Game of Love

Game of Love Ch. 07

Comments, critiques and tips are welcome!

***

Hello guys and welcome to this wonderful chapter. Just wanted to say I love you for your support and wonderful comments. Don't forget to comment on this chapter and tell me what you think.

Feel the passion...

***

"Ladies and gentlemen," The man hollered. "Let us all welcome with a big round of applause, Mr. Eric Hernandez!"

Everyone started clapping loudly and happily including members of the VIP.

The gate opened and a handsome, really beautiful young man emerged with a smile on his face. At the same time, red confetti started falling on the stage.

Sergio was clapping happily and excitedly with the brightest smile on his face. But suddenly, the smile that was on his face slowly started fading. His claps became weak until he eventually stopped. He went frozen and couldn't even move. He couldn't even blink.

He watched in shock as Eric walked to the front and stood there, smiling brightly while moving his face to look at the happy crowd. He was indeed beautiful and the red confetti falling on him made him look like an angel. After years of searching, years of praying, Sergio had finally gotten to see the boy that rocked his heart but he was scared shitless and he was frozen.

The way he professionally moved his head, the smile on his beautiful makeup free face and that beautiful unicorn rainbow Frappuccino hair gorgeously tied so that his beautiful face was visible to everyone. Sergio was still shocked and he was no longer smiling. Everyone was up, clapping happily except for Giada and her family and of course, Sergio.

The models came to Eric and they held, hands, slowly bowing to the crowd. A huge bouquet of flowers was given to Eric and it just made him look more angelic. After all, he was a flower himself.

Giada was hyperventilating, moving on the seat like it had suddenly caught fire.

"Isn't he amazing?" The man shouted through the microphone, making everyone insane with excitement. Cameras were all over the beautiful man. "This event wouldn't have been possible without you, Mr. Hernandez."

Eric smiled brightly.

"There were so many places you could have been, Mr. Hernandez and there were so many things that you would have done but you decided to host this event for all these kids behind you." The man said in a really thankful voice. "And for all his efforts and valuable support, we would love to present this plaque of appreciation to Mr. Eric Hernandez." The man said as he pointed to a very beautiful plaque.

People started cheering and whistling.

Eric was touched. "Thank you!"

"Mr. Hernandez, would you like to say a few words?"

Eric nodded and gave his flowers to one of the security people standing there. Then he took both the plaque and the microphone from the man and smiled even brighter as he looked at it.

"Thank you!" Eric hollered through the microphone. "I would love to thank everyone for coming and supporting this event. You know, when I started making designs for this collection, I was really confused because I knew exactly what I wanted to design and I also knew it was time to show myself to Zelda, the city that has made me who I am today."

People started cheering but Sergio was still looking dumb.

"But the confusion came with the way to launch this collection. But when I thought about the children of my foundation, I knew exactly what I had to do. And I must say that these children have really impressed me. They've got a future in the fashion industry. Supporting and helping people is one of my primary goals in this life because I know exactly how it feels to struggle.

Launching this new collection at this wonderful event and seeing all these beautiful models in them has made me really happy. This new collection which I have given the name, 'Revamp', all its proceeds will go to this foundation, helping all these beautiful models here and it will also help in educating the children that needs my help!"

People were cheering again.

"Revamp is a collection that I have been working on for almost a year now. The idea came to me when I was in the darkest of times. This collection means a lot to me because it reflects sacrifice and dreams... love and loss." He paused and chuckled softly. "This collection is very close to my heart because it reflects my story."

Sergio felt his heart pound with Eric's words and he felt guilt engulf suddenly.

"If there's anything that I have learned from my struggles, it is that we can all rise from the ashes." He announced. He sounded a bit mad and his voice rose.

Sergio was getting cold with each word that he heard from Eric. Giada was almost dead. Her heart pounded so violently that she felt like a heart attack was nearing.

"And no matter what life throws at us, we have the power to pick up the pieces and start again. We can become the person we've always wanted to be. " He chuckled sexily, making some people admire him more. "And with my return to this city, I promise that you're gonna witness a new era of fashion unlike anything that you've ever seen before. May this collection serve as an inspiration to everyone. Thank you!"

