47

Tomas.
“Um, Amanda, what are you attempting to state?!” I stammered, feeling exceptionally confused. My hands were extremely icy, trying to control my anxious temper as I had grown accustomed to doing, but once I saw the photo of the little child she was telling me was my child, it sent a wave of conflicting emotions surging through me, making me feel wild and disoriented.
“I’m stating that this infant born is your child, Tomas. Can’t you see how he looks exactly like you?!” Amanda gazed at me intently and opened her wallet, taking out a photograph of the young child. I was trying desperately to convince myself that she was lying, but something deep inside me was taking my breath away. I couldn’t help but stare at her beautiful face and her sparkling, wide green eyes, feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment.
I took a deep breath, struggling to find the right words. “So this child is mine?! My very own child! What are you trying to tell me? But how old is he? And why didn’t you tell me before?! Don’t you think it’s hard for me to trust you, especially after all these hidden secrets?” I opened my mouth wide, raising an eyebrow at Amanda, trying to take in everything she was saying.
She walked closer to me, and I could feel her breath and her heightened heartbeat. Then she shut her eyes tightly, as if bracing herself for what was to come. “I can’t ask you to forgive me, but at least give him a chance! Please, Tomas, I have gone through so many things in my life just to be near you.” Then she bowed down and held my hand gently. “Please, Tomas, don’t take your revenge out on your child. If you think I’m guilty, then take your revenge on me, not on him. He is only three years old now, just a very young child. I don’t want to raise him without a father. I will do everything for him.” Amanda was pleading with me, and her tears began to flow heavily, glistening in the light.
I raised my head upwards, thinking deeply to myself for a while… “Okay, Amanda, but you must pay for what you did! I can forgive you for hiding and vanishing all those years and for hurting me, but I can’t easily forgive you for keeping my little child from me! You skipped three years! How can you expect me to forget that I wasn’t there for him during his first three years, laughing and smiling with him?” I said to Amanda in a tone that demanded understanding and forgiveness. From somewhere inside, I was wanting to overlook the past and embrace her tightly; however, as a mafia lord, I was suspicious, still wondering whether she was a liar or if she was being honest. And even if she was sincere with me, why had she kept my child from me for the entire three years? This internal conflict was tearing me apart. So, I decided on something.
“Okay, Tomas, do whatever you want. How do you want me to pay for this wrongdoing?!” She stood tall, gazing intently into my eyes. I was deeply investigating her eyes, searching for any hint of deception, any sign that she was not being truthful with me.
“For God’s sake, I will think of a suitable punishment, but for now, you will do everything I want. Let’s keep it like a slave!” I grinned mischievously, a wicked thrill coursing through me.
She widened her eyes in shock. “What?!”
“Oh, Amanda, do you really think I would have you as my girlfriend?! Or that you might resemble my significant other?!” I laughed heartily, the sound echoing in the tense air. She kept quiet, looking grave, her expression unreadable.
She narrowed her eyes at me, her voice sharpening, “Oh, at that point, do you have an oppression contract or something, Mr. Tomas?!” she yelled, grinding her teeth in frustration, clearly not appreciating my tone.
“Oh, that’s a good idea! And that’s my plan! Be mine, and I will be the father of your child! Accept the only option available!” I turned my head away, doing my best to control my laughter. I was trying to keep my eyes from her, teasing her, but inside I was ecstatic that I had finally found the love of my life-yet my doubt still gnawed at me, asking myself whether he truly was my child!
She faked a smile, keeping her furious voice at bay. “Okay, I accept the deal, Mr. Tomas. What do you want me to do as your slave?” she asked in a low, challenging voice, an edge of defiance in her tone.
I laughed, “Well, I want everything you can give me. But before anything else, you will be my lady, just before my child. By the way, you will stay with me in the same room. After all, you are the mother of my child; I can’t embarrass you!” I chuckled, enjoying the game we were playing.
“Oh, I see, Mr. Tomas, how generous you are! You want me to satisfy you in bed as well?!” Amanda widened her eyes in disbelief, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
“I’m not particularly interested in you, Amanda, but if yes, then sure, you will give me your body too. Go check what it means to be a slave, Amanda! I will have your body, your spirit, your mind! You are mine! This is my deal!” I narrowed my eyes at her, asserting my dominance, relishing the power I held.
She huffed, “Alright, deal! But remember, loving you in the past and having a child with you doesn’t mean I’m still in love with you, Mr.!” She smirked, clearly enjoying the banter, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Clearly, she was teasing me, and she won-she truly made me nervous and confused with her last words! I was asking myself, whispering in my mind while I was gazing at her, what did she mean? She doesn’t love me anymore! She only showed up because of our child! And I was the only one here who still loved her and was hoping she would come back into my life! This question was pounding in my mind relentlessly. Then I noticed that I was thinking too long while she was staring at me, waiting for my response.
“What, Mr. Tomas?! When will you start tormenting me?” Amanda gaped at me, her curiosity evident, a mix of frustration and anticipation in her voice.
I grabbed her jaw with my hand, looking into her eyes with intensity, forcing her to focus on me. “Absolutely never shout at me. If you think that I’m the same person from school, the nice one! Then no, I have to wake you up from your fantasies! I’m the mafia lord! So watch your mouth!” I yelled, letting my frustration show, my voice echoing in the empty room.
