⛲#Only_You????????
(Where theirs Love, theirs Pain)
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By Tiana Isaac
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Episode 63
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“Yay! I made it mom just exactly how I wished for during my birthday,” excited Eric smile as he trail behind Nadine who walk into the kitchen.
“And am so happy for you baby,”
“Am no longer a baby mom. Am a young man now just as dad use to call me” he said sadly. Nadine knew his mind will go down to Leonard.
“You’re my baby always! and at the same time my young man too,” she said cheerfully while Eric smile.
” So wishes do come true?
” Of course they do,” Nadine smile as she washed her hands and wipe it with a napkin.
“Have you eaten dinner?
” Am not hungry mom, uncle Miguel took us out to celebrate. Lily and Sharon got the best grades too. We had fun today,” He smile, Nadine smile back seeing Eric happy these days is more than she could ask for, despite the ups and downs and Leonard’s threat he still manage to write his exams well and he got the best grades.
“Grandpa told me we will go on a family vacation this Christmas including uncle Miguel’s family. It will be so fun just like last year, getting to meet the santa Claus and going for shopping…,” Eric keep blabbing while Nadine just listened to him. He talks too much when he’s happy.
She walked to the dining table and sat down while Eric sat beside her.
“You aren’t saying anything mom, am I disturbing you?” He pout
“Of course not. I just want to listen to you first. Your grandpa is right but we haven’t chosen the place first. Miguel will do that for us. We has a lot of amazing place we could visit this Christmas holiday, maybe to Florida, California or Paris,” she shrugged
” I wish dad is here,” Eric said after some silence.
” We’ve talk about this Eric…
” I know Mom am just talking about my real father right! You said Leonard isn’t my real dad then who is actually my real dad, why isn’t he here with us? Eric asked innocently while Nadine sighed, not ready for Eric’s questions again.
“Or maybe if make a wish he will come back to us since wishes do come true,” he smile.
” Not all wishes come true Eric, that’s life especially when it something irreservible,” Nadine said sadly.
” What do you mean mom?
” I will explain everything to you when am done eating. Mummy is so tired now,” she said.
” It’s okay mom. Maybe I should feed you then,” he smile taking a spoonful of the meal as he brou-ght it close to her mouth.
“Thanks Son,” she smile..
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“Am happy to see them this happy again,” Julianna said to Josie as they watch Nadine and Eric from the stairs.
“Am glad Nadine has moved on already and that good for nothing Leonard has moved on too. Everything is now going on well,” Josie said.
” Poor Lorenzo,” Julianna thought. Thinking of Eric being his son remind her of him. If only he’s still alive.
“I know in due time Nadine will find someone who will love her truly just as Lorenzo once did” she said.
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Leonard paced to and fro as he fold his fist in anger.
“You are nothing but so useless to me and the company now,” Enersto yelled at him when he stormed into his office.
” Dad…,” Leonard open his mouth to talk but stopped half way when his dad walked close to him.
“The sales are going down, there’s a high turnover rate, our key workers are resigning, we are gradually loosing our value and you don’t even realize that. Can’t you see that the company is about to go down, I thought I can entrust you with these Leon,” his dad yelled.
” Am trying my best,” Leonard muttered in frustration.
” Trying your best! And yet nothing is working out well. You’ve already brou-ght shame to us and that will give the Montes more courage to laugh at us. Even your marriage with Nadine couldn’t work out because of your foolishness, if you were still together with her then atleast we’ll have a support system but now we are all going down,” he sneered.
” I will fix the mess,” Leonard scoffed as he walked out of the office in anger.
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Later around 7pm Leonard could be seen standing by the window as he slowly sipped a glas-sof whiskey in silence, that is the only thing to quench his anger. He kept the glas-son the table as he opened the invitation letter and read it again. From the E-Empire.
“This can be us against the Montes-Tech,” he smirked at the thought of that. It was indeed an honor to be invited for the dinner and welcome party host by the E-Empire and also to talk about business.
“Seems interesting,” he grinned, immediately a call pop into his phone.
????Austin.. long time! Why calling me at the wrong time,” he spoke.