Everyone started clapping harder than before and the whole place lit up. It felt warm and cozy in there but Sergio was just staring at Eric in confusion. It was only when Adrianna prodded him that he came back to reality and realized that he was sweating terribly and Adrianna was staring at him strangely. He started clapping but his hands were still on the beautiful boy.

Fuck! Five fucking years. He just wanted to go to that stage, grab him and kiss him but how could he? He didn't have the right.

As everyone was still clapping, David got up from his seat and went to the stage. He gave Eric a really tight hug and peck and held his hands sweetly. Both of them smiled at each other lovingly.

"Well, all I can say is that Liberty shoes is very lucky to have such talent." David chuckled through the mic. "But I am even luckier for having a business partner like him."

Giada's heart gave the mother of all pounds and unconsciously, a tear went down her cheek. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her hands trembled and she felt very weak. How was it possible?

"Thank you so much for your support everyone."

People started clapping happily and now everyone was up, cheering and whistling. Eric had been waiting for a day he'd return to his city, the city that had previously given him pain. But as he stood there, he felt nothing but love, acceptance and power.

Before he turned to leave the stage, he caught a glimpse of Giada who was seated like a statue with a tear on her face. He gave an evil grin before he turned and started going into the opened gate. He had come back and no one had the backbone to hurt him this time.

***

Giada entered her house slowly, walking like she didn't have any more strength left in her. She was shaking and she had tears in her eyes. The hair on her head suddenly felt like a huge weight on her head. Her own body felt like a burden.

The only thing on her mind was Eric's smile as he stood on that stage giving his speech. When she remembered the grin he had given her as he was leaving, she lost her entire strength and stumbled. Luckily, she balanced on the couch and breathed like she was in labor.

She furiously removed her heels, holding them slowly as she looked at the floor like she was expecting something to come out of it.

'My business partner!'

"No!" Giada screamed, throwing her heels away. "No! This cannot be. No!" She cried as she started trashing the entire place.

She threw everything that she laid her eyes on, TV remote, cushions, anything. Before a minute elapsed, the entire place was a mess. Giada's face was wet with tears and she didn't even bother rubbing them. She was in so much pain. Everything seemed like a terrible nightmare.

"No!" She yelled. "You cannot come back. You cannot just ruin my plans like this. No!"

Giada dropped to the floor and buried her face between her palms, screaming at the top of her voice. She couldn't believe it was happening.

"This is a nightmare, a terrible dream." She gripped her hair, trying to wake herself up. "This is a terrible nightmare. Wake up, Giada! Wake the fuck up! He's not real. He can't come back. No!"

She was making so much noise that everyone heard her. One of the maids came rushing to her. She was closer to Giada so she came to check what was wrong with her boss. She had never seen her act like that before.

"Ma'am!" The maid asked. "What's going on? Are you..."

"Get out!" Giada screamed as she got up angrily. "Get the fuck out of my sight."

She started pushing the maid, throwing things at her. She had to run for her life. When Giada made a quick turn, she froze there when she saw her son standing near her, staring at her. He looked really weak and vulnerable. Nothing broke Giada's heart more than that. She couldn't bear it. But she didn't know what to do as well.

Trevor stood there looking defeated and hurt. A tear went down his cheek and he sniveled.

"Did you see the way he was staring at him?" He muttered. "Did you see how disorientated he became after seeing him, mother? I have never been so scared my entire life. I am afraid that..."

"No!" Giada rubbed her own tears and rushed to her son. "What are you saying? Nothing is gonna happen, I promise you."

"But mother, how can everything be alright after Eric is back?" He gasped. "You saw him back there. You saw how he's changed. He's no longer the Eric that we knew. He's now really powerful and influential."

"That won't change anything." Giada snarled, clenching her fists. "I promise that nothing is gonna change. He's still the same scared little boy that he was five years ago. I am still Giada Hayes Sandoval, the same iron lady that I have always been."

Trevor wanted to trust his mother's words. He really did but...

