Taming Mr. Cold and Arrogant

Daniel's POV:

"Mr. Kelley, someone sent you a package this morning. I already put it in your drawer on the left side."

Denise said as she gave me the photocopies of the reports I had assigned her yesterday. 

"What do you mean by 'someone?" I asked her in confusion. 

"There's no card or sender's name on the package, it's just your name, Sir."

"Okay, thank you." I opened the drawer on the left side and saw the small white box with my name at the top. 

I sighed and closed the drawer without touching the package."

"Is there anything else you need, Sir?"

"No, you can go back to your desk. Thank you, Denise."

"Your welcome, Sir."

I leaned in my seat when she finally left my office. I don't know what's inside the box, but I've been a little paranoid since Sophia left that night. Four days have passed but she hasn't contacted anyone, my mother, my sister and even Nanay Emily. 

I was pulled out of my thoughts when my phone vibrates inside my pocket. I felt a little disappointed when I saw my sister's name on the screen. 

"Rian."

I sighed as I don't know how to explain to her what had happened four days ago. 

"Dani, are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm listening."

"Is she there with you?"

"No, she's not here."

"Then where is she, why she's not answering her phone?"

"Maybe she's in the studio. Just try to call her again."

"Did something happened between you two?"

"No, nothing happened."

"I told you nothing happened, we're fine, we're okay!'

"Ohh, a fish is caught by its mouth! I wasn't asking if you're okay or not, I was only asking what happened and then you suddenly blurted out that you're okay."

-'Shit!'-

"So now tell me, what happened between you two? I've known Belle for so long, Dani, and it's not her habit not to any calls."

I sighed as I know she won't stop if she doesn't hear the truth. 

"She left the house four days ago and I haven't called her since then, so don't ask me where she is, because I don't know too."

"Wait! What are you talking about?"

"She left! She disappeared!"

"Oh, my God! But why would she do that? Did you fight?"

"What do you mean you discovered the truth?"

"The real reason why she married me!"

I didn't hear any words from her, so I kept speaking. 

"You're right, she accepted the deal on marrying me not because of money, but because of her ex-fiance!"

"Where did you-----"

"Because she wants him to be jealous and come back to her! She still loves him!"

But what I didn't know, Rian's eyes widened on the other line after hearing my accusation. 

"What the f.u.c.k are you talking about, Daniel?"

I frowned as she suddenly mentioned my full name. I know she's only doing it when she's annoyed with me. 

"Holy Christ! Where did you get that f.u.c.k.i.n.g idea?"

"I hired a private investigator and I talked to her ex-fiance!"

"You mean, you talked to Joseph De Lucca?"

"You know him?" I asked and my frown deepened. 

"Yes, because Belle told me everything about him!"

A sarcastic laugh escaped from my lips. "So you also know he caught her having s.e.x with his bestfriend?"

"That's not true, Daniel----"

"Oh, come on, Rian! Don't tell me you believed your friend's story?"

"Of course, because she's my friend! And it's true, Daniel, he tried to r.a.p.e her! He molested her six years ago!"

"Forgodsake! Why can't you believe your own wife this time? Do you easily believe what that son of a bitch told you without knowing the whole truth? Why don't you ask her? Why don't you---"

"Why would I need to ask her? To make her add another lie? If that's the truth, and Joseph molested her before then why didn't she take an action to report him? Why did she just ran away as if she was the criminal and not him?"

"Is that what that bastard told you, that she just ran away? Well, if you really hired a private investigator, then why doesn't he have the truth about her father. That he disowned her own daughter just for money, and that she didn't just run, she tried to explain herself and filed a case against him! But since they had money then, no one believed her, no one supported her, even her own father!"

"Rian----" I was stopped when I heard that she seems to be crying on the other line. 

"Do you hate her that much that you just let her leave, Dani? I hope you realize one day that she's not the person you think she is or the person you're trying to create in your mind."

"You can't judge a book by its cover, Sis."

"Exactly! You can't just judge her that way without knowing the whole story. You may think you know her and understand everything about her but you don't! You don't even know the battle that she's fighting for! If there's something happens to her, Dani, I'm not sure if I can forgive you!"

I just closed my eyes when she immediately ended the call. Her last words keep ringing in my head and I can't help but feel bothered about it. 

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°

Sophia's POV:

"Ouch!"

That's the only word I could say before I find myself on the ground. Someone was in a hurry and bumped on my shoulder that caused me to lose my balance and fall to the ground. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss." I heard him before he took my hand and helped me stand up. "Are you okay? I'm really sorry, I didn't notice you standing here."

I smiled and finally looked at him. 

"It's okay, actually it's my fault----" but I didn't get the chance to finish what I was about to say when he suddenly lunged at me and pulled me into a tight hug. 

"Oh, my God! I finally meet you, sister!"

"Oh, my God! I finally meet you, sister!"

My eyes widened in shock but I remained silent and let him hug me as he continued to call me his sister. When he let me go, he gave me the warmest smile I have ever received today. 

"Uhm... I think you're mistaken. I am not your sister." I said, shaking my head as I smiled at him. I tried to analyze his features but I gulped when I notice his resemblance to a certain person in my life. 

