Game of Love Ch. 08

As it is, we are yet to recover the money we had invested in our new collection. If we attempt anything like that, we're gonna go bankrupt. We are at a loss here, Mrs. Sandoval. And maybe the solution here is to schedule a meeting with D&E, strike a deal and then..."

"Excuse me!" Giada laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "Are you telling me how to run my business now? Who are you?"

"It was just a suggestion, ma'am." The man apologized. "And I know you're the president of this fashion house but as it is, we're losing more than we're gaining and..."

"Get out!" Giada had totally lost her temper. "Get the fuck out, all of you. I don't wanna see you."

The board members all got out of their seats and left Giada all alone there. As soon as she heard the door closing, a tear went down her cheek and she threw everything that was on the table to the floor angrily.

'As it is, we are yet to recover the money we had invested in our new collection. If we attempt anything like that, we're gonna go bankrupt. We are at a loss here.'

"No!" Giada screamed, ripping the document. "This can't be happening. No! I am the queen of this city and nothing is gonna change that. No!"

Giada felt like someone had just poured liquid electricity on her with the sensations that she felt in her body.

"No! I will not let you ruin me, Eric." She screamed. "I won't allow you and I swear to you that, I won't give up without a fight. I will send you to hell before I allow you to run me. I swear."

Giada wasn't going to give up. She was gonna continue fighting. No one was gonna take up her spot in the city. She was the fashion queen and it was gonna stay that way. It was either that or she was gonna have to shed blood to keep it that way.

***

"Sir, here is what you asked." The beautiful sexy woman dressed in a black suit with her black hair tied in a ponytail said. She was wearing a smile.

"Is it all in there?" Eric asked, seated on the office chair like a boss. "I want details, Reina."

"Of course, sir!" The assistant nodded. "I would do anything for you."

He took the envelope and then dismissed his assistant. When he opened it and read what was there, an evil grin appeared on his face and his smile was almost wickedly evil. He was chuckling to himself, staring at the document in his hand without even blinking, Sandoval fashion house's financial report.

"Wow, Giada." He laughed manically. "Wow, this is really impressive. I have never been so happy for you. I have only been here for a few days and there's already a terrible earth quake at your company. And I haven't even done anything. All I did was just release a collection and your world started spinning."

He laughed, holding the document at its edges. Then he ripped it in half.

"What will happen when I strike, Giada? Won't it just be your own death?" He laughed, putting his legs on the table. "You like intimidating other people, don't you? Now let's see what happens you're the one on the receiving end. I haven't started yet. I'll take everything that matters to you and I'll make you feel exactly how it feels like to lose everything.

Prepare to taste the bitter soup because when I eventually give it to you, you're gonna regret ever crossing my path or my mother's. All the pain that you caused me, I'll return it to you double. I swear."

He angrily ripped the documents into bits and threw them in the paper bin beside him. Then he just sat there, leaned backwards and closed his eyes. Trying to catch his breath. He'd barely taken a breath when all of a sudden, he heard his door open a little bit loudly right before he heard his assistant's voice.

"Sir, I am really sorry." She apologized. "I tried to stop him but I couldn't."

Eric quickly opened his eyes and he almost jumped out of his chair when he saw Sergio standing right in front of his desk, staring deep into his eyes. That look, shit that look, it sent a cold sensation all over his body and he almost groaned painfully. A lot of questions hit his head and he tried to say something but the look from the hunk told him otherwise.

"Sir, I am truly sorry."

"Eric, I want to talk to you." Sergio said, a little too confidently. "Please. I am not leaving until you hear what I have to say to you. You can decide what you want to do after."

Eric removed his legs from the table and got closer to the table, staring into Sergio's eyes.

"Mr. Alvarado, you have some balls showing up here, huh?" He looked at his assistant. "It's okay, Reina. You may leave."

The assistant left and then Sergio took a deep breath.

"Thank you so much, Eric, I..."

"I didn't tell my assistant to leave so that you can thank me. What the fuck do you want? And how the hell did you know my office?"

"Adrianna gave me this morning." He said, trying to control himself. "But that's only because I had forced her and..."

"Enough with your life story!" Eric had never sounded so rude. "How the fuck can I help you? And where's your fiancé?"