"How did he do it?" He muttered. "How did he manage to reach that height, mom? How did we become so blind that we didn't even realize he was climbing that ladder? Who knows what connections he has? I wouldn't have mind it if this was just about me but... my fiancé, mom! I have never seen Sergio look at someone the way he did. After five long years of trying to keep this relationship stable, he suddenly emerges out of nowhere and..."

"Don't panic, my baby!" Although Giada was saying that to her son, she too was really scared. "Please, you don't have to worry. One thing I can assure you is that that boy won't succeed in whatever plans that he has. I'll always be a step ahead of him and he might have changed but the game won't change. In fact, I'm gonna have to upgrade it."

"You need to do something, ma!" Trevor said as he held his mother's hands. "You need to do something."

"I promise I will. But I cannot do this alone, Trevor." Giada said. "You need to be strong. We need to work together in this. We need to put our heads together. We're stronger and you're gonna have to do everything I tell you. Do you understand?"

Trevor nodded and held his mother tightly.

Giada felt a tear go down her cheek and she rubbed it.

'You might be back, Eric but I won't let you ruin anything for me.' She vowed. "I will do anything to protect what's mine and my son's happiness. I am ready to wipe you off the surface of the earth for good if I have to. And that is a promise I will give you.'

Giada's plans weren't gonna be on hold. She was gonna proceed with them and she was gonna make sure that Eric wasn't gonna be a problem. It was for his own good if he stayed away.

***

Sergio suddenly entered his room and he was already heading for the bottle of whisky that was on the table. He filled a glass and emptied it all in his mouth, feeling as it passed down his throat. He didn't care. He filled another glass and took it all at once.

'This collection reflects my story. The idea came to me during my darkest times.'

Eric's words were haunting him... his face was in his mind, that smile that drove him insane. Fuck! Sergio's eyes watered and he began breathing harshly while his heart raced. It sounded like a washing machine.

'It reflects sacrifice and dreams, love and loss. We can all rise from the ashes and put our pieces together. We can all become the person we've always wanted to be.'

Sergio was about to empty a third glass when suddenly, it was pushed out of the way and it fell to the floor, breaking into pieces. He remained standing there, looking like a statue, staring at the floor while trying to contain himself. He was scared.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Adrianna snapped as she stood in front of him, cupping his face. "You were okay when we went to the event, you were happy. But something just happened and now you're..."

"Adrianna, I think it's best if you leave me alone." He said in a weak voice. "I am really tired and I need to rest."

He was about to leave when Adrianna suddenly pulled him back, shaking her head. "And you must be a big fool to think that I would leave you." She chuckled bitterly. "I saw you. The whole drive home, you were not yourself and now you're acting strange. What the hell is going on? I am worried here."

Sergio looked at his sister and he felt so much guilt. "Adrianna, please..."

"No, Sergio!" Adrianna said, gripping him harder. "Enough is enough! I won't leave from here unless you tell me what's going on?"

Sergio remained quiet, staring at his sister without blinking. He knew very well how stubborn she could be especially if she wanted something. In that situation, he knew she wasn't gonna leave him alone unless he told her. But he didn't have the courage to. He was scared.

"Sergio!"

Sergio sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Do you really wanna know?"

"Yes!"

Sergio's heart started pounding violently. "I know Eric... well, I knew him, five years ago to be precise. You've seen me looking at the phone and smiling when I am alone? Well, it's also because of Eric. He is the reason why you've seen this change in me the past five years."

Adrianna felt confused and she frowned. "The beautiful boy from the event? How?"

Sergio sighed, trying to gather his courage. "Well, we were both at the same University five years ago. He was a freshman in Industrial and I was a senior. He was the most beautiful boy I have ever seen and..."

Sergio began narrating his story to his sister and the deeper he went, the weaker he got. There were moments when he laughed and the moments when he felt like crying. But he told Adrianna everything that had happened and he almost cried when he reached the part where he'd broken the boy's heart. He told her everything up to the point where he went to stop him from leaving at the airport.

Adrianna had her mouth covered in shock. She couldn't believe what she had just heard from her brother. She had tears in her eyes and she felt really weak.

