time for payback.

***

“Eric Hernandez, huh?” Riya teased, taking a sip of her juice. “When I heard about the name, I was kinda shocked and happy that you decided to leave that cursed name. And look at you…” She laughed, raising an eyebrow. “….you’re super-rich and there’s just a lot that I have to ask you.”

“Um…. Well, a lot happened while I was in Australia and if I tell you everything, it will take us the entire night. So we’ll just talk about it another time. But let’s just say that leaving Zelda for Australia was the best thing ever for me. I finally ran into my destiny and right now I am happy.”

“And I’ll say cheers to that.” She raised her glass, chuckling a bit loudly. “I am glad that the witches that wanted your death can now witness your success.”

“Amen!” Eric raised his glass, laughing.

The two friends were having a great time catching up, talking about how their lives had been the last five years. But they were mostly talking about Riya and her life. She had quite interesting life the past five years. Her husband was as loving as ever, his family adored her and their business was going just fine.

“And when should we be expecting a little nephew or niece?”

“Isn’t that too early?” Riya chuckled nervously. “I am still enjoying my marriage.”

“Really?”

“Yeah!” She shrugged. “And what about you, Eric?”

“Me?” He gasped. “What about me?”

“Don’t tell you’re still single!” She raised an eyebrow. “I am sure you met some rich Australian guy and you’re in a really serious relationship.”

“Errr…” He chuckled, biting his bottom lip. “No!”

“Oh my God, you’re serious, Eric!” She gasped, shaking her head. “You’re very beautiful, sexier than any guy I have ever met and you’re super-rich. What are you waiting for?”

“The right man.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know but I just feel like that. I will get in a relationship, don’t worry.”

Riya laughed, touching her chest. She was staring at Eric as he’d just said something so horrible. She was about to say something when suddenly, something happened. A tall muscular guy with well-shaven hair, smoky gray eyes, and beautiful honey skin came out of nowhere and took a seat at their table.

He had a smile on his face and his chin was propped on his hand. He was staring at Eric, smiling brightly, almost like he was flirting with him. A frown appeared on Eric’s face and he began wondering who the man.

“Excuse me, sir!” Riya said harshly. “Didn’t you see that this table is already taken? Can you please leave? We’re having a very important conversation.”

The man leaned back on the chair, winking at Eric. “I am sorry but I just couldn’t control myself anymore when I saw your beauty, mi senor!”

“Excuse me!” Eric frowned, arising an eyebrow. “I am sorry like my friend said here, we’re having a really important conversation. There are a lot of empty tables. You can go and sit on one. Thank you very much.”

He looked at Riya, raising his shoulder in a half shrug. But he got the greatest shock of his life when the man took his hand and kissed it. He quickly withdrew his hand, swallowing down his frustration. He glanced at Riya and she was just as shocked as he was.

“Excuse…”

“Don’t pretend as if you don’t know me, Eric.” The man said, throwing air kisses at Eric. “I know that I am not as rich as you are but…”

He tried to take Eric’s hand but Eric retaliated and he furiously rose from the chair, breathing like he was ready for war. He was staring at the guy, fighting the need to slap him. But to his shock, the guy was still smiling at him.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Don’t touch me! Get the fuck out of here before…”

“Is that how you wanna play it?” The guy roared, getting up furiously. “This is how you play with men’s feelings, use them and dump them?”

“Excuse me!” Riya snapped, getting up. “What the hell do you want and who the fuck are you? My friend says he doesn’t know you so can get lost?”

“Really? He doesn’t know me?” The guy laughed manically, now focusing on Eric. “So we’re pretending now, Eric? What am I to you, just some toy that you can play with at night?”

Eric felt a fresh swell of rage rise in him. Fury vibrated through his being and his mouth flung open but to his surprise, he couldn’t speak. He didn’t know who the man was and neither had he ever seen him in his life before.

The man was so loud that he got the attention of everyone in that restaurant. Sergio got shocked by what he heard. Inwardly, he was seething and his fists started clenching. He had no idea why he started getting angry.

Kim was beyond shocked and Giada was enjoying the show with an evil grin on her face. Trevor on the other hand had never gotten as excited as he was at that particular time. He was happy that Eric’s secret life had come to the surface right in front of everyone’s eyes.

“You’re talking nonsense!” Riya chuckled bitterly. “Get out of here!”