Sergio sighed. "Eric, I don't know how to start because, because..."

"Because you were wrong?" Eric chimed in, feeling emotional all over again.

Sergio slowly nodded. "Yes! I was very wrong, Eric and I don't know how I am even supposed to apologize to you. I was such a fool and I agreed to that bet because I was foolish, selfish and very stupid. I know that it had started off as a game but I swear to you, when I got to know you, the real you, I don't know how or when I started developing feelings for you but I was truly in love with you. I was very much in love with you. I swear."

Eric just stared at Sergio, clenching his fists under the table. He had some nerves showing up there causing him nothing but pain. He aggressively gripped the edge of his table, feeling the need to smash something.

"Get out!" He sneered. "Get the fuck out and never come back."

"Please!" Sergio threw himself on the floor, kneeling before the boy. He had tears in his eyes and the pain he felt was from out of this world. "Hear me out, Eric. I have been looking for you for five years because I wanted to make things right. I know I had hurt you before and I have been paying for that since that very day. Believe me..."

"I said get the fuck out!" Eric furiously rose from his desk and started making his way towards where the man was kneeling. "I don't wanna hear anything that you are going to say. I had warned the other day."

"Eric, please..." Sergio put his hands together. "....I beg you."

"Get out before I call security, Mr. Alvarado." Eric was trying his best to fight his tears.

"I don't care." Sergio muttered. "You can call whoever you want but I won't leave until you hear me out. You can call the police to beat me up anyhow you like but if that's what will make you hear me out, I am ready for that. I am ready to..."

"I am done with this."

Eric was on his way to the door when Sergio gripped his hand and held him tightly.

"Eric, please, I am sorry." He sobbed in anguish. "I am really sorry."

Eric remained standing there and felt a billion tears making its way down his cheeks. In just a few seconds, he was already wet. It was just too painful remembering everything.

"Please, forgive me."

Eric closed his eyes and tried to bring himself under control but he couldn't. Sergio had managed to break him.

"Why?" He said softly. "And for how many mistakes should I forgive you, Sergio? Which one?"

Sergio dropped his eyes and felt a huge lump develop in his throat.

"For how many mistakes do you want me to forgive you?"

"Everything!" He sniveled. "I am sorry for everything."

Eric furiously withdrew his hand from Sergio's and quickly turned, staring into his face. He was completely broken.

"Which one, really?" He snapped. "Is it for lying to me that you were in love with me or for deceiving me, knowing fully well that I was in love with you?"

Sergio tried to take Eric's hand. "I wanted to tell you but I was unable to. I was in love with you."

"No!" Eric cried hitting Sergio's face severally. They were slaps and Sergio felt them. They were painful but he deserved them. Eric gripped Sergio's shirt by the neck and got him up, hitting him really hard. "No, Sergio, don't you dare say that to me. Don't."

He was in so much agony. It was like everything from his past had been poured on him. He was reliving everything.

"You left me bereft, Sergio." He let go of him and just cried. "I loved you even more than I loved myself. My love, my self-esteem and my trust were shattered by you five years ago because of what you did to me! I used to hate men because I knew what they all wanted from me and I tried to avoid them until you came, Sergio. I gave you everything, my love, my trust and my body but you used everything against me.

Your friend was right. I was blind! I was a fool! I kept believing that you were in love with me. I kept believing that you were the one for me and I kept hoping we would eventually end up together!" He cried.

Sergio felt like someone was stabbing his heart with hot iron. When he looked at Eric, all he saw was the pain that he had inflicted on him five years back. He'd never seen so broken before, not even that night.

"I kept thinking you were my strength." He wailed, his hands trembling. "But you were my ultimate weakness, Sergio. You said it to me, didn't you?" He raised his finger pointing at the crying man. "You told me you loved me. I asked you several times but you always gave me the same answer.

I always thought the battle I was fighting against my evil stepmother, I was gonna win some day but you came and made me lose eventually. You used my own love against me. Why did you do this to me, Sergio? Why?"

"I didn't know." Sergio grieved. "I swear, I didn't know, Eric. I admit that Trevor was my boyfriend but I never knew you were related, I swear. I only found that night and I never intended to take things that far. But my feelings got the best of me. And when I found out that you were a virgin, I didn't wanna leave you, I swear. My friend betrayed me and..."

