Destined Hearts - 8. Chapter 8: The photoshoot. What surprises await Praveen?

Praveen came out of the bathroom, drying his face. He couldn't still believe that had just happened to him down stairs, in front of his entire family. He couldn't believe Andrea had played a stunt like that.

‘How could you do this, Praveen?’

Those words had been painful to hear. Maybe it was partly his fault because he had thought she was genuine when she had asked him to collect the bill. She had planned everything but granny, bless her heart, he thought as he smiled as he remembered how she had been defending him since he had been to the house.

He threw the towel on the chair and froze when he looked in front of him to find Emilia looking at him without any expression on her face.

"Mother," He sighed, going for her feet.

She touched his head and then kissed his forehead. "My son, I am not happy." She said with a tone that he didn't like.

His heart started pounding deep in his chest when he realized that she might have been referring to what had happened downstairs. Could she have been mad at him, he thought as he took her hands in his.

"Mother, I am sorry if I disappointed you and..."

"No!" She sounded scared. She cupped his cheeks and looked into his eyes, seeing his vulnerability. "Don't say that, my son. I am sad because my own daughter just uttered such nonsense against you when she clearly knows that..."

"Mother, please, don't!" He pleaded, shaking his head. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what had happened. Andrea just thought wrong and besides, she knows the truth now. You shouldn't worry because I am not offended. I am sure she has learnt her lesson. She just said that because she..." He paused and simply froze, realizing that he couldn't tell her the truth. "...because she cares for this family and its wellbeing."

"But she pointed at you and..."

"I want us to forget that happened, mother." He pleaded, shaking his head as a smile brightened up his beautiful face. He took his specs and put them on.

Emilia smiled brightly and kissed both his cheeks. "I never made a mistake when I chose you for my son, Praveen. I know he's gonna be happy here with you. You're such a blessing to me and the entire family. I love you so much."

She gripped his arms and pulled him a powerful hug that felt really warm and welcoming to Praveen. He laid his head on her shoulder and lost the smile on his face.

‘Please, forgive me, mother...’ He thought, closing his eyes to enjoy her warmth. ‘I can't tell you that Andrea wants me out of this house and that her friend, Bruce is the one that Antonio loves. I just hope you'll understand why I am doing this one day.’

She broke the hug and smiled brighter.

"I must say that I haven't been this happy since the death of my husband." She sighed, rubbing his cheeks. "He would have been happy to know that you're already in this house and making all of us happy."

"I am sure, father is happy if this family is happy." He smiled even brighter. "I just want to see all of you happy, mother."

She smiled and then rubbed her tears of joy that had gotten down her cheek. "Alright..." She laughed, holding his hands tightly. "Why don't you show me exactly what you had bought? I want to see all of them."

"Okay, mother."

They both laughed and Praveen brought the bags to show his mother in law what he had bought.

***

"I can't believe you just did that back there, Andrea." Emma said with her arms crossed. "You just made a fool out of yourself. You made yourself look like a bad guy in front of all of them. What were you thinking?"

"Aunt, I... I was just..."

"You were just what?" She raised her eyebrow, shaking her head. "Making yourself look like a fool? I very well know that boy didn't do anything."

"What was I supposed to do, aunt?" She said depressingly, passing her hands through her beautiful hair. "I couldn't just sit and watch anymore. I had to do something, aunt. Is it wrong to help your family from harm?" She held both her aunt's hands, looking in her eyes. She was really mad.

"I didn't say that and I didn't say your actions were bad either." Emma explained, giving her niece a smile. "But look at the outcome of everything. He just gained more likes from this family and some people are already mad at you."

Andrea took a deep breath, sitting back on the bed. She buried her face between her palms and breathed audibly, feeling anger taking the best of her. "This is granny's fault. I told you that boy is a warlock. He's using magic and very soon, he will take our entire wealth." She quickly sat up and looked Emma into her deep piercing brown eyes.

"Are you gonna sit and let that happen, aunt?"

"No!" Emma shook her head. "But I have decided to observe him and see what is so special about him."

"What?" Andrea yelled, shocked because of what her aunt had just said. "What did you say? Can you hear yourself? This boy is..."

"I know that, Andrea." Emma said, sitting with her niece. "But to play the game, you've got to understand your opponent. This boy..." She said, opening her palm widely. "Everyone is taking his side and I wanna see why? First, I threw him out because Antonio's life is getting ruined because of him. But then..." She paused and chuckled bitterly. "...Antonio himself brought him back to this house?"

"That's because Antonio is being deceived by this boy." Andrea said harshly, almost bursting out at her aunt. She couldn't believe she was hearing that from her. "He probably waited until..."

"No!" Emma shook her head in disagreement. "Antonio could have chosen to ignore him but..."

"Aunt, not you too." Andrea said with tears in her eyes. "When are you gonna realize that this boy is playing tricks."

"Then I shall find out the truth." She said with a pat on Andrea's shoulder. "Like I said, I will be observing him and I won't make it easy for him. if Antonio approves of him after, then who am I to deny that?" She shrugged, chuckling softly. "I don't wanna be the bad guy here."

"I can't believe this."

Andrea rose furiously from the bed and stormed out of the room. She had come to her aunt's room to plan on what to do next only to be told such nonsense. She was really mad... She was fuming and she was gonna make sure she got Praveen out of the house with the help of Bruce. She was gonna do everything and that was promise.

She was walking so fast that she didn't even see clearly where she was going. The next thing she felt was someone pulling her arm and grabbing her. She came to her senses and realized that she had almost missed a step on the staircase.

She quickly moved her eyes and a smile popped up her face, a really sexy smile... her anger simply went away and her heart started beating rhythmically. She felt a little hot and almost blushed.

"Ethan!" She chuckled happily, not losing that gorgeous smile.

But all Ethan saw was evil and nothing else. He wasn't even smiling. "I should have let you fall down those stairs but I am not as heartless as you, Andrea. A woman like you, beautiful and really sexy..." He said with a serious look on his face, making Andrea smile even more. "...your heart should be pure and filled with love but I don't get why such a young woman would be bitter."

"Ethan, I..."

"I can't believe you'd do that to your brother's husband." He almost yelled at her and her smile started getting lost. "Have you no shame? But you know what..." He paused and chuckled. "...I am happy because instead of embarrassing him, you got embarrassed. Guess what they say is true. The almighty will always protect those who are devoted to him. You might be working hard to get that boy out but I will make sure that I bring the two of them together." He warned, pointing his finger angrily at her.

"And warn your friend to know his boundaries."

With those words, Ethan started heading upstairs.

"Ethan, wait..."

But Ethan was too busy to even realize that she was calling him. Andrea remained standing there wondering what everything was all about. Ethan had never spoken to her in such a tone before. What was his problem, she thought as she slowly came down the stairs.

"I will make you all understand very soon.” She vowed, clenching her fists. "I will incriminate him until neither of you can stand up for him. You'll come crawling back to me."

***

Praveen was sitting on a pool chair, his eyes in the water. He was lost deep in thought, blaming himself for what had happened. He couldn't believe that he had lost Adrian's number, the person he had become friends with, someone that had probably brought back his confidence.

He felt really terrible and worst of all, he didn't even know the company he ran for him to find information on him. Guess that was goodbye although Praveen really wished he could see him even if it was just once. He was praying for it and maybe, one day they'd get to meet or find a way to communicate.

"Ahem!"

He heard someone clear his throat and he quickly jumped up from the chair and got surprised when he heard someone laughing. It was Ethan and he couldn't believe he had just done that to him. But he wasn't alone. He was with Antonio who was busy looking at him without any expression. Their eyes met and both of them looked away.

"I am sorry for that." Ethan was still laughing and he felt a little embarrassed. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Praveen gave a sheepish smile and nodded.

"Anyway," He cleared his throat. "We came here to tell you something important."

Ethan quickly punched Antonio slowly, bringing him to the real world. He gestured him to tell Praveen and Antonio just sighed.

"Err..." He stuttered, his mouth shivering. "Well, you..."

"Go on!" Ethan teased. "You don't have to be shy. You two have been married for quite some time."

Antonio was gonna get Ethan for this because he was to be blamed for everything. Why the heck couldn't he just tell him, he thought as he clenched his fists? Anyway, he was gonna do it.

"We are gonna have a photo shoot in the next three days so you need to be prepared." He said abruptly, his hands in his pockets.

Praveen raised his face, speechless because of what he had just heard. His heart started racing, his body really cold. His eyes widened as he looked at Antonio without saying anything.

"W-what?" He gasped, feeling a shiver run down his spine.

"It's great, right?" Ethan chuckled happily, nodding his head. "This will be your first photo shoot as a couple and you can't imagine thinking about how happy your fans are."

"What?" Praveen was still in shock. "My fans?"

"Yes!" Ethan held his hand and gave him the brightest smile ever. "You are married to Antonio. And don't ever be shocked if there will be a Prantonio fan club."

"Prantonio?" Antonio gasped.

"Yes!" Ethan nodded. "That's what it sounds like when your names are combined. Anyway, I will leave the two of you to talk."

He left laughing. Praveen and Antonio remained there like strangers without even uttering a word to each other. While Praveen was still shocked with the news he'd been given, Antonio couldn't still accept that he was gonna have a photo shoot with Praveen. He didn't like it.

"B-but, I don't even know anything about photo shoots." Praveen's voice was barely above a whisper. "How am I gonna..."

"Oh so now you are complaining?" Antonio chuckled bitterly, furiously dropping his arms. "You wanted to marry a celebrity and now you've got the consequences of that. Just listen to me..." He warned, pointing angrily at him. "I am not only famous for my music but I am also a famous model so don't embarrass me on that photoshoot."

"Excuse me!" Praveen simply lost his cool. "You're only concerned about yourself here and you don't seem to be helping matters so please..." He put his hands together. "...leave me alone to clear my head, okay? It's not like I am even interested to take a photoshoot with you."

Hearing Praveen's words, Antonio simply laughed at the top of his voice. "Oh really?"

"Really?" Praveen gave a mocking laughter, looking at Antonio. "If there was another model there, if I had another option, it wouldn't be you. I would rather take a photoshoot with another amateur than with you. Excuse me!"

He got out of there, living Antonio laughing at the top of his lungs. "That makes the two of us. I'd choose Bruce to you any day."

Speaking of Bruce, he needed to talk to him because he needed to hear his sweet voice. His love for him was growing deep and although they haven't had sex in a long time.

"Hey baby..." Bruce answered on the other end of the line. "I miss you so much. I wanted to see you so badly. Can we meet?"

"Yes, I will be at the office tomorrow. Why don't you come by and then we might just find ourselves something to do."

"You know what I want, Antonio." Bruce moaned on the other end. "I want you to make love to me, please."

