Chapter 51

A motorcycle stopped in front of their house. Isabelle raised her face to see who it was. The rider saw her while she was carrying Danika. They weren’t expecting anyone so she was curious. Her eyes widened when he removed his helmet. He was all smiles and his eyes turned darker as he stared at her.
“Isabelle…” he drawled.
She lost color. Why is he here? He can’t be here! She thought.
Her heart was thumping. “A-Adrian..?” she mumbled, shock registered on her face,
“How are you?” he asked as he walked closer to the gate.
He could see her clearly through the spaces between their iron fence. She looked behind her. No one must see her talking to him. Luke would be furious once he knew. She didn’t have any choice but to come closer to the fence. What she wanted to say to him mustn’t be heard by others.
“How did you know our house? Why are you here? Please leave now!” she begged.
He looked calm as he transferred his eyes to Danika.
“Da-da..” her daughter uttered and pointed at Adrian which made her groan. She called every man Dada.
She took hold of her daughter’s hand to lower it and said in a gentle voice, “ No baby. He’s not dada.
“ She looks like you Isabelle. Very beautiful.”
“Adrian please go! My husband will be here any moment,” she lied to scare him.
He didn’t seem to be affected with what she said. He was intently looking at her.
“You are more beautiful. Why didn’t you tell me the truth? Were you afraid that I would tell your husband where you were? I couldn’t do that Isabelle. You know how I…”
“Issa! ”she heard Beth called her from the living room.
“Oh no! Go! Adrian please!” she uttered in a small voice but before she could get inside the house he spoke.
“Toby’s Café at 3 p.m. tomorrow. Be there if not, I will come back here.”
( Flashback)
Sol and Ana knew that she was brought to the ancestral house because she and Luke had a big fight. Dianne told them that she caught him flirting with another woman. And for her not to be stressed during her pregnancy, they decided she gave birth in the old house. It was the best excuse they could give the two women It was hard for her at first because she was missing Luke a lot but everything was for their babies so she had to sacrifice. Luke’s cousins were very nice to her including Millie, their female help. Dianne asked Sol and Ana not to tell Millie her true identity. They didn’t want the people in the community to know that she was Luke’s wife. There was a possibility that someone would call him since they knew him and Reed. Millie was told that she was the cousin of Sol and Ana and her husband left her.
One day she told Millie that she wanted fresh air and do a little walking on the seaside. The sea was close to the house. She went with her for a few days since she said men might want to woo her when they see her because her tummy was still a bit flat and she was beautiful. She met Adrian one time when Millie stopped accompanying her because she was busy with house chores. She only instructed her husband Pete to pick her up after a few hours.
She was at her usual place on the seaside. She was sitting on an old trunk of a tree. She closed her eyes and inhaled the sea air. It felt like she was back in her hometown where she met Luke. She opened her eyes and nipped her lower lip between her teeth. She really missed him a lot.
“Don’t punish your poor lips,” said a male voice from her right.
She straightened and turned. A tall guy was smiling at her. He sat next to her so she rose to leave but he spoke again.
“Please stay. I’m not a bad person. I just need someone to talk to,” his voice was sad. He arose from the trunk then chose to sit on the sand. “I’ll just sit here so you’ll feel safer,” he added.
She slowly turned back to sit again. They both looked at the sea.
“My name is Adrian. How about you? What’s your name?”
She didn’t answer and she heard him sigh.
“It’s okay. You don’t need to tell me your name. It’s enough that you know mine so in case something bad happened to you , you can tell the police my name and they could catch me easily. But you’re safe with me remember that,” he said with a sad laugh.
She smiled while her eyes still on the sea. She knew he was joking.
“You should smile more often. You look more beautiful when you smile.”
Her brows creased. “I’m married,” she told him.
He laughed bitterly but didn’t comment on that.“ I’ve been seeing you here but you were always with someone. Why is regret usually at the end? If it wasn’t, less lives would be ruined. This is the first day I’ve been sober since I arrived here several days ago. And maybe the heavens rewarded me because luckily I came here and saw you alone at last,” he said as if to himself.
“Look! I said I am already married and you shouldn’t…” she couldn’t continue what she was saying when Millie’s husband called her.
“Isabelle we have to go,” he said and she nodded and stood up.
“See you again soon Isabelle,” Adrian said with a small smile which showed his white teeth. He was really good-looking too.
She frowned and turned to follow Millie’s husband.
***
After that Adrian would always join her when she went to the seaside alone. She didn’t want to stop coming there because of him. Anyway he wasn’t doing anything inappropriate. He began telling her some things about himself but when he asked her about herself, she chose not to speak.
One day Sol talked to her.
“Isabelle, I was told that Millie’s husband had seen you talking to the tourist who is renting a small house near the sea. Please try to avoid him. We don’t want the problem between you and Luke to become more serious.”
“Don’t worry. He knows I am married. I won’t do anything to ruin my marriage,” she reassured her.
Everything was smooth after that until one day, Millie secretly gave her a letter from Adrian. She hadn’t been at the seaside for a few days because she wasn’t feeling well. Since she wasn’t interested, she almost forgot about the letter. She was only able to remember it when she took off her shirt and searched the pockets before putting it to the laundry basket.
Isabelle,
I’m not used to writing letters but I did this one to say that I really like you. I never got the chance to tell you directly because I was afraid that you will get angry . You said you are married but I don’t care. If your husband loves you he won’t leave you. I also know that you’re pregnant and it doesn’t make any difference. You are precious to me. I’ll fix myself and my life then I will find you and your baby.
Adrian.
***
“Adrian came back last week. Ana and I told him the truth that you are our cousin Luke’s wife and you mended your marriage and now living happily with the triplets. We regret telling him because we didn’t know that he would follow you there,” Luke’s cousin Sol told her on the phone.
She hung up and stared outside the window. It had been almost a year and a half since she had last seen Adrian. She couldn’t believe that he made an effort to find her. She didn’t think that he would do what he wrote on his letter. She ripped the letter after reading it because she didn't want anyone to find and read it. She felt sorry for him because she didn’t know how he felt for her. But she kept telling him that she was married. She didn’t have the chance to disillusion him since he went away already. Now she was very afraid. Though there was nothing between them, Luke would be enraged when he found out. She looked at the time. It was an hour before 3 p.m. It was a good thing that the triplets were sleeping. She could manage to go even for a few hours. Beth and Tina could take care of them. Luke would come home late so she felt things would work out well. Mario would drive her to the cafe. She called Joyce to tell Luke that she was with her because for sure he would call her. She was praying that she made the right decision.
(After a few hours)
After making sure that the triplets were okay, she went to their bedroom. Due to tiredness and stress, she fell asleep after checking the babies.
Now something made her open her eyes. Her eyes widened and she automatically sat up. She uttered Luke’s name. He was standing at the foot of the bed. He was furious.
“ Guess what I did to Adrian Montecillo babe,” he asked in a very chilly voice which sent shivers down her spine.
“H-How did…” she bit her lower lip when he interrupted her.
“Have you forgotten the surveillance camera my dearest wife?” he asked with a voice full of sarcasm and anger and she gasped.