“I believe you will be on your best behavior when we get there,” Zeke said to Ryan who kept his head buried in the phone, not minding that they had arrived at the basement of Elena’s company.“And, please, no matter what she says or does to you… can you not react? I’m afraid she’s not the same Elena you used to know.”Ryan finally raised his head and a wide grip plastered across his face.“You worry too much.”“That is because I know what I’ve seen… and heard from her,” he smacked his tongue and Ryan nodded his head.“I am not her enemy though. I doubt she would treat me the same way she treated you,” he shrugged his shoulders off and then pushed the door open.“So… don’t compare me to you,” he said and then got down from the car.“You are overly confident for someone who knows nothing about the person I am talking about,” Zeke shook his head and followed suit.“Did she know I am coming… or you?”“She knows I am coming. Not you,” he answered as they walked together.“Hold on, what bus
“Excuse me?” Elena raised a brow as she turned to look in his direction.“How… how could you…” he stopped halfway as he dropped his eyes on Ryan who shook his head at him like he was warning him to not talk.“How could I what?” She asked, knowing exactly where he was heading.“Never mind,” he hissed softly.“Biased? No way, don’t tell me you expect some sort of welcoming too, Zeke?” She twitched her lips upward in disdain and he swallowed hard.“Do I not deserve one?” He answered back without thinking twice.“You?” She asked and then laughed sarcastically before turning to look at Ryan.“I have missed you so much, Ryan,” she said as she settled on the couch, beckoning him to sit also.“Would you believe if I told you that I missed you more? I am sorry I didn’t make my visit sooner,” he swallowed.“I do not worry about that.”“I know, but I should have. It’s been over a month since you arrived, and not to lie… I have purposely missed out on social gatherings just so I would not run int
Zeke contemplated if he should do what was in mind without minding his ego, or if he should not while he watched Elena who settled in her seat after she had ignored him when he called her name.He closed his eyes for a few seconds, pressed his lips together, and then curled his fist tightly.Staring at Elena who sat on the single couch in front of him, with her legs crossed, he knew he needed to do this.Seeing the way she acted with Ryan and Chloe was proof that maybe she had not changed entirely and the only person she was like this with was him… and probably Camila.He breathed out, glanced at the floor again, and slowly, he went on his knees.Elena sat upright, startled by his action, and then raised her brows.“W… what are you doing?”“Elena…” he started after he had licked his lower lips.“What the fuck are you doing?”“I know… I know that I have wronged you terribly. I know… I know I was not the best husband while we were married. I know… you suffered because of me. But, I am r
“Did I keep you waiting?” Chloe asked as she settled in front of Elena in the coffee shop away from the company.“Not really. Did you go somewhere far?”“No. I was with uhm… Ryan.”Elena didn’t fail to notice the blush that spread on her face and chucked gently. “With the way you just blush, someone could assume that you have a crush on the man.”“Which man? Ryan? No way!” Chloe protested hurriedly and Elena chuckled.“You don’t know how to lie.”“I am serious, Elena! I don’t have a crush on him!”“It’s been six years. You are not over the feelings yet?” “What?” Chloe breathed out.“I know you used to have a crush on him… as a teen,” she smiled softly.“B… but how? I mean… Why would you think so? I don’t…”“You always talked about him like he was a god. A sculpture. You talked about him and infatuation was all I could sense from you,” she said.“Elena,” Chloe swallowed and bowed her head.“What? Are you ashamed of your feelings?”“He is my brother’s friend.”“Is there any rule that
Instantly, Chloe choked on her saliva and kept coughing till Elena reached out to her and patted her shoulder.“Easy, Chloe. Is that too much of a news?” She chuckled.“You…” Chloe inhaled as she tried to regain her composure.“You have given birth… to two children?” When Elena nodded her head in agreement, she leaned back and exhaled again.She was expecting such an answer, but why had it gotten her more surprised?Was it because she answered without denying or was it because she has not just one child but two?“I… I thought… I thought you had not been with anyone since my brother,” Chloe stuttered.Instead of answering, Elena shrugged her shoulders off, picked up her coffee, and then sipped it slowly while she stared at the lady who was finding it hard to believe.“Who is he?” Chloe asked.“You ask too many questions, don’t you?”“I am curious about many things, Elena.”“You didn’t think I would tell you the truth, did you?” Elena raised a brow and Chloe shook her head.“W…who is t
“Your words hurt, Elena…” Chloe exhaled, a painful smile escaping her lips.Elena adjusted in her seat, and shook her head, “I did not mean to.”“Elena.”“You cannot meet my children.”“Why? Do you hate me too? If I could go back in time to change the past, I would, but I can’t. Why… why are you…”“I am not being hard on you on purpose, Chloe.”“Let me meet them.”“And who would I tell them you are? I would not introduce you to them as their aunt. You might think it’s just a word, but my children are so smart and you would be surprised by how quick they will figure you out.”“Anything!” Chloe sniffed and wiped the tears that laced her eyes with the back of her hand. “Anything, if aunt does not sit well with you.”Elena watched Chloe who kept tearing up no matter how much she wiped her tears away and then smacked her lips.Her eyes fell on her coffee and her ice had already melted. She picked up the glass cup, removed the straw, and then drank the coffee directly from the glass.“I co