"That will happen soon and..."

***

"Oh my God," Granny gasped, getting up from the couch with her hand on her cheeks. "You look handsome in those clothes."

Hearing granny's words, Praveen blushed and dropped his eyes to the floor.

He was wearing dark blue skinny jeans, a white t-shirt, and blue sandals on his feet, all of which were expensive. His hair was tied in a braided ponytail, revealing his beautiful, and those beautiful blue eyes shone in those wonderful spectacles.

"Praveen, you have no idea how beautiful you look right now." She took his hand and kissed his cheeks. "My grandson in law is gorgeous."

Praveen was still blushing.

"I told him to put that on, mother," Emilia said with a smile as she came down the stairs with a smile. "He was hesitant because he wanted to keep wearing his old clothes."

"I know that but..."

"Praveen!" She smiled brightly, wrapping her hand around him. "I am not saying you shouldn't be wearing those old clothes of yours. All I am saying is that if you wear these types of clothes, Antonio will get even closer to you."

Praveen blushed and then dropped his eyes to the floor. He was feeling really shy. Meanwhile, Emma who was seated in the living room was just watching with a serious look on her face. Although she had told Praveen that she would give him a chance, she still didn't like him at all. She hated him and still needed him out. But she had to stick to what she had told him although it was gonna be too hard.

"Alright, I will go and prepare something for you in the kitchen."

"Yummy!" Granny rubbed on her tummy. "I have missed your cooking."

Granny kissed him and he left for the kitchen. As he was just entering the kitchen, he met with Andrea. As soon as she saw him, she stood still with her arms folded and her eyes all over him. She was looking up and down, chuckling to herself. Praveen just stood there without a word because he didn't want trouble.

"Wow!" She chirped, nodding her head. "Those clothes do look good on you."

Praveen wasn't gonna fall for those words because he knew Andrea was just teasing him. He just stood still and gave a deep sigh.

"Andrea..."

"But they do not suit you at all." She gasped, rubbing on her chin as if she was thinking of something to say next, probably an insult. "They are just too expensive, even more, expensive than your entire existence."

"I don't want trouble." He said softly. "Just leave me alone."

"But I am not causing trouble." She gasped in mock astonishment, holding her chest. "Baby boy, if you still wanna live in this house I'm gonna continue giving you the harsh reality. You can get a boy out of the slums but you can't get the slums out of a boy. I do not need to tell you what I mean."

"No!" Praveen said with a serious look on his face. "I understand you completely. But you've got me mistaken here. I am not from the slums. We might have been middle-class people, lower class than you guys but at least my values are something that you'll never have Andrea. At least, I am not bitter for nothing like you and..."

"How dare you..."

"And I'll appreciate it if you stopped causing trouble for me, Andrea." He said with a small voice but the warning in his voice was clear. "I won't take you always trying to make me look bad. If you'll excuse me, I have to prepare something for granny."

He furiously passed her, leaving her there fuming. She couldn't believe he had the guts to say that to her face. She wasn't gonna take it and that was the truth.

***

"I am not joking, Ethan," Praveen said, gripping his hair. "Do you have any idea how scared I am right now? I don't think I can..."

"Don't say it..." Ethan moved his little finger in the air. "You'll be fine, Praveen. It's not that big..."

"It's not that big?" Praveen chuckled bitterly, shaking his head. "You can say that but this is a big deal to me. What if I embarrass myself out there? There is no way that I will be able to pull this through. I don't have any idea of being a model. I am not like Antonio or Bru..."

"You'll be fine." Ethan squeezed his shoulders, making him calm down. "You've got everything to surprise all of us. Prove us wrong, Praveen."

"What do you mean?" He frowned, shaking his head. "I have got everything."

"Yes!" Ethan nodded. "You're very handsome, Praveen. You've got a great body and your confidence too. Most importantly, you've got the looks. You'll be fine. Just one thing can make you lose it on set."

"What?"

"Being nervous and..."

"See!" Praveen sighed, leaning towards a wall. "I am screwed. I don't have any idea about..."

"Uncle!" Praveen heard a little voice behind.

He quickly turned and his entire face brightened up with a smile. It was the little boy he had just learned to love.

"Ryan!" He gasped happily, kneeling with his arms wide open. "Come here."

The happy boy ran into his arms and he kissed him all over his face, drawing giggles from him. It was really beautiful because he loved children. After all, his dream had always been to have a big family with children and a great husband but not Antonio.

Little Ryan was in a uniform and now wonder Praveen hadn't seen him. He had probably started school somewhere.

"Hey! I missed you, Ryan." He said, pulling away from him. "How could you have left without telling your friend?"

"I am sorry, Uncle!" He held his tiny little ears, making Praveen smile brightly. At least, little Ryan knew how to act, unlike Andrea who was always bitter. "Granny took me to school early."

"School, huh?" He raised his eyebrow, frowning. "How did it go? Did you make any friends?"

"No!" He lost the smile on his face. "All the other kids are already friends."

"But there is always room for one more," Praveen said, pinching his little cheeks. He was now smiling. "You'll make a lot of friends and your uncle here," He chuckled. "Will always be there for you anytime you come home. I also know you are hungry. I will give you something."

He picked up the child in his arms and slowly turned to find Ethan looking at him with a smile. "I will be back, Ethan, okay? Why don't you..."
"I have to go back to work," Ethan said with a sigh. "I am currently working with Antonio on his new songs and videos. I will call you later."

"Okay."

They parted ways and Praveen went to feed little Ryan. When he was done, he gave him to one of the maids and went to the kitchen to prepare something for everyone. After all, he didn't have anything to do since he didn't work plus he loved cooking.

Meanwhile, Emma was seated in the living room watching one of her favorite shows. She needed to relax and just forget about everything that was happening in the house. She was suddenly surprised by Praveen who was holding on to a tray of tea and some snacks.

To say she was shocked would be an understatement. She quickly shifted her gaze to him, looking at him as if he had just grown another head. The boy was looking at her with a smile which she thought was annoying as fuck.

"What?" She said.

"I just thought you might like some snacks while you enjoy your show." He beamed, putting the tray on the small table near her. He pulled it closer to her, enjoying the incredulous look on her face. "One of the maids told me that you like having tea and snacks while you watch T.V."

"You were informed right." She said with a smile, making Praveen smile even brighter. Then out of the blue, she lost the smile on her face and got serious. "But if I needed snacks I know where the kitchen is and there are a lot of maids in this house."

"I know that." He said, not losing the smile on his face.

"But I made all these especially for you." He added. "I even made you cookies which I thought would..."

"Would you please stop your nonsense?" Emma snapped, furiously getting up from the chair. "I told you I would be observing you. That doesn't mean that I have accepted you. I am only tolerating you because of everyone else in this house and..."

"But aunt..."

"Don't..." She clenched her teeth, opening her eyes wider. "...don't talk while I am talking. I hate that and I already told you that."

Praveen got hurt but he maintained his smile. "I understand. I just thought..."

"What?" She folded her arms on her chest. "That you'd put me under your palms with your cookies and tea as you've done to everyone else."

Praveen shook his head in fear. "No, you are misunderstanding me, aunt. I told you that I have to do these things for you. I am the son in law of this house."

"Son... in law?" She laughed. "Until I approve of you or maybe Antonio accepts you, you are nothing but a trespasser in this house. Don't let those..." She grimaced, pointing to his clothes. "...deceive you that you are a part of us because it takes more than just designer clothes to be a Gonzalez. It requires class, poise, elegancy, and beauty. So if I were you, I wouldn't take what I said the other day seriously and get too comfortable. Your very presence is pathetic."

She quickly turned and passed him angrily. "I'll watch the show in my room since your presence has ruined it. Next time, learn to keep to yourself instead of ruining other people's things."

She left and he remained standing there looking lost and confused. He hadn't done anything at all by trying to make her feel better and comfortable. And here he had been thinking things were gonna get easy but he had been wrong.

Could she be mad because of what had happened the other day, he thought as he slowly picked up the tray from the table? Or may Andrea had gotten to her and poisoned her once again. It was just too confusing.

He started going to the kitchen but stopped when he saw Antonio standing in the doorway, holding his jacket. His shirt was half-buttoned and his hairy chest was exposed. He had his black designer's trousers and brown shoes on. He looked handsome in the things he had been wearing. After all, Praveen had picked it for him and left it on the bed.

Praveen's eyes met with Antonio and he couldn't read the guy's mind. He was probably happy. He just increased his pace and went into the kitchen.

Antonio on the other had no idea why he saw that kind of sadness in Praveen's eyes. He loved seeing him suffer but maybe his aunt shouldn't have said what she had said. He hated Praveen but the poor boy was just trying to make her feel better.

Why was he even thinking about it? Of course, the guy deserved everything that was happening to him because he invaded everyone's privacy. He was the reason why he couldn't completely be with his boyfriend. It was his fault that Ethan had completely changed. It was like everything he touched, everything simply changed in favor of him.

The guy had even stolen his granny and his mother. They never saw anything past Praveen. Praveen this... Praveen that...

He just shook his head and went up to his room to freshen up.

***

"You can't be serious," Bruce said, shaking his head. "Please, tell me you are joking."

"I am not," Antonio said as he took Bruce's hand, placing a kiss on it. "I told you this because I don't want to hide anything from it and not because I want to hurt you."

Bruce walked away and stood at a distance, his back to Antonio. He was really mad but he didn't wanna show it because he wanted his boyfriend to not know that he was very angry. But he couldn't just help it at all.

"And how do think this makes me feel?"

Antonio slowly walked towards Bruce, looking at him with a brilliant smile on his face. Bruce was looking so yummy, delicious, and beautiful. He was wearing a bright yellow shirt with his chest exposed, all for Antonio to admire. He was wearing tight, skinny pants with brown dots and green snickers all of which were designers. His short hair which he had died golden brown was tied with a band and pulled back, revealing his beautiful face. Antonio had never seen a creature so beautiful.

He chuckled and then went behind him, wrapping his arms tightly around him. Then he kissed his neck and breathed on it, enjoying the expensive exotic cologne that hit his nose.

"I know you don't like this but..."

"You have to do it for your family." Bruce sighed, shaking his head. "I know you have to do this for your family but... but I can't help but feel jealous that you'll be close to that stupid boy."

"I don't feel anything for him."

"I know that..." Bruce dropped his neck, giving Antonio's lips more access. Fuck, Antonio's lips felt heavenly on his neck. His breaths were like fire and they were giving Bruce wild thoughts. "...but put yourself in my shoes. The world has never seen us together on any photos and now you're about to present them with you and that... that..." He didn't even know the words to use on Praveen. He visibly hated him so much.