“You don’t know anything so if I were you, I’d keep quiet.” The man warned, now staring at the boy that was beyond shocked. “This is between Eric and me. So, Eric, this is how you’re gonna deny me for the rest of your life? You can’t deny that what we have is special. I know you have a lot of guys that are probably richer than me but I love you so much. Aside from the fact that I give you a great fuck, I love….”

Without a moment of hesitation, Eric flung his hand forward until he came in contact with the guy’s cheek. He stung the guy with a sound like the cracking of a bullwhip. His hand stung from the impact and the guy clutched his cheek in pain and shock. He had expected that and honestly, he felt like he was bleeding.

He moved his hand from his cheek, glancing at it. But then he started chuckling, wearing that same flirty smile again.

“Why…”

“Enough!” Eric barked, raising his finger in warning. “I have had enough of your foolishness. Get out of here before I deal with you in a way you won’t like. I may look small to you but you don’t wanna mess with me.”

“Really?” The man laughed, getting closer. But Eric took a step backward. “Are you gonna deny me in front of these people just because I am not that rich? Are you ashamed of me? Well, you don’t seem like it all those times we make love at night.”

Sergio’s heart rate increased and his body flushed. His clenched fists began trembling in anger. Each time the guy opened his mouth, he got angrier. His knuckles had become white from clenching his fists too hard, and he had his teeth gritted from the effort to remain silent, his hunched form exuded an animosity that was like acid-burning, slicing, potent.

“And if you’re too ashamed to admit it, then you should stop hiding it.” The guy said with a stern face.

“Look, dude, whoever you are…” Eric warned. “…stop this madness because you’re messing with the wrong person. Don’t make me angrier than I am…”

“You can get angry all you want but it won’t change the fact that i love you.” He said confidently. “I know it’s all about sex for you…”

“How dare you!”

Eric raised his hand to slap the guy but got shocked when he caught it instead, gripping it tightly. He pulled Eric close to him, breathing on his face. He smelled of cigars and liquor and Eric had to move his face away. He tried to move his hand but the guy was just too powerful. He gripped Eric’s waist, bringing him closer while caressing his hand. Eric was simply mad but he couldn’t pull away from the guy.

Sergio’s face became red with suppressed rage. And when he saw the guy grip Eric’s waist, that was it for him. He pounded his fists on the table and went rushing like the hounds of hell were after him. He didn’t even know that he was headed there.

Sergio gripped the guy by the collar harshly, ripping him away from Eric. Then he slammed his fist into his jaw sending him flying to the table before he tasted a surge of coppery blood. The table broke in half and the guy gave a low groan feeling like every bone in his body had been broken.

Eric had been caught by surprise. He stared at Sergio as he’d just grown a set of horns. He was so shocked that he couldn’t even move. He hadn’t expected that to happen. How in the world had Sergio come just in time to save him?

“Sergio!” Kim barked, quickly rising from her chair. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

But Sergio’s eyes were only on the man that he wanted to kill. He knelt, picked the guy by the collar, raised his head, and gave him the hardest punch ever, literally smashing his skull on the concrete floor.

“You rascal, bastard!” He cried, breathing like a monster. “How dare you touch Eric? How dare you even talk to him?”

“Sergio!” Kim screamed as she rushed to the scene, covering her mouth. “Stop it! What are you doing?”

But Sergio was deaf to her pleas.

“How dare you touch Eric?” He punched him harder.

There was so much force in every blow. Sergio rained blows onto the guy as if he meant to smash him into the very earth. He just didn’t want him dead, he wanted him smashed, obliterated, nothing to bury. In just a few seconds, the guy’s face was painted red with his blood and he began crying like a ninny.

Everyone got up to watch the fight and some tried to stop Sergio but he just pushed them away and continued punching the guy. His fists were bloody but he didn’t care. Kim had never seen him act the way he did before. He was a monster.

“How dare you touch him?” He roared. “You shouldn’t have touched Eric!”

Trevor was sitting at the table white as chalk. His eyes and mouth were wide open in an expression of stunned surprise. He had a lot of questions running through his mind. They’d been sitting comfortably enjoying their moment so how did it turn from that to what he was seeing? He couldn’t believe he was seeing Sergio as a monster.

Giada on the other hand was beyond shocked and angry. That wasn’t what she had expected to happen and honestly, she was a bit scared. She just stood there mad as a maggot. Her eyes were wide open and so was her mouth.