“What do you mean by ‘a Russo’? She is just Chloe?” Elena rolled her eyes.Raymond kept his eyes pinned on the lady who was starting to feel intimidated by the man, and then, Elena exhaled and talked again.“It’s okay, Dad. You’re intimidating her.”“Does it look like I care?”Ariana rushed towards Elena, grabbed her hand, and then dragged her to another side of the room.“What are you doing? You never wanted her here.”“She knows already.”“About the twins? How?”Elena took a glance back at Chloe who kept her head bowed in front of her parents, and then returned to look at Ariana.“I told her.”“Elena!”“She saw the cesarean section scar and asked if I had given birth. Of course, I would not say no,” Elena rolled her eyes.“Are you cool with it?”“She said she would never tell anyone.”“And you trust her?”“Hold on…” Elena drew her brows together and exhaled.“If I remember correctly, you were urging me to tell her because ‘she is different from her family’, right?”“Just that I didn
“I… I am…”“She is not your aunt! What is wrong with you?!” Elena snapped.“We thought she was. She’s a new face and we can’t help but wonder,” Nathan shrugged his shoulders off.“Mum is right. I am just uhm… like a little sister?” She tilted her head.“Little sister? Aunt Aria is her sister.”Chloe smiled heartily, picked up their hands, and then fondled it gently. “She is like a sister to me. A sister from another mother, we can say,” she said and the twins nodded their heads, trying to understand.“I will leave you with them,” Elena said.As Chloe raised her head to look at Elena, she nodded her head knowingly, silently vowing that she could trust her.Elena nodded her head and then turned around. “Don’t stress her too much, guys. I’ll be back after I freshen up,” she said and walked out of the door.As soon as she left the room and then the twins were sure she was away from the door, they clutched closer to Chloe who was still on her knees and then stared at her.“Why? Are you loo
Before he stepped out of the car, he dialed Jeremy’s number first and then waited for the man to pick up which he did after the call was almost ending.“I hope you are calling for something very important. It’s so early in the morning, dang it,” Jeremy hissed.“There is a problem,” Ryan exhaled.“Good, I love to hear that. What is wrong?”“It is Zeke. You need to leave everything you are doing and come over here, right now. Please.”“What is wrong with Zeke?”Ryan glanced out to look at his friend before he answered Jeremy and a long silence ensued.“Share me your location,” he said and then dropped the call.After he ended the call, he placed a call across to Chloe too, and then explained the situation at hand before he finally stepped out of the car.He moved over to Zeke, palmed his forehead, and then dropped his other hand on his waist.“W… what in the name of madness is this?” He moved to his front, leaned down, and then lifted his chin up with his hand.Staring down at his frie
“Is he truly outside?” Karina rushed to her husband as he entered the room and he swallowed, entering fully.“I have told him to leave. He is leaving already,” he answered and then looked around the living room.“Where is Ramon? I ran into him outside the door here.”“He has gone to see Elena,” she replied.“Was he truly on his knees?”“You worry too much, Karina.”“Answer me, Raymond.”“Do you think that man has what it takes to do that?”He knew so well that his wife would not agree to the fact that he had left Zeke on his knees outside their mansion.“Honey, I really think you should stop interfering in their business.”“Whose business?” He feigned ignorance and settled on the chair.“Elena and Zeke. Raymond, they are not children.”“You are not honestly rooting for them again, are you?”“I am in support of whatever Elena chooses. I can’t make decisions for her and you need to know that too.”“In the past, you were against their union! I should have listened to you.”“That was beca
“Who did you say is asking for Elena?”“A Zeke Russo, sir.”Ray drew his brows together and turned to look at Karina who sat on the couch away from him.“Don’t let him in.”“Raymond,” Karina called him softly.“Let him return to wherever he is coming from or you will be losing your job!”The gateman bowed and then rushed out back.Delivering the message to the man in a rather harsh way, he closed the gate and returned inside.“Something happening?” His partner asked him as he returned inside his quarter.“The man outside. Boss said he does not want to see him in this compound or I will lose my job.”“Wait, really?”“I am telling you,” he exhaled and then settled on the chair in front of the big screen.“W… what is he doing?” He stuttered as he watched the screen.The other man rushed to him, drew his brows together, and then parted his lips.“Is that what I think it is?”“He is on his knees?” The gatekeeper asked rhetorically and then stood up hurriedly.___________“Hey, are you craz
