Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Isabella's pov;

"Um, I waited to call you first but I thought you wouldn't pick up the call after what had happened so I didn't do it. To my surprise, you called me."

"I like it when you talk like this. Is this how you talk to your friends?" Harry asked me.

"Yeah, why?"

"When you speak like this, it feels like you're being yourself and you started to like me back right?"

"No!"

He never missed a chance.

He laughed and said, "I was kidding but not really kidding though."

While I was talking to Harry on the phone, Ethan barged into my room.

"Bella, who's on the call?"

I said to Harry, "I'll talk to you tomorrow." And ended the call.

Ethan ran to me and gave me a hug and asked, "Is that your boyfriend? Did I interrupt you in the middle of your romance?"

"He's… it's complicated."

"Okay. I got it!"

"Hey! Why did you hug me? I forgot to ask about that."

He held both of my hands together and said, "It worked! Your idea worked! The stocks increased, employees started working harder and i can't believe it!"

"Hold it right there! You're squeezing my hands."

"Come down, I bought a delicious dinner for you."

"You really did? I need someone saying that he'll only treat his girlfriend when it comes to girls. What happened this time? Am I an exception?"

"You're not an exception. You're my little sister." And patted my head.

"F*ck you."

I walked out of my room to check if he really bought food for me.

Ethan ran after me and said, "That's not the way you talk to your brother."

"Brother, my a**"

"Hey! You have to learn how to talk with the elders."

When I got downstairs, there was a delicious smell coming from the kitchen.

When I saw the dining table, there were dishes spreaded on the table.

I whined while looking at the food, "Every food looks so delicious but I don't know the names!"

"Let me." And he started, "Let us start with some salad cabbage and pistachio with garlic."

"Ethan? I don't want…"

He let out a chuckle and said, "I knew you don't like vegan. I was just kidding you." He came and whispered into my ears, "I bought it for Alex. He eats every vegetable." Which made me chuckle.

"Okay. Let's start with appetisers. La Bodega Cheese Plate."

"Yumm. I love cheese."

"Next appetiser is Caramelised pear tartlet. This is a puff pastry with blue cheese which is a must eat."

"Wow! A puff pastry. Delicious. Um, what about this?"

"It's Basil and braising green ravioli."

"I love ravioli. Can I eat it?"

"But it's a main dish. You can't skip salad and soup for the main dish."

"But I want to taste it."

"Only if you call me brother."

"What? No! That's disgusting."

"You call Noah your Big Brother. Then what's wrong calling me a brother?"

I changed my expression quickly and said, "Brother, can I have my ravioli now?" And made puppy eyes.

He patted my head and said, "Yes, you can, my little sister."

I ate ravioli and went after meat after meat.

"You're ruining the order to eat."

"Can't I brother?"

He gave a smile and said, "You can eat however you want my little sister."

"Who bought it from the restaurant?" Mr Martinez asked as soon as he saw the dishes on the table.

Ethan said, "I did. I bought it for my little sister." And patted my head.

"Sister?"

Ethan pointed at me and said, "Yeah, this one."

"Whatever."

He sat and started eating the salads like Ethan said. I laughed at him and Ethan joined me too.

"What are you laughing for?"

"Ethan said…"

"Ahem."

"Brother said that you will eat salad when you begin eating the food."

"When did you start calling him brother?"

"I didn't. He forced me."

Ethan pinched my ears and said,"I think I should tame you well."

"Ack! Ack! It's painful."

"Call me brother."

"Brother, please. Let go of my ear."

Ethan patted my head saying, "That's my little sister."

While Ethan was concentrating on eating, I whispered to Mr Martinez, "Did you understand now?"

He looked like he was trying to stop laughing from what he said in front of him.

After finishing eating, Mr Martinez asked Ethan, "What's the treat for?"

"Didn't I say the reason?"

"No."

"Isabella gave me an idea and I tried it with half a mind but it worked. The company's profit increased in just two days. I'm thinking of making her my assistant if she agrees to it."

"I'm still here." I said.

"Why are you listening to the elders ' conversation? And why are you still here? Don't you have school tomorrow? Go and sleep."

I let out a sigh.

"Don't sigh in front of your brother."

I whispered, "Brother, my a**"

What? What did you say?"

"Nothing, brother. Have a goodnight." And left for my room.

While I was making the bed, I heard someone knocking on the door. By the knocks, I understood it's Mr Martinez.

"Come inside, Mr Martinez."

He stood still without saying anything.

"Is there something you want to talk about?"

"I heard that you helped him."

"Yeah, but not really, I just gave him some opinions…"

"Why did you do that?"

"Huh?"

"You can't help him every time. What if he finds another crisis in his company? What will you do then?"

"Why do you sound like I bought the stocks and helped him with his company to raise the profits? I didn't even have a suggestion. All I did was give an opinion…"

"Whatever it is. It is his company. He should face all the consequences that arise in the company."

"Mr Martinez, if you came to fight me, I'll just remind you that I'm not in a state to fight. One fight is enough for one day and I already had it with Harry. I'm sorry but can you please leave?"

"I'm not here to have a fight with you either. I'm just saying don't help him anymore." And tried to leave.

"Why shouldn't I? Can you give me a reason for that?"

"It's his company. He has to face the consequences that arise inside the company."

"Can I ask you something? Are you jealous of giving up the company you worked hard for?"

"What did you say?"

"I heard it through the workers. I heard that you worked hard for that company. And when your stepmom asked for the company, you just gave it up like nothing."

He stepped forward and asked in a serious tone, "Do you love gossiping that much? I'm not jealous. If he doesn't know how to solve a crisis then how will take care of it in the future?"

"Why does he have to do that? Why should he take care of that company?"