????The wrong time is always the right time to strike. You should be glad I remember you today,” Austin said from the other end while Leonard laughed sarcastically.
????You are nothing now Austin but a senseless man without even a single mansion to boast of his own . You’ve dropped to nothing and am sure Miguel must be laughing ha-rd at you,” he said icily while Austin just smiled.
????And that’s why I called because you will soon join me to this new level I’ve found myself in. You’ve lost everything including your marriage. Nadine has finally left you just the same way Lorenzo once told you, she never love you after all,” Austin grinned evilly, he knew Leonard will be so angry to be brim.
????And to worst everything is that Nadine had also go away with your son. It’s better me, atleast I was never married not to talk of experiencing a broken marriage. My sanity is intact in that aspect but you! everyone have know you to be violence and a woman beater just as how Nadine paint you to be, no one will trust you now,” he smirked.
????” Anyway this isn’t what I called you for. We are allies starting from the day we eliminated Lorenzo. And I want us to be back together again to destroyed the Montes, I want to get back at Miguel and destroy his sweet marriage with Ca-ssie and you can get back at Nadine and take back your son,” he said.
???? ” He was never my son but Lorenzo’s,” Leonard broke the news to him.
????” Lorenzo’s? Austin asked shocked. Leonard knew nobody knew Eric wasn’t his son. The only news that the media took was his divorce with Nadine but as of Eric they make sure it was only between the two families and no one outside knows of that. It will be an insult and embarra-ssing thing for the public to know that the child belongs to Nadine’s ex lover, so he thought.
???? “Nadine has cheated me, she has fooled me and she thinks she can get away with it. If am not getting her back then no one will and as for Eric even for being Lorenzo’s son he have to suffer the sin of his father. How I so much hate Lorenzo only to Know that it was his son I raise all these years. Now I know the reason why Nadine left and that’s because she never forget Lorenzo even throu-ghhis son but I believe once Eric is gone she will feel the pain am feeling, she will cry and hate herself. I will make Nadine pay, I will make her cry, I will strike her where it hurts the most and that’s to get to her son ,” Leonard said in rage.
????” But the little boy is innocent,” Austin said still wondering how Eric turn out to be Lorenzo’s son. So Nadine knew about it all these while and kept quiet.
????”I don’t care! He will pay the sins of his father and mother,” Leonard said.
???? ” I have the best solution to us. Maybe after the grand party with the E-Empire we can work with them and gain influence again to destroy the Montes,” Austin said.
???? “You know them? Leonard asked surprised to hear him mentioned E-Empire.
????”I only get to know Mr. Marcel Ronald throu-ghmy uncle. I wish there’s a way I can buy back my company and the only way is to see Mr. Ethan as he told me so we can negotiate. We will talk about this when we meet,” he said…
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Few minutes after his call with Leonard. Austin looked around his small room in frustration, he came back to Manila after fruitless attempt to get something tangible in the U.S, he wasn’t use to this kind of life and he wonder how he actually dropped from being a hero to zero to the extent of selling their mansion and their company. He wants it back and this time was willing to make sure everything will work out well, he knew there was hope for him especially when he was invited for the dinner party too, he knew Mr Ethan will be there and he will get to see him, maybe he will start by applying for an application letter to work in their company so he could raise some money and start up something, he knew with the E-Empire is his hope to bounce back again.
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“Diner and welcome party? Josie asked as he read the letter given to him by Nadine.
“From the E-Empire dad and he wants to see you probably before signing the contract thou Joan told me that he was so angry when I left the other time at California. There’s something about that man that I can’t comprehend. So we will go to the party to see him and get to know more about him there. Am glad he came to manila and that means he must be from this town,” Nadine thought while Josie just nodded wondering who actually the man is.
” Ethan Harris! He thought.
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” This was my sixteen birthday pictures,” Nadine smile as she showed him the photos from the old album she have.
It was nightime and Eric decide to sleep in her room, so she showed him her old pictures.
“And this is Lorenzo your dad,” she said pointing at Lorenzo in the picture while Eric stared at it for a long time.
“Lorenzo! Is that his name,” he Wondered.
