Raging Love Ch. 08

The man was dressed in a simple black designer's shirt that was tucked in a black trouser with black shoes. He had a black band tying his hair and he was looking pale. He wished Andrea had been there with him but the girl had woken up early and left before he woke up. Was she mad?

Bruce could see people talking among themselves but he didn't care. He just wanted to go upstairs to his husband's office and apologize to him. He didn't know how his husband was gonna react but he was gonna try anyway.

Bruce was going towards the elevator when the shaft opened and out came his husband together with his enemy. He stopped in his tracks and just stared at the two of them as they walked closer together like best friends, smiling and chatting.

It hurt. It hurt real bad and he felt anger getting the best of him but he knew better than to make his husband madder. He gave a fake smile and slowly started walking to his husband. But when Antonio saw him, he lost the smile on his face and groaned.

"My love," Bruce smiled sheepishly, slowly walking towards him. "I was just coming to your office. Are you busy?"

"For what?" Antonio said harshly. "As you can see, Travis and I are going out for lunch. And I don't think you and I have anything to talk about."

Bruce lost the smile on his face, glancing at Travis. What he saw was a mocking smile that pierced his heart. He felt tears building but he smiled through them.

"But honey, it won't..."

"Travis, I am really hungry. Shall we?"

Travis nodded. "Sure!"

The two men left arm in arm, leaving Bruce in tears. He didn't care about who saw the two of them but it was really painful to see. It was like his husband was no longer his.

***

"Wow! I had no idea you knew martial arts." Antonio laughed, staring at the beautiful smiling face. "No wonder that night, those men had trouble kidnapping you."

"Of course, I wasn't gonna make it easy for them." Travis said as he took a sip of his apple juice. "I might be all smart and beautiful but I am really tough. I never make it easy for anyone."

"Impressive!" Antonio nodded, wearing a smile. Somehow, being with Travis had sure lifted his mood and he even forgot that he was troubled. "So do you mind telling me how you learnt martial arts."

Travis laughed, taking a deep breath. "I spent most of my time abroad. When my mother died, my father was so devastated and he thought he wasn't in his right frame of mind to raise me by himself so he sent me to my grandmother in Italy. At my school, there was martial arts so I learnt it from there. The rest is history."

Though he was lying, he made it look convincing that Antonio just nodded. He had ordered food but he didn't even touch it once. He was rather enjoying Travis' company more than any food. That was the first time they got to have a conversation that made Antonio smile and forget about his troubles. Maybe he had mistaken him for Praveen but he wasn't really the one.

"Wow! You've had quite an interesting life."

"Not really!" Travis sighed, chuckling nervously. "Losing my mother and my father had been the greatest pain of my life. But I have Aunt Vanessa and she's like a second mother to me."

Antonio could only shake his head. "Okay. So are you in a relationship or is someone trying to woo you. I am pretty sure that both men and women must be crazy about you."

Travis laughed, raising an eyebrow. "What makes you say that, Mr. Gonzalez?"

Hell, because he was going insane too, he thought while smiling like an idiot. "It's just a thought." He took a sip of his juice. "You're very beautiful and very young. It is only natural that you have someone trying his best to win your heart. Trust me, they always do."

Travis laughed. "Well, I really can't say that..."

"Hi!"

But Travis didn't even finish his sentence as he heard the most annoying voice that he hadn't been expecting. He quickly looked and found Bruce smiling like a horny idiot, waving at the two of them. Both his and Antonio's moods were completely ruined. Antonio's smile faded and he just looked at the table, clenching on a spoon he was holding.

"Well, I just thought that since you two were having lunch and I was hungry, I could join you."

While Travis was still smiling, Antonio had completely lost it. He furiously stood up and without staring at Bruce moved away from the table. "Travis, I will be waiting for you outside. Please, can you meet me there?"

Travis nodded and Antonio left. Bruce lost the smile on his face and gave Travis a really angry look. He just wanted to kill him. Travis on the other hand gracefully got up from the chair and looked at Bruce from head to toe before he started walking away. But the guy gripped his arm and pulled him back.

"I know exactly what you're doing so don't act smart with me." Bruce warned. "You're trying to take advantage of the fact that Antonio and I are having problems to seduce him. But I am warning you."

