Madi’s POV:
“Tony, have you seen Noelle around the restaurant? I can’t find her.”
I asked our head waiter when I didn’t find Noelle inside our office. It’s already ten in the morning but I still can’t see her. I’ve already checked the whole dining area, the kitchen, and even the outside of the restaurant, but there’s no face of my best friend. I even tried to call her but her phone was out of coverage.
“Actually Ms. Madi, she informed us yesterday that she’s not going to work today.”
“What?” I furrowed my eyebrows. “She informed you but she didn’t even send me a quick message just to inform me? Oh, goodness!”
He didn’t say anything, he just shrugged at me.
“Anyway, thank you, Tony.” I smiled at him.
“You’re welcome, Ma’am.”
When I got back to the office, I tried calling her again, but I’ve already spent five minutes dialing her number, but still, it has the same answer.. out of coverage.
“What happened to her? This is the first time she didn’t inform me about her absence.”
I sighed and just turned my attention back to the computer screen. But I was in the middle of reading last week’s sales reports when my phone vibrated on top of my desk. I took it immediately, hoping it was Noelle but I was wrong because it was Sandy.
“Hi Sandy—” I haven’t finished my greetings when she cut me off.
“Oh my God, Madi! You need to come here quickly! Something had happened to Mr. Wilsons!”
“What? What happened to him?” I got up in an instant when I heard the panic in her voice.
“He suddenly fainted in the middle of our board meeting! And oh God, he looked so pale!”
“W-Why? W-What happened Sandy?” I asked not knowing what to do or what to get first of all my things as I felt panic rising inside my chest.
“I don’t know, Madi. I just heard the news when Mica called me from the intercom to call the ambulance!”
“Ohh my God!” Goosebumps were now starting to creep into my entire body as the nervousness and panic mixed causing both my knees to buckle.
“The nurse from the clinic is now doing a CPR—”
“CPR? Forgodsake, Sandy! What is happening to him and why is the nurse performing a fucking CPR?” I screamed, taking my bag from the swivel chair, and rushed to the door.
“Because he looked pale and the nurse said he’s not breathing anymore, so they need to do the CPR.”
“Goddamned it! Why don’t you bring him now to the hospital?”
“Madielyn, I’ve already called the ambulance and we’re just waiting for them to arrive so we can bring Mr. Wilsons to the hospital!”
“Oh fuck!” Tears were now blurring my vision as I felt my hands and both knees shake in panic.
“Just come quickly Madi, please!” panic and frustration were also intertwined in her voice.
“Yes, I’m now running! Oh my God!” I ended the call and ran fast as I could to the parking lot.
But I was stopped in my tracks when I saw the three men in black, leaning against the door of my car. I gulped at the new surge of nervousness that wrapped my body as I walked closer to them.
“Excuse me, that’s my car and I need to use it now. I have an emergency—-” I stopped when one of them smiled smugly and walked behind me. My eyes followed their every move.
And the next thing I know, I was dragged towards the black van. I couldn’t scream because of the cloth they put in my mouth that prevents me from speaking. They pushed me into the van and tied both my hands with a peach-colored scarf. They also tied my feet so I can’t move my body anymore. I was sitting in the middle of two huge men that are doubled my size.
“Put this on her!”
My eyes widened when I recognized the voice of the fourth man in the passenger seat. He tossed a peach-colored sleeping mask to the man on my left side. I straddled in my seat when I saw his face. It’s Enzo, one of my brother’s men. The question is, what is he doing here and why is he doing this?
“Fuck you! Let me go! My husband needs me now!”
I tried to scream but my voice was muffled because of the fabric.
“Madi, Madi, Madi. The precious Madi of the Davis clan and the sole heir of the Petterson empire. Oops! Don’t forget, you’re now the wife of the famous Gabriel Wilsons, Chicago’s top billionaire! Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I’m so excited about how much they are willing to give just to get you back.” and he laughed in his most disgusting and demonic laugh.
“Fuck you! I swear to God, if I take off this fucking tie, I’m gonna fucking kill you!”
But they just laughed at me. I know they didn’t understand it. And due to the frustrations, anger, and nervousness, I felt with Gabriel’s condition and being trapped with these evil creatures, tears started to roll down my cheeks as I narrowed my eyes to each of them.
“Traitor! My brother was just paying a traitor like you!”