“Now, Amanda, come with me!” I commanded her, my tone firm and unyielding.
She stared at me, puzzled, uncertainty flickering across her features. “Okay, but where? At least tell me what your intentions are?!” She asked me, her voice laced with concern, a hint of fear creeping into her tone.
“Nothing much, don’t you think it’s about time to go and pick up my son? By the way! Where’s my son?! And how were you working for two years with the circus without seeing him?!” I raised an eyebrow, my suspicion growing, feeling the tension in the air thicken.
“Okay, sure, I was meeting him; he was close to me most of the time, but we have to go back to pick him up!” Amanda informed me, her voice steady, but I could hear the undercurrent of anxiety.
“What? Go back where? Where’s my son?!” I shouted, my voice rising in a nervous way, feeling the tension spiral out of control.
“One of my friends is taking care of him! Someone I trust! Actually, he raised him instead of me!” Amanda informed me, looking away as if avoiding my gaze, clearly uncomfortable with the subject.
I shivered, feeling a chill run down my spine. “Oh, someone else?! Are you out of your mind?! How could you stay away from your son all this time?! Don’t you have a heart? WHAT A STONE-COLD HEART YOU HAVE?!” I yelled, narrowing my eyes at her, feeling anger and betrayal surge within me.
“He is a good man, Tomas!” She stared back at me defiantly, her voice steely, a flicker of indignation in her eyes.
“A man?! Not even a woman! How could you let another man raise my son? I should kill you for that! You’ve complicated everything, Amanda!” I raged, my blood boiling at the thought of someone else caring for my child.
She stepped closer to me, pleading, her eyes wide with urgency. “Tomas, it’s not what you think. That man used to be one of the students at the same college. You know, he is the heir of the grand hotels, the third generation. He used to be one of your best friends!” She informed me, her voice rising with desperation.
“What?! You mean Daniel Santos?!” I was stunned, glued to my spot, staring in disbelief, my mind racing with the implications of her words.
“Yes, what is that expression on your face, Tomas?! He used to be one of your friends! You should be relieved!” Amanda widened her eyes at me, shocked by my reaction, but I was the one truly shocked by the revelation.
I walked away from her, looking out of the window, trying to process everything. “Um, Amanda, I have to ask you one more question first! Were you the girl who was working as a pizza delivery girl?!”
“I-I, um, yes, Tomas, but how do you know?!” Amanda stuttered, tucking her hands nervously, her gaze darting away as if she were trying to hide something.
I raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “You mean you are the same girl who used to have a very short haircut at that time! You mean you are the girl that Daniel asked to be his girlfriend at his grandpa’s fifth wedding?!” I stared at her, trying to connect the dots, my heart racing as memories flooded back.
“Oh, how did you know that, Tomas?!” She widened her eyes, stepping closer to me, a look of astonishment on her face.
“I know because that day I was with him at the nightclub. That day Daniel was so angry, and he decided to take a girl with him to ruin his grandpa’s wedding… We were talking about that and made a small bet.” I glared at Amanda, recalling the memory vividly, the details sharp in my mind.
“What do you mean by small bet, Tomas?!” She stared at me, tucking her hands in a nervous way, her curiosity piqued.
“Okay, Amanda, you know that day was his grandpa’s fifth wedding, so he decided to take a new girlfriend with him to destroy and ruin his grandpa’s wedding. So we made a bet: the first girl who would enter the door of the nightclub, he would try to convince her to be his date for his grandpa’s wedding for only four hours… and you were that one! You were the delivery pizza girl! You entered in wearing a huge yellow raincoat, your hair was wet, and raindrops were falling from your hair and your coat. You looked miserable… Then you started a fight with the guy who ordered the pizza when he started to insult you and refused to pay. At that moment, Daniel came and offered to pay instead of that guy, but you refused.” I explained to her, but Amanda interrupted.
“And at that moment, you appeared with your handsome sweet voice, asking me if you could help me. But you saw my tears, so you punched the guy for me. From that moment on, I considered you my savior, my hero. Because I didn’t expect someone would protect me.” Amanda said to me, looking down, crossing her legs nervously, her voice softening as she recalled the memory.
I glanced at her, feeling a mix of nostalgia and regret. “But I didn’t see your face. You looked so shy; you were trying to act as a strong person with so much dignity. So I didn’t want to embarrass you more, so I forced the guy to pay for you, and then I left.” I informed Amanda, the weight of the past heavy on my shoulders.
“But why did you leave, Tomas? You helped me, and I followed you to thank you for your help, but you just disappeared like a ghost! I was disappointed. But the second day at college, I was surprised when I met you by coincidence in economics class. I figured out that we were at the same college and classmates too, and from that moment on, I started to care about you.” Amanda informed me, her voice softening as she recalled the memory, the emotions evident in her eyes.
As I stood there, absorbing her words, I realized that our paths had always been intertwined, even if we hadn’t recognized it. The weight of our shared history hung between us, unspoken yet palpable, and I knew that this was just the beginning of a much larger conversation.