Travis slowly released his arm while looking at Bruce in disgust. "You know you're starting to sound like a broken record and it's starting to get annoying." He said softly, a smile brightening his face. "And what's this this outfit? Are you having a funeral or something?" Then he gasped, touching his chest in mock astonishment. "That's right. You're the latest celebrity in this city, Bruce the disrespectful drunkard bitch!"

"How dare you..."

"Relax!" Travis raised his hands like he was surrendering. "I thought you were hungry. We wouldn't wanna have you using your remaining energy. But come to think of it, of course you would be hungry after that award winning performance you gave the city yesterday."

Bruce was so mad that his breaths were heavy and his senses were flying away. Tears had already formed in his eyes and his fists were clenched.

"So what would you like to have?" He asked, getting closer. "It's all on me, don't worry. Do you want pizza, curried rice, a bucket of pies, chicken casserole and of course, a big bottle of red wine? I am sure that it's gonna take a lot of food to fill that belly."

Bruce groaned. He was now breathing like he was in labor. "How dare you insult me!" He barked, getting the attention of people. "How dare you say that to me, you husband snatching whore!"

"Oh my God, it must be the hunger talking." Travis gasped. "I am so sorry. Can I order now?"

"Travis you're very disgusting, despicable and annoying. I am warning you!" He pointed. "Don't ever cross my path or else, I promise you that you'll regret ever crossing my path. My husband is mine and mine alone. I will so deal with you if you ever touch..."

"Shh..." Travis whispered. "...everyone's watching. You wouldn't wanna create another scene. At least, I care about you enough to worry about your dignity. And as for your man..." He laughed. "...the only think chasing him away is your ugly personality because you stink!"

He took his phone from the table and left out of there. Bruce remained standing there and he couldn't fight his tears. They came flowing. He stormed out of there and could hear people laughing.

***

Bruce burst into the office with a bang, making Andrea's heart to almost jump out of her chest. She furiously rose from the chair, staring at him like a mad person. She was holding a cupcake and she had a cup of coffee on her desk.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She asked, a frowning appearing on her face. "Do you want to give me a heart attack or something? Why would you enter my office like that?"

"Well, you should be glad I am the one almost giving you a heart attack." Bruce chuckled bitterly, hitting on the table hard. "You should even be thanking me because a heart attack will come soon if you just keep sitting there."

Andrea frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"No!" Bruce folded his arms. "You can continue what you're doing and forget I said anything. Are you also hating me because of what had happened yesterday? You're my best friend and we've come a long way. I expected you to understand me. You know me better than anyone in that house, Andrea. I would never do anything that would put my husband's life on the line. I have been working so hard to win over Antonio.

Why in the world would I get drunk on an event that I knew was so important to him? Someone tricked me and that person wants me out of the house. And as my friend, I expect you to understand that but you hurt me deep, Andrea. You hurt me real deep."

Andrea felt guilty when she looked at Bruce. He seemed really sad and broken. Maybe what she had said to him wasn't right after all. Andrea sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"Look, I am sorry. I was just confused. What had happened was really shocking and..."

"It's okay, Andrea." Bruce smiled brightly. "I forgive and I probably would have done the same. I ruined your night. You had it all planned and I ruined it for you. Maybe by now, Ethan would have been yours."

Andrea laughed, rubbing on her face. "There's always a next time. Besides, Ethan is always there. Right now, we need to find a way to fix the problem that's on the media. We need to come up with a great plan."

Bruce smiled, thanking the almighty that he had gotten his friend back. "I know that and we will. But right now, we have got bigger problems at hand."

Andrea frowned. "What are you talking about? What could be bigger than..."

"Travis!" Bruce's fists were now clenched and his face was stern. "That boy is becoming a dangerous poison and I wouldn't be surprised if he engineered what had happened at the house yesterday."

"What? What is he up to?"

"He's taking advantage of the situation, taking advantage of Antonio's weakness." Bruce groaned, his jaws shaking in anger. "That bitch was with Antonio a few hours ago and he insulted me in a restaurant. If he manages to seduce Antonio in this period then..."

