“I thought you couldn't go. Have you been here before?” I asked him as we walked through the vast garden of the mansion.
I kept my gaze on my feet stepping slowly towards nowhere. The end of the gown I was wearing coincided with my every move. I felt the cold breeze, even more, when he still didn’t answer me. I glanced at him for a moment. I can't explain his expression. He seemed confused and conscientious. What for?
I stopped walking and looked up. I saw the full moon that served as a light to us at those times. We were both quiet so I could hear the noise coming from the party going on in my family’s vast land.
“Solei…” He called me in his hoarse voice so I immediately turned to him.
"Hmm?"
He frowned and turned to face me. I could see the extreme fear in his eyes so I was surprised. Is this about what I saw earlier?
"Why, Hector?"
“Please, be mad. Aren't you mad at me for what you saw earlier?” His voice was full of pleading so I almost laughed. He grabs my hands.
"Should I be angry?" I simply asked him. The wrinkle on his forehead disappeared but he remained seemingly confused. His jaw tightened as he stared at me affectionately.
When I saw him hugging Ayanna while crying, the first question that came to my mind was why she had returned from the States and why she was crying. When I asked him that, he explained it well to me. He agreed to meet Ayanna while he was on his way here because what the woman said was an emergency — Ayanna had a miscarriage. I haven't even confirmed who the father of her child really
is — that now's gone — I know how painful it is to lose a loved one, especially a child, so I have no right to be angry.
"It's because I was late and you found me with her," said Hector and his face wrinkled even more.
At first, I felt bad. I was waiting for him to show up, yes, but on the other hand, I also didn't want him to show up here because he might meet his daughter. But when I found out why, I was even more hurt by what I found out about Ayanna. I can’t even understand myself sometimes.
“I'd rather know why you're late. Where did you come from?" I asked him and turned my gaze back to emptiness. I felt his arms wrap around my waist so I automatically smiled. Now I can say that tonight is complete.
"Dad sued me."
The smile on my lips immediately faded when I heard that from him. I quickly pulled away from him and faced him. His expression grew darker.
"What?" I asked in shock. At the same time, my chest throbbed violently.
He nodded lazily and averted his eyes from me. “Someone framed me up. All important company information is known and is in the hands of our competitor company. They saw me on the CCTV camera. The investigation— ”
“Wait, what? Just wait. I don't understand. Is it true that you are on CCTV?” I cut off from what he had to say. He shook and smiled bitterly.
"Of course not. SCC Incorporated is our big rival in this gun industry, but not once have I met them or even faced one of them. They play
dirty that's why. That video is edited, and dad won't believe me,” he explained to me looking very disappointed.
My shoulder dropped when I heard that. The pain in his eyes was obvious as he said his dad's name and what he had done to him. I bit my lower lip and held his arm.
“And then what happened? How's the investigation? Will you be imprisoned? I can help you with that, Hector. Ulysses is a lawyer and— ”
“Hey…” He cut me off and turned to face me. His expression softened and his eyes began to bulge. I bit my lower lip even harder just to stop the flow of my tears. I was hurting for him and there was nothing I could do.
“Relax. I'm not going to jail, okay? It has been a great help to me that you are here by my side. You're more than enough, Solei, just so you know. I'm sorry I was late. I didn't get to hear your speech. I'm sorry I didn't get to update you on where I was. I'm sorry I hugged Ayanna earlier even though I promised you that I'm all yours. I'm sorry, baby…” He pleaded with me and gently touched my face.
My heart sank. I could feel his weight and resentment as he watched my whole being. I saw how he slightly smiled at me, but it didn't reach his eyes anymore. It's because he's hurting.
I raised my hand to hold his hand caressing my face. I no longer hesitated — I squatted up and reached for his lips to give him a warm kiss. At the same time as we pressed our lips to each other, his tears were falling on my face so I felt even heavier.
“I… I don’t know what I would do without you…” he whispered weakly as his voice is slowly breaking and continued to kiss me passionately.
I wanted to tell him how much I love him — that everything he feels, I feel it too; whenever he gets angry, I get angry too; whenever he is sad, I am sad too; every time he was happy, I was happy too, and every time he was hurt, I was hurt too — The pain I am feeling is triple because of the fact that I couldn't do anything.
But I want to tell him how my heart is breaking slowly while hearing him crying silently between our kisses. I felt my heart split into pieces as I heard the pain he was feeling — how he could keep himself from crying out loud just because I was in front of him.
The next day, Amari and I both stayed in the mansion because of the wishes of my grandparents and even my uncles and aunties. I didn't have a hard time explaining to Amari everything that was happening and the changes around her because she was so smart. Like me, she easily understands things. I just hope she also understands why I had to hide her from her father.
I was on my way down from our room when my eyes caught sight of a woman walking towards the back of the house where the pool area and the wide court were. Next up was Leon, my other cousin, Aunt Caroline’s son, and mama’s older sister.
When I got down, I followed the two of them because I had just seen the woman. Who could that be?
I was just in the hallway towards the lanai when I heard the two of them shouting so my curiosity grew stronger. I peeked through the door jamb and there I saw the two who seemed to be fighting.
"What's wrong with you? She's been out there for a long time without knowing anything about her real family which is us! Why can't you understand that?” Leon yelled at her.
The woman's expression became angrier. “Then why does she need to live here with us? Isn't it enough that she already has everything? Only now did everyone sees and know her, why does she have to be the heiress of this damn family?!” Her voice was full of resentment.
I felt a pain in my heart when I realized what they were arguing about. Because I listened so much, I didn't realize that I hadn't even peeked at them and they had finally seen me.
“Anastacia…” Leon called me and approached me immediately so I smiled like a dog.
“Uhm… I'm sorry. I saw you come here so I followed,” I said and turned to the woman who was looking at me sharply. She even crossed her arms and stared at me from head to toe.
“So, it’s true that you’re such a naïve brat. Lola Andrada's basis when it comes to her grandchildren,” she sarcastically told me that seemed to mean something else but I ignored that.
Before I could speak, I felt Leon touch my elbow so I looked at him.
“She’s Vera. She wasn’t at the party last night so you didn’t get to meet each other. She just came from New York,” he explained to me so I nodded and smiled. "She's your mom's right-hand person in the organization," Leon added.
I automatically turned my gaze to Vera who was already smiling at me now and still raised an eyebrow. I looked at the whole thing. She looks like a rude woman. She was wearing black pants and a black shirt inside her black leather jacket. She also has a high ponytail and sharp eyes. Right-hand person?
"And I was her daughter while you were hiding like a rat with your cowardly father," she said coldly. Next, I heard Leon shout at her.
What?