78 - Funeral

A month passed to be exact.

Sebastian was able to recover from the bullet wound in his leg, which was now just a pink circle that reminded him of how miserable his life was.

His beard had now grown, like a mask that hid his identity, sunglasses covered his face day and night and his cap always accompanied him.

In his 1-star hotel room he trained several hours a day, the desire to kill his brother gave him enough energy not to give up.

He looked at the plastic almanac he had bought, since he didn't use a phone or any other device, and knew that the day had come to call Erik.

He crossed the street to the pay phone booth and dialed the number of his only friend.

-Erik...

-Hello friend," said the young man, now calmer.

-Did you do what I asked you to do?

-Yes, Sebas.

-So? What did you find?

-If she is alive, she has changed her identity, because she has disappeared from the map, I haven't found any information about her, I'm sorry.

Sebastian leaned his face against the phone.

-Hello? -Sebas? Are you all right, my friend? Please answer...

"How could I believe that I was going to find her and that she would come back into my life just like that as if she hadn't left me for almost 20 years?"

-Yes, I am... I just, I don't know what else to do...- he said hurt, finally showing himself vulnerable in front of Erik.

-Sebas, little by little everything will go back to normal.

-I don't know Erik...

-Listen Sebas... -the man made an uncomfortable pause- There's something I wanted to talk to you about, I just didn't have the means to communicate with you...

-What is it?

-Have you seen the news lately?

-No, I'm trying to get away from it all.

-I just... I don't know how to say it without affecting you...

-Please say it, at this point nothing affects me anymore.

-Your brother...

-What about him?" growled the CEO, squeezing the tube tightly.

-He declared you dead.

Sebastian made a long silence, which worried his friend.

-They found your car on the side of the road, right on a steep part, leading directly to the river. They have concluded that you threw yourself into the river and that the current carried you away, that someday they would find your body, but that they thought it was impossible. Sebas... For a moment I thought you had really done it," he sobbed.

-Something else?" he said trying to sink the hatred he felt for that man who claimed to be family.

-A week ago was your funeral. They made a symbolic grave for you next to your father's grave.

Sebastian laughed wryly.

"There is no worse place to rest in peace than next to my father for all eternity."

-I just wanted you to know....
-Sebastian bit his lip, thinking whether or not to ask the following question-Listen Erik....

-Yes?

-Helena... Did you go to the funeral?

Erik made a long silence and the CEO could only hear his heart breaking into a thousand pieces.

-I'm sorry Sebas...

-It's okay. It doesn't matter.

-What are you going to do Sebas? Are you going to come back? -Are you going to call me back?

-Sorry buddy, thanks for everything, you're the only person who has always been there, I appreciate it, but don't worry about me anymore.

-I hope YOU will...!

But the CEO cut the phone, even though it hurt him, he had to do things on his own, he couldn't risk Erik's life, he knew that, if Alan was ruthless with him, worse it would be with his friend. He had to avoid hurting as many people as possible.

A week earlier. Helena was sitting on the couch in the living room of David's house. Her stomach was so big that at any moment it would explode. Her feet were on a chair, they felt so swollen she could barely walk.

The redhead really didn't mind, she couldn't be more excited to finally meet her Esperanza.

The last time had been difficult for the young woman, at first the pain of Sebastian's betrayal had hurt her so much that for a moment she was afraid of not wanting to go on, but the support of David, who was always with her with no intentions of anything loving more than a great friendship, the support of her little brother, who had finally been discharged, and thanks to Sebastian's allowance money, her life was stabilized and everything was ready for the birth of the baby girl.

Helena knew that she would never be able to heal the pain she felt for her boss, beyond the horrible betrayal, her body could not accept the absence of that man. The time when everything had been beautiful and rosy, she would never forget it, it would be her memory of when she really loved.

Helena turned on the television, with the intention of distracting her intrusive thoughts. But what she least expected was to find Alan in the foreground. A shiver ran down her spine.

That dark gaze, it seemed, was looking straight into her soul.

Helena was never going to understand, but that man terrified her. Even if his face showed a look of sadness. The young woman simply could not feel calm.

She turned up the volume and felt her heart skip a beat when she heard that it was a police press conference and that they were declaring Sebastian dead.

-I regret to report, that the exhaustive search for my dear older brother Sebastian, has concluded with his car on the edge of a cliff. We have found no trace of him leaving his car. Forensics and the police came to the conclusion that..." The man covered his face, letting out a loud sob. Then he pulled himself together- That my dear brother has committed suicide...- he sentenced and all the people were shocked- Today we will have a small ceremony for my brother's closest friends, I hope they will respect the privacy and let us say goodbye to Sebastian in private. No more statements- she exclaimed getting down from the stage and avoiding the journalists' questions.

If she had not been sitting on the couch, she would have fallen face first on the floor.

"Sebastian had committed suicide?"

The young woman couldn't help but feel guilty.

Clearly the man had been unable to cope with the guilt and had ended his life.

The redhead felt her eyes fill with tears, but quickly brushed them away.

"No, Esperanza doesn't deserve this anguish, we're going to be better off without him."

Suddenly, the redhead felt a sharp pang, making her get up from the couch.

-David?" she called out to him.

-What's wrong?

the young man quickly asked.

Helena looked at the floor beneath her, which was now wet in a puddle.

-My water broke.