Dane Diam could only do so much as wait after he pressed the doorbell.
The cold breeze hovering over the suburb swept through him. It was something he'd gotten familiar with. The cold breeze. The serenity. The faint rhythm from the windmill. The endless meowing cats in the next building. Distant chattering. The old couple always on the patio of the house across the road. He was familiar with just...everything.
His constant visit these two months was enough to get him familiar with the place.
His last visit here had been terrible. He'd caught a cold from the chilly breeze. Baby had sensed his agony and threw him out drenched in cold water.
He caught the bad flu that had him bedridden for weeks. Stupid that he had sought for her again once he recuperated.
Diam Dane shuddered. This time, It wasn't because of the breeze. It was the awful fate awaiting him behind the closed door.
He reached for the doorbell again, but the door flew open immediately.
He froze, gulping at the sight of her. "Baby...Hi". He attempted a weak smile.
"Get lost!" She was gonna slam the door on his face again. That has always been her reaction to all his visits. She detested him so much she wouldn't hear him out.
This time, he stuck a foot on the threshold. The door stopped midway. Fury flashed in her cold eyes as she pushed harder to shut the door.
Diam was forced to employ his macho side. He pushed back the door and forced himself in.
Baby pulled out a dagger from her pocket and aimed it at him. Her insane reaction was shocking enough to bring him to a halt.
”Please Baby. Just one minute, a second. That's all I ask. I just wanna talk. I missed you.“ Diam pleaded.
Four years later he was back to a love story that was left unfinished. A love story that had nothing but tears and heartbreaks. A love story that never had a closure. They'd just broken apart like they never happened.
Standing in front of her again was an opportunity he'd prayed for all these years. Here it was. A thousand things he wanted to say. But it all started and ended with ”I'm sorry, Baby. I never meant to hurt you as I did."
It's been a rollercoaster of emotions these past four years.
The anger that twitched his nerves at the fact that she'd betrayed him. Yes, she was hurting, but he thought their love was strong enough to overcome whatever obstacles they had. How stupid he'd felt for thinking she loved him so.
The pains that wrecked his heart when she fled. The anguish that clouded his being at the reality that she was never gonna come back to him. The misery he was plunged into each second his heart craved for her.
The regrets that crumbled his world when he found out she'd never betrayed him. She'd been a victim of a conspiracy and he never believed her innocence. Never gave her the benefit of the doubt.
It's been the most painful years of his life. Nothing else mattered anymore. Nothing excited him anymore. She was all he craved for. All he cried for.
Time –they say– heals all wounds. But not Diam's wounds. The severe mar in his heart didn't heal up with time. With each fleeting day, he fell deeper into his agony.
Diam's depression made him shut everyone out. It was a drastic move as he was a public figure.
Dane Diam was the first child of the Dane Family. CEO of the Green-Grass corporation, with branches and offices worldwide and headquarters here in the United States. Diam was an aristocrat. A renowned billionaire.
Diam was every girl's dream man. His tall physique, well-built biceps, and face well-sculptured made him somewhat irresistible.
His green eyes synced harmoniously with his black, curly hair. He was without any facial flaws.
His father was Japanese and his mother was an American. They resided here in America –Carlifonia to be precise– more than other countries they had been to. The Dane family traveled a lot but decided to stay longer in America.
Dane Diam was a hottie, but ruthless. He was known for his terrifying wrath. No one ever got close enough to understand the real him. He wouldn't let anyone close. Just her.
Phillips Baby was a young and vibrant girl who was also naturally shy. She was a fragile being who didn't like trouble. Though from a poor home, she still maintained her beautiful features.
Her skin had a natural glow. Her silky-like brown hair fell freely to her waist. Her turquoise eyes were alluring with a mystic depth. She was Japanese but lived all her life here in California.
She was innocent and naive. Most of all, she was exceptionally beautiful.
He'd fallen for her at the wrong time, for all the wrong reasons.
But he couldn't undo it. She was already engraved into the walls of his heart.
Four years have already gone by. She wasn't so fragile anymore. On the contrary, she'd grown stoic. Her long hair was now a short, straight blonde. Her eyes bore so many pains and resentments.
“You should leave, Diam. Leave and never come back here." Baby spattered out, firmly pointing the dagger at him.
Diam could hear the collapsing of the walls of his heart. It wasn't the first time she was throwing him out. He just wishes she wouldn't anymore.
Diam dared to move an inch closer but Baby halted him with a glare. "Not another move, Diam. Get out!"
"I know I hurt you, Baby. I know I was an idiot. My love wasn't strong enough..." Diam trailed off as tears clogged his vision. Gradually, they made their way down his face. "I've been through hell these years, Baby. I deserved it all. It was my retribution for throwing away what we had."
"Whatever you went through isn't enough to make up for all the pains you caused me. Nothing would be enough, not even death. Get out!"
