Love and Debt

Andrew heard a few knocks on his bedroom door. He frowned and took his watch on the bedside table to check the time.

"Shit!" He exclaimed when he saw it was nine in the morning.

He stood and rushed towards the door.

"I thought you had a meeting at seven. You're late!" The woman scolded her.

"Yeah. I couldn't sleep last night." He answered while massaging his temple.

The woman walked closer to him then cupped his face.

"I told you to take care of your health. Now, go get a shower and eat breakfast before you go to work." She said while smiling at him.

He smiled back and nodded, then kissed the woman on her forehead.

"Thank you, mom." He whispered before going inside the bathroom.

He took his clothes off and walked inside the shower. A warm water came out when he turned the valve on. He sighed thinking, thinking about what had happened after Nina left him.

Four months after Nina disappeared, Seira called, asking him to come to Northbay Hospital. He thought his sister got into an accident, but when he came, he was shocked to see that it wasn't Seira on the bed, but her mother.

She had scars all over her body, and there were still some fresh wounds on her legs and arms. The doctors said that someone saw a black vehicle dropping his mother on the side of the road and was taken there.

An identification card and a note were left inside his mother's pocket, and they found out that she was Sarah Cross. On the note was Seira's number, so the hospital staff immediately called her. 

In their investigation, Andrew found out the reason why Nina had to obey Paolo Santelmo. He threatened her by using his mother's life.

The Santemo's kept his mother and promised to release her if Nina would do everything they asked. His mom confirmed it and told him that she had met Nina once. And that was on the day she married James Santelmo.

His world crumbled, and his heart crushed a thousand times over when his mom told him about the wedding. She said that Nina smiled at her, telling her that everything would be fine. Then she was taken somewhere and woke up at the hospital.

He then started looking for her, but he never found her. He should feel relieved that she did it for him, but he couldn't accept the fact that she lied to him and their friends; worst, she married James Santelmo.

It's been four years, and he still didn't give up on finding her. Somehow, he wanted to see her. He wanted an explanation from her own mouth and not from some information they got from the investigation. 

They were able to cut down the Rossi's, but the biggest threat was Benjamin Miller, who had been escaping from their clutches. And they still have an unsettled business with the Santelmo's, so sooner or later, Nina and him will meet.

He sighed. Thinking about Nina with another man was making his heart in pain again. He wouldn't lie to himself, he was still in love with her, but he wasn't sure what to say to her if he saw her again. 

He understood that she did it for him, but she always had a choice, like Peggy said. She could have told him about his mother. He would never blame her if something happened. At least she was honest, and she didn't have to hurt her friends like that. Because of her decision, Peggy's unborn child died when she was stabbed during the attack of the Mafia.

If she just told them about the connection of the Santelmo's to the Rossi's and Benjamin Miller, things might turn out differently. She should have trusted him and her friends, but instead, she chose to keep it to herself and hurt the people she loved. For that, he couldn't forgive both himself and Nina.

He felt like a useless husband, being deceived by her for six years. He didn't even suspect something was going on behind her smiles. He was too happy and full of himself that their marriage wasn't like the other couple. He trusted their love for each other, but in the end, she hurt him.

He quickly went out to his bedroom and looked for his mother in the kitchen. His mother was still being treated for her schizophrenia, but she was able to live normally for the past four years.

He saw her in the kitchen with Seira, baking together. His sister started living with them after they found their mother. His father would sometimes visit them, but he wasn't sure if his parents would get back together. He wasn't hoping, though. Everything that happened wasn't easy to forget, and he understood his mother and sister's ill feelings towards his father.

"What's for breakfast?" He asked.

"Bacon." Seira answered.

He sat down and started eating. One of the servants handed him a newspaper; it was his habit to read them every morning.

"By the way, Luke called earlier. He said to call him when you wake up. I think it's urgent." Seira said.

"Really? If it's urgent, why didn't you wake me up? You just decided to tell me now?" He ranted.

Seira rolled her eyes. "Shut up and call him!" 

He shook his head then dialed Luke's number.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"Have you been searching for her the whole night again?" Luke asked.

He sighed. "Just let me be. I'm not like Jayden, who lost his mind after Peggy left him before."

Luke chuckled. It was the truth. Even though he was lonely and broken, he didn't neglect his work. Instead, he worked day and night to forget Nina. 

"So, what is it?" He asked again.

"We received a call." Luke paused. "From James Santelmo. He wanted to talk to us."

Andrew didn't know what he would feel after hearing that name. Finally, he would meet the man who took away the only woman he loved.

"When?" He asked.

"Tonight. And he won't be alone. He would bring Nina with him.." Luke said.