"No!" Antonio furiously shook his head. "We can't allow that. That'll be a disaster."

Bruce chuckled bitterly. "I have a plan, something that will cripple that boy for good. We'll crush him to the ground and he won't even show his face to us anymore."

Andrea gave an evil grin, getting closer. "What have you got planned?"

Bruce grinned. "We need to break whatever relationship has started between them. We need to bring out the monster in Antonio for our plans to work."

Andrea nodded. "I agree. But how do we do that?"

Bruce took a deep breath and smiled brightly. Both of them grinned like evil bitches. What plans did they have?

***

Travis was standing in his room, looking at the files that he was holding, really important documents. He was only in a black designer's short and a brown gold t-shirt with nothing on his feet. He had a band tied around his head, making him look really amazing.

Travis raised his head and looked at the handsome hunk standing in front of him. He had a stern look and his arms were folded. He was putting on a black cargo short and brown muscle shirt with green sandals.

"Are you sure that this is all you could find out?" Travis asked as he went through the files.

"Yes!" Santiago nodded. "Those are all the things that we might need to finally get the truth out of them. The pictures that were sent to the engagement party six years ago to defame us were made by Andrea and Bruce. And funny thing is, I don't know how Andrea managed to bribe one of my guards to keep an eye whenever you came to my house. Fortunately, I met with him and he confessed everything to me."

"That bitch!" Travis groaned, clenching his fists. "How could someone be so evil? I knew that she had planned on getting me kicked but I had no idea she could stoop so low."

"And not only that..." Santiago sighed, rubbing his forehead. He was feeling a bit mad but he didn't wanna show it. "According to the files you are holding, Bruce was cheating on Antonio for almost three years. He had a side nigga named Kendrick and the guy disappeared about a year ago. No one has seen him or heard from him. But I can bet you that Bruce paid him off and he went to start anew elsewhere."

Travis chuckled, a grin appearing on his face. "Kendrick, huh! And with all the love Bruce says he has for Antonio... who would have known he'd cheat? It's funny how people say they love us yet cheat on us. But what's my business?"

Santiago chuckled. "And they've been trying really hard to get their hands on the Gonzalez wealth. A few months back, Andrea tried to sell off a company which she thought wasn't linked to the mother company but it bounced back."

"Why?"

"Because you own everything, Travis!"

"Hmmm..." Travis rubbed on his chin, taking a deep sigh. "...I wonder what's been on their minds. But if they know that all the companies are still in Praveen's name, why haven't they told Antonio yet? And besides, Antonio should have been able to find out that they're..."

"That's because they've doing their best to hide it from him. Because they know that once Antonio gets to know that all the wealth is owned by Praveen..."

"He'll find out the truth about six years ago." Travis chimed in, putting the files on the bed. He got really confused and didn't know what to think. Now he was wondering what they'd done to Antonio to make him that bitter. "But eventually, I am gonna have to bring out the truth. This information makes it so easy. Now that I have seen the rift I have created between Antonio and Bruce, I think it's about time I broke everything off. I will use this information to finally make those two confess."

Santiago sighed but he took a sigh and rested his hand on Travis' shoulder. "And I know I shouldn't be saying this but... you're gonna have to come out as Praveen once again."

Travis felt a shiver go down his spine. "What? But..."

"That's the only way." Santiago said, looking deep in those wonderful blue eyes. "I know that coming out as Praveen will bring a lot of pain back and I don't want to see you like that because... because it will hurt me too. But with this information we have right now, coming out as Praveen will be the only way. That also means... I have to show myself to the world again."

Travis was really nervous and he had no idea what he was going to do but...

"You're right." He took a deep breath, squeezing the man's hand while smiling. "It's about time I stopped hiding behind this mask. With this information that I have, I will finally prove my innocence, our innocence. I will do it for me, for your, for my son and most especially... for my father." Tears were now forming in his eyes.

"You're stronger now. It's about time we both got face to face with our pasts."

Travis smiled. "Well then, the final showdown is here, Santiago." He rested his head on that muscular chest. "All we need to do is play a little game. It's about time we ended this madness."

Santiago wrapped his arms around Travis, kissing his head. "And I will be with you all the way."