"But Baby..."
"Get the fuck out!"
"At least, let me see my daughter!" Diam snapped dejectedly. Her decision to keep his daughter away from him was a callous move on her side. He only earned the tag of a bad lover. He wasn't a bad Dad, yet. She had no reason to keep his daughter from him.
"I'm gonna say this for the last time, she is not your daughter." Baby said furiously. "The next time you come in here making such claims, I'll make sure you don't leave in one piece."
Just then, a girl ran into the house with her backpack and hugged Baby.
"Mummy"
Baby quickly stuffed the dagger into her pocket. She squatted and adorned her daughter's forehead with a kiss.
Diam could feel the tears drop at the sight of the little girl. But God, she looks just like her Mum! A small bundle of beauty.
"Sweetie, you're back early." Baby smiled at her daughter.
“Yes, Mummy. My class teacher said all the teachers needed to discuss something alone. So all the students had to leave early.“
“Alright, sweetie. Go wait in your room. Mummy has a visitor."
"Sure, Mummy." The girl cooed, kissed her cheek, and ran off.
"Baby, you gotta let me get to know my daughter. I know I hurt you but she's my daughter. Please." Watching the bond between the mother and daughter, Diam realized just how much he was missing out on.
The girl was his daughter. It was a fact. He needed to create some bond with her.
"You're gonna get the hell out and never show up here again. Or I'm gonna sue you for being such a nuisance."
"Please. Just how long are you gonna keep sending me away?" Diam was in another fit of tears. Nothing he wouldn't give to put an end to this nightmare and have her in his arms again.
"Till you learn to accept that whatever we had is over. Right now, we're just strangers with memories."
"No." It was faint, but it conveyed the sorrow his heart had sunk into. "No, Baby. What we had, what we shared, it was–" he trailed off, running a hand through his hair, desperately searching for the right word. "–beautiful." In reality, no word could describe it. No word came close to.
"Was it? Maybe, to you. But to me, it was a nightmare. A sickening, frightening nightmare."
Diam was speechless. There was no reasoning with Baby. Her mind was made up. She wanted him gone for real.
Baby gave him a firm push, and he was out the door.
On impulse, he held the door before she could slam it. The look in her turquoise eyes was cold. But he had to get these words out. "I can't let you go." He husked out, soothingly.
For a second, she hesitated. Her eyes quivered, her resolve seemed to have cracked.
"Sorry, Diam. But you got no choice." One last, long glare before she slammed the door.
With him gone, Baby was alone in her thoughts. Then she let the tears flow freely. It was one Herculean task, holding them in for as long as she did. She stared longer at the closed door, with Diam pictured in her mind.
A part of her wanted to comfort him. Kiss away his pains. Ease his sorrows. Make him happy. Like old times.
But once again, she filled her heart with so much anger by going down that painful memory lane, remembering just how it all started.
FLASHBACKS.Baby had her aunt's number on the redial. The situation was totally out of their control. They needed all the help they could get."Please pick up, aunt." Baby was getting scared with each call her aunt missed. She redialed but still got nothing."Did she pick up?" Her Father asked. The situation had him weary and confused. He knew just as much as she did that her aunt was their last hope."...and that's forty times. Fuck!" Baby spattered, hurling the phone to a corner. She ran her hand through her hair in utter frustration. This wouldn't end well. Not when they had no one to turn to."Your aunt Silvia has never been there for us. Whenever we needed help, she disappears. But when things are going smoothly, then be prepared to have her around every second.""That's not the issue here, Father. The deadline is impossible. We can't afford such money so quickly. Even if we're given all our lives, we still wouldn't be able to afford it!""It's alright, Baby. I will look for a wa
On that memorable day, Baby had to go seek help from Dane Diam. He was the boss of her Father. An important file that contained a special delivery which was worth 8.5 million dollars was stolen in Phillips Smith's care and resulted in a big problem. Baby asked for help and sure, help was given to her, but in a very unexpected way."What did you just say?" Dane Diam stood up from his swivel, leather chair. His stare was intense and hard on her. He could not believe she had just agreed to his proposal without giving it a second thought. It was the most vulgar proposal he'd ever made. It was inappropriate in all ways. She seemed like a naive one. Surely, he'd expected her to weep and beg for mercy. It was more than shocking that she'd accepted his insane proposal in a heartbeat. Diam walked closer to her. With a turn of the swivel chair she was sitting in, he was staring deep down into her eyes."Do you, by any chance, understand what I just proposed to you?""Yes, Sir DaneDiam." Baby g