“You bastard, you touched my Eric!” He shouted venomously. The guy’s face was red with blood and he kept on crying.

With each punch he gave him, the people gasped. They watched in shock. Eric slowly covered his mouth in shock, his eyes widening when he saw how angry Sergio was. He’d never dreamt of ever seeing Sergio like that, ever!

“I won’t spare you!” He slammed his fists onto the guy.

“Sergio, stop it!” Kim yelled. “Are you trying to kill him?”

She tried to grip his arms but he retaliated and pushed her away. She went flying to a table but fortunately for her, some people held her. Kim couldn’t believe her son had done that to her. She furiously pushed the people who had held her and went back to her son.

“Sergio, please, stop this!” She pleaded. “You are gonna kill him. What’s wrong with you?”

But he didn’t stop. Riya had her mouth covered and her mouth almost popping out of her sockets. Whatever had made Sergio act like that must have been deep and she admired something about it. But why was he defending Eric, she thought? She thought they didn’t talk to each other. Did he still love Eric?

“I will kill you!” He roared, face contorted with the venomous outburst. “How dare you touch him?”

The guy had never experienced pain like that. Distantly, he heard frantic screams from people but they were obstructed by the blood pounding in his ears.

“Why did you touch him?”

“Somebody, my son!” Kim cried. “Please!”

Some men ran to Sergio to stop him but he was just too powerful to stop. He kept on punching the guy to kill him.

Eric started getting scared, really scared. “Sergio!” He hollered. “Please, stop!”

But nothing was stopping Sergio.

“Sergio, please, stop for my sake!”

When Sergio heard that, he stopped his fists mid-way, trembling like there was an earthquake occurring right in his body. His eyes were blood red and the look he gave the guy was just too scary. He groaned angrily but some people gripped him, taking him away from the man.

The guy looked dead. He was wincing on the floor, trying to move but he was just too weak.

“Oh God, take him to the hospital.” Kim cried, staring at the bloody guys. “Call an ambulance before something goes wrong. I am extremely sorry. I’ll pay for all your hospital bills and any damage.”

Some people carefully picked up the guy and carried him away from there. The spot where he’d been lying was bloody. Some even wondered if he was gonna survive it. Kim called her guards and ordered them to take Sergio out of there and they did.

Riya quickly rushed to Eric and held him tightly, rubbing on his shoulder. She was so scared and she was in tears.

“I hope you are happy!” Kim snapped, pointing angrily at Eric. “I hope you’re happy with what has happened here because it was your fault. Whenever my son is near you, he always gets into some sort of trouble. Why did you come here? Why do you keep following him like a dog? I don’t know what you’ve done to my son but whenever you’re around, he always gets into trouble. He almost killed someone, your stupid lover!”

Eric had no words. He just remained standing there with tears in his eyes. He was yet to recover from what had just happened.

“But you listen to me!” She warned. “Nothing is more important to me than my children. And today, I am making a vow to you as a mother. I’ll soon distance you so far away from my son’s life that you won’t even appear in his thoughts again. I am ready to become a demon just to protect my son from the likes of you. And that is a promise!”

“What are you saying, ma’am?” Riya said hoarsely. “And what did Eric do that you’re telling him all those things? Your son just saved his life from…”

“I don’t care!” She snapped, furiously rubbing a tear from her cheek. “You just knew me as an overprotective mother but today Eric, you’ve made a nemesis and I’ll destroy you for the sake of my son. That is my promise!”

Kim furiously turned and stormed out of there like a whirlwind. Eric couldn’t fight his tears. They came flowing and Riya held him tightly.

“Let’s get out of here!” She started taking him out.

That had been very bad and Eric knew it.

***

Sergio entered the house, furiously folding his sleeves. He was breathing harshly, anger boiling deep in his system, as hot as lava. It churned within, hungry for destruction and he knew it was too much to handle.

He looked at his hands and saw the guy’s blood. It was a bit dry and it just got him angry. He took off his shirt and started wiping that blood off angrily. But not all of it came out. He threw the shirt to the floor and remained with only a vest.

“Are you out of your mind?” Kim stormed into the house with her daughter behind. “What the fuck were you thinking? You could have killed him.”

“He was misbehaving with my Eric!” Sergio snarled. “Didn’t you see that?”