"Stop lying!" Eric snapped, getting away from Sergio. "You made a mockery of me in front of the entire school. You turned me into a zombie. I chose you over many suitors, Sergio." He gripped his collar and pulled him closer, literally chocking the life out of him. "I chose you because you were slowly changing my life. But you were the one that had hurt me the most, Sergio.

Why did you do this to me? Why did you choose someone else that day? I wanted to spend my entire life with you but you destroyed my dreams, Sergio."

Sergio was filled with guilt and he couldn't even speak.

"Why, Sergio? Why?"

Eric felt weak and he dropped to his knees and just cried. Sergio stared at him, standing without moving an inch.

"I deserve your hatred right now, Eric because I betrayed you." He cried. "I have hated myself for five years now, I swear because of what I did. But I never planned any of that. I don't know how Trevor found out about everything and how my ex-friend planned that party, Eric. You were there. We were together. I wouldn't have subjected you to such pain if I had known that was what was gonna happen."

He dropped on his knees and held the crying boy's hands.

"I followed you after that, Eric, I swear. I ran after you but you were nowhere to be seen. I did all I could to find you but I wasn't lucky enough." He said in between sobs. "You've got no idea how much I had searched for you. But Riya and Smith couldn't tell me where you lived. But even after that, I didn't give up. I continued looking for you but couldn't find you.

How could I have called you when you left the phone with me?" He took out the phone and showed it to Eric. But Eric couldn't even look at it because he was in so much pain. "This is all that I had left of you, to remind me of the boy that I loved so much and who loved me too.

This phone is all that I was holding on to, Eric. This phone gave me so much pain and I didn't lose hope that you would come back to me. But I was so scared, Eric. I was so scared that you would hate me as you do now. I am sorry."

Eric just cried. He didn't have strength to talk anymore.

"Eric.... Punish me in whatever way you want, I will accept. But I am not lying to you. I had arrived at the airport to stop you from leaving because I wanted to tell you that I was in love with you and I wanted to make things right, I wanted to marry you."

Eric stopped crying and raised his head, staring into Sergio's red eyes. He didn't know why but something about those words swept through his heart and gave him some warmth.

"I wanted to... to tell you how much you mean to me." He said in between sobs. "But you had already left, Eric. I wanted to follow you but I had no idea where you went. I followed you to Canada but you were there. I searched and searched on all platforms, social media, private investigators but you weren't anywhere, Eric. I swear, I tried." He cried.

"I am not trying to make any excuse so that you can forgive me, Eric!" He tried rubbing his tears but was too weak to raise his hand. "I am telling you the truth. It might have been a game but I fell in love and... and I am still in love with you. That love has never faded, I swear to you. Even as I am kneeling here, I still love you."

Eric sobbed, staring deep into Sergio's eyes.

"All I need right now is your forgiveness, Eric. I don't want anything else. I know I had hurt you a lot and I deserve death for that."

Eric couldn't say any word to Sergio. He just kept on crying.

"Please," Sergio kissed his hand and held them closer to his face. "I am begging you, Eric. Forgive me, I beg you. I am ready to take responsibility for my mistake right now if you want. I'll show you that I am truly sorry.

What Aunt Giada had done, I don't know how she found out about us. She used me to hurt you and I wasn't even aware of it. I am sorry. Forgive me, Eric. I am a fool... I am an idiot... I deserve nothing but hatred. I know I don't deserve your love or forgiveness but please, find it in your heart to forgive me.

I am worthless without you, Eric. I haven't been the same for the last five years because my conscience's been eating me up from the inside. I am sorry."

He just held on to Eric's hands and cried, muttering for him to forgive him. But Eric wasn't crying anymore. He just kept on staring at the man who was crying. Eric's tears were still flowing but his voice couldn't be heard. There was a lot in his mind and everything that had happened between them couldn't leave him, especially that night.

"You had hurt me a lot, Sergio!"

"I know and I'll forever be paying for that mistake."

"You had really hurt and I loved you so much." He muttered, slightly closing his eyes. "I had gone through emotional torture when I left this country. God knows how many times I tried to end it all and just give up."

"God, no!"

