CHAPTER 8: STRANGE FAMILIARITY

CHAPTER 8: STRANGE FAMILIARITY

Isabella almost ran towards her father's room. When she opened the door, she saw him lying in a bed, connected to a respirator. He was the man she had admired all her life.

"Is he my grandfather?" Nicholas asked, observing the sleeping man.

Isabella whispered a "yes" as she slowly approached. Her eyes inevitably filled with tears. Her father had suffered a heart attack that had weakened him after receiving the news that he was bankrupt. The Collins family, owners of several construction companies, had lost everything after some bad investments. Isaac Collins couldn't take it. Isabella, with a melancholic expression, caressed her father's now gray hair.

"Dad..." she whispered.

The man slowly opened his eyes and greeted her with his green gaze. He tried to remove the mask, but she stopped him.

"Don't do it, you need to get better, understand?" she said, trying to sound calm. "You need to get well so we can be together."

Isabella said this just for the sake of saying it; deep down, she knew nothing would ever be the same. She had lost everything; her mother's fortune was stolen by her ex-husband. How was she going to cover her father's medical expenses now? How was she going to find her son? For a moment, rage took over her, and the determination to make Marcus and Amanda pay grew stronger. She didn't know how, but she would find a way. She wouldn't let them get away with it.

She was thinking about this when she heard the commotion outside the room. She hurried to see what it was about. When she opened the door, Nicholas peeked out first. His eyes widened in panic at seeing his father's angry face. He turned to Isabella, looking at her nervously.

"Mommy, we have to go," he said, swallowing hard.

"What? Why? What's happening?" Isabella asked, confused.

"We have to hurry, if Dad catches us, he'll throw us to Africa!"

The concern was evident in the little boy's voice, Isabella frowned, not understanding.

"What...? Your dad is here?"

Nicholas nodded fearfully.

"Well, then he must be worried about you. Let's go and explain."

"No... mommy..."

Nicholas stopped mid-sentence because Isabella had already opened the door to leave. As soon as she did, her face paled at seeing the man in front of her. Although she had been under the influence of the drug, she had vague memories of the face of the man who had saved her.

"You...?" she whispered, almost inaudibly.

On the other hand, Sebastián was also stunned. It couldn't be her, the same woman he had spent the night with. After waking up and not finding her, he concluded that everything was due to an accident and although it was the strangest of all, it didn't stop being one, but now seeing her again and with his son, he concluded that this woman had another purpose, and he knew all too well what it was. There were many women who pretended to reach him through his son.

"Once is an accident, twice is a pretty blatant approach strategy, don't you think?" he said to Isabella coldly.

Isabella frowned without understanding what he was trying to say, she was about to reply when Nicholas's sweet voice interrupted her.

"Hello, Dad." the boy hid behind Isabella's legs.

Sebastián looked at his son sternly and ordered him.

"Come here this instant, little demon. And you know you're in a lot of trouble, I'll punish you for life."

Nicholas's little heart raced, he knew that when his father got angry he was fierce.

"Dad, you're so ruthless!" he exclaimed, on the verge of tears.

Isabella felt anxious and couldn't help but intervene, she held the little one in her arms with a protective air and looked at Sebastián.

"I think that..."

"You have no right to interfere," he cut her off, his eyes as blue as Nicholas's looking at her coldly. "Be grateful I haven't taken action, because if I do, you won't get out of jail for the rest of your life," Sebastián's voice was cold and indifferent.

Isabella pressed her lips, unable to avoid being nervous, her day couldn't get any worse. Nicholas in Isabella's arms was saddened when he heard those words, his father was truly angry and he was to blame.

"Maybe you're right, but I just want to explain, I was..."

"I already told you I'm not interested in what you have to say," he interrupted her again, this time taking a step towards her, extending his hands and grabbing Nicholas against his will.

"No, I don't want to go with you!" the boy screamed as he was taken away from Isabella.

To him, Sebastián was a bad father, he only worked all day and never kept his promises and he knew that at some point he would find him a stepmother and he didn't want anyone else, just this mom.

"Stop buying yourself with tantrums, Nicholas!" Sebastián scolded him. "I don't know why you did this, but I assure you you'll have plenty of time to think about what you did. You'll be grounded for a month."

The little boy cried, he was really scared, he hid his face in his dad's neck and sobbed.

"I just wanted to find a mom, a mom who loves me..." he sobbed.

Secretly, Sebastián's heart tightened with pain, because although he was hard and cold inside, he understood his son's loneliness and need. Hearing this, his sharp gaze fell on Isabella and a strange familiarity struck him. She was crying, and seeing her like that, reminded him of the same expression of his son.

"Why? Why did she and Nicholas have that in common?"

Isabella wiped her tears and took a deep breath before speaking.

"You're just scaring him," she said.

Sebastián narrowed his eyes, and just at that moment Louis arrived and took the boy.

"Take him away and make sure he doesn't escape again."

The secretary nodded at full speed. As they walked away, Nicholas struggled and his eyes never left Isabella.

"No, Dad, I don't want to! Mom, save me, I want to be with you! I want to be with my mom!"

The little boy cried, but Louis didn't stop, he kept walking until only Sebastián and Isabella were left in the hallway. Isabella's heart tightened and the pain became unbearable; suddenly, a rage took over her. She looked directly at the boy's father and spat.

"Do you even have a heart? He's just a child, there's no need to be so harsh. He... he..." she choked on her words. "He just wants a mom!"

Hearing this, the other bodyguards, who were at a considerable distance, lowered their heads. She was the first woman who dared to speak to the boss like that. However, Sebastián was both angry and curious, but yes, more angry. He put his hands in his pants pockets and looked at her coldly.

"Are you telling me how to raise my son?"