Chapter 41: Childhood friend
2415words
Frustrated, Nick let out a long sigh, then suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him. "Nick!" someone shouted.
Nick turned around with his eyebrows furrowed sharply. He couldn't believe seeing Sevano standing there, looking at him with a thin smile full of mystery. Nick's mind was immediately filled with question marks. What is he doing here? Did he follow me on purpose? He thought suspiciously.
"You're crazy, Nick. I didn't expect you to actually come here. Do you love Ramona that much?" asked Sevano in a tone of surprise, though there was a subtle tone of mockery behind his voice.
Nick just snorted, trying to suppress his emotions. He realized they were in a public place, and this was not the right time to explode. In a flat but sharp tone, Nick asked, "What did you come here for? Are you afraid that I can find Ramona's mother?"
Sevano just smiled sarcastically, looking at Nick with full confidence. "I don't know what else I can talk to you, Nick," he said casually. "But there's one thing I have to say—something crazy, something that's going to destroy you," he continued with emphasis, making Nick look at him sharply.
Sevano stepped closer, patting Nick on the shoulder casually. "Do you know how cunning the woman you love is? He deliberately pitted our sheep against each other to get you away from Malta."
Nick frowned, remaining silent, but his brain began to work faster.
"For what, you know?" Sevano continued, his eyes narrowed full of victory. "So that he can find evidence of his father's murder, Hunter," he continued in a mocking tone.
Nick fell silent, squinting his eyes sharply. Sevano's words began to enter his mind. That saying had some merit, Nick thought, though his heart refused to fully trust Sevano.
"You suspect me because of Ramona's mother, Nick. But why am I hiding it? It didn't give me any advantage," Sevano continued while patting Nick's shoulder again. "My goal is only to destroy Hunter, not Ramona. You understand?"
Nick remained silent, his thoughts mixed. Sevano's words sounded reasonable, in line with the suspicions that had begun to appear in his mind since the last few days. However, he continues to deny it, because his heart is still too attached to Ramona.
"Go home, Nick," Sevano urged again, this time in a firmer tone. "You'll only get disappointment here. The things you have protected all along, which you have hidden from the Hunter, will be lost to Ramona. What are you waiting for? Before Hunter comes to destroy you, go home. Find Ramona and teach her a lesson for what she did to you."
Nick clenched his fists firmly, trying to hold back emotions that were mixed between anger, disappointment, and doubt. Before leaving, Sevano looked at him once again with a half-dismissive look.
"I didn't expect you to be this stupid when you fell in love, Nick," she said with a snort. "You even let your enemies live inside your house. Don't regret it if your stuff is going to be lost," he added in a mocking tone before walking away casually.
Nick just stood still, staring at Sevano's departure with a sharp look. His fist tightened, until his books turned white. All of Sevano's words kept ringing in his head. How could I be this stupid? How could I be fooled by a trick like this? he thought regretfully.
Quickly, Nick gives orders to his men to end the search in Los Angeles. "We are back in Malta. Now!" he commanded firmly, his voice full of determination.
In his heart, Nick vowed to settle all of this. If it was true that Ramona had manipulated him, he wouldn't have stayed silent. He will return to Malta and face Ramona, no matter what.
That night, Nick arrived at his mansion with heavy steps. Tiredness mixed with boiling emotions can be seen from the look in his eyes. He walked quickly, straight to his room. There, he saw Ramona asleep under a thick blanket on his bed. Nick's breath hunted as he approached. Without hesitation, he uncovered the blanket and pulled Ramona's hand, waking her up roughly.
"Nick, what are you doing?!" exclaimed Ramona, her voice full of annoyance and surprise. But Nick didn't answer, instead he grabbed Ramona's neck with a fiery angry look.
"Say! What are you really planning with Hunter?!" shouted Nick in a loud, angry voice. Ramona coughed, her hands trying to remove Nick's grip from her neck. "Nick... Have you found my mother?" he asked in a choked voice from difficulty breathing.
