Chapter 55: Chapter 55

Isabella's pov;

"If you're serving clients on the weekend, who's going to perform today?" While I was receiving their orders, one of the regulars inquired.

"We didn't have anything planned for today. We have a tight schedule because Christmas is approaching, so we're preparing for that."

They conveyed their menu by nodding. I heard someone strumming the guitar strings while I was shouting out orders in the kitchen. Maybe it was in my head, so I kept giving the meal orders. Someone was singing in the diner. I came out of the kitchen to see who it was.

Mr Martinez sat in the chair, holding my guitar, and singing on the raised stage where I perform for my clients every weekend. Is Mr Martinez singing? I was astounded after hearing Mr Martinez's singing, he has a wonderful voice. Wow. What a gentle and charming voice he has. Everyone began shouting and taking pictures of him singing.

When the previous song concluded, he said into the microphone, "The next song will be a dedication song for my darling wife, Isabella." "I hope you like it," he said, pointing at me.

"Fall for you - Secondhand serenade," he began to sing.

"Because a girl like you is impossible to find.

You're impossible to find."

"Wait," he said when I tried to go. And stepped down from the elevated platform and approached me. He pressed his lips to my cheeks and looked me in the eyes.

I said, "You did an excellent job singing."

"Marry me, Isabella," he said, brushing his cheeks against mine.

This time, I was completely taken in by his confession. While I was considering my response, Emily continued, "I hope you enjoyed tonight's surprise performance..."

Mr Martinez's hand was lifted from my face as I proceeded to the restroom. I was flushing as a result of his action.

Someone knocked.

"Who's it?"

"It's me. Please open the door."

Behind the door, I heard Mr Martinez's voice.

"I didn't lock it."

I heard Mr Martinez open the door and close it quickly. I came to a halt when I heard his footsteps approaching me. I felt him standing behind me, but why was he silent?

I turned to face him after washing my face. He patted my face with tissues from the tissue dispenser.

When I attempted to leave after he had finished, he said, "I know how you felt when I asked you, but why aren't you accepting it?"

"Are you upset because I didn't accept you? Fine! Go ahead and be angry at me." And exited the restroom. Argh! What made me say that? Idiot!

After everyone had gone home, I decorated the Christmas tree. I noticed Mr Martinez walking upstairs as I was decorating the tree.

"Are you going to sleep?"

"I need to tidy some stuff in my room." He said this while avoiding my gaze and walked upstairs.

I was cleaning the bar stand after decorating the tree, I heard a loud thud from upstairs. As though something or someone had collapsed. I remembered Mr Martinez stated that he's going to clean something. Did he trip and fall on the floor while cleaning?

I hurried upstairs and rushed into his room. Mr Martinez was lying in a pool of blood on the floor. What in the world happened here?

"What happened?" I asked, lifting Mr Martinez from the floor with all my effort. And I tried to look where the blood was pouring from, but I couldn't because my mind went blank.

I shook him while calling out his name "Mr. Martinez, get up!... Wake up! Alex, Alex, wake up!..."

As I watched him being unconscious in a pool of blood, my eyes welled up with tears. I observed a nearby screwdriver covered in blood. "Did this hurt you?" I asked, showing the screwdriver.

He nodded and opened his eyes halfway.

"What happened to you, Alex?"

His hand was caressing his waist. I wiped away the tears, tore his shirt, saw blood, and my heart stopped beating for a moment. I ripped a piece of my shirt and cleansed his wound. There was no stab wound after cleansing the wound. I think he was confused to answer.

I inquired of him, "Did you truly get hurt in the stomach? There were no visible wounds. Tell me, have you been hurt anywhere else?"

He passed out as I was asking him. I sobbed and grabbed the phone, attempting to call an ambulance.

Mr Martinez snatched the phone away from me and shouted, "Stop contacting them. What if they actually come?"

He stood on the floor as if nothing had occurred. I was confused.

"What exactly is going on here?"

He chuckled nervously and replied, "It was a joke. I was curious how you would respond if you saw me in that condition. I never anticipated you to address me by my name..."

I slapped him hard on the cheek and walked out of the room before he could finish.

