Chapter 25

Isabella POV

"Xavier, are you listening to me?" I asked him as he seemed to zone out every second.

"I'm listening to my love." He caressed my cheek.

"Then tell me what I said a moment ago?" I asked him folding my arms.

"Well you just asked me was I listening to you." he chuckled.

"That's not funny Xavier, from the time I woke up you seem stressed and your mind is not here." I sincerely told him. "Are you having any problem honey?" I asked.

"No love why would I be stressed? After all, I have got you back." He expressed.

"I know but you seem off and distracted." I sighed. "Is it about Mr. Travis?" I asked him again.

"No-No It does not concern him." He hesitated but I could see dilemma on his eyes.

"Bela, there is something I need to say and promise me you won't stress yourself after hearing me out what so ever." I nodded.

"The thing is.... he has our daughter Bela." He bitted his lips while rubbing his hands.

"What are you talking about Xavier?" I asked him in confusion.

"Bela our daughter Oliva is with him. She did not die but abducted by him right after she was born and the hospital fabricated it as death." He revealed.

"Oh My God!" I whispered. "Where could she be? How is she doing? God! I am such an irresponsible mother." I sobbed.

"You are not at fault Bela, John tricked us. If it was not for him to blackmail me against the money we would have never found it." He squeezed hand to comfort.

"Did not you tell me he would be arrested? Where is he?" I asked him.

"Let me call the officer." He dialed the number.

"What are the updates?" He asked in a dominating manner.

"What? How can he run away? What about my daughter?" He sighed in relief.

"I want her with me within an hour." He gritted his teeth" And don't you forget to arrest all the hospital staffs in this conspiracy. I will make sure the hospital gets shut down." His eyes were burning and spitting fire.

"Don't stop finding John Travis. I want him dead or alive." He ended the call.

"What happened?" I asked him.

"Oliva was found but John ran away again." He sighed.

"At least they were able to find our daughter Xavier, don't stress a lot everything will come to its place." I assured him.

"I promise I won't let anything happen to any of you from now onwards." He vowed and I nodded with smiling.

"Same." I replied.

"No, Let me take care this time. You have always protected me from the day you entered my life but I want it to be other way round, alright?" He took both of my hands pleading.

"You don't realize  how much you take care of me, do you? If it were not you then I would have been staying at that small storeroom all beaten by my step mother or may be married to old hag Muller. You are my life Xavier just like the way I'm yours. I love you." I met his glossy eyes proving my point and engulfed him into hug.

"I love you too Bela. I love you." He sobbed.

What do I do with this big boy?

My life felt like hell after Ate Diana's death. I can't talk. I can't eat. I didn’t even think about the business and just let the time run when I wasn’t doing anything.

I don't know when or how it started. One day, I just woke up in a mental facility, locked and insane. I don’t know what’s going on around. I didn't remember how I exactly survived that year, but I remember how the pain felt like. It was excruciating. It haunted me.

Kirk said that the day after Ate Diana and Sia's death, I could no longer speak politely. Their family did all the necessary things for the wake and burial. I hardly remember that. I remember some things vaguely. I remember locking myself in my room, shutting all the people around me. I remember almost dying because I overdosed myself with pills. I saw an assistant so I was immediately taken to the hospital so I was rushed.

Kirk and his parents decided I would be there first in a mental facility temporarily. I can't remember how my first months there felt. There are memories though, just a few. Though, I remember Kirk visiting me often. Months passed, and with the help of doctors, I gradually recovered.

I spent a year there. However, it felt so long, it changed me so much. A lot has changed in my perspective. I was very ready to hear how the business failed, or how the bank took our assets for the debts Mommy left behind. But I was surprised to learn that our factory had recovered. Four of our factories closed, but the three remained including the one in Vida Riqueza.

I was very surprised by you because as far as I remember, everything was going to sink before Ate disappeared. It was because of the Salameda's help. Tito Demitri, Kirk's father, was the one who managed it while I was in the mental facility.

Maybe that’s because of the guilt their family carried so they preferred to recover that way. I don't know how Tito did it because back then, I was very sure the whole business didn't stand a chance of surviving. So I thought of liquidating everything.

I was very thankful for that. The business didn't make as much money as it used to, but it was thriving. I understand because clients have lost trust in us. However, slowly, our transactions progressed through the years. And while studying in college, I also help out there.