Hearing that, Nick gasped. Her grip loosened, causing Ramona to fall on the bed while coughing, trying to regulate her breathing. Nick didn't say anything else. She just blushed and moved quickly towards the walk-in closet. He opened the closet and drawers roughly, then rushed into the basement to secure something—his valuables.
When he arrived in the basement, a faint sense of relief came over him. The item was still there, not moving, still intact as the last time he checked it. But that sense of relief was quickly replaced by anger at himself. Damn, Sevano is deceiving again, and I'm a fool to believe it! He thought while clenching his fists.
Suddenly, the thought of what had happened in the room flashed through his mind. Ramona's shocked face and pain haunted her mind. Nick immediately ran out of the basement and back into the room. However, he did not find Ramona there.
Panicked, he searched all corners of the room until he finally saw Ramona on the stairs, descending the stairs with hurried steps, her sobs sounded sad. "Hey, wait!" called Nick, rushing after him. Her hand gripped Ramona's wrist, but Ramona immediately brushed it away harshly.
"That's enough, Nick! Let's just end it all here. I'm fed up!" said Ramona in a tone full of anger and hurt. Tears streamed down his face, making Nick shake.
"Please, Ramona... I'm sorry," Nick said in a quiet, regretful voice. "I know I'm wrong. I don't trust you, and I shouldn't involve my emotions like that. I'm sorry, please..."
Ramona brushed Nick's hand away again. "Already, Nick! I'm tired! I don't want to deal with you anymore!" he said desperately.
However, Nick did not give up. He immediately pulled Ramona into his arms, tightly, as if afraid of losing. "Forgive me... I won't repeat it again. I promise, I won't trust Sevano again, and I'll never hurt you again. Please, don't leave me... I love you," Nick said sincerely, his voice trembling.
Ramona remained sobbing in Nick's arms. He did not return the hug, but he no longer resisted. Feelings of disappointment and deep wounds made him resign.
Nick unraveled his hug and looked at Ramona, "Please don't go, please!" Ramona avoids eye contact with Nick.
"I have to find my mother," Nick nodded understandingly.
"Yes, I know, I'll look for her for you, stay by my side, I'll find your mother for you," Ramona sighed heavily, about to step back but suddenly she fainted for the second time.
"Ramona!" Nick screamed in panic causing several bodyguards to go inside and rush to call the doctor to come as soon as he saw Nick panicking and carrying Ramona upstairs.
***
At Hunter's headquarters, the atmosphere of the meeting seemed tense even though it was quiet. Hunter sat at the end of the long table with a focused gaze. In front of him, strategy maps, secret documents, and grand plans are neatly arranged. He wasn't discussing the usual tactics, but plotting the final move to end all of this game—for one purpose, uniting with Ramona.
Hunter explained his plan in detail to his team. Every step, every risk, and the worst possible consequences are described in detail. He made sure everyone understood their role in the plan. His voice was firm and without hesitation. After finishing explaining, Hunter stood up, looking at everyone seriously. "That's it. You all know what to do. You can disband now."
The people in the room got up from their chairs and left the place in order, until finally only Hunter and Liam were left standing in the room. Liam, Hunter's loyal friend, looked at him with a worried look.
"You're really going to end it all soon?" asked Liam, his voice full of doubt.
Hunter nodded steadily, his hands resting on the table, his eyes full of determination. "I don't want to keep putting him in danger, Liam. I've thought about it a lot. I'm going to end all of this, even if it means going head-to-head with Nick. Even if it means a big war between us," he said in a confident tone.
Liam was silent for a moment, trying to digest Hunter's courage and persistence. He knew Hunter wasn't kidding, especially when it came to Ramona. "I understand your feelings. You just want to protect him," Liam said finally, though his tone of voice still contained concern.
Hunter took a deep breath, then stood up firm. "He has suffered enough. It's my responsibility to make sure he doesn't get caught up in this dangerous game anymore. I'll fight Nick if that's the only way. But this time, I won't lose."
Liam patted Hunter on the shoulder gently. "Alright. No matter what happens, I'm on your side. We will solve this together," he said in a tone full of solidarity.