“You can’t do anything, Madi. Even if you scream out loud, no one is going to help you!” Enzo added and they started to laugh again.
“Put this on her! And make sure she can’t escape!”
“Yes, boss!”
I screamed again when they put the sleeping mask over my eyes. Loud sobs were painfully escaping my throat as I silently pray for my own safety and my husband’s condition. I couldn’t help but ask the One from above, why did he let these things happen? Why me among all people?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After twenty or thirty minutes of being tied up, blindfolded, and trapped inside the van, we finally came to stop. I have no idea where they took me, but it doesn’t matter to me as long as I can get information about what is happening to my husband.
“Let’s go! Our boss is waiting for you!” I flinched when the two men grabbed me in both arms to get out of their black van.
Boss! I thought their boss was my brother. But dear God, he doesn’t even know that his men were all traitors and were planning something behind his back.
They let me walk by myself with four hands holding my arms. I can’t say ‘gripping’ because they were just holding me lightly since earlier. I know that we got into an elevator based on the slight, sudden dizziness I felt when it started moving.
Maybe two minutes had passed and I still have no idea where these goons were taking me, including this fucking Enzo.
When we got out of the elevator, we walked to I don’t know where, before we finally stopped. I heard muffled voices around me but I ignored them and took a deep breath to calm my shaking insides.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am Madi.”
I crunched my eyebrows when I heard Enzo’s apology, and he called me ‘Ma’am Madi’ again. Why did he apologize? I felt him hug me before he freed my hands from the peach-colored scarf and next was the cloth in my mouth.
“Why are you saying sorry?” I asked while I was taking off the blindfold.
But the moment I removed the peach sleeping mask, I was almost blinded by the sudden lights around me. I slowly opened my eyes and a loud gasp escaped my lips when I noticed the beautiful arrangements around me. Peach-colored roses, white balloons, and there were even sets of tables and chairs arranged around the venue. Wait…. venue? Where am I?
Then I heard the sounds of the instruments from the end corner behind me. I covered my mouth when they started to play the very familiar song in my ears And all the important people in my life started to enter the venue. They walked slowly and one by one towards me and all with a single rose in their hand as they sang the lyrics of the song ‘Forevermore’
I was smiling in tears when I realized what happened earlier was just an act. The truth is that they all planned all these. Even though they fucking knew that it almost made me go crazy with their “very good” idea, they gathered together just for this. Tears started to flow down my cheeks when Sandy.. the crazy Sandy.. and the best actress Sandy, was the one who first approached me while singing and grinning widely.
“There are times, when I just want to look at your face, with the stars in the night…” she gave me the single rose and hugged me before she left me standing in the middle.
Then Noelle came into my view. “There are times, when I just want to feel your embrace, in the cold night…”
“So, is this the reason why you’re absent today and you didn’t inform me?” I asked her, but she just winked at me.
“I just can’t believe that you are mine now, you were just a dream that I once knew…” It’s my bother. He wiped my tears and kissed me on the forehead.
“I never thought I would be right for you, I just can’t compare you with anything in this world…” Now my sister Madison and my niece Sarah also kissed me on the forehead.
“You’re all I need to be with forevermore..” Martin gave me a single rose and hugged me tightly.
“All those years, I’ve longed to hold you here in my arms, I’ve been dreaming of you..” Nancy also wiped my tears.
“Every night, I’ve been watching all the stars that fall down, wishing you would be mine..” this time it’s my father-in-law, Mr. Wilsons. He kissed me on the cheek and patted me lightly on the shoulder.
“I just can’t believe that you are mine now..” I smiled at Mrs. Wilsons who pulled me into a hug.
“You were just a dream that I once knew, I never thought I would be right for you..” My smile widened when I saw Savahna and Christian also walking toward me. They kissed me on both cheeks.
“I just can’t compare you with anything in this world, you’re all I need to be with forevermore..” Aunt Chesca, my stepmother was also wearing the biggest smile on her lips.
“Time and again, there are these changes that we cannot end..” I felt my lips quivering as I tried to control the sobs that came out of my throat when I saw my Dad. He hugged me tightly and kissed me on the forehead.
“As sure as time keeps going on and on, my love for you will be forevermore..” My tears were racing down my cheeks when I saw my mother. When she hugged me, I hugged her tightly and put my face on the crock of her neck as she rubbed my back. It’s true. ‘A mother is the only one who can take the places of all others, but whose place no one else can ever take’.