Kim was done with Sergio’s crap. She walked up to him, pulled his arm, and when he turned to look at her, she connected her hand with his cheek. It hurt a whole lot but Sergio just stood there with a mark on his face from the impact. He was still mad and God knows that if that wasn’t his mother, he would have done something terrible to her.

“What do you mean my Eric?” Kim snapped, breathing like a monster. “How dare you say that shit to me, Sergio?”

“He was trying…”

“And so what?” Kim screamed in his face. “So what if he was misbehaving with him? What is your business with that? How were you sure that boy wasn’t just trying to hide his dirty deals from the public?”

“Because I know Eric!” Sergio yelled. “He’s not like that. Whatever that man was saying was total nonsense. Eric would never do that and…”

“Shut up!” Kim snapped. “Shut the hell up before I forget you’re my son. You had almost killed a man today. Look at your hands!” She pointed. “They’re bloody and you think that’s normal? That boy will put you into nothing but trouble and I will not sit down and let that happen.”

“Please, understand, mom!” Sergio said with a sigh. “Listen, what I did….”

“I don’t wish to hear anything about that. You almost killed a man like a monster. Everyone saw that today and all because of what, a stupid boy that doesn’t even deserve it? Do you know what this might have done to your image, our reputation? When will you stop acting stupid and…”

“If you call what I did stupid then I am stupid. I agree!” He chuckled bitterly. “But I have no regrets about what I did. Whoever tries that again on Eric is gonna go to hell and that’s my promise.”

Kim furiously smacked him across the face again. “Don’t you ever mention that boy’s name in this house ever again? I forbid you!” She warned. “We were having a good time. Everything was going well until he came to this city. All our plans are being ruined by him. Did you even think about how Trevor felt when he saw you acting like a monster? This was supposed to be your beautiful evening together but my son just had to act stupid for a boy that doesn’t deserve it.”

“But mom…”

“Enough!” She stomped her foot on the floor, taking a harsh breath. “Now you listen to me. You’re not going to get out of this house until after your wedding day. Do you understand?”

Sergio chuckled bitterly. “That’s your decision. It’s not like I have a say in it anyway. You can do whatever the hell you want.”

He made a quick turn and started rushing upstairs, leaving Kim in shock.

“Sergio!” She yelled. “Get the hell back here. I am still talking to you. Sergio?”

“Why are you yelling at him, mommy?” Adrianna asked, shaking her head. “What would you have done if you were in his shoes? Eric…”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” She said harshly, furiously turning. “I don’t wanna hear that boy’s name in this house.”

“Whether you don’t wanna hear it or not, it won’t change the fact that…”

“Shut Adrianna!” She warned. “I don’t wanna hear a word from your mouth. You’re the reason why he’s acting all stupid. You filled his head with your stupid stories and now he’s acting all dumb. You’re the one to blame and if anything wrong happens to my son, you’re not gonna like what I’ll do to you.”

“Yes, mommy!” Adrianna snapped, chuckling bitterly. “You can blame me all you want. After all, I am the only idiot in this house. The rest of you are all smart, right? Adrianna is the unwanted daughter, someone who shouldn’t have even been born.”

To say Kim was shocked would be an understatement. She stood still, her eyes opening widely. Not once in her wildest dreams had she thought she’d hear such words from her daughter?

“I know you think I am stupid and I just keep troubling everyone.” She said with tears in her eyes. “I am also useless and I just lie around like a person. Isn’t that what you’re implying?”

“Adrianna, what are you talking about? Stop talking nonsense. I don’t have time for this.”

“Do you have any time for me?” She snapped. “All the time you have is for a boy that isn’t even your son. You care about him more than you do me. It’s not fair.”

“Adrianna, please, don’t misunderstand me. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Don’t worry, mommy, I won’t trouble you anymore.” She chuckled bitterly. “You can continue treating that Trevor like your second son and forget you have a daughter. It’s not like you’ve made me feel loved ever since my father died. But listen to me, whatever you do or say to me and my brother, it won’t change what the truth is.”

She stormed out of there leaving Kim looking like she’d just had an encounter with her late husband. Her eyes were wide open and so was her mouth. She was trembling in shock but deep down, there was some anger that was building up inside her.

“This is all your fault, Eric!” She snarled, balling her fists. “You’ve managed to turn my children against me but I promise you that I’ll make you pay for it big time. This is my promise to you.”

