⛲#Only_You????????
(Where theirs Love, theirs Pain)
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By Tiana Isaac
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Episode 60
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Nadine looked around feeling so uncomfortable. Why does everything look so fishy to her. She drop the fork and stood up.
“It’s almost time, I have to prepare for this presentation, ” she said to herself then walked out of the place.
°°°°°°
“What! She didn’t eat it,” Tessa smirked as she walked towards her table with Ethan behind her.
” You just wasted your time,” she said to him.
” Cancel all my schedules for today..” he said with a straight face as he turn and left while Tessa quickly followed him behind with two other guards.
“But..what about the meeting, you have to attend to them,” Tessa said.
“I don’t care.. just do as I said and if anyone isn’t comfortable with that then they’re free to leave it’s there lost not mine,” he said icily as he step outside and his driver quickly opened the car for him.
Tessa, his secretary stood there in frustration. He was greatly looking forward to the meeting tonight but all of a sudden after coming to the restaurant and seeing that lady he changed his mind.
“Who is she? And why did he decide to give her a different order, by making that meal for her,” she wondered.
°°°
Late in the evening everyone was anticipating to see Ethan but they news came late to them.
“Am sorry.. he wouldn’t be able to make it today,” Tessa his secretary announced.
” What! They all asked unison with disappointed faces.
“But why? Greg asked.
” This unprofessional,” another said.
“So when next is the next meeting? Joan asked.
” He hasn’t tell me yet. He’s unavailable this evening,” she said.
” But he should have announced it earlier before now. This just a two days trip and that means we have no time to waste. We have to get this done,” Nadine sigh frustratingly.
” Well, you all should be patient. He’s busy with some other things,” Mr. Marcel said as he sign from the docu-ments he was given.
” Busy! with what exactly.. something that is worth more than this meeting? Nadine asked as she stood up.
“Are you Nadine Montes? Tessa asked her while Nadine nodded.
“What! She gasped, trying to fix the puzzle on why Ethan has cancelled the meeting.
“Can I speak to you for some minutes? She asked
” Sure,” Nadine replied and they walked outside to the hallway.
“Why isn’t Mr. Ethan here? Nadine asked when they walked out.
“He’s busy with something,” Tessa replied.
“You want to say something? Nadine asked while Tessa gulped down nothing, thinking of how to start.
“Am afraid you won’t get to meet with Mr. Ethan. His schedules are tight throu-ghout this week and he won’t be able to see you,” she said .
” Meaning? Nadine asked.
“He can’t see you. He has cancelled the deal,” she said.
” That’s ridiculous.. is this a joke or something?
“Am sorry about that,” she said hoping Nadine will believe her and they will leave immediately tomorrow morning.
“You are his secretary right! then make a way for me to see him tomorrow morning. This not a child’s play, for me to come down here leaving my family just for this and now it’s been cancelled for no tangible reason,” Nadine said angrily.
” Am sorry but you can’t see him,” Tessa said with finality before leaving while Nadine sigh.
” There’s no way am leaving here without seeing that so called man,” she said to herself.°°°
•••••••
With a towel wrapped around his waist, he walked to his large spacious bedroom, straight to the board which had seven pictures on it.
Staring at those pictures with so much anger igniting inside of him make him recall the past.
“How unfortunate I was to lose my family right from the beginning.. and just when I thought I have someone to call a brother, someone who would gat my back and I can bodly say I have a new family..but you’ve changed the story Austin when you choose to be my enemy and now it’s my turn to be your enemy,” he said as he stare down at the table that had the docu-ments of the company that was sold out to him including the Mansion.
“I did this to fulfill Mom Pinna last wish.. I won’t let what she have work ha-rd for go down the drain because of her foolish son and husband,” he said then looked at the next picture.
“Leonard…,” He muttered
” I can’t wait to see the shock on your face, you took away the only thing that matter most to me and yet you couldn’t take care of her. Your doom is finally here,” he said.
” Mr Josie.. the almighty Josie how strict and evil you were to me. You were the genesis of my problem, you never gave me the chance to prove my self because you have already written me off from being something good in life, you always see me less of a human,”
” And your wife Julianna… You couldn’t stand up for your daughter. I can say you were the only family member that liked me but you couldn’t stand on your ground as a mother and talk, probably because you never like me from within,”
” Miguel! You never like nor trust me right from the day Dianne died.. You’ve always see me as a poor guy who has nothing to offer to your sister, you detest me because you couldn’t think straight and see the devil in the so called friend you trust. Austin will pay for everything!
