Chapter 7
1127 Words
"Enzo, where are you?!" My father’s voice was sharp through the phone.
He’d called several times. I didn’t answer. I was still grieving Mom. Even though we lived apart, our communication never stopped. She thought about my future. About the De Silva name. That’s why she left me with my father when I was five.
I never blamed her for that.
"Dad, I’m still in San Miguel," I answered. Sat on the bed and pressed my fingers to my temples.
"How much longer do you plan to stay in that province, Enzo? Don’t forget your responsibilities to the company!" His voice got louder. "I know you’re still grieving your mother, but think about the work you left behind. Nothing will move forward at the company. We have to accept what happened to your mother. No one wanted it, but it happened. Accept it."
I knew that since he started a new family, he stopped caring about Mom. Since their divorce, he never even asked about her. Now that she was gone, he didn’t visit her wake. Didn’t see her buried.
It was easy for him to forget the woman he once loved.
So, even though we lived in the same house, my heart stayed hard toward him. I respected him as my father. That was it. Because of how he was. He always needed to be in control. His way or nothing.
Like my education. I wanted to be a lawyer. He refused. He wanted me to follow his path. So even though I was forced, I graduated as an engineer. Like him.
"Three more days, Dad," I said coldly. "I’m flying to Europe to meet our investors myself. Then I’ll pick up Dale in New York myself."
"Good. I’m sorry about your mother, Enzo. I’m grieving, too. But remember, life doesn’t stop. Think about your responsibilities as the future CEO of De Silva Company."
"Yes, Dad."
"Rest, son. When you pick up Dale, meet me in San Ignacio. We’ll move forward with the engagement plan. You and Sophie."
"Okay." I ended the call before he could say more. Before we argued about Sophie.
I threw my phone on the bed and lay back. Closed my eyes tight.
Sophie Ledesma. Daughter of a famous businessman in the country. Her father, Mr. Joselito Ledesma was my father’s friend. Lately, my father had been pushing me toward her.
Sophie was one of the women I played with. No relationship. We called each other when we both wanted release. That was it. She was a news anchor on a major TV station. Not because she was smart. Because of her father’s connections. She was pretty enough for TV.
My father wanted me to marry her for one reason: power. If I married Sophie Ledesma, our company would get stronger. More connections. More growth.
But marrying Sophie would never happen.
All my life, I followed my father’s orders. Because I wanted the top position in the company. So, my mother would see her sacrifice wasn’t wasted. I knew how much it hurt her to be away from me. I knew she stayed strong so I could succeed.
Now that she was gone, there was no reason to chase that position for her anymore.
All I wanted now was to live. To be happy. And I would choose the woman I married.
After everything that happened, I’d rather marry an eighteen-year-old student than Sophie. A girl my father would only use for his ambition.
And I should be the one choosing who I spent my life with. I promised myself I wouldn’t be like my father. I knew he left my mother to marry Janet Hizon. A rich widow with no children when he met her.
This time, I would choose the woman I married.
And I chose Bella Ramos.
Tomorrow I’d marry her and take her to my house in San Ignacio. No one could stop me. I’d marry her legally. Even if her uncle Franco hadn’t left that letter, I probably still would’ve married Bella to help her. And to face my father. To stop his plan with Sophie.
I took a shower to relax my tired body and mind. I stayed under the water for a long time.
I had to admit, I couldn’t get Bella’s face out of my head. Or her young body that could heat me up and wake the beast inside me. Maybe I felt this heat because since I came to San Miguel, I hadn’t released it. I probably needed to take care of that before marrying Bella.
Even after we were married, I wouldn’t touch her. She was only eighteen. Too young. I’d let her mature first before I picked her. I could wait.
Well, hopefully.
After the shower, I dressed. Black plain t-shirt and jeans. I’d go downstairs to distract myself so I could sleep when I went back up. I hadn’t been sleeping well for days. Because of Bella.
I couldn’t explain why she was stuck in my mind. When our parents were alive, I’d seen her when I visited Mom. She was spoiled back then. Probably because her father gave her everything. Still, even as a child, she had a kind of beauty that only got better with time.
For me, that spoiled little Bella became even more beautiful now.
I went to VincElla Bar. The luxury bar on the hotel’s ground floor. Inside, people were already partying and drinking. I sat at the bar and signaled the bartender for a drink.
The moment I sat down, a woman across the room looked at me. She smiled. I nodded once. I was used to women’s signals. Women who wanted to play were all the same, no matter what country or province.
I let her flirt. If I wasn’t thinking about Bella, I probably would’ve approached her. In a few minutes we’d be in a hotel room.
I finished my drink and ordered another. I had no plans to get drunk. Especially since I was getting married tomorrow morning. I just wanted to relax. And I could handle alcohol.
As I drank, I glanced around. Watching the young people having fun. The music was loud. Lights flashed around the room.
My hand stopped halfway to my mouth. I frowned when I saw a group of four girls at a table. There were drinks on their table. The girls wore revealing clothes.
I closed my eyes tight when I recognized one of them.
Bella.
I couldn’t be wrong. Bella sat there while her friends forced a drink into her hand. Bella wore a tube top that barely reached her stomach. Jeans.
I hated the piece of cloth covering her body, especially in public, with so many men around. With alcohol involved.
"Bella,"
- Writer
