I was in the middle of filing my vacation leave when my cellphone rang. I smiled when I saw who it was.
"Suzie!" I greeted her happily.
"What's up? When are you coming home? Don't tell me you're in virtual attendance again for Sienna's birthday?" she sounds annoyed.
I laughed and shook my head.
"No. We're going home this week. I'm preparing my vacation leave as we speak."
Suzie didn't speak and I heard the other line was loud. Like the voices of men.
"Zella, turn on your cam. The monkeys want to see you." she said laughing and someone shouted on the other line.
"Hey! You're so mean in us Suzie!" said the man on the other side of my line whoever it was.
I turned my cam on and immediately saw Suzie while a wide smile is plastered in her face.
"Hi! You're so beautiful! What kind of air does San Francisco have? Take me with you." she laughed at the same time and shook her head when she saw me.
"Where's Sienna? Show me." I said because I only see her daughtet occasionally.
"With his Daddy. Wait ..." she said.
I immediately saw Suzie's wife and Sienna was hugging her. Others were standing and they were all wearing executive suits. Not like before that always bad boy look.
"Guys! It's Zella ..." Suzie called the men.
"Hey baby! I miss you! Come home." Elton shouted.
"Hi Zella." said Macsen, Mozes and Dale.
"Hi." I said sparingly and smiled. I finally saw the man that slowly turn around. Even though Suzie was some distance away from them I couldn't miss the emphasis of his gaze ... to me.
It was as if my intestines were twisted as our eyes met. His face features got matured and his body fled even more.
I bit my lower lip and pinched myself to calm down because my heart was beating violently.
None of myself turned off the video call without letting Suzie know and I was caught in my chest where my heart was because it was squeezing with the excessive force of the pulse.
Why is it like this? Years had passed, but why did I react like this when I saw him again? I thought I would feel nothing if we ever met again. So it's okay for me to go home to the Philippines.
It was just a video call. How is that like I saw hin ... in person.
I immediately got up and went to the kitchen to drink some water. My heart is still not returning to it's normal beat. I lightly massaged my chest. Venturing to relieve the confusion of the heart.
"Are you alright?" Keion's voice came from behind me and I immediately ran to him and hugged him tightly.
I didn't realize that my tears were dripping. I don't know why I suddenly became like this. Why does it hurt me to see him again? Why is my long asleep heart coming back to me?
"I-I saw him ... in the video call." I stuttered as he stroked my back.
Instead of getting a comforting words from him, he chuckled. So annoyed I looked at him.
"You'll meet him again soon. Don't say you'll always cry?" he said and I snorted, because I also couldn't understand my reaction.
"You still love him, all this time." he chuckled again. "Don't worry, we'll make that bastard suffer. Okay?" he said as he cupped my face in his palm.
"Thanks Kuya ..." I said.
"And don't call me Kuya in front of them, especially him. Our plan will be ruined." he said and I nodded.
Keion is my half brother. I later found out that he had followed me to San Francisco. That's why he was kind to me because he suspected I'm his sister, because of my last name.
Keion's mom's last name is what he uses so I also didn't know that he's my brother. He had also been looking for Daddy for a long time and Taiden found out that he was working with Sofiya's Dad who was a syndicate leader. Fortunately, Taiden told him what he found out.
Daddy is said to be addicted to gambling so he owes money to Sofiya's Dad and has nothing to pay. So Daddy served Sofiya's family for many years. They don't let Daddy out of their camp so Kuya couldn't find him.
Taiden discovered this when Sofiya made a request to her Daddy, and a man sent by Sofiya's Daddy came to their house. Taiden was there on that moment. Taiden asked who the man was, and when he introduced himself, Taiden found out that it was my Daddy.
Sofiya used that opportunity to get what she wanted. Taiden will follow everything Sofiya wants, in exchange for Daddy's freedom.
I understood all his actions then. Why he just let what Sofiya used to do in front of me.
Taiden didn't know that Keion and I are hald siblings. Aside from the fact that we have different last names, Taiden knows nothing about his friend's family, he said. Taiden doesn't seem to care about that either.
Everyone thinks my boyfriend is Kuya Keion. Kuya wants Taiden to pay for what he did to me first.
What I still can't forgive are the hurtful things he said to me before. What kind of woman does he think of me? And how much he distrusts me.
I know that to this day, he still believes that something did happen to Kuya and me even though nothing happened. And do I realize, maybe something really happened to them and Sofiya back then.
Now we are about to meet, again. I have to be tough, I won't just give him what he wants to see and hear from me.
I tried to hide how I felt, but earlier I realized that I still felt something for him.
He still really is dominating my heart.
"Ladies and gentlemen on behalf of Lion Airline, I would like to welcome you to Manila, Philippines. Please enjoy your visit and make some memories ... Thank you for choosing Lion Airline." said the captain of the plane.
My heart is still full of excitement and worries. I couldn't understand why I'm like this even though we're still at the airport.
I felt the cool breeze as Kuya and I got off. Five years as I left this place carrying the pain he gave to me. I have never forgotten that.
I tried to have a relationship with other men, but I could compare them ... to Taiden. And I'm disgusted there!
Because even though we were far away from each other, I couldn't get away from him. I also have no news about him whether he has a girlfriend. I also don't want to ask.
From this day onward. I'll become a new version of Zella. A Zella will not affect on his smile. Anything he says and anything he does.
I had to swallow my fragility first. And I know Kuya will help me with my plans.
Get ready Taiden.