Game of Love Ch. 06

"What?" Giada gasped, chuckling nervously. "No!" Her eyes were on the card. "VIP?"

"Yes!" David sat back on the chair with his arms folded. "You're gonna be the most important people for me there, Mrs. Sandoval. You'll be in the VIP section with me. My business partner is also arriving on that same day and we'll talk business."

Giada got so excited that she could feel something rising deep inside her. She was really happy and she spent a number of minutes, staring at the card while smiling like an idiot. Of course, she was gonna go. She couldn't miss such an opportunity.

"Let's eat, Giada, before the food gets cold." David gestured.

Giada nodded, carefully placed the card in her purse and started having her food.

***

Sergio was seated at the edge of the pool with his legs in the water. It was already night... the sky was clear and the stars looked so beautiful to him. It was a bit chilly but it brought a lot of joy to him and he loved it like that. He was only wearing a black vest with a white short. He had had a really long day at work and he was very tired. But he just wanted to be there and enjoy the day.

"I wonder why life is like this." He muttered.

His eyes were fixed on his large phone, staring at it like he wanted to just be one with it. There was a beautiful picture of Eric there, the only picture that he had left of him and the picture that he hid from everyone else.

Eric had been looking really beautiful in that picture. His smile was captivating and he looked like an angel. His beautiful hair was made in a ponytail like Sergio remembered he loved and he was holding his phone, smiling at the camera.

Sergio took his hands and rubbed on that picture, a smile popping up his face. His heart was racing so much and his breaths were a bit harsh. God! What he would give to just see that face again. He had a lot that he wanted to say to Eric. He knew that he was the reason why Eric had left in the first place.

"For almost five years now, Eric!" Sergio moaned. "I have been living with this guilt in my heart. I feel like God himself has been punishing me and each day that passes, I feel a part of me dying. Please, come back my darling. I want you back."

Sergio took his phone and kissed it, tears welling in his eyes. But suddenly, he heard footsteps and he quickly switched off his phone and slid it in his pocket. Then he cleaned himself up and acted cool.

"What's going on?" Sergio heard his sister's voice before she sat beside him with her legs in the water. "Are you okay?"

Sergio glanced at his sister long enough to give her a fake smile. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"You can't fool me, you know." Adrianna sighed, resting her hand on his shoulder. "I had been standing behind you for quite some time and I saw you. In fact, I have noticed that whenever you're alone, you are always staring at your phone and sometimes, you smile on your own. What's going on? You can talk to me."

Sergio smiled sheepishly. "You wouldn't understand, Adrianna. Maybe one day, I might tell you about it."

Adrianna gave a gloomy sigh, running her fingers through her hair. She was silent for a number of seconds. "Is it about..." She paused. "Is it about Trevor and the upcoming wedding? Sergio, if you're not interested in marrying Trevor then why are you..."

"It's not about that." Sergio shook his head. "This is something else. You know that Trevor and I have been in a relationship for a really long time, since our late high school days."

"I know!" Adrianna nodded. "But that doesn't mean you need to marry him. Are you sure you're going to be happy with Trevor? I don't know what I see whenever you're with him. But it's not happiness and..."

"Come on," Adrianna Sergio chuckled, taking his sister's hands. He was smiling. "I love Trevor and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. And this is the reason why I want you to give him a chance for my sake, please!"

Adrianna lost the smile on her and just stared at her brother. "You might be smiling, brother. But you're unable to hide that there's a storm going on within you. Not at least from your sister."

Sergio's smile started fading.

"Sergio, ever since dad died, you and I have been really close and I know you." Adrianna added. "I understand you even more than mom does. I can bet and say that this is a fake smile. You've not been the same for years now. You used to be a party boy, very lively and very exciting. But ever since your graduation, it's like all that disappeared."

Sergio felt his heart jump and he gulped. "No, Adrianna, I am actually very happy."

"If you're really happy, Sergio then why do I feel that there's a clash between your mind and your heart?" She asked in a raised voice.

"Between the clash of my mind and heart..." He chuckled bitterly with tears welling in his eyes. "...Adrianna what are you talking about? Please..." He squeezed her hand lovingly. "This is gonna be really important for me, Adrianna. And I need your support and love."

