Chapter 74
Oliver’s POV
“You do not want me calling you princess, yet you cannot even get yourself ready without dragging me into it.” Vivian said while hallowing with laughter from the other end of the phone.
I frowned. “I called to ask for help, not to be laughed at, Mr Aina.”
“I can do whatever I want; you need my help, idiot.” He continued laughing, and it was getting on my last
nerves.
“I made a mistake. Carry on with your life of being a jackass.” I said and ended the call, and I decided to go to Google for help instead.
Vivian’s call came in while I typed in the key word, and I contemplated whether to answer or just reject it. For all I knew, he wanted to continue his evil laughter.
I answered and placed the phone against my ear. “What?!”
“I am sorry; I shouldn’t have laughed so hard,” he coughed, hitting his chest a few times.
I scoffed, and a scowl stayed on my face even though he couldn’t see it. “But you did.”
“If I can’t laugh at my friend, then they are not my friend,” he argued, and he had a point. If the case was reversed, I’d also laugh, but he needed to focus.
“Did you call to laugh at me again?” I demanded through gritted teeth.
“I’m not calling back to laugh at you. I am calling to help you out while laughing,” he stressed. “So where are you going, and why are you so conflicted with what to wear?”
“I’m having dinner with Ela and Ocean.”
Vivian knew the truth because I told him the very night I found out. The first thing he asked was if I was okay. I wasn’t okay; the truth had messed me up. There was another whose truth fucked up terribly, and it was Ela, and I didn’t know what to think. Yes, Ela didn’t have her cold and emotionless expression
around me anymore, but it was still hard.
I haven’t called home or confronted Ivory about what she did to the lives of everyone in the family. What Seth had done weighed on him and drove him into his abuse of drugs, especially after Ela’s disappearance and rumoured death. The guilt destroyed his life. The pain and anger almost did the same to mine, and what Nina had experienced had triggered her decision to marry Eddie.
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Chapter 74
There was no way of confronting ivory without losing control. She had wronged everyone, and she would go down, insisting she did it to protect us all.
You do not crush someone to protect yourself, unless they are a danger to you. Ela was not a danger to our family.
Vivian asked if there was anything I needed, and I told him there wasn’t. This was up to me now. I failed Ela, and it was up to me to make it right. She had kept the truth about Ocean because I didn’t even think of the possibility of him being mine. I wouldn’t have believed her if she told me he was mine, with the lies wrapped tightly around my face.
I missed four years of his life–four years I will never get back.
I wasn’t surprised when Jayden called to tell me he also heard about Ocean; Vivian couldn’t keep a secret to save his soul. If Jayden knew, then Max knew, which meant Connor and Sir did as well. That night, the troublemakers had a group video call, and the only one absent was Max, who rarely used his phone.
They wanted to know what it was like being a father since I was the first amongst the six with the title. I had no idea either, my brain was still processing everything.
“It’s a dinner with your son; you do not have to do too much. Besides, Imela is welthier and smarter; you can’t impress her with what she already has. Be yourself. Wear something casual.” He said.
“Like a white t–shirt and black khaki trousers, casual?”
Vivian sighed, and I knew he was thinking back to the day we became friends and probably realising he had made a mistake. “Yes, if I have to spell it out.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, princess,” he said, ending the call before I could respond.
He was right about one thing: I couldn’t impress Ela if she didn’t want to be impressed. She was not interested in my money when we first met, and I knew she wouldn’t even be now that she had so much
more.
At exactly seven o’clock, I rang the doorbell with a white rose in my hand, and a second later, it opened to reveal a middle–aged woman with grey hair and a warm smile.
“You are Mr Plane.” It wasn’t a question; it was for me to confirm my identity. She already knew me; she probably saw me at Ocean’s birthday party.
I nodded, and she widened the door to let me in. “Ms Garcia and Boy Ocean will join you soon. Come, I will show you to the dining room, where you will eat. Ms Garcia told us you’re allergic to garlic. The cook told me to inform you that there will be none in your meal tonight.”
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Chapter 74
“Thank you.” I smiled at the lovely woman and handed her the flowETS.
*For Ms Garcia?” She asked, already reaching for i
I shook my head. “It’s for you because you are so warm and kind.” I replied and smiled at her.
In all honesty, I got the flower, not knowing who it was for. Ela wan’t really into flowers, but I got them for her while we were together, and the always insisted someone else would have appreciated thems more. Seeing the older woman light up from happiness and excitement told me that was true
“I haven’t gotten any since my husband passed.” She said, and her eyes grew glassy. Thank you so much, Mr Plane.” She hugged me.
“You’re welcome.” I replied only to look to the corner not so far away and find Ela staring at me, holding
onto Ocean’s hand.
It wasn’t a mean or questioning look. It was one that said she was impressed, and it gave me a warm feeling on the inside.
The older woman pulled away and took her leave, and Ocean and Ela approached. I stood conflicted, not knowing who to give my attention to as they both demanded it at the same time. Ela looked beautiful in her simple red tulle dress, and Oliver had a pair of black jeans and a grey polo on. His growing brownish–blond long hair was in a neat bun, and the little boy carried this look so well.
Ela always loved my long hair and played with it on her lazy days. When I told her I’d cut it, she told me that would break her heart, and so I vowed I’d never cut it. After our breakup, I cut it off because it
reminded me of her. That must have broken her heart–the things she’s gone through.
“Carol will tell everyone how you gave her flowers for being kind to you; watch out; everyone will start to
be nice to you.” She said, pulling me out of my train of thought.
She helped Ocean onto his chair and then took hers beside him.
“Good, I’ll just have to buy more.” I answered, and she glanced at me.
Ocean picked up his bib and placed it around his neck.
“Hola, Ocean,” I said, and his head moved from his bib over to me.
“Hola, senör Plane.” He replied in a polite tone and expertly pinned the bib.
“I told him his father’s name was Oliver. I assume he thinks Mr Plane is different from Oliver.” She said
and gave me an apologetic look.
“It’s fine,” I assured her before changing the topic. “Carol told me you informed the chef I was allergic to garlic.” I tried my hands at small conversation to keep the table lively until dinner arrived.
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“I did. Are you no longer allergic?” Her brows furrowed.
I laughed, “I still am. I didn’t think you would remember.”
“That’s hard to forget, especially since I learnt the hard way. She said and that took me back to memory
lane.
Two weeks after we met, she had made spaghetti at her place while I visited and added garlic for flav I kept throwing up until everything I had eaten left my system. That night scared Ela, and we didn’t speak for many minutes after I returned from the bathroom. She apologised, and I told her it wasn’t her fault and that I should have told her. The next day, she wrote down the list of things she was allergic to, and I did the same. She had five things on her list, ranging from the mildest to the most severe allergy, and the only thing on my list was garlic.
“For what it’s worth, the spaghetti was really delicious.” It was the truth, because I had eaten for about two minutes before I began reacting. She had put a lot of effort into it, and it would have been a lovely
dinner.
She didn’t believe my words, and I didn’t blame her.
Dinner arrived, and we ate in silence. Once we finished, we returned to the living area. Ela asked if I wanted to spend time with Ocean, which was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
She spoke in Spanish to the little boy, who nodded obediently to her words and then turned towards me.
I held my breath as he walked over to me, and glancing up, he uttered the words that made my heart stop: “Mamá said you are father.”