"No, I'm not mistaken, you are my sister." He said grinning as he took his phone and scrolled something on it. "Here, Sophia Yzabelle Del Mundo Kelley. I've already done a research on you since Mom told me you're my sister."

"W-Wait!"

I was more shocked that I don't know what I want to ask first. It is possible that he only saw me on TV and started his research on me. 

"I am an only child so it's impossible for me to have a brother-----"

But I was stopped as I realized that it's been 16 years since my mother left us and it's been almost 7 years since I left Italy. What do I know about the life they have after that? 

"Anyway, I'm Steven." I looked at his hand before I deciding to accept it. "What are you doing here?"

He asked me again, smiling at me. I looked around and I remembered why I am here and why I am standing in front of the green gate with him in front of me. 

"I'm just looking for my mother."

His smile widened and his eyes shone in happiness as soon as I mentioned the word mother. 

"Let's go inside!" I gasped when he took my hand and dragged me inside the gate. 

"Hey! Where are you taking me?"

But he just ignored me as he kept running inside while he screams. 

"Mom, my sister is here and she's looking for you!"

I felt panic and nervousness because I'm not sure if he's just bluffing. And then suddenly, a woman came out of the kitchen. 

"Steven, why are you so----" her words died when she saw me and our eyes met. "Belle?"

"She's looking for you, Mom." Steven said, letting go of my hand. 

-'Mom? He called her Mom.'-

I gulped as she slowly walked closer to me with tears streaming down her cheeks. 

"My baby." She took my hands and hugged me immediately. "You're here, baby."

"I-I want to talk to you."

"Oh, come here, take a seat." She led me to the couch. "What drinks do you want, orange, pineapple, apple----"

"It's okay, you don't need to do it. I'm fine."

"How about gr.a.p.e juice? I remember that's your favorite when you're still young."

I just gave her an awkward smile and nodded. 

"Okay, I'll just get you a glass of orange juice." I didn't stop her when she ran to the kitchen. 

When I turned to Steven, I noticed that he's staring at me. 

"You're so beautiful, sister. You looked like a younger version of our Mom."

I don't know what to say so I just smiled at him. 

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°

Flashback... 

"I'm planning to go to Seattle, Bryan. I have already booked a plane ticket."

I told him when we were having dinner. 

"What are you going to do there?"

"I'll talk to my Mom. I didn't give her a chance to talk every time we see each other, so I thought maybe it's time to talk to her and ask her everything."

"Wow! That's good to hear, Belle. When will you fly there?"

"Uhm... Tomorrow morning."

"Okay, but why didn't you tell me this plan ahead advance so we can use my private jet?"

"No, it's fine. You've already done a lot of things for me, and this time I want to do it myself."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded and smiled at him. 

"Thank you so much, Bry." 

End of flashback... 

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°

"How old is he?"

I asked her referring to Steven when we were finally seated on the couch. He excused himself for a while to take a bath as he just came from jogging. 

"He just turned 16 last month."

"Why didn't you tell Dad about him?" I asked looking straight at her, but she lowered her gaze. 

"I didn't know I was pregnant when I decided to leave him then. I just find out after three months."

"Why did you leave him and why didn't you take me with you?"

She looked at me, regrets and despair were evident in her eyes. 

"I'm sorry, Belle, but believe me I didn't mean to do it, I didn't mean to leave you with him. He was a gambler and often beat me every time he lost a game. He said I was the one who brought bad luck that's why he beat me to remove those evil spirits from my body."

My eyes widened in shock as I saw her crying for the very first time full of sorrow and pain. 

"I tried to get back at take you, Belle, but he threatened to kill me if I tried to take you away from him."

The tears that have formed around my eyes now begin to fall one by one until I can no longer control them. I don't know what to think and how to feel at this moment. All my life I was mad at her because she left me, and I pushed her away when she tried to talk to me. 

"He forced me to get married to his friend's son when I was 18 years old, because of money. He said our business was struggling with the financial crisis and it's the only way to repay all the debts of the company."

"He did that?" She got up immediately and sat down next to me. 

"And my ex-fiance tried to r.a.p.e me two days before our wedding."

"What the hell!" She screamed in shock. 

"I told him everything that happened but he didn't listen, he didn't believe me and continued just continued the agreement with his friend."

"Ohh... I'm sorry, baby." She pulled me into a hug and rubbed my back. 

"Mom..."

I hugged her back and cried on her c.h.e.s.t. I've been waiting for this for so long, to hug her and feel her embrace. I missed her, I missed everything about her. 

"I'm sorry, baby. If I had known he would have done this to you, I would have taken you even if he killed me!"

I hugged her more when I heard her words. I remember that when I was young, she was the first person who ran to help me when I fell, who wiped my tears when I cried, who gave me a hug when I was just asking for a kiss, telling me stories before I sleep and the first person to greet me good morning when I woke up. 

"I love you, Mom, I missed you."

"I love you too, baby, and I missed you so much. I promise to be on your side every single day and we will make more memories of mother and daughter memories. I love you so much." She wiped my tears and kissed my forehead before she hugging me again. 

A mother's love, the only unconditional love that I've known and exists in the world, unlimited and will never fade.