"Adrianna..."

She moved a bit from her brother, raising her hands like he was surrendering.

"How could you?" She gasped. "I never knew you could be so despicable, Sergio!"

Sergio shook his head. "No. Adrianna, don't say that. I was young, foolish and stupid. I knew what I had done was wrong and I have been living with this guilt for five years, Adrianna."

"Sergio, I knew what kind of person you were years ago, a player. But I never actually thought you'd do that to someone. You played with someone's heart here." She gasped. "Oh my God, I can't believe what I am hearing from you. This is a boy that loved you so much."

"Adrianna, please!" He got closer and took her hands. "I knew it was a mistake and I have been punished for..."

"Sergio, that boy is just my age." She said, shaking her head. "How would you feel if someone was to toy with me like that?"

Sergio remained quiet for a second. "I would kill him without thinking twice about it."

Adrianna was shocked by his answer. "You would kill them? Then imagine what this boy had gone through? You had... you had..." She couldn't even say it. She was a bit mad at him.

"To be honest, Adrianna, this was all a game initially." He said softly. "But with time, I developed really strong feelings for him. I felt something that I have never felt before. I loved Eric so much and what had happened was mostly my fault and I have no excuse for it but..."

He paused and just remained quiet with his face dropped to the floor.

Adrianna felt really sad when she saw the state she was in. She held his hands sweetly, rubbing on them. When he raised his face and stared at her, he had tears in his eyes and it hurt her.

"You need to apologize to him, Sergio." She spoke softly. "You need to make things right. What you did was very wrong and such pain take a really long time to heal and sometimes they don't. This was a boy that was very innocent and was suffering already. You caused great suffering on him."

"I know." He sobbed as a stream of tears went down his cheeks. "I have been looking for him for five years now, Adrianna but now that I have seen him, I don't have the courage to approach him. How will..."

"The man that has always played both the role of a big brother and a father to me can handle anything." Adrianna smiled, caressing his cheek. "I know you'll make things right because I trust you. You don't need to waste any time. You need to approach him as soon as possible."

"But..."

"I trust you." Adrianna said with a smile. "Follow your heart."

Sergio got emotional with his sister's words. He pulled her into a tight hug and held her closer to himself. He needed her by his side. He felt a bit better and he was gonna follow her words. But was Eric gonna hear him out?

***

Eric and David came back to the living room smiling and looking really happy. There were about three workers, a male chef and two maids to help around. And they all looked extremely happy. Who wouldn't? After all, they were gonna be working for the famous David Smith.

"You may leave!" David said.

The three bowed and then left the living room. Eric was really impressed and couldn't have asked for anything more. The two story house was exactly beautiful, a dream house. In fact, it was more than a luxurious house.

It had 7 luxurious rooms, a beautiful kitchen, a gorgeous dining room, a beautiful medium sized living room that could fit a king and a beautiful golden staircase leading upstairs. There were beautiful pure white couches, a large TV and anything that he could ever need in the living room and it had a huge pure white entrance door that he admired.

"Hope you like the house, Eric!" David asked, opening his arms. "It was the best I could find."

"I love it." Eric smiled brightly. "I am living alone so this is the best thing for me. Thank you so much, Mr. Smith."

"There you go again." David chuckled nervously. "You're making me look too old. I don't mind you calling me David."

"We'll see when we reach there but I'll try."

Both of them laughed.

"Are you sure you wanna stay here alone?" David asked with a serious face. "I have a really big house and it would be my pleasure to have you stay with me."

"Oh no!" He shook his head. "You've already done so much for me, David. The last thing I want to do is invade your privacy."

"My privacy?" David frowned. "Come on, you know me. I don't mind..."

"I know you don't." He rested his hand on the man's chest and started adjusting his necktie. "That's why I am doing you this favor so that you can be free to bring home dates, have great nights with your buddies and be free to do whatever you want."

"You're the boss." David raised his hands like he was surrendering.

He proceeded and kissed the boy on the cheek. "Alright, I'll leave you to settle down and rest. Remember that we have a big day tomorrow so I'll see you."