When she walked towards the others, I now heard the voice of the person who almost made my heart jump out of my chest due to the extreme panic and nervousness I felt earlier, but at the same time, the only man who can make my heart beat erratically.
“I just can’t believe that you are mine now. You were just a dream that I once knew…”
He started to walk slowly. “I never thought I would be right for you, I just compare you with anything in this world…”
He then gave me the flower in his hand. “As endless as forever, our love will stay together.. you’re all I need to be here with forevermore… Ohh.. you’re all I need to be here with forevermore..”
The moment he finished singing the beautiful song, we heard the claps and cheers of the important people in our life around us. He smiled at me as he wiped away my tears using his knuckles. And using his microphone, he sighed loudly which earned him laughter from all of them.
“Hoo! Madi, first of all, I want to apologize not only for all the things I’ve done in the past but also for those four men who took you forcibly, with the lead of Enzo, one of your brother’s men.”
I glanced in Enzo’s direction and gave him a playful glare, in which he just gave me a boyish grin and a sign of peace using his two fingers. This fucking man, he really made me believe that he’s a traitor and I was their hostage earlier! I’ll promise to give them rewards after this.
“I’m sorry if I made you so worried about Sandy’s best performance on the phone.”
And yeah, this crazy-little-bitch Sandy who’s now grinning widely at me… huh! Like a boss, like a secretary!
“And of course, I’m sorry for that horrible idea earlier.” he smiled but eventually that smile faded as he held my free hand and looked straight into my eyes. “Love, I want to say thank you for coming into my life, and for letting me be a part of yours. Thank you for giving me the chance to love you and hold you again. Thank you for making me realize the true meaning of love. I can’t promise to give you the whole world because as you said, I am not a superman nor a superhero. But like what I told you, I am your super Gabriel. A super Gabriel who can love you and take care of you in my own ‘personal ways’.”
I blushed when he emphasized the last two words with a wink. And that made our entire audience shout and cheer. He wiped away my tears of love and joy before he continued.
“Love, I can’t promise you to smile all the time because I know somehow that I can make you cry for joy. I can’t even promise you to be a perfect man or to have a perfect relationship. But what I can promise you is to be by your side every step of your way, to hold your hand and kiss you every waking hour and before going to sleep. I promise to give you all of me, all my time, and to be my number one priority.”
I gulped when he slowly dropped to one knee and took a small peach box from the back of his pants. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the color. He really wanted to give me this day. From the ties and sleeping mask that Enzo and the three men used on me, from the flowers and motifs of the venue, and now the color of the small box he was holding, they were all peach, my favorite color.
“Mrs. Madielyn Davis-Wilsons, I know I have many flaws and I will try my best to improve and be better every day, to fill your heart with love and happiness. When you left me, you also took my life away and I don’t know how to go through my life without you. I love you, and this time it’s true.”
He opened the peach box and the white gold diamond ring shone before my eyes. It has a round medium diamond with a shimmer of diamonds on the shoulders.
“Would you give me this second chance to marry you again and become my wife and partner for the rest of our lives?”
I took a deep breath and looked around to see all the happy faces of the important people in our lives. When I glanced back at him, I bit my lower lip before nodding slowly.
By then, he got up immediately with the widest grin on his lips. We heard the cheers all around us as he slid the ring onto my finger. He then cupped both my cheeks and kissed me softly in front of everyone.
“Thank you. I love you so much, Madi!”
“I love you, too.” we both smiled and hugged each other.
And when I thought the scene was over, well I was wrong. Because the band in the corner started to play the song…’You and Me’
“Can I dance with the most beautiful woman in my life?” I nodded as I took his hand with a smile and we started dancing. I closed my eyes and rested my head against his chest.
**I never knew, I could feel like this. It’s like anything is possible, it’s something more than physical. I never thought I’ll never get to this, you swept me off my feet, and now my life is complete. I’ll take your imperfections, the crazy indecisions. I’ll fight for the right to love you, I’m whole again because of you..**
Finally, the man I cried so much before for not loving me back is the same man who holds me in his arms right now and promises love and life together with him, but now in a real deal, a deal of forever with him.
**You and me together, I’ll keep the love alive. You and me together, I know we can survive. There’s nothing we can’t do, we’re stronger when we’re two. Let’s stay together, and I’ll dream that’s me and you.**