Sweet Downfall (40 page)

It was time to face his future.

* * *

There was only one thing that could make Angie see her family again.

A tragedy.

She received an urgent call from Europe earlier tonight. The Monleon sisters tearfully informed her that Kit met an accident. They asked her to help their Uncle Gustavo because they couldn’t come home immediately to be with the old man.

The sisters didn’t know she had a falling out with her own family but this was one instance when conflicts should be temporarily set aside for more important matters.

She went straight to the Yulo mansion.

The Yulo men were in the study. They didn’t notice her at the door.

Manolo was in the middle of a tirade. “Who told you to do that?! I did not tell you to do any of that!”

“I’m sorry, Dad. We did what we thought was right under the circumstances and–”

Manolo sliced his hand in the air to silence Rad. “Enough! From now on, you will not do anything unless I told you to, is that clear?!”

“But Dad, we don’t understand. You’re suddenly acting differently now. Did that woman who came here have anything to do with this?” asked Ram.

Manolo slammed his palm hard on the mahogany table. “Are you questioning me?!”

“No, of course not, Dad. Sorry. But I just–”

“Enough!”

Manolo sat on his hair and massaged his forehead.

“Excuse me, Dad?”

They all looked shocked to see her but she didn’t go there to deal with family conflicts. She was there to deliver a sad news. The only news that would unite them as one, if only for a moment.

And so they were all here now at the hospital where Kit was admitted, ready to lend support to the del Bianco family. They didn’t say anything to each other. Each of them understood that this was not the right time or place to talk about their own problems.

She wondered if Jaq would be here? He was Kit’s close friend. He must be here.

What would she say to him if he was here? She wouldn’t know what to do if she saw him this soon. She was not ready.

But just as they rounded the corner leading to the ICU, she saw him walking towards them.

She froze in her tracks.

Jaq stopped walking and stared at the woman
he had been loving almost all his life. The joy he felt when he saw her again was overwhelming. His heart, now devoid of hate and pain, beat healthily like a child’s, fast and exhilarated. Energy rushed into his system, making his blood rush with thick heat.

He felt buoyant.

Alive.

There was the woman he loved. The only woman he had ever loved.

His Angie. His one and only Angie.

Without hesitation, he resumed walking and closed the distance between them.

He stopped in front of her. He had never seen a more beautiful sight than Angie looking up to him with tears of anguish. He saw the pain in her eyes, the same pain he’d suffered for years. But no more. No more pain for them from now on.

“Are you alright?” he whispered.

She nodded. “Yes.”

He gently wiped her tears away with his fingers.

The rest of the world ceased to exist but the two of them. There were no more words necessary.

He took her hand and laced their fingers together.

He lead her back to the ICU.

The sound of hushed voices echoed around
them but Jaq remained standing beside Angie as they quietly looked at Kit through the glass wall. Not even for one second did he let go of her hand.

Unable to help it any longer, he kissed the top of her head and whispered, “Let’s get out of here.”

“Yes,” she whispered back.

Holding hands, they started walking away from there.

“Jaq.”

They paused when they heard Manolo’s voice behind them. Slowly, they both turned around.

Jaq gripped Angie’s hand tighter as Manolo walked towards them.

Fatigue was etched deeply on the old man’s face. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. “Can you spare me a moment, Angelina?”

“What is there to talk about, Dad?”

Jaq felt her hand shake. He squeezed it reassuringly.

Manolo’s eyes became moist. “Angie, please…”

“No, Dad. There’s nothing you can say that will bring back the years you’ve stolen from us. We have suffered enough, haven’t we? I beg you, leave us alone from now on.”

Manolo bowed his head, tears seeping from his eyes.

Jaq couldn’t believe it. The mighty Manolo Yulo was shedding tears in front on him!

“Angie, I was so wrong…so selfish. Angelina, please, forgive me.”

Jaq had never seen this coming.

“It’s not I you should be asking forgiveness from, Dad.”

To Jaq’s further astonishment, Manolo addressed him, his eyes full of regret and his voice, thick with humility. “Jaq…I don’t know where to begin. You have no idea what I did to you but when you’ll finally learn of it, I hope you will still find it in your heart to forgive me and my sons. I was wrong in my judgment of you and I will forever regret it. Forgive me.”

Jaq was speechless. He couldn’t count the times when he’d fantasized of this exact scenario, of Manolo Yulo humbly asking for his forgiveness. In his fantasies, he would spit on his face and flip him the bird. But he couldn’t do any of that now. He couldn’t even move.

Right there, within earshot of her entire family who were all watching them, Angie demonstrated how much he meant to her.

“From now on, Dad, I’m no longer a Yulo. I’m a Montero.”

Manolo’s shoulders sagged.

Jaq didn’t know if he should feel happy or sad.

Angie just renounced her family for him. It was something he had been expecting her to do before, to fight for him against all odds. She just did that. But her father looked so devastated Jaq felt guilty for causing this family break-up. He opened his mouth to say something but Angie already turned around, pulling him with her.

They walked out of there.

On their way to the hospital’s parking lot, they saw a small chapel.

Angie pulled Jaq into the little sacred sanctuary. They sat on a pew, their hands entwined.

“I would like to tell you what exactly happened eight years ago,” she started.

“It really doesn’t matter now, angel. Let’s bury the past and start anew.”

“But I want to tell you. Please?”

