The window behind was slowly lowered revealing a strikingly handsome face she hasn’t seen in a while. He pulled his glasses and his eyes met with hers.
“Do you want to take a ride?” Marcel raised his eyebrow and looked at her with a cold smile. He was handsome under the afternoon sun and his cold smile carried a hint of cold evil.The smile that always carried away a woman’s heart and pulled the strings. Those smiles that no one could see beneath it.Izabelle held the toy she bought for little Rosie and looked at him as if he were a stranger. Perhaps he was because the Marcel staring at her here was not the Marcel she used to know. He was a stranger to her. Suddenly appearing in front of her. Who knows what he was up to?Little Rosie’s school must have closed by now and she must be waiting for her with her teacher. She doesn’t want to keep her waiting for long. Izabelle only paused for a moment before she left without looking back as if she hadn't seen him or heard him speak and not even a slight expression showed on her face as she continued walking.Hardy, who was in the driver’s seat, moved his gaze to the rearview mirror only to see the boss with a cold expression on his face. And to think that she has just ignored the boss. Wait! Weren’t they good friends before the daughter of the Rossador family left the country for a reason unknown to everyone?Removing his gaze from the boss, his eyes fell on the woman who was walking ahead of them without looking back and he remarked.“Wow… so the rumors of the first granddaughter of the Rossador family now being a cold beauty is true? But boss, I remember her hanging out with you frequently some few years ago. We even saw her at the airport that day. Now I’m really confused. Did something happen? Perhaps you did something that annoyed her. I guess you must be bullying her. Poor woman. No wonder she ignores you as if you were a stranger.”“Shut up and stop saying so much nonsense,” Marcel immediately rolled his eyes. He raised his hand and folded it behind his head. “What if I tell you that she is the mother of my child?”Hardy chuckled and looked at the boss through the rearview mirror.“Huuu. That’s impossible. You two never had any relationship and you have no child. Besides, I feel like you aren’t her type. After all, you’re so cold. I wonder if any woman likes you. If that is true, then I Hardy would write my name backward,” Hardy said. He checked the boss’s expression before continuing.“She probably wants someone who would dote on her and pamper her as she is the first granddaughter of the Rossador’s fam….” Before he could complete his words, the back door clicked open and he saw the boss walking outside in the direction of the woman who was probably heading towards her car. Why was he going after her?Before Izabelle could get to her car, she felt a hand hold her arm abruptly.She turned and removed her hands from his.“What do you want?”“Why act like you don’t know me,” Marcel asked.“Because I don’t.”“We have to talk.”What exactly does he want to talk about now? Surely, she doesn’t have time for his talks.“I have nothing to say to you.”“But I have a lot to say.”Again, Izabelle tried to walk away but just like the last time, his hands got hold of her arm and prevented her from walking away from him.“Fine! What is it that you want to say?” She avoided looking at his eyes because she knows that she might crumble if she does that. Her eyes fixed on his chest which had her star-struck. He was in a suit with the three buttons of his inner shirt open. Realizing what she was doing, she stared around the park avoiding both his eyes and his body.Marcel let go of her hand before burying his hands into his pocket. At times, she just couldn’t understand him. She was only going to give him a minute.“Why did you leave?”“Weird question.”“You left without a notice and suddenly came back after five years to act as if I am a stranger and you never did anything?”Izabelle sighed. Surely he still thinks that she planned everything. He was never going to rethink, was he? But this time, she wasn’t going to defend herself and tell him it was a misunderstanding. He can think whatever he wants.“Because that’s what you are, Marcel. A stranger.”His expression hardened. He held her arms tightly and gritted his teeth.“Do you realize what your actions caused? It almost shattered my friendship with your brother and threw us into this situation. You have no right to get angry here.”She chuckled.“Truly, I don’t.”“Izabelle.”She dragged her arm from his hold and snapped.