Burning Passion

CHAPTER 308: I SHOULD'VE FOUGHT FOR US

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(Foreword: Hello, dearest! Merry Christmas! It's Christmas Eve here in the Philippines and our tradition is staying past midnight to celebrate it. However, I have bad news. This chapter wasn't edited because I have a problem with my wifi connection. I only published this chap through my phone with mobile data. Hopefully, tomorrow my wifi backs okay to edit this chapter. Thanks for understanding! Happy Holidays!)

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Mely observes what would be Steven's reaction. And the silence he rendered made her shoulder fall on her sides, disappointment exhibit in her eyes

This isn't real! Mely looked at her son with disbelief. She was pondering which part did she lack discipline in her son? Is spoiling Steven made him this way? But Jerome always reminded their sons, lectured them, and scolded them. Jerome always punishes their sons if they do wrong. 

Is it their fault that Steven behaves like this? 

Mely has now stressed herself playing a scenario in her head. She could help but blamed herself for how she lacks to discipline her son. She was sick for a long time. Maybe that's why she missed seeing Steven having this behavior because she is not fully hands-on in taking care of their sons. 

It was the butler and nannies who looked after them all the time. As a parent, it was her shortcomings to not watch her sons closely. 

Now, what face could she show to Dona? Her son made a shameful act toward Nina! That poor thing! She loves that girl. Even if no one of her sons marries Nina, she always thinks that girl is her daughter. 

"Steven, why did you do that to Nina!?" Kelly trembles her voice. 

Jerome notices this, it worries him if Mely breaks down. 

Steven, who only thinks of himself at the moment, didn't catch a glimpse of how pale his mother was. 

"Ma! I'm just helping her!" Steven reason out.

"What do you mean by helping her bastard!?" Jerome roared from his seat. Displeasure wrote all over his face, Elder Shang threw a disbelief look. 

"You, idiot! Of all people, it was Master Li's granddaughter you did such a thing!?" 

"But great-grandpa! Her body was cold! I'm just lending my body heat to her!" 

Hearing this, Elder Shang stupefied. This stupid great-grandson of him! He shouted at Steven. "Bullshit! Then why do you need to leave a mark on her body!?" 

Steven rendered speechlessly. Honestly, he hasn't controlled himself staring at Nina's smooth skin. But he is ready to marry her anyway. If they sleep together, he is willing to take responsibility. He is ready to marry her at any moment. 

But why does everyone throw a fret? Isn't like he'll run away after he beds Nina. 

It was what was playing on Steven's mind. Now that he knows his family's plans, he needs to get off the plane and take a flight back to New Jersey. 

"I'm getting off here, father." 

Jerome glared at his son, he muttered sternly. "And what do you think you are doing? I just said that you are not welcome to show up at any Li's house! Even in China, you are not allowed to see or talk to Nina! Nelson just warned you!" 

"Then I will explain! I want to take responsibility! If--" 

"Don't you understand? They already called off the engagement! No wedding is going to happen!" 

Jerome could not believe how stubborn his son. Annie said Nina attempted to break up with him many times but Steven refused to accept it. Now he proves how hard it is to make Steven understand. 

"Papa, tell me… Ever since you have no plan to arrange my marriage with Nina, is it? Because your favorite son is Harry." 

"Bullshit! I don't have a favorite son! When did I become soft to you and your brothers? All of you receive punishments when one makes a mistake! You did a crime this time! What do you think the punishment should I give you? You must be thankful that all Li wanted is not to bother Nina anymore!" Jerome reached the back of his head. Steven did make him work out like this. 

"You should give me a chance to see and talk to Nina, at least." 

"What for!?" Jerome snapped. He grew irritated at how stubborn Steven was. Not only that, but he is also talking back. He could feel that his blood pressure was rising. "Nina wanted to break up with you! Just accept it!" 

"All I want is you all allow me to talk to…" 

"Enough, Steven! Just accept it!" 

"But Mama! I love Nina!" 

"She doesn't love you! Why don't you understand! Just forget her, can you? You will meet and…" 

"No! She's the only one I'm going to love! I promised I will love her for the rest of my life!" 