Phillips Smith prepared a delicious macaroni with cheese which would serve as dinner for his daughter and him.Seated on the dining table, they laughed and talked like they had zero worries.Baby had locked away the proposal with Diam in the basement of her heart. Never was she gonna go back to his office. She was perfectly fine where she was, with her Father."Father?" "Yes, Baby""Thank you.""For what?""Your love. Your kindness, and most of all, your support."Philips Smith smiled at his daughter's soft words. "I'll always support you in any decision you make. Always.""I know." Baby beamed but it vanished instantly. "Now what?"Phillips Smith sighed sullenly. "I'll go to Mr. Diam and explain to him. Don't you worry about a thing.""Do you think he'll agree to it? Won't he think we're messing with him?""I don't know. But don't think about that too much, hm? Let's just eat for now. We've got plenty of time to worry about that."After dinner, the father and daughter sat on the cou
Baby packed up a few clothes and left with Diam in his car. It was a long, quiet ride that she dozed off. Diam woke her up with a soft shake when they arrived at his mansion."Welcome to my humble aboard." He stepped out of the car, stretching out a hand to her.Baby placed her hand on his and he helped her alight from the car.She couldn't stop drooling at the many magnificent things surrounding her. Everything was different like she'd just entered a whole different world.She knew this neighborhood. 'Smiles', that's what it's called. It was the haven for the richest amongst the rich. You only get to reside in 'Smiles' if you're ranked 1-15 in the top richest here in California.It was a very beautiful and peaceful place. The middle-class and lower-class are never allowed into 'Smiles'. Many lower classes did try to work as maids but these rich folks would never allow it. Their maids were college graduates. Skilled and tactical. There was no room for mistakes and tackiness.Diam led
Baby was on the verge of freaking out. Never had she been in such an intimate position with any man. But here she was and it definitely was the most uncomfortable thing ever.Signing that contract had meant she was to pander to his every whim. But she just couldn't let him do to her whatever pleases him. And she sure as hell wasn't going to bed without a bath."Sir Diam? Please, allow me to go take my bath first." Her words had a little difficulty coming out. She had to squirm a little to get them out. But Diam made no move. He said no words either. "Sir Diam."He replied with a little pull, bringing her closer to himself. Her boobs were squashed against his rugged, bared chest. She tried squirming again but it was impossible. There was no more room for that. Her heart raced as she saw his face close to hers, close enough that she could feel his breathing caress her face."Si..."Her words never came out. Diam had claimed her lips in a ravaging kiss. It was so sudden she didn't know
Downstairs, Diam poured himself a glass of whiskey on the rocks.The hand wound around the glass was shaky. He gulped down his whiskey, loving the burning sensation it gave his throat. Carefully, he placed the glass on the counter."A virgin." Diam mumbled. The thought of it was unnerving. Though, he was a virgin, it wasn't that big of a deal compared to hers. Damn, how he fantasized what his first time would look like! Who the lucky girl would be. Right now, he can't think of her as lucky. She'd winded up with an aloof bastard such as himself. Her luck was an ill one.But there she was in his room. The logical reaction would be to cancel the contract and send her home. It was logical, but a thought he dreaded. Dane Diam wasn't sure why, but the thought of letting her go scared him shitless.She was everything he was meeting for the first time and had zero knowledge about. Fragile. Naive. Innocent. Virgin. But he couldn't kick her out. He just couldn't. What a self-harm it would be.
Again, Diam was faced with the idea of letting her go. He didn't want to give it so much as a second thought, but he knew he had to. "Send the girl home, bro. That's the only way to save yourself from the mess you got into."Diam sipped his whiskey in silence. Fred went on and on but Diam was lost in his thoughts.No matter what perspective he thought about it from, letting her go didn't sound appealing. "Diam!" Startled, Diam's head came swinging up with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I was lost in thought.""But there's nothing to think about, man. You can't keep her.""I can't send her home either." Diam blurted out in a desperate tone."And why not?""Because..." Diam wasn't sure about the reply to give. He couldn't send her home because he wanted her to be with him. It was this crazy sense of possessiveness he was feeling over her. And he wasn't even sure why."Because?" Fred persisted, staring intently at him."Because she signed an irrevocable contract. And it isn't something
Diam maneuvered into the street, with only one destination in mind. Mr. Phillips' residence. His jaw twitched in fury, and it only got worse the closer he got. He hated being played a fool, and that was what Baby and her Father were doing.He finally reached the dark neighborhood of Phillips Smith and quickly alighted from his car.He kicked the main door open and barged into the house. Phillips Smith was running out of his room in sheer hysteria."Sir..." Phillips Smith choked on his words as Diam hurled him to the wall. His cries echoed into the night."Where the fuck is she?!" Diam roared."I..don't...know..." Phillips let out another loud cry as Diam stomped hard on his leg."I'm sick and tired of her games. Bring her out right now or you don't get to see another daylight!"It was a threat Diam wasn't sure he would follow through. But one thing was for sure. He wasn't leaving without Baby by his side."Who are you searching for?" Phillips Smith whimpered, wringing in pains on the