Adrianna felt really emotional and sorry for her brother. She loved him too much and didn't want him to be sad although she felt he was gonna be making a really big mistake.

"You know I am always with you, my love!" She said with tears in her eyes. "I support all your decisions. Sergio, I just need you to be happy and for that, I'll grant your wish. I won't cause any more trouble for Trevor and you. I'll give him a chance for the sake of your happiness."

Sergio smiled and gripped his sister into a tight hug. As he hugged her, tears rolled down his cheeks but he quickly rubbed them. But it wasn't long before Adrianna pulled from the hug.

"I promise to give him a chance. But listen to me, Sergio..." She said softly. "...Close your eyes and think. What will really make you happy? Will this marriage make you happy? I know that you wanna go ahead but close your eyes and think about your happiness."

With those words, Adrianna kissed him on the cheek and she left him alone there.

'Close your eyes and think!'

Sergio had no idea why he got scared with Adrianna's words. It had been so difficult for him the past five years and he'd agreed to that marriage with so much difficult. After all, he was also unfair to Trevor and need to make up for his mistakes.

Sergio slowly closed his eyes and just concentrated his mind. The moment he did, images of Trevor started forming in his head. He saw Trevor smiling, the two of them kissing and enjoying their lives. He thought about Adrianna and his mother and how happy the three of them have been living. And then he saw himself with Trevor again.

Just when he thought he was sure, just like a flash, Eric came to his mind and he started seeing him. Images of the two of them meeting, their first kiss, the way they were happy, Eric being so cute and sweet... he remembered the words Eric used to use on him and as he did, his heart began racing and tears started forming in his eyes. He was engulfed in a certain warmth that he couldn't even explain himself.

'I love you!' Sergio heard Eric's words and when Eric kissed him, he actually felt it.

Sergio gasped in shock and opened his eyes quickly. He was hyperventilating... he felt like he's just been from a race. That kiss had felt realer than he remembered anything when he dreamt about Eric. He touched his lips slowly and could have sworn they were still wet from Eric's kiss.

What did this mean? He was absolutely scared.

***

Trevor was in the pool, enjoying himself with a glass of champagne in there. He had a really brilliant smile on his face and nothing, absolutely nothing was gonna pull that smile off his face. He was day dreaming about Sergio again and he just wanted him with him right there. But the guy was at his house and it was already late.

"Hey!" Trevor heard a really happy voice call him.

He quickly looked towards the direction of the voice and found his mother standing there with her arms folded and a pretty brilliant smile on her face. He chuckled happily, swam to the edge, got out and covered himself with a towel before the both of them sat on the chair with his mother.

"You seem happy!" Giada asked.

"Why wouldn't I, mother? Everything in my life is falling exactly where it should be." He sighed, biting his lips. "My companies are going fine, I am going to get married to the man I have always loved and my life is great. What else can I ask for?"

"Nothing, dear!" Giada caressed his cheek. "You deserve all that and more and I am willing to go an extra mile just to see you happy. Just a few weeks and you'll be the son in law of a very powerful and influential family."

"Yes! And this time, nothing is gonna stand in my way. Sergio is mine and mine alone!"

***

5 years ago

*

"What are you saying?" Trev cried as he stared at Sergio's face. "You know how much I love you and I am willing to do anything for you. I am not mad at you or anything."

Sergio groaned in confusion, gripping his hair. "Trev, I am not saying this is your fault but I am at fault. You can blame me. I'll take it and... it's all just messing with my head."

"You said you loved me!"

"I do!" Sergio didn't know what he was even saying. "But I am just saying that let's just go our separate ways. Let's find ourselves. We can still be friends."

"Friends?" Trev snapped as a billion tears flowed down his cheeks. "Friends you say? I don't wanna be your friend, Sergio. I wanna be with you and you know that very well."

Trevor had come to see Sergio at his apartment a day after the whole incident had happened. He was in so much pain because he couldn't accept what Sergio was telling him.

"Trevor, please, I love you." Sergio sighed. "But I can't be with you at such a time. I am really sorry. My life right now is a mess and I don't know when it will be fixed."

Trevor sobbed, shaking his head. "I can't live without you, Sergio. You're my life!"