"You can say that now. But in the future, you can meet another girl that may be more wonderful than…" 

"Why don't you understand, Mama? Nina is the only woman I love!" Yelling this, Steven punched the plane window. It didn't shatter, only it cracked the glass but Steven's hands got bruises, blood dripping from his knuckles. 

Witnessing how Steven reacted, Mely's head spinning, till slowly her vision blackout, and she lost consciousness. Jerome tried to hold his wife in her seat. Seeing this, Steven came back to his senses.

"Ma!" He joins his father to support his mother not to fall on her seat. 

Steven called the attendant and asked for help. They requested a medical assistant from Honolulu International Airport Hospital, and they sent an ambulance instantly. 

Mely was sent to Honolulu Hospital. Steven's hand was already clean and put on a bandage. He was sitting silently outside his mother's private ward. 

Pressing his back on the seat, Steven shut his eyes. It was his fault. He was talking aggressively to his mother. He didn't consider her poor health. 

Jerome, seated across from Steven, stared at his son with a serious facial expression on his face. He muttered, "Look at what you've done. You know that your mother easily breaks down. Your mother needs a long rest. She has to avoid stressing herself. Now mind your words and tone. Honestly, I don't need to remind you. You are an adult already. Act like one." 

Steven pressed his mouth. He opens his eyes and meets his father's gaze. "Now you are blaming me?" 

"Yes! If only you can understand right away, this would never happen!" 

"Enough!" Elder Shang cut in. The father and son began arguing again. It irritates him to listen further. Melt is his favorite granddaughter-in-law and so he is worried very much. 

"Mely should not hear any quarrel from both of you. This is not the time to discuss whom Nina should marry or whatsoever. I had nothing to do about it anymore, nor your father, Steven. So this case is close. That's what you should understand. Stop arguing with us from now on because there's no use. Our mind won't change any more." Elder Shang added. 

Steven wanted to protest one more time. But his great-grandfather is right. This is not the right time to argue about it. What is more important is his mother's condition… 

The next day, Harry was in the office when he received the news about what happened to his mother. Immediately, he booked a flight toward Hawaii. 

He was looking around where to check-in for Hawaii flights when he spotted Nina having a coffee. He wondered what she was doing in the airport and who she was with. 

Harry contemplates, he needs a quick decision. And he chooses to talk to Nina. It surprised her to see him standing in front of her table. 

"Harry? What are you doing here?" 

Before Harry answered Nina's question, he returned to query. "How about you?" 

"Papa received a telegram this morning. His presence is needed in the company as soon as possible. So I drove him here." 

"I see." 

"How about you?" 

"I need to fly to Hawaii. They needed to send mama to the hospital."

"What happened to Mama Mely?" Nina realizes she still called Mely as a mama. It seemed she was already used to addressing the woman this way. She looked up at Harry, he pushed a smile across his face. He seemed amused hearing her call his mother like this. Blushed, she lowered her gaze. 

"What happened to her? Why were they in Hawaii? I heard they're going to Las Vegas and San Francisco?" 

"No. They were heading to China. The plane only has a stopover to refuel. But something happens." 

"What happened?" 

"They tried to explain to Steven why they have to go back to China. They argued and it looks, this is what caused Mama's distress to trigger." 

"Am I the reason why your family quarrels?" Nina guessed it. Her aunt Annie said to her, that her father prohibited Steven from coming to get near or talk to her. 

Then the solution the Shang came up with is to bring Steven back to China. 

"Don't think that it's your fault. My family owed an apology to you. So the Elders are trying to do the right thing. I'm sorry if Steven causes you so much trouble this passing month." 

Nina raises her head. She looks at Harry with sadness in her eyes. Later she pursued a smile and told Harry. 

"You should not be the one apologizing to me. You've done nothing wrong." 

"I did." 

Nina creased her forehead. She gives Harry a confusing look. 

"I should've fought for us in the very beginning." 

Nina's eyes widened upon hearing Harry's statement.