Chapter 130 - I Need Her

A guard's call interrupted Hayri's thoughts on what happened on Allyza's launching. No matter how Allie tried to pretend her full commitment to his marriage proposal, her silent cues did nothing to conceal the truth. He knew he still loved Adrian, now her ex-husband. He saw the pain in her eyes, the quiet struggles she did that day. He felt the bitterness she felt inside and understood the sparks of longing in her stolen gazes at him.

His worries intensified in the fact that Adrian's engagement was dissolved. It would have been easier if he would be marrying Jane, at least Allie would have no choice but to forget, move on and start anew. But now that Adrian's identity made him free, he was afraid that while she would be with him, her heart would still long for her ex-husband.

"Sir, someone wants to talk to you. He said his name is Adrian," the loudspeaker mode made Mr. Dioko turn his head towards his son.

For a moment, the father and son locked their eyes, the latter obviously wanted to solicit his advise. For the peace of their home which Mr. Dioko wanted to maintain now that he was granted with a new lease on life, made him nod in approval.

"Let's listen to what he would say."

Hayri nodded as well but with a frown. What if he could not hide his worries and fear?

Not long after, Ajie was ushered by the guard into their meeting room. It was a small function room that Mr. Dioko used to hold business meetings in his home. Inside was a long, wooden table brightened up with a centerpiece of fresh and white orchids. Closer to the entrance was a set of leather couches and a dark glass center table.

Mr. Dioko sat on the farthest couch, a cup of tea was on the side table next to him. Hayri was on the seat near the entrance, waiting for Ajie's arrival.

To Hayri's surprise, Ajie was holding a child in his hand and needless to be reminded, she recognized that she was his and Allie's daughter. Her looks alone could not deny whose daughter she was. She was such Allie's small and perfect replica, her mother's smallest details were carved in her features.

The child approached him with her eyes on the floor, took his hand to her forehead before she tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek.

"Good morning, daddy."

Daddy...the word stuck into his throat and it prevented him from answering. He did not remember that Allie had mentioned about training her daughter to acknowledge him as her new dad. Or was Ajie training her instead as a sign of his concession that he was losing his wife to him?

Before he could make more guess as possible answers to his questions, the child's warm hand around her neck reminded him of her presence. Somehow, he was quick to come back on his senses.He kissed her as well on her cheeks but it didn't remove the frown and surprised look on his face.

Chloe stepped forward and looked over to the direction of Mr. Dioko. She then walked towards him with her eyes on the floor. She also took his hand to her forehead and tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek.

"Good morning, Lolo," her childish voice floated in his ears like sweet music and a bright smile curved in his mouth. The joy of having a child in his home made his heart flutter, reminding him of the days when Hayri was still a child. Fascinated, he lifted her up into his lap and hugged her.

"How's my granddaughter?" he said, his eyes glowing in fascination.

"Hungry!" came her reply which shocked Mr. Dioko.

He looked up to Ajie with a frown and scolded him with his looks on how irresponsible he was for allowing her child to go hungry. Yet, Ajie could find no trace of hatred at all in his face for being his son's rival.

"We will be quick. I promised to take her to her favorite fastfood restaurant," Ajie explained, his smile appearing despite the tension which started when he first saw them.

Mr. Dioko reached out for the wireless phone and ordered some food to be brought in. "Do you like chicken, cakes and ice cream, my love?"

Chloe nodded in a vigorous manner which elicited a bout of laughter from Mr. Dioko.

"For a moment, my love, okay? Now, sit beside Lolo and I will show you a video," Mr. Dioko said as he placed an ear set on Chloe.

As the video began to play in his laptop, he motioned to Adrian to go ahead with his purpose in coming. Ajie then settled himself at the couch opposite to Hayri.

"I would be stating my purpose straightforwardly. Though I may look silly to do this but I cling to the belief that there's no harm in trying," Adrian began explaining. He may be facing Hayri but he dropped his eyes on the floor.