“I have somewhere to be at. Somewhere more important. I’m sure you also have somewhere to be. Your kids must be waiting for you to bring their toys.” She walked away, her back to him.Marcel’s eyes fell on the pink Barbie doll in her hands and his eyes closed before he reopened it. What kids did she just speak about? His kids? Did he have some other kids that he doesn’t know about?He sighed when he realized that she had seen the basket of toys in his cart back at the shop. Those were for his aunt's kids.Izabelle strode to her car and got in without a second thought. He didn't chase after her to ask for forgiveness. What was she even expecting? Her tears flowed down her eyes as she drove to little Rosie’s school.She would be a liar if she says that she doesn't want to be chased after. All these years, she had hoped that he would look for her. She purposely didn't go far away from the United States in the hope that he would learn that she didn't plan all of it to happen and he would come for her daughter and herself but that never happened. He never showed up and she realized that he would never come not for her and not for her child.Cleaning her tears, she drove to Rosie’s school hoping that the sight of her daughter would uplift her mood.Finally getting to the school, she saw that the gate was wide open and there was a little gathering of people around making it impossible for any car to go in. She stopped her car at a good spot beside the school wall and climbed out of the car with a Barbie doll in her hands. What was going on?Walking into the school, her eyes caught sight of an ambulance. It seemed someone was being rushed to the hospital and some parents were already taking their kids with them out of the school. She stretched her neck in search of Rosie’s teacher amongst the crowd and sighed in relief when she saw her. Only she would know where Rosie was since school time had already passed.“Mrs. Fernando,” she called, making her way into the crowd.“Y..you’re here, Miss Rossador. I..I was about to call you.”“Oh… Where’s Rosie? That's her bag and what's going on?” Her eyes searched around the teacher for little Rosie when she saw her school bag in her arms. Why does the teacher look so tense?“Ro...Rosie sh..she…”Before the teacher could continue her words, Izabelle’s gaze shifted to the side. Her eyes fell on the inside of the ambulance and her blood drained from her body.In the ambulance was her little daughter lying on a stretcher and the nurses placing oxygen on her to help her breathe. Before the ambulance door closed, she held it and rushed in followed by the teacher. “Rosie? Sie Sie, mummy is here, say something,” her hands moved to Rosie’s shoulder and she shook her as the ambulance started moving. Little Rosie lay on a stretcher without moving or saying a word. Her eyes were closed and her mother’s cries did nothing to help her. Izabelle’s tears flowed and she abruptly turned to the teacher who was sitting together with the nurses at the side. “Ho..how? What happened?” She yelled. “I don't know. S…she was just right beside me one moment and in the next, she was gone. When we f..found her, she was in the garden unconscious and there was smoke there. I don't know how it happened really, I'm sorry.”Izabelle’s tears dropped the more the teacher talked and she slumped on the chair beside the stretcher and covered her face with her palms. Her w
Izabelle’s eyes raised from the doll to the person who just called her. Her eyes were puffy and her sight was almost blurry. She blinked to get a better view of the person, no people that were rushing toward her. Just as she recognized them, she stood up from the bench and waited till they got to her. “Izabelle are you alright? How’s your daughter?” Jared asked as he got to her. His hands were on her shoulder. She was looking so weak like a leaf and he feared that if he let go of her, she was going to fall. “Izabelle, say something.” Beside Jared was his wife Kathie and they both stared at Izabelle in worry. “Rosie...Rosie, she..” Izabelle couldn’t complete her statement because the tears that she had fought so hard to stop started streaming down her cheek again and her dry throat made it hard for her to speak. Her tears streamed as she stared at her brother and pointed at the emergency room. “It’s alright, Rosie. It’s going to be fine, okay? Rosie is going to be fine.”Izabelle s
“Rosie, baby, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Izabelle panicked as she dropped the bowl of pap on the bedside table and used her cloth to clean Rosie’s teary eyes. She feared that Rosie would stress her heart again and something bad might happen. “Baby, please stop crying, hmm? You heard what the doctor said.”She patted her back and cleaned her tears until Rosie calmed down and stopped crying. What was making her cry now? Was it the fact that she was in the hospital for the umpteenth time this year or she just felt emotional? What was making her baby cry again? Why must she have to suffer like this? She was so little but has been to the hospital at least twice to five times every month. Why exactly must it be like this, huh? Rosie has been suffering for long enough. When was her suffering going to end? She rather that she suffer instead of her daughter who spends her days in the hospital instead of having fun and living a free life like other kids. Izabelle’s eyes watered as sh