Zach was seven when he chose to stay with me instead of living with the Salamedas. He was uncomfortable there especially when Klyde was incarcerated for drug involvement.

He was very mature than the boys in his age, he knew what his father was doing. He also knew the reason why his Mommy wanted to leave that day. They didn't want Aunt Lily to lose Zach to them, but the boy wanted to live in our mansion.

I also thought that maybe also because he was orphaned by his mother, he remembered Ate to me because we are quite similar. It was also possible because he was angry with Klyde. I had doubts about my mental health, but I accepted him and did all I can to provide him a motherly care. Because I knew that was what he needed. And I knew that’s what Ate Diana would want.

"I was mentally ill years ago, yes. But not now and you know that. You know the truth so you should be the one to avoid, Zach. If someone tells you that again, don't hit me, okay ? " I said softly.

He sighed and nodded. I smiled and straightened her messy hair. He's ten and on his fourth grade now. I don't know if it was because of what happened before that he matured too early. Though, I have something bothering him. Sometimes, he can't control his anger over things like this.

"I'm sorry if I made you worry," he said.

"It's okay. But please, keep yourself away from trouble. I don't want you to bother me with things like this, Zach."

"I know."

We had dinner at a restaurant before heading home. Kirk often visits the mansion and once again, I let him take Zach with them par

to be with his grandparents. Zach didn't even stay there for two days. He'd always say a day of interaction with his grandparents is enough.

"Zach, it's okay with me if you stay there with your grandparents for a few days. You don't need to go home after a day. Don't you miss them?" I told him one time.

Zach frowned.

"How about you, Tita? Won't you miss me if I'll be gone for days?"

"Of course, I'll miss you–"

"Then I don't need to be gone for days."

"But how about your grandparents? They also want to spend longer time with you. We'll be together longer so it's okay with me."

"I don't want to leave you for that long," he said seriously pinching my heart.

If there’s one thing I am grateful to have after everything that happened, that is being a part of Zach in my life. I am grateful that even after the darkness I've gone through, even after all the pain, I realized there was still something left in me. I am not alone because he is there.

During those nights I cry alone in my room, he was always there to embrace me. Even with the lack of words, I knew we shared the same sentiments. He was still young but what happened touched his heart. He blamed his father for his mother and sister's death. Even though that wasn’t said directly, I could see in how he would treat Klyde. I've been there, too. I blame Klyde for everything.

But if there’s one thing I learned after all of it, that is forgiveness. I was so hurt by everything that happened. The pain turned into pure anger. Until the anger turned to numbness. I realized that locking myself in the past will never help my wounds heal. I want to be free. I want to start a life without the burdens of hatred in my heart.

The key to it is only forgiveness. I have been able to forgive over time. Maybe it's because of Zach that I was able to do it. I forgave Mommy for all her unjustifiable decisions. I forgave her for being unreasonable and vain.

I also learned to forgive Klyde for all the pain he inflected to Ate. I know I blamed him a lot even though I knew he had no control over what happened. I was driven by anger and sought revenge. Even him blamed himself. He was also very affected by what happened. And perhaps out of sadness and excessive guilt, he clung to drugs to temporarily forget everything.

Looking back at all that happened eight years ago, it seems like a nightmare that I will never be able to get rid of.

It didn't just hurt me, it bruised and scarred me to the bone. I can't help but be hurt every time I look back there. But the pain isn't as potent as before. And I was thankful that I was saved from that kind of pain. It was hard to survive. But I did. Because I thought Zach was still there. I still have him and I know what my sister wants for her child.

"Why don't you try again in Negros?" Kirk when we talked again about my business expansion plan.

"I can ask someone to look for a land there. We have a lot of connections there. You won't have a hard time."

If in matter. It will be easier then. But my goal is a bigger city. I want to build the fourth factory in Manila. Especially now that international clients are gradually turning to us. The location will make it feasible.

"No doubt Negros is a good idea. But I already have a plan. I have already contacted an agent in Manila. Maybe the next day, he will give me the list of properties."

Kirk nodded and poured whiskey into the glass. We are here in my office. He had just returned from Manila and was here to go straight so we could talk about Zach's upcoming birthday. So, that's where our topic has reached.

"Well, it's okay in Manila. Then that would mean you'll be there often. Visit me?" He smirked.

"I thought you resigned from the Public Attorney's Office?"