"Baby..." Antonio held him closer, slowly turning to face him. He raised his head with his chin and looked in his eyes. "...our marriage is just for show and you know that. You're the one that I love. He... he is just a phase that that will pass away. I will get rid of him very soon." He said, getting a smile from Bruce. Bruce's smile somehow made him feel happy and he pressed a peck on his lips. "Very soon, our love story will be known by everyone. You will be known as the handsome husband of Antonio Gonzalez, Bruce Gonzalez."

A smile appeared on the side of Bruce's lips. He wrapped arms around Antonio and pressed his head on his shoulder. Antonio held his waist and both of them found themselves in a tight hug. Antonio was busy smiling but Bruce had a big frown on his head. He was really mad.

*

"Then what are you gonna do about it?" Andrea asked her legs on her table, sitting like a boss in beautiful blue high heeled shoes. "Are you gonna just let it happen?"

She was putting on a blue, expensive, red designer's dress and her hair tied in a ponytail. Her makeup was on point and she was acting as if she didn't care. She was still hatching a plan to make Praveen leave the house early and she swore she was gonna jump at any opportunity that was gonna present itself to her.

"Of course not..." Bruce said harshly, moving from side to side. She was with Andrea in her room and they were getting ready to go out before Andrea asked him what was wrong. "Do you think I am stupid? Do you think I am gonna let that boy be that close to my boyfriend, Andrea?"

"I don't know." She dropped her legs, smiling brightly. "It's actually up to you, Bruce. I am gonna let you handle this one."

"But..." He paused and looked into her eyes. "What do you think I should do? The photoshoot is just a day away and I..."

"You're are intelligent, Bruce." Andrea sighed. "You will figure this out. You can also let them take the photo if you want."

"Are you crazy?" Bruce's eyes widened. "Why would I do that? You know that boy is intelligent and he'll jump at every opportunity to seduce Antonio. I will not allow him to do that."

"Right now..." Andrea got up from the bed and slowly started moving. "...I am only thinking about finding a way to get rid of him. I don't care about the photoshoot or anything he does. All I want is to find an opportunity to get him out of the house. So you're gonna have to think about this alone, darling, okay?" She smiled.

Bruce just looked at her wondering what was wrong with her. He had expected her to help him come up with a plan to ruin the photoshoot or make it turn into his favor but turns out that it was all in vain. She was more concerned about her plans.

"But Andrea, aren't we supposed to be working together here?" He complained. "Do you want this boy to..."

"My brother is not stupid." Andrea rolled her eyes in frustration. "He will not fall for that boy. He loves you too much to do that. We were supposed to go somewhere, weren't we?" She asked, dropping her hands to her gorgeous hips. "I wanna get out of this house because the environment has been polluted. Shall we?"

Bruce looked at his friend and simply sighed. He got up and both of them left.

***

Praveen was seated on the couch in his room trying to make himself calm. He was nervous, scared and only God knew what was going on his mind at that particular moment. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt and brown skinny pants. His hair was tied with a band and he had his spectacles on.

Suddenly the door opened and he quickly moved his eyes to the door, hoping it was Antonio that had come. He got relieved when he saw Ethan coming inside with a brilliant smile. He was dressed in a pale white shirt with his chest exposed and a black trouser. He was looking really smart with his hair gelled and from the way he was looking, it was clear that he had just come from work.

"Hey," He greeted, rushing towards Praveen. "Are you ready? I am here to pick you up. I am sorry that Antonio couldn't pick you up himself."

Somehow, Praveen felt a little disappointed. First of all, Antonio wasn't supposed to work that day. He had just come up with a lame excuse that he wanted to go and finish up on a song that he had been working. He had gone early in the morning and his mother had told him to pick Praveen so that they could go to the shoot at 10.

"It's okay, Ethan." He said, faking a smile while hiding his shaky hands. "I feel more comfortable driving with you, anyway. It's not like Antonio..."

"Oh come on," Ethan teased, winking at Praveen. "He's your husband and he's supposed to do this. He just had to put some final touches. We'll meet him at the shoot so you don't have to worry."

As if that was what was making Praveen worried. If only Ethan knew what exactly was in his mind then he wouldn't have even asked or said that.

"Shall we?" He asked, playing with his car keys. "You and Antonio are the only ones they are waiting for. Everything is done."

Praveen couldn't say anything to Ethan because he was sure his voice was gonna be trembling. He just managed a nod and the both of them quickly left for the location after receiving goodbyes and good lucks from granny and Emilia. Granny even told him to "Break a leg"... Funny...

It didn't take long before they reached the location in about just half an hour. It was a big building, probably a modeling company, or something because he saw many pictures of models outside it. It had to be about 13 floors or more. The surrounding was really big, absolutely adorable with beautiful flowers and many cars.

He could see cars, probably company cars, and vans. There were people packing equipment probably for a shoot somewhere. Everyone he met was busy doing something or busy rushing somewhere. He was so caught up in the place that he didn't even realize that they had parked in front of the big entrance guarded by a guard. He only realized it when someone opened the side of his door.

It was a beautiful lady in a white shirt and a black skirt with flat shoes. She had short brown hair and green eyes. And best of all, she had a really big and bright smile on her beautiful face that he couldn't help but smile too.

"Hello, sir." She greeted both of them.

"Hello," Ethan greeted, smiling back at her, almost like flirting. "Can you please take this beautiful boy inside?"

"Of course." The lady said, nodding her head. "His husband had just arrived and I am sure he is eagerly waiting for him. They are such a sweet couple, you know." She jumped from all the joy.

Ethan looked at Praveen and just laughed softly, shaking his head. "Yeah, right?"

"Of course," She nodded. "And they are such important people to our company, sir. Being the first to take their first couple shoot will not only boost our company image but also bring in a lot of money."

"You hear that?" Ethan beamed, squeezing Praveen's hand. "Go and give your fans what they want. I will see you later."

Praveen looked at Ethan in shock, looking at him wide-eyed. "You're not coming?"

"And ruin your moment with your husband?" He laughed in tease, holding his chest. "No thank you but I think I will pass. Besides, as his manager, I need to go back and check out what the crew is doing with the production of his music. So will see you later."

Praveen took a deep breath, getting out of the car. He waved at Ethan as he drove off. Then he looked at the woman who told him to follow her inside the building. It was beautiful and classy inside. Everyone treated him as if they knew him, smiling and greeting him.

They entered the elevator and found themselves on the 10th floor. As soon as the elevator opened, Praveen saw his husband busy talking to a cameraman with a smile on his face. The moment he saw him, his nerves got the best of him once again. His palms started getting sweaty and he struggled to bring his breaths under control.

Antonio was putting on a black designer's cargo short, an open shirt with a black vest inside. He had snickers on his feet but he looked hot! Wait! That came out wrong. Why would Praveen care how his husband looked like? He was such a dick.

He slowly started walking to him, looking all around. There were a lot of things in that room and it was really big. He didn't need to be a genius to know that all of those were gonna be used as backgrounds for the shoot. Some had white backgrounds, flowers and some looked like beautiful beaches. He knew the crew thought it was gonna be romantic but there was nothing romantic about his and Antonio's relationship. It was a joke.

"There he is." The director, a 40 something man with short blonde hair said with a smile. "My name is Jack and I am the director of this shoot." He extended his hands to Praveen. "It is nice to meet you. God, you are gorgeous. Now I know why he was in a hurry to get married."

Praveen looked at Antonio and then smiled brightly at the director. "Thank you so much, Mr. director. But I don't think I am that gorgeous."

"Then tell me who doesn't say you are and I will tell you he's an idiot."

Praveen looked at Antonio and smiled at him in mock. "That's not necessary, sir."

They talked for a few seconds and Praveen found himself calming down. The director introduced them to the crew and they all seemed happy to have them. They all commented on how cute the couple was, how Antonio had made a good choice, and how they were all happy that one of their favorite celebrities had found a life partner blah-blah-blah...

But Praveen didn't care. He just smiled. Antonio too was smiling although he didn't like what was going. He should have been with Bruce and not some boy that was gonna ruin the entire photoshoot for him. He didn't like it.

The director ordered his people to take the two men to the respective rooms to be prepared. Antonio's room was just on the floor while Praveen's was on another floor. He was getting nervous and he was hoping it wasn't gonna be a disaster.

***

"Hey, can I remove the glasses?" The makeup artist said with a smile. "Do you not see clearly without them?"

Praveen looked at the artist with a puzzled look on his face. He was smiling and there was no way Praveen was gonna make him feel bad. He was usually against removing his glasses because... Well, just forget about it. But it was gonna be the second time he was gonna be removing them since his marriage.

"No!" He said with a soft chuckle. "Why don't you go ahead?"

The artist nodded and removed the glasses, placing them on the table. He continued his work on Praveen's face and didn't lose that smile on his face. Praveen's hair was already and it was covered by a cap to prevent it from getting dirty or disorganized. The hairstylists too had done a great job.

His clothes were already in the room and the others were gonna be brought. He learned that he was gonna try out five different looks. Looks like the people were really serious with the photos.

"You look really beautiful without your glasses." The makeup artist said as he continued his work. "If I didn't see you earlier in your glasses, I would have said I didn't know you. Why do you wear your glasses though? Do you have eye problems?"

Praveen remained quiet for a while, going down memory lane to the first time his mother had suggested he started wearing glasses.

"Well, it's a kinda long story. But..." He sighed, smiling brightly. "...I sorta became a nerd in school so I am used to wearing them. Besides, I think I see better with them. These glasses are my life and..." He paused as he remembered something emotional. "...they were given to me by my mother so having them with me makes me feel as if she's still with me."

"That's sweet..." He commented. "And I bet Antonio loves seeing you in them."

Praveen blushed and just dropped his eyes to the ground.

The artist continued as the two chatted like two lost friends. It didn't take long before he was done and he left Praveen to get dressed. The clothes that had been brought were really beautiful. Praveen was now all alone and he had to be careful not to spoil either his hair or his makeup.

When he looked in the mirror, he noticed what the man had just said to him. He looked different than he usually did. It was a look that he had almost forgotten about since he had started wearing glasses and acting nerdy. There was barely any makeup on his face and he had to admit that the people had done a great job.

He smiled brightly and opened the other door to go and get dressed. It didn't take him long to dress and he was ready. He was starting to get nervous again but remembered how Antonio had warned him the other day.

"You have to do this Praveen." He said, taking a deep breath. "He's not the only one that can pull this. You need to show him that you're not weak. Show him that you're very strong."

He took three deep breaths and felt some powerful energy entering him slowly. Now he was ready for the photoshoot. He quickly touched the knob and when he turned it... he got the surprise of his life when the door couldn't open.
He tried again but it looked like the door was jammed somehow. He tried and tried again but nothing was working.

