“I want answers and I want them now! Find me the person who made this mistake and we will make him pay!” he hissed.
“Right away, sir.” The terrified man backed away from Sebastian and made his way towards the door.
“Return here without the answers I am looking for and you are a dead man.”
November 8,2013
Nostos Restaurant
The Bellagio, Las Vegas
The deep sultry voice of the singer at the lounge accompanied by the beautiful chords of the piano and the violin made Cassia Andrade close her eyes and hum to one of her favorite songs: When I Fall in Love by Celine Dion.
“Would you like another glass of champagne, mademoiselle?” the waiter inquired.
Just like that, the serenity of the moment was shattered.
“I’m fine,” Cassia replied with a smile. She lost count of how many glasses of champagne she’d already had while waiting for Hector, who was already two hours late.
Cassia glanced at her watch and then sighed. She’d known Hector for almost ten years now. He was really a great guy. However there was one thing about him that she couldn’t categorize as good or bad: his workaholic attitude.
She understood him for she herself came from poverty. Cassia knew that Hector just wanted to make his mark in the world and to never be poor and an outcast again, but sometimes, he was just pushing it too much. Like today, he was late again because something came up at work.
This was one of the things she disliked about Hector. He was always late, always busy. When he was with her, he’d frequently get a call and then he’d drop everything and go. Oftentimes, he promised that they’d just reschedule but that usually never happened.
Cassia loved Hector.
She really did.
But this was one of his least endearing qualities. Sometimes she didn’t know where she stood in his life. If they ever created a family, would Hector lessen his work hours so he could be with them?
Or were they going to continue to live a life like this and she’d just be adding children that would also beg for scraps of attention from their father?
Again Cassia closed her eyes and tried to let go of her negative feelings. She just focused on trying to listen to the song.
Instantly, she was taken back through time by her memories. In her mind’s eye, she saw her parents. Her mother and her father were both smiling at each other as they both danced around the kitchen while her father hummed this beautiful melody...
When her father saw that she was looking, he scooped her up into his arms and also danced with her.
“Do you know that this was the song that was playing when I first saw your mother?” her father whispered to her.
“It’s beautiful, daddy,” she giggled.
“Not as beautiful as you, princess.”
When Cassia opened her eyes again, she was back to reality – a reality wherein she wanted what her parents had but was almost sure that she was not going to find it.
Hector really tested her patience sometimes. However perfect he may seem to others, she always felt there was something lacking, something she was looking for that she couldn’t find in him.
“Daydreaming without me, princess?”
Cassia opened her eyes and saw Hector standing in front of her. He looked very handsome in a suit and with the ambient lights of the restaurant, he looked even more breathtaking.
“Hi, handsome,” she greeted.
Hector leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips.
“Cass...sorry I’m—“
Cassia stopped him from apologizing by placing her finger on his lips.
“No worries. I understand. It’s work,” she told him.
He nodded and exhaled very loudly. He leaned back in his chair and began rubbing his neck in a tired way.
“Got problems?” she asked.
“Yes. Competition is a hard game,” Hector replied.
Hector’s primary competition in his business was none other than her estranged husband, Nikos Demakis. Though Hector was cunning in business, Nikos was ruthless. He was called the Einstein of the Corporate World for a reason.
“I’m not worried. I know you got this.” Cassia smiled sweetly.
Hector returned her smile and then took her hand. He kissed the back of her hand.
“You realize you’re the cause of my success, right? You’re the first person who believed in me, and because of that belief I’m where I am today.”
“I do understand that because that’s how I feel about you too.”
Hector’s entire face softened. His tiredness even seemed to fade away from his body at those words. He leaned forward again and there was this twinkle in his eyes.
“Cass...I know I’ve asked this a million times already. I know that your answer is always the same. But today, I am still hoping that it would be different. Cassia...would you want to be with me, in every sense of the way?”
Cassia’s breath caught in her throat again, just like every time Hector asked that question. All those times before she always told him no. She had several reasons and each of them was different every time: she was busy with college, she was just launching her career in the fashion industry, she wanted Hector to concentrate with his business first, she just launched her shop Cassiopeia, she wasn’t ready yet.
But another reason aside from those already mentioned was the fact that she just couldn’t let Nikos have his freedom and all of the money before. She promised to make his life a living hell but the only thing she has done so far was to be absent in his life, which didn’t really make a big difference.
When she fled Greece, she promised to herself that she’d have her revenge for all those times she was humiliated. But as time passed, she found herself less and less inclined towards that revenge. Her time and concentration went to her studies and then further on to her business.
Like all wounds, hers was healed by time.
Now, she realized that she had placed her life on hold for a long time just to spite Nikos. But it had no effect for the man had skin as tough as iron. For all she knew, he might’ve forgotten her already like the other women who came and went from his life.
Now, she was twenty-nine years old...
She had a successful career and she could already say that she reached her dreams. Now, she wanted a change in her life. She wanted to settle down with the man she loved and take a chance at happiness with him. She wanted to have a family. She wanted to have a child whom she would love as much as her parents loved her.
She was finally ready to let go of her need for vengeance, her hatred for Nikos Demakis and her life as the Andrade heiress.
She was ready to move on and take another giant leap of faith.
“I’m ready, Hector...and I want to be with you.”
Those were the words that Cassia wanted to tell Hector. But the man had waited too long for her already. She wanted to make it special for him also.
But she was nervous and she wasn’t good at these kinds of things and the only thing she was able to blurt out was: “Yes.”
The smile on Hector’s face disappeared and for a full minute, he sat there speechless with his jaw hanging open. Then, he shook his head and stared at her.
“S-say that again...Cass...I don’t think I heard you right.”
“I said yes, Hector,” she repeated.
Hector stood up so fast that the water before him spilled on the table and the glass rolled towards one side. In a reflex movement, Cassia also stood up to avoid getting wet. Before she could blink, she was enveloped in Hector’s arms and his lips were on hers.
She laughed while her eyes started to fill with tears of joy at Hector’s reaction.
“I’m going to make you happy, Cass. And for starters, I’ll try not to spend too much time at the office. I promise,” Hector whispered.
Cassia laughed and kissed Hector on the lips. “I’ll hold you to that promise, okay? Please don’t be late for the fashion show!”
“I’ll never miss it for the world.”
Hector turned around and faced the other people on the lounge.
“This wonderful woman has just agreed to marry me!” he shouted just as the beautiful song ended.
He smiled widely and gave her a kiss on the lips. The room erupted into applause and shouted their congratulations and best wishes for the newly-engaged couple.
Cassia stared lovingly into Hector’s beautiful eyes and wished that she would find whatever it was that she thought was missing from their relationship. Or that she could forget whatever it was so that nothing would impede their happiness anymore.
November 13, 2013
Nikos’ Penthouse
Las Vegas, Nevada
“Nikos Demakis speaking,” he answered curtly.
“Daaaarling...” a seductive voice replied.
His mouth twitched as he recognized the voice of his former French mistress, Marietta, on the other line.
“Hello. I haven’t heard from you in a while,” he replied with a lack of interest.
“I became busy. There was this movie I had to do. And I knew you were busy as well. How are you?”
“I’m good. Yourself?”
“Never better.Especially now that I am talking to you. I know this is totally random, but are you in Vegas by any chance?” Marietta purred.
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
“Perfect!” his mistress screeched.
He was in Las Vegas because of a business venture. His casino was losing profit because of his competition’s newest gimmicks. He had to retake the market so he was here personally to oversee the running of the casino. Aside from that, his personal assistant reminded him that in two days time, it was his tenth wedding anniversary with his wife.