“My sixteen birthday ended in tears. I could still remember that night,” she smile.
” What happened? Eric asked as he fli-p the next page of the album and kept feeding his eyes with the photos.
“Because dad didn’t allow me to have a great time with your dad. Your dad loved me so much and could do anything for me but it happens that we both left ,” she said sadly while Eric listen to her. He was somehow convinced that his dad loved his mother.
“And what about me, did dad love me too? He asked.
” Of course he does,” Nadine smile but felt so guilty, thinking that Lorenzo doesn’t even know about the existence of his son before he died. She was certain that whenever he is his watching over them.
“Wow” Eric smile as he came across a of her picture which was drawn and painted.
“This was drawn by your dad. He loves drawing, mostly drawing a different pictures of me,” she smile.
” I want him to draw a picture of me too, it so beautiful,” Eric smile staring at the picture keenly.
“If he was here during my birthday he could have draw a beautiful picture of my handsome face and gift it to me as a birthday gift,” Eric said while Nadine laughed.
” Of course he would have done that,”
She wonder why she’s so interested to tell Eric everything about his dad and Eric was so excited to hear everything even thou he couldn’t understand it all.
“And your dad sure knows how to cook. He always make my sad and tiring days at work less stressful because of his delicious meal. He was my chef cook,” Nadine smile as she remember those sweet memories she shared with him in the kitchen and how he always cook for her, surprise her at work with a delicious lunch, Indeed only Lorenzo knows how to love her. He was her best part.
“Can you take me to dad tomorrow then so I can show him my result and he will be so proud of me,” Eric said.
” You’re so smart Eric.. your dad is happy with you wherever he is,”
” Where is he? You haven’t answered my question mom or was grandma right when she told me that dad is never coming to us? Eric asked sadly while Nadine nodded.
“What did you mean by that? Don’t he loves us anymore? does he even know me as his son? Why are you hiding him from me? Or is he also a bad person like Leonard? Eric asked at a time getting so pissed why till now no one actually told him where he could find his dad.
“No Eric! Don’t think that way please,”
“Then where is he mom?
” He’s dead! He’s no more on this Earth with us. Lorenzo is dead even before you were born,” Nadine spill out in tears as she hug-ged Eric.
“It just the two of us now Eric, it’s just me and you,” she whimpered..
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At Lorenzo’s office????..
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“The invitation has been sent to everyone you asked us to give to,” Tessa his secretary said.
” That’s good,”
“My coffee please,” he said while Tessa nodded and went to the coffee brewer just at the corner of the office.
Lorenzo closed his eyes trying to think throu-gh. This the time to reveal himself to everyone.
“Am the only hope for Austin to bounce back and I will still be the cause of his destruction. And Leonard! he’s just on his way to his doom, ” he said to himself.
His mind went down to someone and his countenance change.
“Gemma” he thought of her because it’s been long they saw each other.
“Here is it Sir,” Tessa smile seductively as she dropped the coffee on his table.
“You can leave,” he said when he saw she was still standing there probably staring at him as she use to.
“Yes Sir.. but can i ask you just one question? She quickly said.
” And what’s that?
” Are you still interested in Nadine? She asked while Lorenzo raise his head and look at her with a frown.
“Is this also part of your job as my secretary? Do you really love your job,” he snapped
“Am sorry Sir,” she quickly said, trying not to get on his bad side, she don’t even know what make her to ask that, probably she was scared he might get back with Nadine because of the sudden news of her divorce.
“And mind you, whatever thought you have in heart isn’t gonna work on me. This is work Tessa and you dare not mix work with plea-sure so get me off your mind,” he said the last part while Tessa almost froze.
“So he knew I like him all these while,” she thought as she turn to leave so disappointed. When the door went open and a lady walked in. Tessa was surprised to see her and at the same time angry, she wonder why she have to show up now not after what happened between her and Lorenzo years back.
“Enzo,” the smile as she rushed and hug-ged him tight as if her life depends on.
“Gemma,”. Lorenzo smile hugging her back, he was surprised to see her….
He missed her so much…
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Tbc