"Hello..." He called loudly, knocking hard on the door. "Can somebody please hear me? I am locked inside the room. Can someone please hear me..."

But there was no answer. He wasn't even sure anyone could hear him but he kept on trying. He didn't need to be locked up in the room. He had a photoshoot for God's sake. He needed to get out of there but how was he gonna do it?

***

"This is taking too long." The director complained, looking at his watch. "Why is he taking too long? It's been over half an hour since the artist said he was getting dressed. What's going on?"

Antonio and the entire crew had been waiting for Praveen for over half an hour. They couldn't get what was going. The shoot was supposed to begin early because they still had to shoot their boss too but now Praveen was taking too long. It was irritating.

Antonio was seated on the chair, trying to call Praveen. But he couldn't get through to him. The idiot had the nerve to switch off his phone. This had been what he had been afraid of and now it had happened. He didn't know what to because he felt vulnerable. Probably the entire crew was now thinking he had married a loser.

Finally, the man that had gone to check came back rushing and they all got up to hear what he had to say.

"I am sorry, sir but he's not in the dressing room." He said with his eyes to the floor. "I checked but one of the guards said that they saw someone leaving that place. I think he left."

"What?" The director shouted, shaking his head. "Why would he leave? He knew how important this shoot was. What's going on?"

Now Antonio couldn't say anything. He could tell that the director was really mad. He just stood there looking cool and sexy in what he was wearing. He was wearing a high-class black designer's suit with a white shirt inside, making him look like the hottest man on the planet. He had black shoes on his feet and his hair was curled. He had been looking forward to the shoot but the idiot had let him down. Now he was gonna get it from him.

"I am so sorry." Antonio apologized, slowly moving towards the manager. "I should have known he'd do this. I thought he knew how..."

"You don't have to apologize, Mr. Gonzalez." The director tried his best to smile but he completely failed. "Maybe it was us who made a mistake. We should have stuck to you shooting with a model but now... it's too late because we don't have any models here. Guess we are gonna have to reschedule. I am sorry for the inconvenience."

Antonio smiled and nodded. "I am sorry too. I..."

"Hey, hey..." Antonio heard an excited voice sound behind him, a familiar voice. "...how's everything going? I came to check up on you?"

He quickly turned and his eyes widened when he saw Bruce standing behind him with an amazing smile on his face. He was wearing tight red skinny jeans and a brown shirt. His hair was tied behind and Antonio, fuck, he just wanted to hold him and kiss him right there. But he knew better than to behave himself. Somehow, seeing Bruce made Antonio's spirit to be lifted again. He was happy.

"Bruce!" The director gasped, rushing towards him with a smile on his face. "Oh my God, I never thought I'd get to see a famous model like you in my presence. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, please..." Bruce held his chest, brushing at the director's words. "Don't flatter me. Besides, I only came to check on my friend Antonio and see how the photoshoot is going. But from the look of things..." He lost the smile on his face. "...it looks like I am late."

"Bruce, the..."

"No!" The director held his hands tightly. He was just excited to have such a high fashion model like Bruce. "The shoot hasn't even started. Mr. Gonzalez's husband left without notice so..." He paused and sighed. "...we were just about to reschedule."

"What?" Bruce gasped, looking at Antonio who was still staring at him without a smile. "Praveen left before the shoot even started? Why did he do that?"

"I don't know but you're like a savior." The director beamed, surprising both Antonio and Bruce. "We were about to close the shoot but I was just thinking since the original idea was to shoot Antonio with a model, why don't we shoot the two of you instead? I am sure this will be a high sale because both of you are famous."

The moment Bruce heard that his heart started racing. Adrenaline started preying on him as his eyes widened. Fuck! A photoshoot with Antonio had been one of the things that he had been dreaming of since they had started dating. This was like a dream come true.

Antonio on the other hand got excited the moment he heard the proposal. He couldn't even imagine how shooting with Bruce was gonna feel like. His heart was racing miles as a shiver went up and down his spine. His breaths were getting out of hand. He couldn't even wait to touch that body which turned him on.

"Err... I don't know." Bruce pretended not to like the idea. "... I am not even prepared for it."

"And since when did Bruce start preparing for shoots?" The director teased, dropping his hands to his hips. "From what I hear, you were born ready. Please, just accept so that we can begin."

Bruce looked at Antonio and felt happy when Antonio nodded. His plans had come into action. He was gonna be the one to shoot with Antonio and not Miguel. He was gonna show the stupid little boy that he was never gonna have Antonio.

"Alright..."

The director told his crew to start preparing as Bruce was taken to the dressing room. It didn't take long before he finally came out, looking as gorgeous as ever in a black designer's skinny jeans with a yellow shirt that was halfway done on which a beautiful gold and diamond chain was pressed. He had yellow snickers on his shoes.

His face was glowing and Antonio couldn't help but gulp. Fuck! His member was rising and he knew better than to control his hormones. Bruce's hair was tied by a band, revealing his beautiful face that Antonio just got lost into.

The shoot started and boy was Antonio ready for it. They first shot with flowers all over them. Bruce was pressed on Antonio's chest, holding on tightly to his jacket while looking up at him. Their eyes were connected and they were smiling at each other.

"Great!" The director commented. "That is very good. You guys have good posture and you look like you are in love."

The photographer started taking pictures as Antonio and Bruce made different poses, all sexy and magnificent. The poses ranged from the both of them holding each other tightly to their faces been closer and them almost kissing. Some were sexy while others were simply beautiful and professional.

"Shit! You two have great on-screen chemistry. I love it."

They continued their shoot as the director continued cheering for them and the entire crew. Shit! With Bruce's body pressed so close to him and their faces almost touching, Antonio had a hard time controlling his hormones. He was hard the entire time and wanted to kiss Bruce so badly.

They changed their clothes and were now in casual. They enjoyed themselves on screen and had a really good time. They changed five times and the shoots were great.

"Wow!" The entire crew was now clapping hard. "This is gonna be epic, I tell you. You two were amazing out there. I am sure that this magazine will yield one of the highest sales ever. If I didn't know you, Antonio, I would have said you were lovers. You had such good chemistry."

Antonio looked at his boyfriend and smiled brightly. "It is because I was given the best."

Bruce blushed when he heard that. Fuck! The shoot had been so wild and passionate. He couldn't wait to kiss his waiting lover's lips when they were alone. He had a great idea of what they were gonna do for the celebration.

"Well, I have never had such fun on set before." The director confessed. "Thank you so much for bringing fun back to me."

Antonio greeted the director and thanked him for giving him an opportunity. "We have to go now." He said with a smile.

"Alright, the magazine will be out soon. Watch out for it."

Antonio and Bruce left quickly after having completed something so important.

Meanwhile, Praveen who had managed to come into the room was standing there like a zombie, looking puzzled, confused, and hurt. He felt cold... his body was weak and his breaths were a little harsh. Tears had built up in his eyes and he had no idea why. He should have gotten used to Antonio and Bruce by now but it hurt so much with what he had seen.

He was standing behind a big poster, watching everything that had been going on. He had finally gotten out of the room where he had been locked in thanks to a guard that had come into the room and heard him asking for help.

He had rushed to set only to find his husband enjoying his time with his lover on set. The way Antonio had been holding Bruce in front of all those people... the way he had been looking at him... the way they had almost kissed... the look of lust in both their eyes. It hurt so much that he had wanted to cry. There were tears in his eyes. He had wanted to leave but the shoot was done and he had to hide in order not to be seen and made to look like a fool.

"How could I have been so stupid?" He thought as he tried to fight off his tears. "This had probably been their plan all along. I shouldn't have agreed to this. I need to get out of here."

To slowly rubbed his tears and started rushing out of the room. He was so confused that he didn't even see where exactly he was going. The next thing he heard was bumping hard into something that made him bounce and started rushing to the ground.

He was surprised when someone caught him and pulled him back.

"Oh my God, thank you so much." He said abruptly, quickly raising his face.

Praveen was met with beautiful light gray eyes that pierced through his, a beautiful curved face with beards shaven... pink lips that were twitching and was welcomed by a hot breath that smelt like strawberry.

"Are you okay?" The man spoke in a deep manly voice, actually smiling at him. He had a gorgeous smile. "I hope you are not hurt."

Praveen slowly started moving away, looking at the man like he had just seen a ghost. His heart pounded deeper into his chest... his breaths were harsh... his body was shivering and his hands too. He was so scared.

"I...I am sorry. I didn't mean to ... I wasn't thinking properly and... I am sorry."

"It's okay." The man said, holding his arm tighter. He had no idea why the man was staring at him without even blinking. "I was probably the one that wasn't looking where I was going. I am sorry."

Before Praveen had the chance to answer the man, the director quickly rushed to them. "Oh my God, Mr. Lopez, are you okay? I am so sorry."

"It's okay." The man still had his eyes on the beautiful boy. He had never seen such a beautiful boy in his entire life before. "My name is Santiago Lopez and I own this entire company. Are you a model here?"

Hearing the man's question, Praveen shook his head softly. "No! I... I came here with my husband for a photoshoot. My name is Praveen and Antonio Gonzalez is my husband."

"Mr. Gonzalez?" The director gasped, looking at him from head to toe. Shit! He looked hot as hell. "Is this you? You look different. I thought you had left earlier."

Praveen sighed, shaking his head. " I don't know what happened but I couldn't open the door to the dressing room. I was locked inside for only God knows how long. I didn't have my phone so I had to wait until I heard someone from the other room."

"Oh my God, I am so sorry." The director felt horrible. "I didn't know about that. Someone told you had left. You probably feel bad because we called you here and you had prepared for this shoot. I am sorry but I thought you had left so your husband shot with Bruce."

Praveen forced a smile, shaking his head. "It's fine."

He looked at Lopez and smiled softly before he started walking away. But before he even made two steps, he felt someone hold his arm. He quickly looked and found Lopez looking at him.

"Please wait!" Santiago pleaded, looking at the boy. Then he looked at the director and smiled. "It wouldn't be nice to just let him go like that. He's already prepared for the shoot. Call the model that you booked for me and tell her that she's not needed anymore. Pay her for the inconvenience caused."

"But sir..."

"It's fine." He looked at Praveen with a smile. "I think we've found our model. It will also make him feel better. I will have the shoot with him."

Hearing what Santiago had just said, Praveen simply froze as he was dumbstruck. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The owner of the company wanted a photoshoot with him. Did he even know who Praveen was, he thought as he looked at the man from head to toe?

He looked classy, rich, and handsome. He had dark hair that was shaven on the sides and then combed back in the middle. He was putting on a black skinny jeans and a red shirt with black designer's shoes. He was a little muscular, sexy, and seemed nice.

"Okay." The director left the two of them.