The next picture was Nadine’s, as he watched it closely.
“You’ve changed so much Nadine,” he said recalling how he saw her at the restaurant and made that meal purposely for her, just to ignite something to her but she disappointed him by not even eating it. Indeed she have completely forgotten about him, he thought.
“You’ve made your choice and your living with it now. I have accept my fate and i know we can never be together again because you left, your love was filled with broken promises, you couldn’t keep to your words, you couldn’t trust me, you bluntly left and got married to my killer right in my own eyes. I was easily replaced because I never meant anything to you… I hate you,” he muttered.
Looking at the last picture, was the picture of little Eric. Knowing that Nadine even had a child for his enemy got him more angry..
” I hate you all,” … He muttered.
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°°°°°°°
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The next morning…????
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Nadine stood in front of the tall, multistoried building with a large and beautiful craving on it reading “E-Empire” ????
“I have to see that so called Ethan today,” she said to her wondering who he was and why Marcel Ronald do most of the work for him.
**He’s a reserved person, he hardly comes out to the public, probably because he don’t want to be known but seriously his art work has gone viral already***”
Nadine remembered the replied of one of the lady yesterday when she enquired to know more about him.
Immediately a video call pop on her phone and she smile when she saw it was her mom calling.
????mom..
???? Nadine,” Julianna smiled when she saw her face.
???? Mommy..,” Eric scream out in excitement as his whole face showed on the camera
????I miss you mummy, when are you coming? He pout.
????Soon Eric, maybe tomorrow. Mummy miss you too, how is school?
????It was fine. Aunt Ca-ssie always drop us with Lily and Sharon. She also made my favorite ice cream flavor yesterday” he smile.
????Wow.., am so happy to hear that. When coming I will bring you all the goodies from the U.S,” she smile.
????Yay… I can’t wait to see them.. take care mommy am running late for school already,”
????Take care too Eric. Make sure you don’t follow strangers. They people you should trust is your grandma Julianna then your uncle Miguel and Ca-ssie, is that clear?
????”Sure mommy!
????so how was it? Julianna asked when Eric ran back to his room to get prepared for school.
????Am hoping to complete everything today.. ” Nadine said and just then, a black shiny limousine stopped right in front of the building.
The chaffeur came out of the limo then open the back seat door revealing someone who just came out.
“That must be Mr Ethan,” she thought.
????I will call you right away mom,” Nadine said as she quickly hanged up and turn to the man. He was backing her so she couldn’t see his face. This time he was already walking inside.
Nadine hurried up to catch up with him but she was a bit late when he got to the elevator.
“Why does he look familiar,” Nadine thought, this time her only concern was to atleast see his face. Looking at the body feature, how tall he was, his black shiny hair, everything about him looks familiar.
“Maybe he’s a familiar person I once know,” she thought.
She stopped by the secretary office.
“Do you have an appointment with him? Tessa asked.
“No I don’t, but I want to see him… Please,”
” He’s busy!
“Busy! Can you cuff off that shit. He just walked in here few minutes ago. Am just requesting for a few minutes to speak to him,” Nadine said
” You won’t give up right,” Tessa sigh as she called him on the telephone.
????A lady is requesting to see you…” She said.
????Let her in,” he replied.
“You can go in,” Tessa said while Nadine looked at her once more time before making her way to the office.
Looking at the place was something she describe so beautiful, the ergonomic furniture, the open space, lighting, the rest area, the technology, it’s so huge and beautiful.
” The E-Empire have a good taste,” she thought.
Her eyes darted over to the table on the left which had some few paintings. That makes her remember Lorenzo. His drawings, paintings, she wondered why everything around here makes her remember him.
“What do you need? A voice spoke and that’s when she realized someone was standing by the window, backing her.
“Am Nadine Montes,” she introduced waiting for him to atleast turn to her but he didn’t.
“Am here to confirm what actually is going on? You were absent yesterday only to be told that you’ve cancelled the deal? She asked.
“I wasn’t expecting you to come here but your dad,” his voice came up.
For some seconds Nadine was quiet.
“Why does the voice sound familiar,” This time she looked confused, trying to figure out what’s happening.
“It’s Josie Montes I want here,”
“But… Am the one in charge of the Montes-Tech now. I…
“We will get to talk that later in the evening during the meeting. You can leave,” he said.
” But…
“You can leave,” he said while Nadine sigh.
“Okay, but can I atleast see your face? She asked.
” You will get to see that during the meeting,” he said while Nadine walked out of the office sadly.