“Hmm. I think Uncle Nick would also like to see you. You'll get to see and play with him once you get transferred to the city hospital, hmm?” “En.”“Izabelle guess what? I got awesome news,” Ruby announced. “What?”“Your manager gave me a call. He has been trying to reach you since yesterday. He told me you have lots of bookings for the next three days from people who would like to get their photos done by you. They wanted you to do it personally.” “Hope you told him that I won't be able to make it? Little Rosie isn't fine. I'll have to accompany her until she gets better. Tomorrow, she would get transferred to the city hospital.”“Don’t tell me that you're going to kick the offers aside. You're just starting your studio here and it wouldn't be good if you start by disappointing customers. You might just end up losing them.”“It doesn't matter. Rosie’s health comes first. I'll have to accompany her. We can just reschedule everything.”“Eish. But you know this wouldn't be good. Okay
Click! Click!The clicking sound of a camera reverberated in Izabelle’s studio as she directed her client on how to post. She had rushed here early this morning after kissing Rosie goodbye and thanking Ruby for being of help for the past two days that she has been coming here to attend to her clients. The studio was filled with more than fifteen celebrities and people from elite societies waiting for their snaps to be taken in all sorts of manners. “This is so fine. Thank goodness I found you,” the girl whose snap was being taken exclaimed after Izabelle showed her the picture that she had snapped. “Can I take more, please? Double payments.”Isabelle nodded in exhaustion as she stepped backward and helped the girl post before taking a few more pictures. “Oh, my goodness. This is beautiful. Thank you so much. I'm going to tell all my friends about you.” Because of the lady’s excitement, the other girl waiting for their photos to be taken rushed to them to see the picture and they g
Before Selene could lunge at the girl, Izabelle rushed to stand in the middle of them causing Selene’s hand to fall on her and push her so hard that she fell on the floor groaning in pain. Gasps and murmurs filled the huge studio room. “Miss Rossador, are you alright,” the other girl rushed to Selene and helped her up. That was a really strong stray push. “That wasn't intended for you, Miss Rossador. You shouldn't have gotten in the way.”“How rude can you be? You pushed her. You should be apologizing.”“Once again, you are putting your nose where it does not belong. Stay out of my business and we would be fine. I wouldn't want you annoying me to the core now.”“Enough!” Isabelle dropped her camera aside and walked to stand before Selene. “It's either you sit and wait for your turn or you leave. If you create any form of violence again, then I'm going to call the police,” she threatened. Surely, Selene wouldn't want
He stopped rooted on the spot at the voice of the little child. Before he could turn and confirm the voice, he felt tiny hands wrap around his legs and called again. “Handsome Daddy? Did you come to see little Rosie?” He turned to face the little girl and bent to pat her hair as he smiled naturally. How can this little girl lift his angry mood by just calling him that?“How are you, little girl? What are you doing in the hospital?”He carried her to sit on a white round block bench that stood confidently in the middle of the hospital and the middle were pretty flowers. He sat next to her while staring at her cute little face and waiting for his answer. “Rosie came to get treatment,” she stretched her head until it was almost the same height as his ears and whispered. “Don’t tell anyone. I ran away from Aunt Ruby while she was making a call. She wants me to have a nap until mommy returns.”Marcel chuckled at the child’s words. “You shouldn’t have. What if you fell into danger?”“But
“Where are you taking me? Her hands tried to pull away from his as he held her hands and started dragging her in a direction only he knows. She struggled to pull her hands away but his grip on hers was too tight that she only ended up hurting herself. Where the hell was Marcel taking her to? Why was he even here in the first place? The questions took a toll on her mind as she tried to keep up with his fast pace. She was resisting the urge to bite his hands and get away from him to her daughter. Marcel led her to the stairs and with his hand still on hers, he dragged her to climb the stairs with him. “Marcel. Let go of my hands. Where are you taking me?” She hit his arm with her other hand but he didn't even flinch. He just kept dragging her to where he wanted and they climbed stairs upon stairs. “Shut up!”“What do you want?”Her legs were starting to hurt badly from climbing the long stairs that seemed unending to her. It was unending