"I am sorry." Santiago apologized, still looking at the young man. "I hope you don't mind taking this shoot with me. It will be an honor to have a photoshoot with a radiant beauty like you."

It wasn't a tease and Santiago was not even into men. But there was something about Praveen that made him so desperate to have a photoshoot with him. He had never seen a man as beautiful as Praveen. Was it even legal for a man to be as beautiful as Praveen, he thought?

His deep blue eyes... his innocent beautiful face... his long hair... his pink sweet lips. They all seemed so marvelous. His face looked like it was carved by angels. Fuck! None of the girls he had been with was as beautiful as the boy standing before.

"I just hope it's okay with you?"

Praveen remained motionless, feeling vulnerable.

"I would have loved to have a shoot with my boyfriend." He remembered Antonio's painful words.

Then he remembered the shoot, how Antonio and Bruce had had fun on set, and how they had almost kissed, showing everyone that they loved each other. He remembered all the pain, insults from Bruce, and all the humiliation he had ever received from Bruce.

A brilliant smile lit up his face. "Not at all." He chuckled softly. "I would love to."

They thought he was just a boy from the slums who had nothing on him but now he was gonna show them that he too could make great photos and be a model. He was gonna prove everyone that he too could change. But best of all, he was gonna be confident and have fun.

Let the battle begin.

***

The beautiful white Mercedes- AMG GLS63 parked outside the beautiful gate and the engine stopped. Then Santiago let go of his driving wheel and then looked at the beautiful boy that was seated on the other side.

"We are here now." Santiago quaked, rubbing his hands. He was just so excited. "This is quite a huge place that you've got here."

Praveen slowly moved his face and stared at the man, slowly nodding. "Thank you so much." He took his glasses and put them on. He was back in the clothes that had been wearing and he had removed all the makeup on his face. He looked just like he usually did. "And I am sorry if I can't let you come with me inside. It's late."

"And they are your in-laws." Santiago beamed, not losing his cool. His eyes were still on Praveen. He was wearing glasses now and he looked different but Santiago thought he was beautiful. "I understand you completely. But you don't have to worry. There are other days that I can visit."

Praveen nodded, slowly trying to open the door.

"No, allow me."

Santiago quickly left his car and rushed to open the door for Praveen. Praveen wondered why such a man would open the door for someone like him. They had just taken a photoshoot together and Praveen was happy because Santiago was a really lovely man. Although the crew had said their photoshoot had been great, he still had to wait to see it.

He got out of the car, slowly tying his hair backward. "Thank you so much, Mr. Lopez."

"Santiago." He corrected, chuckling to himself. "I am not that old, you know. I am only 22 years old and in case you are wondering how I have such a big company, I only inherited it recently."

"Oh..." Praveen sighed. "Alright."

"I had a good time, Praveen." He finally confessed. "Thank you a lot for a good time. I just hope that we'll have a time like this. I want us to be friends."

Hearing Santiago's proposal, Praveen just smiled and started going slowly. Then he turned and looked at Santiago with a brilliant smile. "We'll see. Goodnight Santiago."

"Goodnight."

He waved at Santiago and watched as he entered his car and drove off. He knocked on the gate and entered when the guard opened the gate, bowing his head. He gave a small smile and started going inside. It was already dark, almost 8. Pm and he knew he had to explain where he had just come from.

As he was slowly going, he heard a car honk and the huge gate opening. He turned to find Antonio's car entering slowly. He just took a deep breath and then started walking away. But then the car stopped beside him and the back windows opened, revealing Antonio who was busy smiling at him.

"Hey! Where are you coming from at this time?" He was just so excited.

Praveen simply ignored him and just walked away. But he heard the door opening and closing and then Antonio rushing towards him. Antonio wanted to mock Praveen and that what he was gonna do. He ordered the guard to park the car and he remained with Praveen.

"So how was the photoshoot for you? Did you enjoy it?" He asked happily, walking beside Praveen.

Praveen sighed, walking even faster. "Antonio, please, don't ask me that. I am sure you noticed that I wasn't there."

"Oh, right, so that was the reason why I enjoyed it so much." He laughed in mock. "Wherever you had gone, may the almighty continue to bless you because I have never had so much fun on a photoshoot my entire life. That was fun."

Praveen eyed Antonio, shaking his head. "Well, you don't have to explain it to me because I saw how happy you were."

"You did."

"Yes and for your information, while you and Bruce were romancing all over the set, I was locked in a room and it seemed like none of you cared." He was hurt and Antonio could hear it in his voice but he didn't give a hoot about how he felt. "Thank you so much, Antonio, for this. Now I know I made a really big mistake accepting that shoot. I should have rejected the idea because it seemed like I wasn't needed."

Antonio gripped Praveen's hand, pulling him closer. "I am glad you feel that way. Destiny has a way of pulling tricks, you know. Maybe you weren't destined for this life. But even destiny knows that Bruce and I are soul mates."

Praveen pulled his hand from Antonio's grip and started heading inside the house with Antonio right behind him. When they arrived, they found granny, Emilia, and Celine waiting for them inside the house. When they saw them, they all rushed to them with smiles all over their faces.

"There's my pretty babies," Granny said, taking Praveen's hands. "You took longer than we had expected. I am guessing everything turned out just fine, right?"

Praveen looked at Antonio and sighed, shaking his head. He needed to tell them that he had a photoshoot but not with Antonio.

"Well, granny, the truth is..."

"I had a great time, granny," Antonio said happily, winking at Praveen. "I don't know about him but I enjoyed it."

"Progress," Emilia said. She couldn't believe what she was hearing from her son. Maybe the almighty had decided to bring such an opportunity for them to get closer. "Now you're making me nervous about the magazine coming out."
"What's to be nervous about, mother?" Celine asked, nodding her head. "I am sure the crew was blown away by this lovely couple. We'll have to wait for a few days to see the magazine."

"You're right, Celine." She jabbered, moving her head from side to side. "We won't ask anymore." She took Praveen's chin and raised his head. "I know you are really tired. Why don't you go upstairs so that you can freshen up and then come down to have your dinner?"

"That's a good idea because I am starving." Antonio kissed his granny and rushed upstairs.

Praveen watched as he went and then followed him there. He was only on the second floor, walking in the hallway before he suddenly stopped when he saw Bruce standing in front of him with a mocking smile on his face.

Seeing Bruce, Praveen's mood simply got ruined. His heart started pounding deep in his chest as he clenched his fists. His body felt both hot and cold. And as if that wasn't enough, he felt depressed and tired.

He started passing but something made him stop...

"Look at you, poor little soul," Bruce spoke with utter mock in his voice. "I pity you. Did you think you could have a photoshoot with Antonio and I would just let it go like that? Then you must be very stupid indeed."

"What can he do?" Praveen heard Andrea's voice near him. He didn't even bother to look in her direction. "After all, Antonio is like one of the hottest men alive. We can't blame him for thinking that way."

"But he also shouldn't forget that we are always a step ahead of him." Bruce trilled, folding his arms on his chest. "Never will I allow him to get closer to my soul mate."

Praveen didn't want to talk to any of them so he just breathed and started going away.

"Where are you going?" Bruce gripped his arm, pulling him back. "Don't you wanna hear what happened to you?"

"And what have you to tell me?" Praveen furiously released his arm. "I am begging you in the name of the Almighty." He put his hands together, looking into Bruce's face. "I am very tired and I don't have time for your troubles."

"Troubles?" Andrea laughed. "Your troubles haven't even started. But you can end them by just divorcing my brother. It's as simple as that."

Praveen looked at her and was met with her mocking eyes. "Well, I don't have any relationship with Antonio. He can do whatever it is that he wants. And yes..." He tore his eyes from her, now looking at Bruce. "...you don't have to tell me anything because I saw everything for myself. I also know that you probably had something to do with me being locked in that room so that I couldn't do the shoot but..."

"Wow, you did your homework." Bruce chuckled, dropping his hands to his hips. "Well, I guess you saw us on set, how close we were, and how..." He moaned, moving his body like he was horny. "...we were so close to kissing each other on set. I am pretty sure that we were only seconds away from making love there."

Shit! Bruce was definitely out of his mind.

"You should have heard the director's comments." He moaned in a low voice. "He could tell we were meant to be. We had such good chemistry together. The way Antonio was holding me tightly... the way he was breathing on my neck... the closeness of our lips and our hearts being one. That is something that you'll never have with Antonio because he's mine."

"Good!" Praveen smiled brightly, surprising Bruce even more. "That is something that we agree on. I am not interested in Antonio's love so you can have him. But you should also realize that Antonio and I are married so whatever it is that you say to me doesn't matter. You can act like a whore all you want..." He couldn't believe that came out of his mouth. "...but the fact still remains that we are married... the entire city knows that we are married... the almighty also knows that we are married. What about you, Bruce? What does the world know you as?"

Bruce's mouth was wide open, his breaths coming out harshly with his fists clenched. Fuck! Praveen's words hurt him so much that he got really angry. He was surprised.

"You're boasting about your achievements but what I saw back there..." He snapped his fingers right in Bruce's face, making him move back. "...was nothing but a photoshoot and that's what the entire world will see just like the director and the entire crew saw it. You see coming back at this time with Antonio..." He chuckled, chirping. "Do you have any idea where I was or what I did? You're boasting about your achievements but your work is just a contract that can be terminated so no... I am not scared of you, Bruce."

He furiously turned and left Bruce there looking like a lost puppy. Damn, even Andrea was surprised. For the first time, Praveen had the guts to answer them back and it almost sounded like an insult.

"Fuck!" Bruce cursed, breathing like a predator. "Did you hear that? I swear I am gonna kill that boy. Who does he think he is to insult me like that?"

"Calm down..."

"Calm down?" Bruce looked at her furiously. "I was just insulted and you want me to remain calm? That boy is gonna pay. I will make his life so miserable that he will regret ever been born."

When Praveen reached his room, he quickly closed it and breathed in deeply. He was wondering what had just happened back there when he had been talking to Bruce. He had gotten so angry that he had blurted all those things to Bruce. What was happening?

"I need to freshen up."

He grabbed a towel and quickly went into the bathroom without even thinking about it. When he entered, he went straight to the hot tub where bubbles were already made as if they had just been waiting for him to bath. It was gonna be his second time having a bubble bath so he had to enjoy it and just relax and forget about his bad day.

He sat at the edge of the tub, passing his hands in the bubbles. A smile popped up his face as he slowly started getting hold of the hem his shirt.

"What do you think you are doing?" He heard Antonio's voice behind him.

He quickly stood up and found him shirtless with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He was muscular and he had a small tattoo just above his left nipple. Wait, how come he hadn't seen it before, he thought? But he didn't wanna stare too much so he looked at the face of his husband and raised his eyebrow.