"I really did, Sergio." He sniveled. "But though all that pain, I found myself, I got stronger and I gained courage. I was able to achieve my dreams because of your pain and betrayal, Sergio. I prayed to the heavens every day not to see your face, every day. But fate... fate has ways of playing tricks on me. Here I am with you again, Sergio."

"Punish me in any way you want..."

"What you did to me was painful." His voice rose. "You took my most prized possession, you too my virginity, Sergio. No man has ever gotten that close to me, ever. But you did and the next day, you shattered my heart to pieces. I hated you... I wanted to hurt you and make you feel how it feels like to be heartbroken."

"You can." He muttered. "I am ready to accept my punishment."

"What you did to me was the most terrible thing anyone's ever done to me." Eric said harshly. "I prayed for your pain. And what you did doesn't deserve any forgiveness. I vowed never to forgive you should I see your face again."

Sergio wept, dropping his eyes to the floor. Tears were flowing like it was in a pipe and hearing those words from Eric, he felt dead, really cold. He cried even more and Eric just watched him.

"I deserve it." He cried.

Eric sniveled. "Yes, you do!" He nodded, rubbing his tears. "But then again, I have come to realize that... that I can't hold grudges anymore. And I have also come to realize that maybe you were just a victim like me and whether you loved me or not, I loved you so much."

Sergio's heart literally stopped beating and he raised his face, staring at Eric nonstop. He got really scared with the words that he'd heard from Eric. The tears were flowing but he couldn't find his voice. It was completely gone. He was shocked.

"What... what are you trying to say? Do you forgive me?"

Eric sobbed, shaking his head. "I can't live my entire life hating you because it was not your fault. Yes, I forgive you, Sergio. I forgive you from the bottom of my heart. I know you probably don't deserve this but... I just want to live peacefully. I am tired of this pain, this hatred and these painful memories. I was told I can only live in peace after I forgive you. So yes, I forgive you."

Sergio covered his mouth and just cried. His heart raced in fear, surprise, shock and joy. He could hardly contain his happiness. Instead of smiling, he just cried at the top of his voice like a kid. He could have sworn it was all dream but he was staring into Eric's eyes, his beautiful blue eyes and God, he felt something move out of him, the burden he'd been carrying for a long time.

"God, I... I...."

Sergio gripped Eric and hugged him tightly. Sunshine flooded his soul and he felt like his feet barely touched the ground. A quiet contentment spread through him and he knew he was supposed to be happy but he couldn't stop crying.

"Thank you so much, Eric!" He cried. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

He kissed Eric's head and held him even tighter.

Eric slowly moved his hands and wrapped them around Sergio's waist, burying his head deeper into that warm, thick and muscular chest that he kinda missed. He couldn't believe he'd opened his mouth to forgive Eric so easily. He felt something inside of him move and the pain he felt in his heart didn't feel that painful anymore.

The question is, did he truly mean what he said or was it all part of his plan?

*

Sergio was seated comfortably on the comfy couch, staring at Eric without even blinking. He was looking more beautiful than he'd remembered. That beautiful dark hair tied in a ponytail, revealing his face. God, those pink lips that he was dying to taste and that body, shit! Sergio just wanted to get closer and ask him to marry him instead, right at that moment. But something had him glued there. He'd dreamt of a moment like that, a moment when Eric would forgive him but it hadn't felt anywhere as good as it did that time.

It had been 2 hours already since he'd arrived at Eric's office and now, he was feeling really warm. He was staring at Eric who was drinking some water sexily, almost seducing Sergio who was caught in his day dream about Eric.

Eric put his glass down and he blushed because he could feel Sergio's eyes on him the entire time.

"What?" He shrugged, glancing at him. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I still can't believe this is all real." He said simply, getting closer to Eric. "I have always dreamt of something like this but now that it has happened, I can't just explain the feeling. Thank you so much, Eric. You've made so happy today. You're truly a good person."

Eric smiled. "Well, we all needed closure and to move on." He chuckled, taking a deep sigh. "The thing is that, this was not easy for me. But after leaving it all behind, I must say that I feel at peace now. And maybe that was all I needed to do."

Sergio sighed and just watched the boy doing his thing. God, how could a man be so beautiful, he thought as he admired the boy sitting in front of him? He didn't wanna do anything that was gonna seem weird.