***

Eric threw his blazer angrily on the couch and started moving about the room, gripping his hair painfully. He’d never felt as angry as he did at that time. He was so mad that he was simply so red. He was so angry that anger itself was brewing like a storm out at sea. He couldn’t even think properly.

At that time, Riya came rushing in after him. He’d driven home like he was going insane and he’d brought Riya with him. His mood was ruined.

“Eric, please, calm down.” She held him tightly, rubbing on his chest. “What happened was terrible and I know that…”

“No, Riya!” He chuckled bitterly. “You’re very wrong. What happened was more than terrible. That dirty stupid man just tried to embarrass me in front of everyone. He even had the nerves to touch me. I swear, if I see him, I’ll kill him with my bare hands. I’ll send him six feet underground.”

“I know you, Eric. I didn’t believe him because I know your relationship with guys has always been bitter.” She sighed. “This was a total setup. Someone wanted to humiliate you and ruin your image.”

Eric looked at Riya in shock, suddenly feeling a sense of coldness taking over. Tears welled in his eyes and his heart started racing. His body trembled as he took a harsh breath.

“Giada!” He groaned, his voice sounding like a clip. “That bitch! I am pretty sure it was her. He took a cushion and threw it angrily to the floor. Giada!” He screamed.

“Calm down, Eric, please!”

“Giada will pay dearly for this, I swear!” He chuckled bitterly, shaking his head in anger. “I’ll make her pay for this in a way that she’ll regret ever knowing me. Does she think I am the type of person that she can play stunts on? I’ll make her pay.”

“She deserves it. No wonder she was looking towards us when the whole drama was going on.” Riya gasped. “She engineered the whole thing. But why would she do that?”

“I don’t care about her reasons. But she’ll pay for this dearly. I am gonna destroy her.”

“Who knows what would have happened? I was so scared. It’s a good thing Sergio was there to save the day.” Riya sighed, combing her hair with her fingers. “I never thought I would say this but I have never been so thankful at Sergio!”

Eric sighed, taking a seat. Now that she had mentioned Sergio, the image of what had happened began forming in his mind and he got scared.

“Yeah! I am so glad that Sergio was there. I never thought he’d do that. I was so shocked when he started beating up the guy.” He sighed. “But I didn’t want him to do that. I was so scared he was gonna get into trouble if that ever got out in public. Oh God…” He gave a long, low groan, gripping his hair. “…I am so worried about him. I want to call him but I don’t have the courage to. Who knows what he’s going through?”

Riya’s mouth gaped when she heard that. But she also had a frown, staring at him as he’d just said something abominable.

“Eric?” She gasped, chuckling nervously. “What are you saying? You and Sergio don’t talk to each other? You guys split up five years ago and…” She paused and gasped. “…don’t tell me…”

“Riya, it’s a long story.” Eric sighed. “But Sergio and I are not enemies. We resolved our issues a few days back. I couldn’t hold it against him anymore. What had happened was bad but he was not to be blamed and I think he has suffered enough the last five years.”

Riya chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “Wow! I can’t believe this. You only returned over a week ago and you forgave him that easily?”

“I had no choice.”

“Hmmm…” Riya was still shocked. If she didn’t know Eric that well, she would have said he was joking. But he was serious. “…so that’s why he acted like that and came to your rescue? He’s still in love with you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Eric, don’t tell me you’re the only one who doesn’t see his love for you.” She said softly. “He could have chosen to just slap the guy, warn him and get him away from you. But he didn’t just warn the guy but beat him to pulp too. Only a man who is so much in love can do that to protect the one he loves.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Eric chuckled, rising from the couch. “I think you’re tired and…”

“No, Eric!” Riya shook his head. “Didn’t you see Sergio today? He was a monster and almost killed that guy. Maybe you’re too blind to see or you see but just choose not to pay attention. He’s very much in love with you. You know me. I say things the way they are and after the way, he acted today, I am sure everyone sees that love too.”

Eric felt his heart give a sharp pound. He remained stationary and just stared at Riya without even blinking. He knew Riya very well. She was the type of person that spoke things the way she saw them, the truth. Eric knew very well that Sergio was still in love with him but was it that obvious that Riya saw through it too?

“He was just protecting me.”

“As what?” Riya asked, raising her shoulders in a half shrug. “He was staring at you almost the entire time you and I were talking. The way he acted was just a confirmation that he is very much in love with you. Open your eyes.”