"What do you think?" He teased, breathing in deeply. "I came here to relax."

"No!" Antonio dropped his arms, moving closer to the boy. "You found me here so get out. Besides, I didn't even hear you knock. Were you trying to see me naked or some..."

"Look, Mr. don't be so sure of yourself." He gestured, dropping his hand to his hip. "I came here to have my bath so you're the one who should go out until I am done with my bath. I didn't find you here."

"Oh?" Antonio laughed, failing to believe what he was hearing. "Get out! I was in the toilet but that doesn't mean that I wasn't here first. I prepared that hot bath so please, get out. I need to relax."

"No!" Praveen was tired and he wasn't gonna go anywhere. "You found me here so you should go out."

He turned and just stood still, waiting for Antonio to leave so that he could bath.

Meanwhile, Antonio was just smirking, shaking his head slowly. He knew how to deal with boys like Praveen that always thought they could win against him. He knew exactly what to do. He slowly moved his hands to his towel, letting it go.

He was now standing in only his tight brief. "You wanna play it like that then it's fine by me."

He slowly moved his hands to Praveen's shoulder, massaging them. A bolt of electricity passed through Praveen's entire body, making him feel like he was standing on a cable of electricity. Antonio's hands on his shoulder felt like a powerful flame that was melting him. His breaths instantly changed and his entire body started quivering. His eyes widened as a whole new different feeling took control of him. That was the second time he felt like that when Antonio held him. The first time had been when Antonio had put the wedding chain around his neck.

He felt Antonio's breath on his neck and he closed his eyes, fear taking control of him.

"W-what are you doing?" His voice sounded different.

Antonio knew what he was doing. He was teasing the boy to make him get out of his way.

He chuckled teasingly, moving closer to his neck. "What do you think? I am claiming what belongs to me and you're not gonna deny me that."

Praveen's heart started pounding deep in his chest, his breaths getting even heavier. He had never been so scared in his entire life before. He was visibly scared of the huge man behind him. He had no idea what Antonio mean by "claiming what was his." It scared him to the core.

"Antonio... please..." His voice was barely above a whisper. "Just leave me so that I can bath."

Antonio laughed and then did something even crazier. He slowly moved in front of Praveen and looked in his eyes, seeing how scared he was. He knew what Praveen was thinking but even at the time when he was horniest, he wouldn't dare touch Praveen.

"You said you weren't leaving right?" He slowly got into the tab with his hand moving to Praveen's wrist. "Then I am just gonna bath while you watch. Isn't that what you want?"

Praveen's eyes widened when he saw that Antonio was always wearing a tight boxer. Shit! He got even scared when he saw the outline of that bulge in his pants. He couldn't believe Antonio's craziness had reached that far.

"What are you doing? Get out of there." Praveen said with a serious face. "I need to bath. I am tired. And put some clothes on, will you?"

"Why?" Antonio slowly moved his hands to his boxer brief, carefully touching its hem. "I thought you didn't wanna leave so I will bath with you watching. After all, I am your husband right."

He started pulling his boxer down and the moment Praveen saw his pubes, he quickly closed his eyes and turned so that his back was facing Antonio. He was breathing so harshly that he felt as if his heart was making a hole in his chest. It was too much. He was instantly sweating.

Antonio took off his boxer and threw it to the floor. He was standing in the hot tub, behind Praveen with a semi-hard cock, grinning at the boy. He couldn't believe how naïve Praveen was. He was acting like a scared virgin when Antonio very well knew he probably wasn't one.

"Why did you turn around?" He mocked, moving his hand to Praveen's shoulder. He felt him shudder. "I thought you wanted to see everything. Besides, I am sure seeing a celebrity naked would have been a great achievement, right? After all, you wanted to see me naked."

"P-please, put some clothes on and get out." He trembled. "I... I... I need to..."

"What? Are you afraid now?" He couldn't believe it. "I thought we are married. Besides, shouldn't we be getting used to each other's nakedness? You wanted to..."

"I am out of here."

Praveen started walking away but Antonio's hand was quick to grab him and pull him back. Praveen gasped, quickly rushing towards his husband. He bumped hard into him and both of them fell into the hot tub.

The tub was really big and Antonio fell on his butt but then Praveen was charging at him so he fell on top of him and both of them went under the water. When they came out, Antonio was holding on tightly to Praveen's wrist and Praveen was gasping.

His clothes were wet... His hair was wet and he was lucky he didn't have his glasses on. He came out quickly, rubbed the soap from his face, and when he opened his eyes, he just met with Antonio's beautiful, shining green eyes that seemed to pierce through his.

Their faces were close to each other, feeling each other's breaths as they both breathed. Everything suddenly disappeared. It was just the two of them there. There was no love or hate in that area as they looked at each other. Everything seemed perfect, different from the way they usually saw it.

Then suddenly Praveen came to his senses and he quickly got out of the tub, rushing out of the bathroom with his dripping wet clothes. When he got out, he leaned with his back on the door, breathing as a predator had just been chasing him.

He remembered how Antonio had pulled him in the bathtub, how they had looked at each other, and how he had felt when Antonio had rested his hand on his shoulder. What was happening to him, he thought as he rubbed on his face, trying to make himself calm.

"Have pity on yourself, Praveen." He spoke, slowly slapping his cheeks. "Please, that was nothing."

He couldn't believe that one moment he had hated Antonio and the next moment, he had felt something that he shouldn't have felt in the first place. It was all so confusing. He quickly took a towel, wrapped it around his head, and got out of the room.

***

It was weekend and that meant that everyone was home already. No one went to work on weekends unless it was really important. That was the rule of the house. That was the day for them to spend time together as a happy family. That meant Eduardo too was home. But to the surprise of Praveen, Bruce too had come. He never understood why Bruce had suddenly been constantly visiting. The man only caused him nothing but trouble.

It had been three days after the photoshoot and after Praveen and Antonio's bathtub incident. The next day, Antonio had been back to his annoying self and had started getting on Praveen's nerves once again, warning and insulting him. He had been doing everything, spending time with his elders, and also cooking while spending time with Celine and little Ryan.

Praveen had also found out that Emma didn't only show him the side she did, she also didn't like Celine because she hadn't approved of her marriage to Eduardo in the first place plus the issue with the child thing. Since Celine's marriage into the family, she hadn't gotten pregnant and probably that made Emma angry.

Anyway, Praveen was busy making sure that everything in the room was perfect. He had told the maids that he would clean the room himself and that was what he was doing. He had cleaned the bathroom, did his husband's laundry, ironed and now he was just making sure everything was in place.

He went to the table and started arranging. He tried to pick Antonio's laptop so that he could put it somewhere safe but to his surprise, the laptop fell apart and one part fell to the floor and broke.

"Oh my God," He gasped, quickly putting the other part with the keyboard on the table. "What is happening?"

He took the other part, held it, and wondered what the hell had just happened. He hadn't touched the laptop and now it was falling apart. Now he was scared because he knew that that was Antonio's favorite laptop and he was gonna blame him for it.

He put the laptop back on the table, trying to see what had happened but...

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?"

He gasped, quickly moving his eyes in the direction of the voice. His fears took him down when he saw Antonio's angry face looking at the laptop.

Antonio was really mad... his fists were clenched... His anger had taken over... his body was shaking and his voice was quaking. He was really mad. His laptop, his favorite laptop had just been broken and he had a lot of things in it.

"What the fuck..."

"Antonio, I..."

"How many times have I told you to stop touching the things I love?" He barked, furiously gripping the broken piece. "Now look what the fuck you've done." He angrily threw it on the floor, letting it break into pieces. "Do you know how many important documents were in that thing?"

"Antonio, I am sorry. But..."

"But?" He chuckled sinisterly then losing it all. He was burning in anger. "You can't even accept your mistakes. All you know how to do is be defensive. Will your sorry fix my laptop?"

Praveen was surprised at Antonio's behavior. He had never acted like that before. "Antonio, please, let me explain. I was sweeping and..."

"Will you shut the fuck up?" He snapped, pointing angrily at him. Praveen was sure that people on that floor were able to hear them. He was just hoping no one was around there. "I know you're hell-bent on destroying me but please, get my work out of this? You don't even know how important that laptop was and..."

"I said I am sorry." Praveen snapped, getting angry at Antonio. Antonio was left dumbfounded. "I have been trying to tell you this but you haven't been listening to me. I was only sweeping but I never broke your laptop. I only found it like that when..."

"Oh..." Antonio laughed, losing his entire cool. "So now it has grown legs and it broke itself."

"I didn't say that." Praveen sighed. "But can you please, calm down and..."

"Calm down my ass." Antonio furiously stamped his foot on the floor, scaring Praveen who took a few steps back. "But why am I even talking to you. You don't understand the value of these things. You only know how to act stupid the entire time. What's wrong with you? You're such a disaster."

Fuck! It hurt. It hurt a whole lot when Antonio said that to Praveen. Tears built up in his eyes and he couldn't say anything. He couldn't even open his mouth because things were only gonna get worse for him.

"Antonio!" Suddenly a deep manly voice was heard.

It was Eduardo, dressed in a black cargo short and white t-shirt with his hair combed backward. He was looking surprised, a bit mad. He couldn't believe he had just heard that from Antonio. Those had been harsh words, even if someone did something wrong. Antonio was supposed to understand because Praveen was not just anybody. He was his spouse.

"What do you think you are doing?" He shouted at his brother who immediately dropped his face to the floor. "What if it hadn't been me? What if it was mom or granny that had come into this room? He sounded really angry. "Praveen isn't just anyone. He is..."

"He broke my laptop and you know I don't joke with...'

"I broke your laptop," Eduardo yelled, slightly hitting his brother's chest.

Antonio remained speechless when he heard that. His eyes widened and he felt stupid. He looked at Praveen and saw tears going down his cheeks. Fuck! He felt terrible for shouting at him even if he knew he shouldn't have.

"What now?" Eduardo laughed in mock. "Aren't you gonna shout at me now? Why are you quiet? Why don't you shout at me and beat me up maybe?" he angrily pushed Antonio, making him take a step back. He got so scared because he had never seen his brother so mad at him. "Go on and beat me. Insult me too. Why have you kept quiet?"

"Bro, how..."

"I was in the living room when I accidentally slapped your laptop off the table where you left it carelessly yesterday." His voice was angry. "It broke and I came here to tell you and apologize. I didn't find you here so I left it on the table so that I could come and tell you later."

"I didn't know..." He looked at Praveen and the boy just looked away, rubbing his tears. "...I thought that..."

"You're very stupid and I am so disappointed, Antonio." Eduardo bellowed, slowly turning to face the boy. He could tell that he was really hurt and it somehow broke his heart. "I am sorry, Praveen, for this insult. Please, forgive me for..."