“Alright, if it makes you feel better.”

And she told him a concise version of it all.

“I’m so sorry. I was so naive, Jaq. I should have read the document before signing it. I was desperate and so trusting. I trusted my father too much.”

“It’s okay, angel How could you have known your father’s full intention? You were so young. It is I who should ask your forgiveness. I put you in that situation. You were not ready to face all that, but I was so afraid of losing you I got desperate and practically kidnapped you.”

“No. I knew what I was doing and I never regretted running away with you. Never.”

Staring deeply in his amber eyes, she knew now with absolute certainly, nothing on earth could break them apart ever again. Nothing except death.

“I really intended to see you again but Dad had a heart attack and he nearly died, Jaq. I was so guilty. I knew it was my fault. I had to make it up to him. I had to take care of him. I’m so sorry I chose to take care of my father in those times and I neglected you. I really wanted to see you but it was just so hard for my family that time…and then I learned that you left the country and…” her voice trailed off and she couldn’t contain her emotions anymore. She cried.

He hugged her tight. “Shhh…”

“I’m so sorry, my love. I’m so sorry.”

She poured all her pain and his loving strength absorbed all her regrets.

Her Jaq. Her beautiful, beautiful Jaq.

When she’d quieted, he wiped her tears away.

“It’s a good thing your father has apologized to me already before you told me all this. It’s been preempted and the drama was lost,” he said teasingly.

She sniffled. “Ha-ha.”

He grinned. “And even though you just quit being a Yulo, hell, I’d love being connected to your family if only to annoy your brothers. I’d love to rub it under their snotty noses every time that the first Yulo grandchild is gonna be a Montero, spawn of their mortal enemy.”

Her eyes widened. “You know?”

He frowned. “I was wondering when you’d get around to telling me about that.”

“I was gonna tell you. But how…?”

“Your brothers paid me a visit earlier and told me the great news.”

“My brothers?”

“Uh-huh. They were not so subtle in their excitement to hogtie me to the altar to marry you.”

She flushed. “This is so embarrassing!”

“I can’t say I was cool with their manner of persuasion but on second thought, I realized they did have a point.”

He held both her hands in his own and looked solemnly in her eyes. “Will you marry me, Angelina Yulo, the mother of my first child, one of many more to come?”

Her eyes moistened again. “Oh Jaq…”

“I’m waiting for your big, fat yes.”

She smiled broadly, too overcome with happiness she felt she might burst with it. “Didn’t I already say yes eight years ago?”

“But you got engaged to another guy.”

She glared at him. “That’s not funny.”

He chuckled. “I never got engaged to anybody so my vows still stand. It’s yours that need renewal.” He gestured to the altar.

“In that case…Yes, I will marry you, Jaq Montero, the father of my first child, one of many more to come. I promise to love you, honor you, cherish you with all my heart, body and soul, now and for always, till death do us part.”

They sealed that with a kiss.

He pulled out something from the lapels of his shirt. Her chest swelled with joy when she saw what it was. The ring she gave him dangled from a black leather string tied around his neck.

“Oh Jaq, you’ve kept it!”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

She smiled and dipped her fingers down the vee of her blouse and showed him her cross pendant.

He grinned. “Glad you’re wearing it again.”

“And why is my ring a pendant now?”

“Come on, this is a woman’s ring. Where is the ring I gave you?”

“Come on, it’s a man’s ring.”

“Wear it again.”

She hugged him tight, loving him more, if it was still possible. She was drowning in her love for him. “I will. Now that you’re here again, I will.”

Chapter Seventeen

WAKING UP IN THE ARMS
of the man she loved in the morning was the best.

They made love passionately last night. Then they slept spoon-fashion. The warmth of his body surrounded her like a cocoon of comfort and security and she had never felt more loved and cherished.

Angie basked in the tranquility of her mind, in the serenity of her soul, in the contentment in her heart.

“Good morning, wife,” her lover murmured sleepily and nuzzled her neck.

“Hmm, what’s good in the morning, husband?

“This.” He rubbed himself on her bare bottom.

She smiled. He was hard and pulsating. “Hmm, is that better than coffee?”

“Why don’t you taste it to find out?”

She reached behind her, taking hold of his erection.

She still had to get used to the wonder of this part of him. The hot, pulsating power. Power that will be unleashed inside her soon. Again and again.

She moaned, heat pooling between her legs in anticipation.

“Horny so early in the morning, babe? I love that,” he murmured as his hand made a tantalizing journey from her neck to her upper thighs, evading the parts that tingled and craved to be petted.

She began moving her fist to and fro, loving the resilient, silky skin of his super hard cock.

“Fuck, baby…slow down. I’m trigger-happy in the morning.”

She giggled and sighed when his hand went back up, homing in on her breasts which were extra sensitive lately. He leisurely circled her nipples with his fingertips until goose bumps covered her entire body.

She grasped his hand and rubbed it harder on her breasts. “More.”

He cupped cupped her breasts, kneading and squeezing them together. “I think they’re bigger now. They’re perfect for me…just perfect.”

Her core throbbed and ached, begging to be filled.

“Jaq…” she mewed.

“Hmm?”

Shamelessly, she dragged his hand down and pressed it between her legs.

“Oh yeah, this is the best place to be in the morning.” He lightly skimmed her folds, sending tingling sensations all the way to her toes.

Her hand gripped his penis harder. “I want this.”