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FIFTY-FOUR
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RULE NUMBER ONE: Don't You Fall in Love FIFTY-FIVE
ELLEN My whole life crumbled in front of me. I know that if I wanted to remain safe and alive, then I should listen to what Pablo said to me. I laid back in that hospital bed and knew there was no other choice for me. Oliver and I were not a thing and was this not what I wanted? Did I not want to leave here and start a better life outside all of this? But how will I even trust Don Pablo with my life and that of my daughter? I should have known better than to get attached to him. I knew we were different people from two different backgrounds and that we lead two different lives. Now, everything was hitting on me and I was confused. I needed to speak to Lily. Where the hell were they all? Just like a cue, Lily opened the door and walked in. She gasped in shock when she saw me awake. "Oh, my God, Ellen, you are awake!" she came to me and hugged me and I broke down in tears. She pulled away in surprise and stared at me with a mixture of disbelief and confusion. I wept
RULE NUMBER ONE: Don't You Fall in Love FIFTY_SIX
ELLEN The door to the room opened and Oliver came in with Sophie tugging at his arm. "Momma!" she squealed and ran toward me. I spread my arms and welcomed her into my embrace. She pressed a little tight and it made my side hurt. I groaned and Oliver pulled her away. "You have to let go of mommy now if you do not want to hurt her," he said. I mouthed him a thank you and turned to Lily who sat on the couch in the room watching us as we spoke. My heart was thumping badly and I wondered how I will even get out of Oliver's sight without his notice. Our eyes met and locked for a while before he cleared his throat. I knew he has a tornado of words to say to me. Lily understood the tension between us. She stood to her feet. "Who wants some ice cream?" "I want some!" Sophie said. Lily beckoned to her to come. "Let's go and get some ice cream." "But I want to stay with mommy," Sophie whined. "Mommy is tired now and needs you to get her some
RULE NUMBER ONE: Don't You Fall in Love FIFTY-SEVEN
ELLEN I did not sleep that night. I kept watching Oliver while he slept. I cried at times but never let myself sniffle. Oliver had taken me into his room and had done everything for me. He helped tuck Sophie into bed, helped me to the bathroom, and helped me to bed. He was a good man when he was close and all that sentiments and resentment I bore for him before seemed like they have never been there. I fell asleep in the early hours of the morning and did not wake until later in the day, although I was half awake when Oliver woke. I knew when he went into the shower, and I knew when he got the call to go over to San Francisco, for a meeting. I heard him cuss about it, but he still packed his bags because it sounded urgent and I heard him calling Dante and the rest to inform them about the meeting. I have forgotten that I will miss them too. I fell into another sleep and he went away. When I woke up, it was mid-morning. I took my shower and read the note Oliver
RULE NUMBER ONE: Don't You Fall in Love FIFTY-EIGHT
One year later... OLIVER I stood by the grave of my father. My eyes were hidden behind my dark shades. He had not been the best father to me, and I have wished him dead on several occasions. But now that he was actually gone, I realized I was not ready to lose him. I felt alone in this world and the whole Don thing is going to crash on me now. The voice of the priest sounded distant in my head as my eyes locked on a woman with blonde hair. She looked so familiar, and her back was to me because she was hugging a man. Ellen. I started to move but Dante held me back. “Where are you going?” he whispered. I did not reply. I stayed back, stuck my eyes on the woman, and waited for the priest’s speech to be over so that I can leave there and confront that woman. But she turned to face me, and I sighed in disappointment. She was not Ellen. How could they have the same structure? It has been a year since Ellen disappeared from me. I searched every
RULE NUMBER ONE: Don't You Fall in Love FIFTY-NINE
ELLEN “Pablo Moreno is dead.” The knife dropped from my hands. I was not surprised that he died. I was surprised at how suddenly the news came. The last time we spoke, he did not look like he was about to die. Well, it is not always written on the face. I left the vegetable I was dicing and faced my laptop. Lily was peering at me now. “How?” “He suddenly slumped and died. The hospital said it was heart failure. He is a smoker, figured it is true.” I never liked Pablo, but now that he is gone, I feel exposed. He has kept me well hidden for a year now and I have experienced nothing strange. My paranoid self still believes Tony was tracking me and is waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Pablo made it easy to hide. “Oh, my God. That is so sad. How is Oliver? Does this affect him in any way?” Lily shrugged. “You know Oliver would always be Oliver. He has moved on. Now, he is scouting for an assistant.” “What happened to
RULE NUMBER ONE: Don't You Fall in Love SIXTY
OLIVER A week after my father’s funeral and I already have a lot on my table. I would be traveling to Tokyo for a land dispute between one of their big firms and ours. Honestly, I was not even cut out for all of it. I am frustrated and unhappy. What frustrated me more was this fucking interview I had. Searching for a focused assistant was difficult. It reminded me of Ellen. I do not know if I will ever find someone like her. I have questioned five already and they could not even relate to the questions. One even had the gut to tell me the questions were too personal. What was too personal in saying if you believe in love or not? I pressed the intercom for Jerry to send in the next lady and faced the files on my table, not caring to look at whoever came in. A quick knock came on my door before the person allowed herself in. I did not speak to her. “Mr. Moreno?” she called. I wanted to tell her that she was not allowed to speak until I ordered her but once my ey
RULE NUMBER ONE: Don't You Fall in Love SIXTY-ONE
OLIVER The driver pulled up on the curb of a restaurant. Jerry was standing outside there waiting for me with two hookers rubbing his chest. I twitched my nose and folded my hands into fists. Jerry left with our rented car, and I was forced to come in a cab. I was angry and wanted to ram my fist into his face, but I restrained myself because he was so cute and spread his arms to welcome me and I did not want to cause a scene. The two girls wearing false lashes, heavy makeup and skimpy dresses eyed me as I walked up. “Where is this place?” I asked Jerry, shoving him away from me as he stepped closer with his arms spread. I looked around the area. It looked quite safe. “It is called The Clockwise. The perfect thing about it is that it has an underground club and this exquisite restaurant. They make the best lobsters in the world—oh, my bad, I forgot you hate lobsters.” “I am allergic, and it is to shrimps,” I gritted. Jerry was more drunk than
RULE NUMBER ONE: Don't You Fall in Love SIXTY-TWO
ELLEN “Ellen.” I stiffened. Oliver’s voice felt like a warm blanket over my body. I recovered quickly. If he was the one, then I had come too far to blow things up. I do not have any explanation to give him. It could not be Oliver. What on earth was Oliver doing here? And why didn’t Lily say anything about him coming here? I was certain he was not the one. But I was also sure he was the one. His voice was unmistakable, and he would be the only one in Tokyo to know me with Ellen. I gasped as he grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him. It was really him. The sight of Oliver took my breath away. Those deep elusive brown eyes gripped me, holding me hostage. I could not even bring myself to look away. Oliver looked tired and restrained, not the man I used to know. Something in his demeanor changed. His jaw was peppered with facial hair, his eyes although confused looked sad and hollow and I felt pity for him. But it did nothing to mar his beauty. H
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