Eric clenched his fist. “You’re just seeing things, Riya. And you’re tired. Goodnight! I’ll send a maid to show you to the room you’ll be sleeping tonight.”

He quickly left Riya in the living room and she was smiling. She didn’t know why she got excited upon figuring that Sergio was in love with Eric although he was marrying someone. She was sure Eric loved him too but what kind of game was he playing?

***

Giada was walking slowly towards the alley, making sure that no one saw her. It was a really cold night and there was wind blowing all over.

She was looking all around and she was a bit scared. There were piles of boxes and wood almost everywhere and it was very quiet. She slowly walked further in and found the man she was searching for, one of the people that worked for her.

He was seated on a pile of wood, leaning to the wall with his eyes slightly closed. He looked messy and when Giada saw him, she got really mad and she angrily cleared her voice.

The man opened his eyes quickly, wincing softly. He was truly messy. His white vest was blood. He was holding a part of his tummy and he was completely swollen all over his face. He looked like a tomato was about to rot. Giada even had to grimace, giving him a disgusting look.

He had a bandage tied around his head and he had several stitches on his face.

“How dare you call me here at night, John?” Giada snapped, breathing in harshly. “Do I look like the fellow criminal that should meet you in such places? I told you never to call me, didn’t I?”

John got up, wincing a little too loudly. He was in pain. He started limping slowly to Giada and he even had to suppress a cry. The only thing that was able to show his pain was the tears in his eyes.

“Ma’am, I had to call you here.” He said in a low voice. “I need some money, more money than you paid me. As you can see I am in a really bad state and I need treatment.”

Giada laughed, raising an eyebrow. “Are you being serious, right now? Why the fuck should I pay you when you couldn’t even do a simple job?”

“I did as instructed, ma’am.” He groaned. “I did all that you told me, maybe even more. But look at me, ma’am. Your son in law almost butchered me. I don’t even know what part of me hurts the most right now. I need to go and see a doctor. This wasn’t part of the job. My job was to humiliate and ruin the reputation of Mr. Hernandez and even though I rejected, you forced me to. But now look at me.

I need treatment as soon as possible and for that, I need money.”

“You are not getting a penny from me, get it!” Giada snapped, raising her finger at him. “There’s no way I am paying you for your failure. And besides, I seem to recall Kim telling you she was gonna take care of the medical bills so why did you call me here?”

“I can do that and you can get in trouble.”

“What?” Giada gasped, furiously dropping her hands. “Are you threatening me? Do you even who you’re talking to?”

“I am not threatening you, ma’am.” He groaned. “But I can’t accept the offer from Mrs. Alvarado because it will get me in trouble. Mr. Hernandez is not stupid at all. Don’t you think he is gonna want to find out who I am and who had sent me? As far as I know, I have never met with him or even slept with him. And I won’t hesitate to tell him who exactly sent me and I don’t need to remind what trouble that will broom for you, ma’am.”

“How dare you!” Giada yelled. She was rigid with fury. “How dare you threaten me?”

“It’s not a threat, Mrs. Sandoval.” The man chuckled through his pain. “It’s a promise because if I go down, I am taking you with me. And I can easily get out by telling Mr. Hernandez that I was forced into it but you…” He chuckled, chirping. “…you’re gonna pay dearly because I know he hates you.”

Giada’s breaths sounded like she was about to orgasm. Her fists were clenched and she seemed like an earthquake was occurring in her body.

“So if I were you, I’d pay me.”

“You’re not getting a penny from me,” Giada yelled, her voice echoing. “You don’t know who I am, do you?” She chuckled bitterly. “I am worse than a monster.”

“I don’t care.” The man said. “You’re the reason why I am in this state so… so you can either pay me or I can accept Mrs. Alvarado’s offer and let everyone find out the truth. Or maybe, I can even go to Mr. Hernandez’s house and tell him the truth. I am sure he’ll even pay better than you.”

“You’re bluffing!”

“Maybe I am.” John chuckled. One of his eyes was so swollen that he couldn’t even see with it. “But soon, I won’t so you better fucking pay up.”

Giada groaned, getting closer to the man. She raised her finger, pointing it right in his ugly face.