"Please, try to understand, Trev!" Sergio said as he held his hands tightly. "This is also difficult for me. I feel terrible for what I have done. I have been unfair to both you and to Eric. I don't deserve your love, Trev. I don't think I deserve anyone's love for ruining both your lives. I am truly sorry but it's over."

With those words, he let go of Trevor's hands and started leaving the apartment.

"Sergio!" Trevor wailed, falling to his knees. "Sergio, please, don't leave me. I love you so much. Sergio!"

But Sergio left without even looking behind.

"Sergio!"

***

Sergio was rushing inside the hospital, breathing like he was in labor. He was really, really scared and his heart was racing. When he saw Giada seated on a chair near the emergency room with her face between her palms, he ran as fast as he could and knelt in front of her.

"Aunt!" He gasped. "What happened?"

Giada raised her wet face and stared at him for a really long time without saying anything to him.

"Aunt!" He literally yelled.

"What can I say?" Giada muttered as more tears ran down her cheeks. "My son loves you so much that he can't even do anything without you." She sobbed. "He can't bear to lose you, Sergio. My son would rather die than live a life without you. Last night..." She sobbed uncontrollably. "...he tried to take his own by slitting his wrist. He had lost lots of blood and... I don't even know what he will do next."

Sergio felt a surge of guilt slip through him. "But..."

"Please," Giada put her hands together. "Trev is the only child that I have. I am begging you, please..." She tried to kneel but Sergio stopped her.

"Aunt, no!" Sergio held her hands. "Please, what are you doing? Don't kneel in front of me."

"What am I to do?" She cried. "My son is my life and if I lose him, I will surely die. It's not fair that you're the one that had cheated on him and he's the one who's suffering the consequences. My poor son," She cried. "...even after finding out about what you had done, his love for you never got any less. In fact, he understood you and forgave you. Why?"

Sergio had never felt so guilty. He was crying too. "Aunt..."

"This is not right, Sergio." She pointed. "You're in the wrong here and my son shouldn't get to suffer at all. He shouldn't be suffering because he loves you. It isn't right."

Sergio slowly rubbed his tears, staring into her eyes. "You're right, aunt! It isn't right and I promise you that I'll make things right. Trevor is a very good boy and he doesn't deserve this. I will take responsibility for everything. I will make things right."

"Really?" Giada gasped in shock.

"Yes!" He nodded.

Sergio felt really terrible and hurt by the decision that he had taken. Something in his heart was telling him he'd made a big mistake. But what could he do? He was in a relationship with Trevor and he loved him.

"Excuse me!" Sergio said as he got up. "I... I need to do something."

He left. As soon as he left, an evil grin appeared on Giada's face and she rubbed her face clean.

'"Checkmate!" She laughed maniacally.

Their plan had been a success and now they had Sergio in the palm of their hands. There was no way in this world he was gonna escape from them.

Just a simple plan for Trevor to cut himself but not deeply had worked wonders. And now, they were right back on the right track. It was really good being such an evil genius. It had been dangerous but it was worth it. They couldn't lose an asset like Sergio.

***

Present day

*

"Sergio is mine as he'll always be." Trevor sighed happily. "No force on this earth is strong enough to separate us now, mommy. No one!"

Giada nodded. "Well, you have your mother's blood running through your veins. And I have also great news." Giada said as she sat closer to him. "I just met with David Smith of Liberty shoes and D&E Liberty powers. And guess, what?" She shrieked like a kid. "We're gonna get a partnership with them."

"What?" Trev gasped, his face becoming blank. "No way, mom! David Smith, the god of the fashion industry? Please, tell me you're joking?"

Giada laughed, showing him a card that he'd given her. "Nope! That's the evidence. We've been invited at one of his events this weekend as VIPs!"

Trev's eyes widened and his heart began racing miles and miles away. He couldn't believe what he was holding.

"Mom, this feels like a dream." He gasped. He was beyond shocked. "You mean we're the VIPs of his event? We'll be wining and dining with the fashion god? OMFG, please..."

"Calm down, baby!" Giada laughed, holding his hands. "It's all real. And after this weekend, our lives will change. We'll no longer be queens and kings but gods and goddesses. We'll be very powerful and very influential. We'll be able to step on anyone we want, kill anyone we want and do whatever we want."