“Take, one more spoon,” Elena patted her daughter as she took the last spoon of her food and after the girl collected it from her, she cleaned her mouth with a handkerchief and then leaned back.“Are you full?”Natalie nodded her head and then turned to look at her plate where Nathan had dropped a piece of meat in.She raised her brows, smiled gently, and then picked it up.“Thank you.”Nathan watched her sister chew it completely and then asked. “Do you want more?”She shook her head and then instead pulled off her cap. “See, my hair is starting to grow.”Nathan stared at her head where he could barely see a strand and then chuckled. He pulled off his cap too, bowed his head, and then showed her his. “Mine too.”“But…” Natalie tilted her head. “I can’t see any hair there.”“Same. There is no hair on your head either.”They dropped eyes on each other, and Elena pressed her lips, thinking Natalie had taken offense at his comment when her facial expressions literally went unreadable.Sh
“So, you’re not going? Really?”Zeke ignored Ryan totally, his head buried in his laptop and the man shook his head. Ryan exhaled and collapsed in the chair opposite Zeke and palmed his face.“Your daughter… Natalie is getting discharged today and you really are not going there?!”Still, he was mute. Maybe if Ryan peeped to check what Zeke was typing continuously on the keyboard, he would see that the only word he kept typing was ‘Natalie.’“You know, you are an asshole, right?”Still, he was mute.“She is leaving the hospital today. It means she is hale and healthy already. It means she can move around freely and you can meet her as you please, you know?” Ryan reminded him.When Zeke did not answer, he leaned closer, pushed the laptop shut, and then hissed.“What are you planning? I can swear that you are not busy and you were typing shit right there.”“C… could you see them home safely?”“Dude, that is your duty, not mine!” Ryan snapped with creased brows.Zeke nodded his head, exh
Elena looked out of the door for the umpteenth time and then sighed before she returned to stab a piece of apple in the bowl in her hand.“Give up. He’s not coming,” Ariana breathed out.“Who?”“I know you are waiting for Zeke.”“I am not!” She denied and Ariana nodded her head.“Besides… how did you know he is not coming?” She asked.“It’s been almost a week. He left without telling you and has not returned since then. He didn’t call you either.”“Something… might be wrong with him,” she shrugged her shoulders off.“Something like? Chloe was here and she didn’t deliver any bad news, so, what something?” Ariana asked.Elena sniffed, bit her lower lips, and then turned to look outside again.She did not want to admit that she was worried, but deep down, she knew she was.He was supposed to be here…He had promised he would be by her side till Natalie got discharged.He left that morning and had not returned since then.He didn’t even call her!She suspected so strongly that her father
“Did something happen?” Ryan asked Zeke again. This time, he had pulled the car gently into his compound and had followed him out of the car.Zeke had kept mute the entire time in the car and even though he and Chloe had thrown random jokes, or started random conversations with the hope that he was going to join, he kept mute still.Still, Zeke said nothing and made an entrance to the big door of his house.“No, I am certain something happened. What is wrong? You said you were going to stay for a while. You said you wanted to see your daughter.”“Ryan…” Zeke finally exhaled and swallowed.Entering the living room fully, he turned around, dropped his eyes on the couple, and then palmed his forehead.He was keeping his feelings bottled up. He felt like he wanted to cry.But, he was a man and he should not cry, right?But, fuck that.He had little regret in his life, but this…?He would forever regret it.It was something he could have controlled. He did it anyway. He thought it was the
When Ray suddenly burst into laughter, Zeke’s eyes fluttered as though he had said something very funny. He tilted his head and then sighed.“Sir?”“Is this some movie show?”“You asked…”“How much do you want, Zeke?”“I have answered you.”Ray shook his head, “My daughter is not an option.”“Everything I did is for my family, father.”“I am no father of yours and they are not your family either.”Dumbfounded, Zeke nodded his head and then smacked his tongue. “Sir.”“I am grateful to you for what you have done for our family. For my grand daughter.”“It is my responsibility as her father.”“You have no responsibility to fulfill, dear,” he chuckled rather sarcastically.“So, see her as much as you want to while we are still in the hospital. Elena included. I can assure you that will not happen again after she has been discharged.”“Fath—”“You can’t have her again!” He snapped and then palmed his forehead.“You don’t even deserve her.”“I will make myself worthy of her again,” he said.
“Are you sure? If it were up to me, I’d suggest that you stay here for a few more days,” Elena said, worry plastered across her face as she watched the man who did his shirt button.It was early the next morning and Zeke had already asked to be discharged even though the doctor had suggested that he should spend at least a day more.He insisted that he was good already and that he had no other complaints and if he did, he'd let the doctor know.“He does not listen,” Chloe who stood beside Ryan rolled her eyes and hissed.“I don’t like it here. I could not sleep well in that bed,” Zeke snapped his brows together as he glanced at the bed.“As if you’ve ever slept well in any bed,” Ryan rolled his eyes.Zeke swallowed, moved over to Elena, and then dropped his hands on her shoulders.“I am fine. I promise.”She exhaled, nodded her head, and then sniffed. “You better let me know if anything goes wrong again.”“I promise. Now, we gotta wait till Natalie gets discharged, right? The surgery