After one week,

Mike, "How long will you be upset with him? He claimed he did it instinctively. Please forgive him, Bella."

I wiped away my tears and stated, "You have no idea how I felt when I saw him like that. Mike, please leave me alone for a while." And I delivered the meal to the consumers from the service area.

After Mr Martinez entered, I shut the doors and went to the changing room to sleep.

There was a knock on the door when I tried to go to sleep. Mr Martinez comes to my door every night to talk to me so he gives a knock and calls out my name. He apologises and walks out when I don't open the door. This continued for a week. Not today, though.

"Why are you knocking on my door?" I questioned as I opened it.

He gave me a hug and apologised.

I released the hug and said, "I'll accept your apology. Go to your room now."

"No, you didn't."

"I truly did. You know I can't maintain a grudge for that long." And then entered the room.

"I didn't think you took it seriously," he added as he followed me inside.

I took his hand in mine and murmured, "I've only had mum since birth. I grew up alongside her, watching how hard she works to provide for me. She was my entire universe. When Mom was diagnosed with cancer, it opened my eyes to the truth of this ordinary world. When Mom died, the universe she had built for me stumbled and crumbled. I feel as though I don't have anything to do with my life.

It felt fated when I saw you. Fear began to rise inside me as I began to have these unsorted feelings toward you. After I went away, you pulled me out of my suicidal thoughts and showed me that I had another person I can love, and that person is you. I began to adore you indefinitely. It grieved me to discover the reality that you had concealed. I wouldn't have been wounded if I hadn't had feelings for you and found out the truth. But it was painful since I had fallen in love with you.

I came to express my love to you, but I found out you had been kidnapped. I couldn't sit around like everyone else and leave the job to the cops, so I risked taking my buddies with me to find you. Before they hauled you away that night. They pulled a man with blood all over his body who had been beaten in the face. I assumed it was you. When I heard the gunshot, my heart stopped for a second and I felt as if I couldn't breathe. When my friend noticed you and informed me that you are still alive and that the man who was shot was not you. Do you have any idea how I felt? That's when I realised I couldn't live without you. I realised that you are the reason I am alive. I realised I was madly in love with you.

After that, a lot of things happened. My love for you grew stronger with each passing day, as did my terror. I'm afraid of losing you. I saw myself becoming strong enough to defend, cherish, and embrace you. The reason I remained separated from you was not only to return the money, but also to prepare myself for you. Hearing about my parents and remembering your parents pulled me back into the fear I was experiencing. I was always thinking to myself, "Do I have the right to be with this person?" whenever I stood beside you. Every time I felt affection, a question in my mind would arise, "Do I deserve this love?" "Do I deserve you?"

Why do you care so much about me? I literally have nothing but this restaurant. I don't have a large house, so I sleep in the locker room. I don't have a mother or a father. I'm not as wealthy as you. I don't know how to drive, I don't know how to cook, I don't know how to take care of others, I don't know how to speak to others respectfully, I don't know how to leave a club without being wasted. if I'm in your life, I'm a mistake or an error in your perfect wonderful existence. Do you still desire someone like me?"

"Will you stop loving me if I leave?"

I shook my head and sobbed.

He hugged me and said, "I love you because it's just you. Why buy a house when you have the changing room to sleep in? I don't have parents either, but it has nothing to do with the feelings I have for you. I'll teach you to drive till you learn, cooking, you can leave that part to me, drinking, I find it cute when you get drunk because you talk out of your mind." he lifted my head and added, "listen to me, I'm not a robot to have a perfect life." You freed me from the cage in which I had been imprisoned for 11 years so I want to return the love you gave me. That is the definition of love. Giving. You've never seen me with pity like others have. I enjoy our little disputes and how you reconcile in your own unique way. If you are the flaw in my otherwise flawless existence, then I want to be corrupted for the rest of my life." "I love you, Isabella," he said as he held me.

"I knew it already," I murmured as I hugged him back. "Why are you repeating yourself?"

He broke the hug and stared at me as if he expected me to say those words.

"I can hardly believe I'm saying this." I… I adore you, Mr Martinez… I mean… Alex, I love you."

He laughed and hugged me tightly.