Travis smiled and closed his eyes, burying his head deeper in that chest. He felt so peaceful and so happy but yet nervous. But having the hunk with him was making him really happy.

***

"Okay, Mr. Zayn, we'll meet in the afternoon." Antonio chuckled happily as he opened the door to his beautiful building. "We have a lot of samples to show you and I am sure you'll be impressed."

'I already am.' The man on the other end said in a deep manly voice. 'I hope you're coming with Mr. Marasigan though. It will be an honor to meet him. I hear he's now the lucky charm of your company. I saw his magazine and it was absolutely sexy."

Antonio couldn't help but smile. "I will bring him alone. See you."

He cut the call and just stood, smiling like a teenager and he had no idea why. He was dressed in a dark blue designer's suit with a white shirt inside and black shoes. Though he had been so mad while at home, he got really happy when he got to know that... anyway, never mind. He didn't wanna think about it much.

Antonio shook his head and started walking but the moment he looked in front, he got the shock of his life when he found a lot of people there talking among themselves. He frowned, wondering what was going on.

Antonio rushed to them, passing among them to go in front but the moment his eyes landed there, he felt something pierce his heart and he literally started bleeding right there. He felt like something powerful and dangerous had possessed him and he could feel it taking control. He was suddenly filled with a myriad of emotions that made him so vulnerable and dangerous... Hatred, anger, pain and despair. His heart pounded violently in his chest, threatening to rip out.

His face got red from anger and his eyes were red too and tears of anger formed there. Everyone that saw him started taking a few steps back because the person in that room was no longer Antonio Gonzalez but a monster.

Antonio's fists clenched as he slowly moved in front, looking all around while his heart ripped to shreds. He couldn't believe what he saw. He couldn't believe the pain he felt or the terrible ache in his heart.

'...this boy is a fake!' Emma's voice rang through his head. 'These two have been having an affair right in our faces. He's a whore!'

A tear went down Antonio's cheek just when his eyes landed on all the pictures that were displayed on the wall in front of him, a lot of them. There were pictures from his past, pictures that had nearly destroyed his life. Pictures of Praveen's betrayal. The same pictures that he had vowed were not gonna haunt him anymore.

He looked at the walls and all he could see was Praveen with Santiago fucking everywhere. It hurt and Antonio wasn't gonna spare anyone.

He furiously turned and was about to snap but froze when he saw Travis standing with some people with his eyes wide open and tears in his eyes. Travis had just arrived when he had found the commotion. When he got to see what was going on, his heart nearly died and his pain came back. Everything that he had experienced on that particular day came back to hurt him. He looked at Antonio and all he saw was a monster with red eyes.

Antonio didn't know what happened to him. But the moment he saw Travis there, all the anger and the hatred he felt diverted at the boy. He angrily walked to him, gripped his arm painfully and pulled him to the front, pointing at the pictures on the wall.

"How dare you!" He barked, his jaws shaking uncontrollably. "How dare you! Who you think you are?"

Travis' breaths got harsh and he looked at Antonio with fear, more tears forming in his eyes. He had never seen him look like that before.

"You have made fun of my life." He roared, shaking his head. "My personal life, that whore's betrayal, you've turned it into an entertainment for everyone? What a nasty joke!" He stamped his foot angrily on the floor, making Travis take a step back.

"Stop your game!" Antonio warned, pointing his shaky finger at him. "I thought you were different and you didn't want to fight with me but remember, you've made war personal. You will face the consequences too. And if you thought you had seen a monster before, I can assure you that you had seen nothing."

A tear went down Travis' cheek but he quickly rubbed it. "War? What are you saying? Did you think..."

"Shut the fuck up!" Antonio snarled, clenching his teeth. "Do you feel good by driving me insane? I thought I tortured you enough not to know that you shouldn't mess with me. I thought I was doing injustice by torturing you for that cheater's betrayal. But I've got the answer today. You're even worse than me."

Travis tried to say something but his mouth shook uncontrollably such that he couldn't even utter a single word.

"You had us all fooled, you had me fooled because behind all these innocent looks lies a shrewd player." He yelled in the boy's face. "But I will deal with you in such a way that you'll tremble whenever you hear my voice or my name."