Max POV
My body trembles, and tears stream down my cheeks as I listen to Alex. I can’t believe I have always thought my dad loved me, but I have been mistaken all along. My dad was behind everything that has happened to me in the past, and still happening now. As for Alex, I don’t even know what to feel toward him.
“Why… Why did he do that to me?” I run my fingers through my hair as tears stream down my cheeks uncontrollably. I feel like my whole life is a mess right now. It doesn’t hurt that he treated me like that, but what hurts the most is knowing that it came from the person that was supposed to be there for me and protect me, being the only parent I have.
“I’m sorry, Max. I know I don’t have the right to stand in front of you and say this… I shouldn’t have accepted it in the first place, but I was mistaken to have done that. I can’t betray you, thinking of the way you have shown me nothing, but love,” I watch as Alex slowly shakes his head, and I sigh briefly. He is currently sitting on the bed with his head bandaged since he had an injury on it. After what he did today, I will be ungrateful if I still hold grudges against him, but I’m just scared of trusting anybody again.
“What should I do, Alex? I don’t want to lose everything,” I ask him, and he went silent for seconds before he raises his gaze to look at me.
“Can you trust me on this?” He asks, and I stare back at him blankly, thinking of what he just asked. Can I really trust anybody again? Yes, I really want to, because I know he wouldn’t do something to harm me, but then, I can’t bring myself to do it. It just doesn’t feel right to trust anyone again.
“I know it’s hard to, but you have to trust me. We need to work together if you want to win this battle. I know dad won’t stop, until he ruins you completely, so we need to do something,” He utters, and I slowly nod my head this time.
“What should I do?” I ask him.
“We need to pretend nothing happened. You need to fall to his feet and beg for mercy. You can’t let either him or Alicia find out that you already know the truth. We should fool him until the very end,” He utters.
“Why are you doing this, Alex?” I ask him, and he sighs briefly.
“It’s crazy, right? Why am I doing this? Even though I don’t know why I’m doing this, but I just know this is the right thing to do. I asked myself, what if I was in your shoe? What if dad did this to me? How will I feel about it, knowing he betrayed me and used me? I know it’s not worth it, Max. It’s really not worth the betrayal,” He slowly shakes his head, and I gulp down the lump that forms in my throat. I feel touched and emotional right now.
“Thank you,” I say to him, and he slowly nods his head.
“Dad… He is going to ask you to hand the company over to me for now, since the scandal is not yet taken care of. You should give it up as he wants it, but try to convince him first to find another way, and when he insists, let him have his way. He will make me the CEO, and I promise to get all your contracts back for you in less than three months…” He pauses and reclines on the bed.
“I need to earn his trust first, before I show people who he is,” He finally utters, and I slowly nod my head. I feel skeptical about this, but I decided to give it a try. Besides, I was still going to lose the company in the first place, anyway. I should just think of taking this big risk, yeah?
“Hmm,” I slowly nod my head, and he sighs briefly.
“I know it’s really hard to trust me, Max… But I promise you, I won’t ever betray you, and I will continue to keep my word,” He utters, and I nod my head. I will try to trust him, just this once.
“I will be outside now,” I utter before I stand up and stride out of the ward, closing the door gently behind me. I walk over to the hospital rooftop since the weather is not harsh. I just need a gentle breeze to make me feel better, because I feel so broken from within right now.
Standing on the rooftop later, I finally let the tears I’ve been fighting back, find their way down my cheeks. My chest contracts painfully, and I feel a sting in my heart. I have never felt this betrayed all my life. It feels like I was stabbed right in my heart.
“Everything will be fine, don’t think about it,” I whisper to myself as I finally wipe the tears from my eyes. I don’t know if I made the right decision to do what Alex told me, but I think this is for the best.
My phone starts ringing, and checking the screen to see that the caller is my dad, makes me feel irritated.
“I was able to talk to the shareholders, Max. Let’s meet and talk about it later,” his voice sounds through the phone as soon as I answer the call, and I slowly clench my fingers around my phone, tears threatening to leave my eyes, but I fight them back. Is he really worthy of my tears? Why should I cry because of him? I won’t ever do that, never!
“Alright, Sir. I will be there tonight,” I reply to him, and just like that, he ends the call as if he doesn’t want to talk to me. Why would he want to talk to me? He resents me to the point of trying to ruin my life, so what the heck would he want to discuss with me?
Taking a deep breath, I throw my head back and try to calm myself. I head back to check on Ariel, who was still unconscious. I feel guilty for not being able to protect her. I wonder what would’ve happened if Alex didn’t come over at that time. Maybe she would’ve been dead before I would woke up from my unconscious state.
Pushing all the thoughts to the back of my mind, I push the door open and find her sitting on the bed with her back resting against the wall.
“Babe…” I call her as I walk inside, and as she tilts her head to look at me, a drop of tears slid down her cheeks.
“Are you ok? Are you feeling pain anywhere? Why are you crying? Do you want me to call the doctor?” Sitting on the bed with her, I cup her cheek in my palm and rub it gently.
“It was all my fault, Max. I am the reason they are doing this to you,” She cries heavily, and I sigh.
“Come on, how can you say that? I should be the one apologizing for putting you through this pain…”
“No… This would’ve been avoided if I hadn’t asked you to get married to me… This would’ve been avoided if I had…” I cut her off as I claim her lips, and kiss her slowly since it’s the only way I can stop her now.
“Shhhh! Don’t say that, ok? It was never your fault. Don’t blame yourself,” I hush her after I pull away from her, and she slowly nods her head.
“Everything is going to be fine, I promise,” I assure her, and she slowly nods her head. I need to keep things slow now, and not let her know what’s happening. I will handle this alone…