"Sir..." continued Ajie but he was stopped by Hayri.

"Call me by my name, no need of formalities."

"Hayri, I need my wife back. Please give her back to me. While I need her as a wife, my daughter also needs her as a mother."

Hayri knew this was coming but despite his emotional preparation, his statement still hit him like a dagger. With clenched teeth, he threw him his sharp and confronting accusations.

"How dare you ask me that when it was you, yourself, who initiated your marriage annulment just because you can't wait to marry your sister!" he raised his voice on the word 'sister' to put a weight on it.

Ajie shook his head to deny it. "I know I am misunderstood. Jane is always a sister to me eversince the beginning. If it was not for Mr. Lopez, I would never propose."

"You're denying her, now that you know she's your sister?" he confronted but the words of Mrs. Lopez suddenly revisited his thoughts.

"...and you, sweetheart, haven't you wondered why Ajie could not give you an affection beyond the limits of plain friendship?"

Ajie's answer then broke into his train of thoughts.

"My heart is an open book to Jane and she knows why I ended the marriage. It's because I was blinded with anger and jealousy when I saw you kissing her..." Ajie hoped to remind Hayri on that day he met him at the airport.

"I'm never a saint to keep myself from imagining that you were doing that to her for five long years. And who would not when I knew you were living together? I even believed that you were doing something beyond the mere act of kissing in the comfort of being alone on your bed. And I was hurt with the thought of her staining our marriage not to mention her caring for another man instead of her own husband."

"What if I say we really did it? If I'll give her back to you, won't you vomit anymore in the thought that she has been with me?"

"All I knew is that I cannot live without her."

"Look at yourself, Adrian. Jane is my bestfriend. How can you afford to hurt her?"

"How I wish to spare her that. She certainly do not deserve to be hurt."

"You're selfish."

"I'm sorry if that's how you look at me, " answered Ajie and right after he ended his statement, he realized he had really lost Allie over to him.

Without reservations, he wailed in defeat and stopped asking. He knew that this one, last effort he hoped to work by placing his own pride aside, would be futile.

Seeing that her dad was crying bitterly, Chloe squirmed from Mr. Dioko's lap and ran to him, crying with him as well with the complete innocence of a child. Never expecting for this scene to happen, Hayri and Mr. Dioko were pinned to their seats, too startled to react.

After a long while, Ajie stood up and held Chloe's hand. Giving both Hayri and Mr. Dioko a nod, he proceeded to the door. But just as he and Chloe were about to step out, Allie appeared at the doorway.

Ajie froze for a while, seeing her in the home of Hayri sealed his defeat completely. He glanced up at her for a second but continued to stride afterwards without looking back.

Unprepared for the scene, Allie was dumbfounded to see him and her daughter. She was only able to react when Ajie made a final step out of the main entrance.

"Ajie, Chloe, wait!" she shouted as she gave a puzzled look at Hayri before running after them but her shouts fell on a deaf ear.

"Chloe, " she shouted again and saw her child looking back at her but her daughter's sympathy at the moment was with her dad who was in bitter tears.

With drooping shoulders and confusion, she walked back towards Hayri and asked. "What is he doing here?"

"Zheena, do you still want to marry me?" asked Hayri, his voice started to crack.

"Of course, I have my word."

"Even if Adrian's engagement was cancelled?"

Allie creased her brows. Why would Adrian break off his engagement? The second highlight of the ship's inauguration was his engagement to Jane, how could he dishonor his words?

"I don't think so."

She did not take note of the difference in Hayri's statement. He did not say, "even if Adrian would cancel the engagement" but rather said, " even if Adrian's engagement was cancelled".

"He comes here to ask you from me. He still loves you, Zheena."

Allie let out a weak smile but rather than staying further to talk to him, she hurried to excuse herself for the bathroom. But Hayri understood her lame excuse.