Taming Demi's Mom (ONGOING)

Chapter 16

{LIAM}

I PULLED the top layer of the little drawer that was on top of the table beside my bed. I took from it the elegant box containing Victoria's ring that she left in our room the night she left. I slowly opened the box, and as I finally saw that ring, it felt like my heart was being squeezed with so much pain.

I immediately closed the box and closed my eyes tightly. Tears started flowing from my eyes. I clutched at my senses. I remember all the happy memories we had, and it brings a heavy feeling to me.

It's been almost 4 years since we last saw each other. But up to now, her beautiful face is still clear in my memory. I miss her buttery blonde hair that greeted me first when I would head to the dining area of the house for breakfast. She always woke up early to prepare my food and pack it for me to take to work. She was a good cook, a skill she inherited from her father.

After a while, I stood up and punched the wall of my room. I used my fist, still holding Victoria's ring box. I didn't mind the blood flowing from my hand. It was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

"f**k this s**t!" I shouted loudly.

I slumped down on the floor and leaned against the wall. My eyes were lifeless, staring into nothingness. Ever since Victoria left me, everything changed for me. I may seem like the coldest person people know, but deep inside, I'm just a weak man who was hurting because of the consequences of my actions.

Why do both of us have to suffer for someone else's sins?

I should be with Victoria right now, attending the ball together. I wish she were by my side. I miss her so much that it hurts like hell. I can't move on from the woman I had loved, and I don't want to move on from her. Even though it's painful, I still want to love her, even if she doesn't know. I don't want to forget our memories together. I want to remember every angle of her face.

But I do hope that she's doing fine right now. I hope she's forgotten about me. I hope she has someone new to love. I don't want to be the cause of the pain in her heart and the tears she sheds every night.

I never had the courage to find out what's happening in her life. From the moment I pushed her away from our house, I knew I didn't have the right to her. The only thing I know about her now is that she left the country back then, and I don't know if she ever came back. But sometimes, I find myself searching for her face among the people I pass by.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard my door open. I looked at Anderson, who immediately approached me upon seeing my bloody fist.

"We have a ball to attend today. You shouldn't have let yourself get hurt this badly. It's very noticeable. Later, this wound might become an issue for people and might affect your image as a prosecutor," Anderson, my older brother, said to me while shaking his head.

He went out of my room again, and when he returned, he had a medical kit with him. He took the box from my hand and began to treat my wound. I just stared at the box, now sitting on the floor, for the whole hour. I feel like I'm becoming numb. Ever since I lost Victoria, it's like I've lost my life too.

"I'VE been waiting for you for almost an hour. Why did you arrive just now?" Ella greeted me as soon as I entered the main ballroom.

I closed my eyes tightly in irritation. She is the last face I would want to see tonight. Why does she always manage to find me no matter where I go? How many years has she been chasing after me like a dog, and I never gave her a hint of hope, yet here she still is.

I raise an eyebrow at her. As far as I remember, I didn't tell her to wait for me. She really has the nerve to spew her nonsense in front of my face.

"Leave me alone, Ella," I firmly said to her.

My blood is really boiling because of this woman. I feel like hurting her. After all, she's the reason why I can't be with Victoria. She's the pest in my life. If only I could just get rid of her, I would have done it a long time ago.

I was about to pass by her when she suddenly wrapped both of her hands around my right arm. I feel my jaw clenching in extreme anger and restraint.

I tried to remove her grip on me, but she clung even tighter. She smiled and looked around at our surroundings.

"You probably don't want people to see how ungentlemanly the son of the senator, who happens to be a close friend of my own father, is towards me," she said calmly.

So that's what she wants. Fine, I'll indulge her.

I immediately walked without saying a word to her, and because she was holding onto me, I almost made her stumble. When I faced her, she gave me a nasty look.

I laughed. "What? Do you think I care about what people say to me?" I sarcastically remarked to her.

I took one of her hands and gently caressed it while still looking into her eyes. She was about to smile when I suddenly grasped her hand tightly, causing her to wince and almost tear up from the pain. She must have thought there was a meaning behind what I did earlier to her hand.

I leaned closer to her ear. "I'll treat you the way you deserve to be treated," I whispered seriously.

With the place being so crowded and the lights slightly dim, not many people paid attention to us because everyone was busy socializing with each other. Rich and prominent individuals don't care about someone's business unless it's about real business and money. She probably thought her speech could sway me.

I forcefully removed her grip on me and left her behind. I blended into the crowd to avoid her from following me.

"YOU'RE the best prosecutor in New Orleans. Do you have any plans to get married again?" Enrique asked me.

He is the son of the president of New Orleans and we were classmates in elementary school. We were quite close, but we only had the chance to talk now because we were both too busy with our respective jobs and obligations to our country.

I sipped on my wine. We were currently on the terrace, enjoying the breeze. It was on the second floor of the surrounding hall of the ballroom.

"I also don't understand you. You should have just told Victoria the truth. She deserves to know the truth," Enrique added.

I finished the wine in my glass. Just hearing her name made my heart beat fast, but in a painful way.

"You really won't understand me. I wouldn't be able to bear the pain if she looked at me as the person she despises the most in the world, and sees me as the worst person of all because of what I did to her," I said in a long sigh.

I looked down below outside the hall. The night was dark. No stars or moon could be seen in the sky. But still, this place was lively, although I couldn't feel it.

My gaze fixated on a young girl with caramel blonde hair. While her hair color wasn't the exact shade of Victoria's blonde hair, why does she remind me of her? I don't know, but there is something about this girl. I can't take my eyes off her, and I'm becoming curious about her.

She was accompanied by a woman who, in my opinion, seemed to be a bodyguard based on the uniform she was wearing. I couldn't see their faces clearly. After a while, the young girl pointed to something to her bodyguard, and when the woman turned around, the girl ran towards the entrance of the main hall.

"That kid is a stubborn one. She might get lost inside because of the crowd," Enrique remarked, also looking at what I was observing.

We exchanged glances.

"Let's try looking for the girl," I said decisively to him, and he immediately agreed.

We quickly descended the stairs and looked for the young girl in the middle of the crowd. However, after several minutes of searching, we still didn't see her. Maybe she has already found her parents here.

"I didn't see her," gasped Enrique as he returned to the of the stairs. Earlier, we decided to split up to expedite the search, and we agreed to meet here at the end of the stairs.