"No!" Praveen held Eduardo's hands, smiling softly at him. "Eduardo, it was just a mistake and there is nothing to forgive. You are like an elder brother to me."

He smiled and lost it when he looked at his brother who looked busted. "You see! This is how lucky you are for having such a boy in your life. Apologize to him." He ordered.

Hearing his brother, Antonio sighed and then raised his face to look into Praveen's eyes. He was so sorry for shouting at him for no reason as his brother said to him. He shouldn't have snapped like that. He knew Praveen deserved to suffer but he shouldn't have shouted.
"I am..."

"Why should he apologize?" Emma came cat walking inside the room. "Why, uh?"

Everyone moved their eyes to her and saw her coming towards them with a frown. She had heard the whole commotion as she was passing and she didn't appreciate what she had heard at all. Antonio hadn't done anything to apologize to someone who didn't deserve it.

"Aunt, he..."

"Some people in this house are like servants," Emma said in anger, looking straight at Praveen. "When they do something they need to be reprimanded. So why should my son apologize to a person that doesn't even deserve it?'

"What?" Eduardo couldn't have been more surprised. "Do you even hear yourself, aunt? He just shouted at him for something he didn't even do. I broke the laptop and besides, there are a lot of new laptops in this house. He can just use one and get the hard drive from the broken one to retrieve everything and..."

"Yes! He needed to be angry because everything in this house is expensive." She shouted in Praveen's face. "Can he even afford that? He can't, right?"

"But aunt..."

"Get out of here, Eduardo before I lose my temper." She warned. "And next time, you should know when to reprimand your brother."

Eduardo groaned and stormed out of the room. Emma focused her eyes on Praveen, piercing through him with her brown eyes that scared the shit out of him. He had thought things were gonna be easy for him since she had decided to give him a chance but they had gotten worse. She never talked to him but when she did, she always managed to make him bleed one way or the other.

"And you," She snapped her fingers in his face, making him slightly close his eyes. "You see what you've caused? You've made two brothers almost fight and it's because of you. That laptop was really expensive, even more, expensive than your entire existence or everything that you've ever bought in your entire life."

Praveen couldn't fight his tears. They came flowing in billions and he quickly rubbed them, looking away. She hated him so much for no reason and always insulted him.

"I can sell you, sell your entire generation but that you have no value at all." She laughed. "So forget it and next time, you should know your place."

Ouch! Even Antonio was hurt by his aunt's words. They were harsh that they pierced through his skin. He had no idea why he felt the way he did at that time. He was already feeling bad but she was making things worse.

Praveen rubbed his tears and then looked at Emma with seriousness on his face. "It's a pity that people like you exist." He said without fear in his voice.

She was surprised he was answering back. He was supposed to be broken but looks like the boy had guts.

"I feel really bad and irritated that people who measure the value of human life to..." He moved his little finger around. "...luxuries and properties do exist. When the almighty created human life, he placed its value upon all other things. Human life is priceless, valueless. There is nothing that you can compare it with. You might measure your life according to all these riches and properties but my life is worth more than that. What's the essence of having all these riches when you can't even appreciate human life?"

He just turned and left the room quickly. Antonio moved his hands to reach him but he couldn't do it. He just stood there with his hand stretched, watching the door where Praveen had disappeared at. He wanted to follow him and apologize but he couldn't do it.

"Wow!" Emma clapped, moving her head to Antonio. "You see what your mother brought into this house? He has no respect for elders at all. He just opens his mouth and insults everyone that is around. Can you imagine?"

Antonio sighed, looking at his aunt. "That was unnecessary, aunt. Even though I hate Praveen, you shouldn't have insulted him the way you did and Eduardo did nothing wrong by reprimanding me. I was wrong."

"But..."

"Excuse me."

He left the room, leaving her there wondering what had just happened.

*

Praveen was on the terraces, leaning towards a pillar weeping. He felt really bad, worse, and terrible. He had developed a terrible headache just thinking about what Emma had said to him. He had no idea why every time things started going a little better for him, something terrible always happened. He had just had enough of people insulting him whenever he was not even in the wrong. He should have gotten used to it by now but he just couldn't. The pain was just too much.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he didn't even bother to look to see who it was. He knew that Eduardo had probably followed him to apologize but he didn't have to. He rubbed his tears and cleared face but tears couldn't stop flowing.

"It's okay, Eduardo. You don't have to worry about me." He said in between sobs. "You shouldn't feel bad. It's not your fault. But don't let... don't let mother or granny hear about this. They'll be so worried and I don't know what they might do."

But there was silence and the hand on his shoulder just remained there. He slowly moved his hand to that hand, rubbing on it. He needed to make Eduardo feel better if he had to.

"It's okay. Go back inside. I will join in later."

He heard a sigh behind. "It's me. I came to apologize for what had happened earlier. I didn't know it would go to that extent."

Praveen remained motionless, moving his hand away. He couldn't even turn away to face Antonio because he didn't want to be weak in front of him. Antonio on the other hand had never felt so bad the way he did. Maybe his aunt had been a little harsh. Those insults had been terrible and they had hurt him somehow.

"It's my fault. Please, don't be like this." He pleaded, moving closer.

Praveen rubbed his tears, slowly turning to face his husband. When Antonio looked in his eyes, his heart started racing. His eyes were red and he didn't like what he saw. He knew Praveen could be a pain in the ass but he didn't look well.

"I know you probably think I deserved all that but once..." He stretched out his hand, opening his palm. "...just once, put yourself in my shoes. She's your aunt and I understand her. But I will not take someone insulting me for what I didn't do. I might be just some poor, local boy but I will never let anyone step on my values and my dignity."

"I said I am sorry."

Praveen chuckled, sniffling. "I thought that word wasn't in your vocabulary, Antonio." He got serious again. "Why are you apologizing? After all, you were also insulting me in a different way she did. But her words weakened me."

Antonio got closer to Praveen and breathed in deeply, trying to get rid of the negative energy. "Look, Praveen, you are a person and I know how you feel, trust me. I know that I said what I said but I probably started this and I am sorry. Eduardo was right. I shouldn't have caused such a scene in the first place. I feel guilty because I caused everything."

Praveen remained there, standing like a statue. He could tell from Antonio's voice that he was hurt, but from what? He knew that Antonio was probably feeling bad because his brother had shouted at him. He understood him.

"It's fine. It's not the first time anyone's gonna make me cry." He chuckled, rubbing on his face. "You shouldn't worry. Just go and talk to your brother. He feels bad for what he did and ... just go and talk to him."

Antonio was surprised by Praveen's actions. He wasn't even concerned about himself. He was concerned about someone else when he too was hurt. He saw something, something that was very different about Praveen that day.

He nodded slowly. "I will go talk to him."

He slowly turned and left Praveen on the terrace. Praveen smiled as a tear went down his cheeks which he quickly rubbed. The pain was still there but he smiled because he had fulfilled one of the duties of a son in law and that was maintaining relationships and not destroying them.

***

It had been three days since the incident had happened and it was in the morning. Everyone was having their breakfast while chatting and laughing. Praveen too was involved in the conversation but he was avoiding keeping any contact with Emma since he didn't want any trouble.

"Hey everyone, how was your morning?" Andrea greeted as she came to the table. She was with Bruce and he too had a wonderful smile on his face.

Both of them were dressed in sportswear and they had probably come from a morning run or something.

"Oh, Andrea, you're with Bruce?" Emilia gasped. "When did he get here?"

"Well, just this early morning, aunt," Bruce said as he kissed her hand. "Andrea and I had planned on taking a run together so I arrived early."

"Anyway, we are having breakfast, why don't you join us?"

"Sure!" Bruce looked at Antonio's face, blushing softly. Both of them smiled at each other as Bruce took a chair. "Thanks a lot."

Andrea took a seat and they started having their breakfast which Praveen had cooked with his entire energy. Throughout the table, although others couldn't see it, Praveen could see Antonio and Bruce smiling and flirting with each other. It was irritating.

"So, Bruce..." Granny started. "...tell us about your parents, your family, and your love life."

Bruce cleared his throat, raising his face to granny. Then he gave her the brightest smile ever. "Well, I am the only child of my parents since they weren't lucky to have more. They live just in the next city and I visit them whenever I can. "And he wasn't telling them that they weren't aware that he was already back to the country. They didn't even know that he had followed his boyfriend.

"Interesting!" Emilia said, rubbing her mouth. "And your love life?"

Bruce looked at Antonio and then sighed. "Well, I am in love with the hottest guy on this earth. He loves me a lot and we plan on getting married soon. Although circumstances had tried to separate us, we will push through."

"Well, if you two are destined to be together you will be," Granny said as she took a sip of her coffee. "But if that man doesn't belong to you then forget it."

Both Bruce and Antonio looked at granny in surprise. Bruce got a little mad with her statement but he promised never to lose it. He just remained there smiling and enjoying his breakfast. Granny was very wrong. Not even the almighty was gonna separate Antonio and Bruce. It was a promise.

They continued having their breakfast until one of the guards came inside with a package for Antonio that had been sent to him.

He took the package and looked at it, wondering who could have sent it. Then he slowly opened it and froze at what he found there. First, he froze and then excitement took control of him. His body felt hot and then cold, a smile appearing on his gorgeous face.

It was the magazine and it was finally out. He didn't even need to open it to see his picture inside because he was on the cover of that magazine. He was wearing a black suit, his eyes fully focused on the camera with a serious look on his face.

But he wasn't alone there. He was with Bruce, the love of his life and it was their first photoshoot together ever. It looked really beautiful, elegant, and marvelous. On top was the name of the company and the section that they short from which was "romance."

Shit! He had looked hot in that picture. Bruce was looking professional as usual and now Antonio saw what the director had said to him. They had such good chemistry together. They looked hot and in love.

Bruce was standing straight, giving his sexy pose with right hand up and his arm coiled around Antonio's neck. Antonio had one of his hands on Bruce's waist, holding him closer to his body. The cover looked fierce, wild as if it was one of those wild romance movies that captured his soul.

'Antonio Gonzalez, the great celebrity returns in a hot romance shoot.' Those were the words on the cover. It was lit. Just brilliant.

He took the magazine and started flipping through it, seeing most of his pictures there alone and with Bruce. There was not a picture that he didn't like. Now the entire world was gonna see him with the love of his life because they were gorgeous. There were pictures of other models but he didn't care because he owned that magazine.

"Hey, what's that?" Andrea asked, gesturing to the magazine.

"Oh, it's the magazine. It's finally out."

"The magazine," She gasped, taking it from him. "Lemme see."