” There’s something more about him- his aura, just like Lorenzo,” she thought.
” I will get to see that later,” she shrugged.
°°°°
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@ Max School°°°
(Eric’s school)
” Let get going,” Eric held Lily and Sharon’s hand. It was school over, he went to their clas-sand pick them.
“Mom will be coming to pick us? Sharon asked.
” Sure,” Eric replied.
“Eric! A familiar voice called and to his surprised when he turn he saw Leonard.
“Dad! He called.
” I miss you Champ! Leonard smile as he open his arms wide and carried Eric on his shoulders.
“I miss you daddy,” Eric smile.
Lily and Sharon were puzzle seeing Eric with him.
“Let’s wait for mom over there,” Sharon said.
“And I thought grandma has warn you not to go to any stranger? Lily asked.
“He isn’t a stranger but my father,” Eric defended as he got down to his feet.
” Then he should visit you at home not here” Sharon said.
“I will take you home Eric, so we can hang out later,” Leonard said.
” Have you called mom first? Eric asked.
” Sure, it was your mom that asked me to come and pick you up. Things are gradually trying to work out well and in no time our family will be complete again,” Leonard smile as he looked around hoping no one will come and see him especially Miguel or Ca-ssie or Nadine’s parents.
“Let go in, he will take us home,” Eric said to Lily and Sharon but they bluntly refused.
“We will wait for mommy or our driver here,” Lilly said.
“Good for you then! am leaving,” Eric said while Leonard held his hand and they walked to his car, from there he quickly zoomed off with him out of the school.
Just when they left Ca-ssie drove with her car.
“Where’s Eric?
” He left with his dad just now,” Sharon said.
“His dad! Ca-ssie said in shocked.
She quickly called Miguel.
°°°°°°°°
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Nadine was ready for the meeting, it was just few minutes left when a call pop into her phone with a new number.
????”Hi sweetheart,” Leonard voice came in.
????”You again, I thought I’ve blocked your line,” Nadine fumed in anger.
????”And I will keep trying with a new number…
????”Just get lost!
????”Get lost with my son right,” he laughed. Nadine Wondered what he meant by that.
????”Eric is in my custody now and the only way to have him back is to come back home to me,” he said.
????” You must be crazy! She muttered, Wondering how possible was that.
????”I called you myself so I could save you from the stress of searching for him..
????” Eric is also my son and he’s doing just fine here. If you truly love your son Nadine then come back home,” he said icily.
????Never!
????Then you aren’t willing to see Eric. I’ve always knew you were a bad mother Nadine. You only care about yourself and your selfish desire. You’ve never for once consider me as your husband and now you’re just pretending to love Eric while you don’t. If you truly love him then you would want our family to be complete so he won’t grow up in a broken home, a good mother is willing to sacrifice anything for her child but on your side you are nothing but a useless mother and that’s exactly what I will always feed Eric with, I will give him all the reasons he need to let him know he doesn’t have a good mother,” Leonard said angrily while Nadine just stood there in tears, hearing all those hurtful words from him.
???? “And what about you Leonard, have you been a good father to him too? Just admit it, we both failed as a parent and it all your fault,” Nadine yelled back in tears but they call got disconnected.
“Eric! Nadine muttered, still scared for her son, she was about to dial Miguel’s number when his call came in immediately.
???? Miguel.. where’s Eric? She first asked.
????Am sorry Nadine.. that bastard took him from school. I will do everything to make sure Eric is back home today, am already on my way to Leonard’s place,” he said.
???? Please get my son back,” she cried on the phone as she hanged up.
” I have to go back home,” Nadine said to Joan and the rest of her team.
“Greg, just make sure you get everything done here. It’s emergency I have to leave. I will try to book a flight,” she said.
” What happened? Joan asked.
“It’s Eric.. he’s missing. Leonard took him away from me,” Nadine said as she quickly left. This time she was ready to tell anyone who cares to listen the truth about Eric’s real identity.
“Eric is not your son Leonard,” she muttered to herself.
This the only thing that will end the war between her and Leonard.
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In the Conference hall…????️°°°°°
“Where’s Nadine? Ethan asked when he discovered she wasn’t here.
“I will fill in the space for her, am her secretary,” Joan said.
” You didn’t answer my question,” he said.
” Am sorry she had to leave, it’s an emergency” she said.
“Emergency! Then she’s not serious. What is it that is more important to her than this meeting? He asked.
“It’s her family issues Sir. Her son just got missing,” ….
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°°°Tbc°°°