Hunter just nodded slightly, then went back to staring at the documents on the table, making sure once again that no details were missed. In her heart, she promised that this was the last step, a move that would change everything, and she vowed not to let anyone, not even Nick, get in her way of getting Ramona.
As the night began to fall, Hunter got up from his seat at the base, finalizing the plan with Liam. He said goodbye to return to the mansion, deciding to calm down after a hard day. Once at the mansion, Hunter noticed an alien car parked in front. Quickly, he went inside, curious who came over at night.
Sure enough, in the living room was his mother, Belinda, but he was not alone. With him was a familiar woman—Laura, Hunter's childhood friend whom he hadn't seen for a long time. Hunter refrained from paying much attention to Laura. The focus is only on his mother.
"When are you coming?" asked Hunter casually as he took off his suit. He sat down, unbuttoning his shirt, trying to look calm even though his eyes hinted at fatigue. From then on, Laura watched Hunter with such a fixed gaze, as if trying to find a gap in the man who had now grown to be so mature and charismatic. But Laura's presence in the midst of the chaos of her life won't change Hunter's decision.
Belinda started the conversation in a sharp tone, "How long will you take Ramona and her child in?"
Hunter looked at his mother calmly. "Of course forever," she replied briefly without hesitation, making Belinda look even more annoyed, while Laura looked disappointed.
"Hunter, just play around with that woman. You're not young anymore," Belinda said in a stern tone. "It's time for you to get married. Put all your affairs aside for a while. I want you to marry Laura, right now!"
Hunter just let out a long sigh. He picked up his cigar, lit it with a match, and smoked it slowly with a relaxed expression that made his mother even more furious. Puffing on the smoke of his cigar, he said in a calm voice, "After all the affairs are done, I will marry Ramona. Mama, be patient. Hasn't Ramona already given Mama a beautiful and perfect grandchild? Why didn't you ever see Ramona's kindness?"
Belinda immediately blushed in annoyance, while Laura lowered her head, biting her lip to hold back her embarrassment and disappointment. Belinda then grabbed Laura's hand tightly, trying to calm her down. "If it wasn't for Laura, Mama's daughter-in-law, Mama would never have agreed to your marriage to Ramona," he said firmly.
Hunter just smiled faintly, taking another puff of his cigar before replying, "Didn't you say the same thing to Jeseline yesterday too? Where is he now?" The question pierced, making Belinda at a loss for words for a moment.
"Hunter, you...!" Belinda almost screamed, but Hunter immediately stood up, staring at his mother sharply. "Don't restrict my life choices, especially when it comes to life companions. Hunter has his own choices," he said in a cold but firm tone.
Just then, the main door opened, revealing Liam who had just entered with Esther, Ramona's little daughter. "Papa!" called Esther excitedly, running straight to Hunter. Hunter smiled, put out his cigar in the ashtray, and stretched out his arms to hug his little daughter.
"Are you home, Son?" asked Hunter softly. Esther nodded with a bright smile, but the sight only made Belinda and Laura even angrier.
"How about we get ready to pick Mom up?" asked Hunter to Esther while stroking her hair. Esther nodded enthusiastically, prompting Hunter to immediately pick her up and start climbing the stairs to the top floor, avoiding her mother and Laura.
"Hunter!" called Belinda annoyed. But Hunter only focused on climbing the stairs, then said before reaching the end, "Liam, take Mama home." Without denying, Liam nodded and let Belinda out.
Belinda and Laura finally get up in a rage, leaving the mansion with mixed feelings. In the car, an anxious-looking Laura said, "How is this, Auntie? Hunter even has children. How can I marry her?"
Belinda grasped Laura's hand tightly, her gaze full of determination. "You just calm down, yes. Auntie will do anything to make sure you marry Hunter. Believe me," he said ambitiously. Laura just nodded excitedly, while Belinda began to think of strategies to get Ramona out of her son's life.
'I have to ask Nick for help,' Belinda muttered to herself.