"OMG!" Trev felt like he was having a heart attack. "This is so amazing, mom! I actually never thought you were serious when you told me about it a few months ago."

"Well, I am not called the queen for nothing. We the Sandovals have beauty and brains." She laughed. "Why don't you call Sergio and tell him about it. We're all going there."

"Right away!"

Trev rushed away from there, singing and jumping.

"Well, everything is falling right where it should be." Giada laughed, taking a deep breath. "Cheers!"

***

The huge golden gate at the back of the stage suddenly opened and the whole stage was graced with low lying fog effects. Then everyone started screaming in the audience like they were going crazy. It was the most beautiful thing they'd ever seen in their lives. Then the whole platform extended into what looked like a huge runway that was decorated beautifully and it sparkled like crazy. On either sides were the audience that screamed a whole lot.

The whole place looked magical and heavenly. It was really big and probably really expensive. It was decorated by the most expensive golden and silver decors all over the beautiful stage and the entire place. Whatever it was, it was gonna be big.

And here was the VIP section, a distance from the end of the runway and it was the most beautiful thing ever. The VIPs were seated on beautiful golden chairs with a big table and refreshments there. In fact, it was just Giada, her family, Sergio's family, Mr. Smith and some businessmen that came to support the event.

And here was Giada, dressed like a queen in a beautiful long silver dress with a slit that reached her thigh and she had beautiful golden high heels on her feet. Her hair was made into bombshell curls which made her look really beautiful. Kim too was killing it in a red long class dress with red heels on her feet and her hair made in slicked back high fashion. Adrianna was looking beautiful in a black short classy and sexy dress, black high heels and her hair curled to the fullest.

All the men were dressed in beautiful expensive designer's suits of different colors with Sergio wearing a blood wine one and Brice a black one. Mr. Smith was wearing a pure white suit and he looked really handsome and excited.

Suddenly as the gate opened wider, beautifully dressed teen girls and boys walked to the stage and almost immediately, Nicki Minaj's 'Good form' started playing and the crowd just went crazier.

'Yo hold up, hold up, hold up, okay, hold up

You see me a bad bitch coming, tell your ass to hold up.

I'm in that new meeting Nunu when I roll up'

At that same moment, the teenagers started dancing and the whole place lit up. Everything started brightening and people's moods started rising. The teens were so good that Sergio himself couldn't help but crap. Everything was just starting but everyone was enjoying already.

'Run me that money!'

That was when they started dancing like their lives depended on it. Where Adrianna sat, she felt her heart jump into her chest and she started moving her body, screaming.

"Yeah, baby! Show us how it's done!"

Sergio laughed. He knew his sister was crazy and wasn't gonna hesitate to scream every chance she got. But he was enjoying it anyway. Thank God she wasn't seated closer to Kim otherwise, she would have told her to keep quiet.

'I slick, slick drop the top like snip slips

So he tryna smash like when the whip flips!'

That was the climax of the dance. The dancers were all on their knees, dancing like nothing Sergio had ever seen. They were dropping backwards but slowly and they kept on dancing. Sergio had no idea how they did but it must have taken a whole lot of practice. Then they flipped and lay on the floor with their legs up and shook their bodies. The crowd went crazy and a whole lot of cameras simply came out of nowhere. It was beautiful and Sergio couldn't remember being as happy and warm as he felt at that time.

'I be like ooh he love me, ooh he love me, good form. Come on!"

That was the end of the dance, everyone got up and started clapping hard as the dancers bowed. The gate closed again and it became quiet everywhere, too quiet that everyone thought that was the end. But suddenly, there was a billowing smoke effect and the gate opened again. At that same time, Rita Ora's 'Let you love me,' started playing.

Then a really beautiful young looking model emerged from there and started walking down the runway. She was looking really beautiful in a gorgeous yellow dress that reached her knees but it was the shoes that took everyone's attention.

They looked like beautiful glass high heels and sparkled like diamonds. They were made in such a unique way that everyone could have sworn they'd never seen anything like it. Cameras were rolling, trying to take different angles of the model while the crowd went nuts with excitement.

From the designer of those heels, everyone now knew why David's company was the best in the continent. But before they thought they'd seen it all, another model emerged, a guy this time and god, he was dressed in the most beautiful designer's jean suit but again, it was the shoes that got everyone's attention.