“Do you know that I can kill you right now?” She snarled, her jaws shaking uncontrollably. “Do you know I can kill you and feed your carcass to the vultures? Don’t mess with me. Ask around…”

“Your words mean nothing to me, Giada!” The man snarled, making Giada gasp in shock. “Do you think I would have come to you unprepared? I told my brother everything and sent him our conversation earlier. If I do not return safely to him, he’s gonna send everything to someone that will destroy you. I know secrets about you Giada that might completely ruin you. Maybe Eric would love to get his hands on all of them.”

“Don’t threaten me!”

“It’s not a threat but a promise so don’t you fuck with me!” The man yelled but ended up wincing painfully. He’d never been in so much pain.

Giada felt tears of anger in her eyes as she stared at the man. She stomped her foot on the ground, opening her handbag angrily. She then took out a bundle of 100 dollar bills and threw it at the man. He took it and then looked at her, giving her an angry eye.

“And what the fuck is this?”

“Your payment.” She chuckled bitterly. “I think that should be fucking enough to take care of you.”

“Do I look stupid to you, Giada?” John snapped. “Do you think I endured all this, risking my own life just to get some cheap change from you? It seems you are not taking me seriously. Maybe you need….”

“What the fuck are you whining about?” Giada grimaced, eyeing him from head to toe in disgust. “That’s 20 000 dollars and it should take care of whatever fucking needs you have.”

John laughed, shaking his head. Then he did something even funny. He threw the whole bundle at Giada’s face which surprised her big time. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped. She couldn’t believe her henchman had just done that to her.

“What do you think of me? Do you think 20 000 is gonna keep your secrets?” He grunted. “Add two zeros to that and we’re gonna have a deal?”

“Are you mad?” Giada gasped, shaking her head abruptly. “You must be out of your damn mind. Where do you expect me to get 2 million from? And why would I give you such a huge amount of money?”

“Aren’t you a rich woman?” John snapped. “I don’t care where you’ll get it but I need it right now, otherwise, you’re gonna be in so much trouble. It’s all up to you, Giada. Either 2 million or your reputation goes sky high.”

Giada groaned angrily, stomping her foot on the ground. “You’re making…”

“Lady, I don’t have a whole day.” John groaned softly. “I still have to go to the hospital to get treated. If you waste any more second, I’ll change my mind.”

“But you know that I don’t have…”

John furiously removed his phone from his pocket and showed the screen to Giada.

“That is my account number. You can do the transfer right now.”

“What? I can’t…”

“I don’t care,” John said harshly. “But if you’re not interested, it’s fine. I could have gone straight to Eric but due to our relationship, I decided to come to meet you first. But it looks like you’re not interested. Goodbye…”

“Fine!” Giada snarled, clenching her fist. “I’ll transfer the money to you right now.”

Giada angrily took her phone and with an angry look of hatred, she started putting in the details. It didn’t take long and a message came on John’s phone confirming the transfer. He chuckled as he checked the message, trying his best to smile but he was in so much pain.

“Thank you so much, madam! You’re very kind.”

“Now you listen to me!” Giada warned, pointing angrily at him. “Take that money and leave this city. If anyone finds out about this, not only will you lose your life but I’ll make sure I wipe out your entire family. You know me. I am not joking.”

“I’ll take that as a bonus for my job.” John took the bundle from Giada, surprising her big time. “It was nice doing business with you.” John laughed. “Until next time. I am only a phone call away.”

“Get the hell out of here!”

John nodded slowly and started slowly walking out of there, holding his ribs. With each step, the pain amplified, the bloody muscle quivered. Blood was slowly oozing out of numerous wounds in his face and arm. But with all that pain, he managed to walk away from there before he got into a cab and left.

Giada screamed angrily, kicking a can. Her eyes flashed with anger, much like lightning on a pitch-black night. Her hands were clenched and she was trembling so much that one would have thought she was convulsing.

“Damn you, Eric!” There was something evil about that shout. “You always manage to ruin everything. And I thought Sergio wasn’t gonna do anything. He was just supposed to watch. I thought that idiot had tied the soul of my son and Sergio together. Then why the fuck is nothing working?”

She gripped her hair, pulling on it as hard as she could. She didn’t care about who heard her or the place where she was. She was mad and that was all she knew.

“This isn’t over!” She vowed. “Just wait until my son’s wedding has passed. Then I’ll destroy you. I swear!”

Giada’s heart was now as black as night and her only mission was to destroy Eric and wipe him out of the surface of the earth. She wasn’t gonna stop and that was a promise!

To be continued...