She took the magazine and started looking through it, her eyes widened. "Wow! This is amazing. I knew this magazine would come out perfect. I am sure your fans are going crazy as we speak."

Praveen froze in his chair, not even looking in the direction of Andrea because he knew she was gonna be mocking him. His heart was pounding in his chest and he was angry. But for what exactly, he thought as he took a deep sigh, taking his coffee.

"The magazine!" Granny gasped. "Bring it here. I wanna see my two cuties."

Andrea looked at Bruce and both of them simply smiled. Granny was expecting to see Praveen but she was in a great big shock because he wasn't there. Granny took the magazine and the moment she laid eyes on it, she lost her smile. She looked at Antonio and then at the magazine again. Then she started flipping through it as if she was looking for something really important.

"Mother?" Emilia sounded worried. "What's going on? Why do you look like that?"

Granny didn't even answer the question. She just handed the magazine to her and she too lost her smile. She gave the magazine to the others and they were just shocked as her except for Emma who was rather impressed with what she saw. She couldn't stop looking through it.

Granny and Emma were looking at both Antonio and Praveen across the table, giving them angry looks. Antonio raised his eyebrow, wondering why they were looking at him like that. Praveen on the other hand couldn't even raise his face to look at them. He was scared of what they were gonna say. They had been so expectant and he hadn't said anything to them.

"So?" Granny asked, resting her chin on her fist. "What happened? Why is there no picture of Praveen but rather Bruce? What's going on?"

But no one was answering. They just kept looking at them.

"Praveen?" Emilia called, making the boy look into his mother in law's disappointed eyes. "What happened? You went since morning and you came back together telling us that you did the photoshoot? And why is there no picture of you?"

Praveen looked at Antonio and gave a gloomy sigh. "The truth is... I... I never took the photoshoot, mother. I am sorry I couldn't tell you and..."

"You should be sorry." Emilia was hurt and angry. "Why? He's your husband and this was supposed to be your moment together. What had happened?"

"Well, it's not like I hadn't wanted to take the photoshoot with him."

"What?" Granny gasped, her hand covering her chest. "Don't tell me Antonio didn't want to take the photoshoot with you."

"What?" Antonio was surprised. "Me? I was ready for the photoshoot but Praveen was the one who didn't show up. He kept us all waiting. It was only by luck that Bruce was there to save the day. We waited but he didn’t show up."

"That's impossible." Granny shook her head, almost as if she was arguing. "Praveen and Ethan left the house very early. There was no way that he..."

"Ask him." Antonio chuckled, folding his arms on his chest. "This isn't my fault but Praveen's and I only did what I did because there was no way we could wait for him. Besides, the original plan was for me to have a shoot with a model."

Granny moved her eyes to Praveen and she could tell he was hurt. "Praveen, dear."

"Granny, I reached the set on time and everything was going smoothly." He said abruptly. "When I went to get dressed, the door got jammed and I couldn't get out. I called for help but no one could hear me. It was only in the end that I got out. I didn't mean to disappoint you."

"Oh my God," Granny gasped, her hands reaching her chest. "I am so sorry, my love. I didn't know that was what you went through. But why didn't you say something?"

"It wasn't important, granny," Praveen said with a smile on his face. "The magazine came out and it's perfect. I am sure that Bruce did a very good job even more than I could have. That's enough for me that his fans are happy."

"You're right," Emma said as she put the magazine on the table. "This magazine is amazing. It's high fashion mixed with high class and romance. I am sure many people will appreciate it."

"You're right," Andrea nodded as she looked at her phone. "I just got an alert on my subscription that they have sold more than 50000 copies of the magazine online since its release about two hours ago. This has broken the record of most sales ever sold in the stated hours. That's good news."

Granny and Emilia smiled brightly at Antonio although they were not exactly sure. "Congratulations, dear. We are very proud of you."

"Thanks a lot, granny." He smiled brightly. "I will always make you proud. After all, I am your favorite grandson, right?"

"Yes!" Granny smiled, squeezing his hand. Then she moved her eyes to Praveen. "And you dear, I still want to see you in one of the magazines. Promise me you'll have a photoshoot soon."

Praveen smiled brightly, nodding. "Well, granny, I..."

"Why are you forcing the poor boy, mother?" Emma interfered, smiling at Praveen. "I am sure that he was just nervous. You know how these kinds of things are. But I am sure that one of these days, he might just get it."

Praveen looked at Emma and dropped his eyes. He knew exactly what she meant by that. She was trying to make him feel bad and indirectly tell him that no matter what he did, he was never gonna measure up to being at Antonio's level.

"Oh shoot, look at the time," Antonio said, glancing at his watch. "I gotta go. I have a very important..."

"You're not going anywhere." A voice sounded.

They all looked and found Ethan coming to the dining area with a smile on his face, dressed in black trousers and brown t-shirt with black sandals. He looked nervous but he was serious.

"Ethan!" Antonio got up from the chair. "What do you mean?"

"I have already canceled all your meetings and appointments." He said, patting his friend's shoulder. "Your fans have gone crazy since the release of your magazine. They'll eat you alive."

"What?" Antonio was surprised. "Why?"

"Well, you're their favorite celebrity. They need autographs and by the way," He patted on his friend's shoulder. "The media houses need an interview with you. Although your magazine has gone viral, they still wanna know the reason why you took the shoot with..." He eyed Bruce, giving him angry eyes. "...a model when you promised them you were gonna do it with Praveen."

"But that's not..."

"You're gonna answer that later. For now, I need to talk to you about something."

The two of them left, leaving the entire family seated quietly. Bruce was looking at Praveen, giving him a grin and telling him with his eyes that he had already won. There was nothing that was gonna make Antonio leave him.

***

Praveen was holding a tray with pineapple juice that he had gotten from the fridge. It was afternoon and everyone except for Eduardo was home. He was taking the juice to everyone that was in the living room talking and enjoying themselves.

He put the juice on the tray and started getting the cups before he received an uninvited guest that he hated so much.

"What did I tell you the first time?" Bruce said with an evil grin on his face. "Antonio will always be mine and I have just proved it. Our chemistry was so powerful that even the entire world has felt it. Everything is going perfectly and very soon, you're gonna be thrown out of the house when I win over everybody."
Praveen looked at Bruce and gave him a half-smile. "Well, just so you know. You're in this competition alone because I am not interested in Antonio or anything that has to do with him."

Bruce slowly moved towards Praveen's face, his grin brightening. "I am glad we understand each other because I don't like people messing with what I have. I am very defensive when it comes to things that belong to me. I never mess with them and I can do anything..." He warned. "...anything you could think of just to keep that."

He took the tray from Praveen's hands. "I will take that. I told them I came to help you."

With those words, he quickly turned and left the kitchen into the living room. He found Bruce serving everyone with a smile on his face as granny commented on his elegancy and beauty. Praveen just stood still but he had no idea that Ethan was looking at him, seeing through him. Ethan could tell that something was bothering Praveen. Hell! Even he was bothered by Bruce's presence. He had no idea why he had to act like a whole the entire time. It was irritating.

Suddenly, one of the guards came into the living room with a package that he said was brought in by someone from the magazine company. Everyone was surprised because they knew that the magazine had arrived. So what was happening?

"It's fine!" Antonio said as he slowly started opening the package. "I am sure it's just another one of my magazines. They were probably really excited and they forgot they had sent it." He chuckled.

He opened the package and truly, it was a magazine but it was not his. He wasn't even on the cover of that magazine and it looked different.

The magazine he was holding had another handsome man, in fact, two of them. It was also a romance magazine and the two models looked really in love. Talk about chemistry and you could talk about that wonderful magazine.

There was a beautiful man with long hair being blown backward, revealing his gorgeous face. He was wearing a green shirt that wasn't buttoned, revealing his sexy hairless chest. He wasn't built but damn, his chest was hot.

He had a green tight, skinny trouser that showed his sexy body that looked almost feminine. There was a man behind him, holding his hands tightly that were placed his beautiful waist. The man behind him was wearing a bright white t-shirt with a black trouser. He too was very handsome and Antonio had seen him before. He was the owner of that company.

Fuck! The romance in that photo made his look amateurish and he gave credit for that. The model in front, who Antonio had never seen before had his neck slightly dropped, giving access to the man behind who had his head on that neck, making it look gorgeous. The model in front then had his eyes looking on that man as if they were very much behind. It was spectacular and there were flowers all around them.

"Santiago Lopez in a sizzling hot photo with mystery model." The cover said, with a VIP on top.

"Son, what is it?" Emilia asked. "You've been staring at that magazine for a long time."

He gave the magazine to Ethan who was also shocked.

"I don't know, granny." Antonio shook his head. "I think this magazine was brought here by mistake."

"I think so too." Ethan nodded, giving the magazine to granny. "It isn't the one that Antonio took. I think they mixed it up."

"Yeah," Granny said as she gave the magazine to Andrea who started looking at with Bruce.

Both of their eyes were wide open. They had thought Antonio and Bruce's magazine had been perfect but looks like someone had beat them to it. Bruce got so jealous when he saw that picture, especially that model. He had never seen him before and without even thinking about it, he knew that there was competition.

"Wait! How is this even possible? There has to be a note or something." Emilia suggested, looking at both Ethan and Antonio. "The guard said someone from the company brought it here so it can't be a mistake."

"Yes! There is something." Ethan said as he picked up a small note from where the magazine had been.

When he looked at the note, his eyes landed on Praveen who was just standing quietly, lost in whatever he was thinking. "It says here that the package is for Praveen from the owner of that firm. He even thanked him for it."

The moment Praveen heard his name, he quickly came back to reality and wondered what was going on. Everyone was looking at him. "What?"

"This magazine is for you."

Praveen took the magazine quickly and when his eyes landed on that cover, his heart started racing. He remained frozen, looking at the picture on that cover... his body instantly started sweating although it was chilly... blood started rushing through his veins that he could have sworn he heard blood passing through his ears... he gripped the magazine harder, his breaths getting out harshly.

"Praveen!" Emilia was worried. "What is it?"

Praveen slowly raised his eyes, smiling at his mother in law. "Well, mother, this is..." He paused, taking a deep breath not knowing how they were gonna take it. "...this is the photoshoot I... I took with Santiago Lopez that day."

The moment he said that everyone went quiet. All eyes were on him. Antonio's heart missed a beat when he realized that the model in that picture was Praveen. But it was impossible. He looked different... he looked classy, high fashion, very beautiful and very sexy. His face... his face was very different than he usually looked, really beautiful so it was very impossible.

His heart pounded so deep in his chest, making his breaths harsh. His eyes widened and his mouth shook. He still had the image of Praveen in his mind. It couldn't go away. He couldn't breathe properly.

"That was you in the picture!" He gasped, his voice sounding really in shock.

What happens next?