"It's his property now. He's the one who should take care of it."

"I don't know why everyone is forcing it on him. He doesn't like business. Can you see that? Even though he hated it, he studied since his mother forced it on him. She must be an evil one for sure. How can a mother force her son like this? After studying, you have him company and ask to take care of it. How can he maintain a company if he doesn't like it? How can he do something he doesn't like? Does that sound fair to you? When I asked you for help, you didn't even try to help him? Even though he's not your blood brother, he's still your brother. How can you be like that to him? How can you talk like he's someone? I thought you would help him somehow but you didn't. I thought you were different but you are like everyone else." And walked out of the room.

I came out of the house and walked along the pathway. I don't know where I'm walking too but I couldn't be in that place after hearing him talking like that.

I felt a cold breeze into my ears. I came out of the house wearing pyjamas. I should have taken a coat.

Someone covered me with a blanket, when I turned to take a look, It was Mr Martinez. What is he doing here? I thought of taking off the coat but because of the cold wind I accepted it.

Mr Martinez asked me, "Are you still mad at me?"

"I'm not mad. I'm upset."

"Why?"

"I don't want to speak about it."

"But I want to. I don't want to fight with you. If my tone sounded like I was fighting, I'm sorry for that. May I know why you're upset?"

"I thought you were different but… you acted like everyone else. You didn't help him."

"Have you heard about a mother bird making her kid bird fly?"

I shook my head and said, "My mother was so busy making money so I didn't have a chance to hear bed stories."

"Well, the story goes like this. When the mother bird lays eggs in its nest, she warms up the eggs to show love and comfort and takes care of it from other birds by being awake all day but when hatchling comes out of the egg, she pushes her kids to the ground. Do you know why?"

"Wasn't that cruel? Why did she do that? If she's going to push it in the end then why did she take care of it in the beginning?"

"She's not trying to kill them. She pushes her hatchling out of the nest to make them fly on their own. If she doesn't, they don't learn how to fly and doesn't know that they have the capability to fly."

"Ohhhh. I got it now. You made him learn by himself. Okay."

"And, I did help him a bit."

"What!? You helped?"

"Er… I bought some stocks under someone's name but It's because his products were good."

I hugged him when I heard he helped Ethan.

"I… I knew you were different. I was right about you."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm giving a hug. Can't you see that?"

"And, can you explain why?"

"Does everything need explanation, Mr Martinez? For now, let's hug."

After some time, he asked, "How long are you going to hug?"

"I'm feeling cold. Let me hug you for sometime."

I hugged her back and held in my arms tightly.

"Ah! That feels good, Mr Martinez."

He held me tightly and whispered into my ears, "Can I keep you?"

Why is he asking me like that? What does he mean by that? I didn't give a response since I understood and hugged him.

After a while, the atmosphere around us becomes more and more cold.

"Mr Martinez, let's go. I'm feeling cold."

He removed his coat and wrapped it around me and said, "Don't come out in pajamas if you don't want to shiver like this."

She hit me and said, "Don't tease me."

He laughed and we walked to the house.

On the way, I asked him, "Mr Martinez, what did you mean by keeping me? I don't understand it."

"Did I? But I don't remember asking you."

"Oh. Okay."

"Did you like calling Ethan your brother?"

"I hate it."

He smiled and said, "You call Mr Martinez as big brother, Ethan as brother then what am I to you?"

"I didn't give a thought about it since you're my boss. Do you have anything in your mind on what I should call you, Mr Martinez?"

"You already gave me a name."

"But I don't remember it. What is the name that I gave to you Mr Martinez? Can you tell me?"

"You will remember it one day."

"Argh! Why are you always speaking with a puzzle? I don't understand half of the words you're saying to me. Why are you like this, Mr Martinez? Can't you be more specific and more clear?"

"I've already said that I only…"

"I remember. You only speak what is important."

We had already reached the house by then.

As soon as I entered the house, I ran up to the room for the heater. I went under the blanket and wrapped it over myself like a worm.

Even though he said he didn't remember saying it, I couldn't stop.

Can I keep you?

Because I heard this before. I've heard it long back. Someone asked me this before. Being with Mr Martinez, his words and his actions remind me of someone in the past. But why can't I remember anything? Wait, Mr Martinez said I'll remember it soon. What does he mean by that? Did it really happen to me or was I just fantasising that it happened to me before? I lost some memories when I was struggling to forget my father's existence. That's why I don't remember that much from my past.

Someone knocked on my door. Don't people sleep in this house? Why does someone knock on someone's door like this?

I stood up with a blanket and walked over to the door and opened it, "What is it?"

I heard a laugh.

"Ethan? What are you doing here? Why are you still awake?"

He flicked on my forehead and said, "Not Ethan. Call me brother."

"Why did you come here, b-r-o-t-h-e-r?"

"To thank you, my little sister."

"Didn't you already thank me for using the food?"

He looked to either side and said, "Can I come inside?" And made his way into my room.

I sat on the bed and asked him, "What is it?"

"I talked about you to Helen. She liked you. She said she wanted to speak to you."

"Now?"

"Not now. You can talk to her when you're free. I'll give her number to you."

I gave a nod and said, "You didn't come here to just talk about that, right?"

He suddenly looked nervous around me and I understood what's happening.

"You heard us, right?"

"Not fully. But yeah, some part of it."

"Why did you fight for me? He's your boss. What if you lost your job because of me?"

I moved closer and hugged him while saying, "I can get a new job if I lose this."

He broke the hug and said, "Hey! Don't say that."

I laughed and said, "And, please don't make such a pathetic face. It doesn't suit you at all. It makes me laugh even when you're sad." And laughed again.

He gave me a hug saying, "Thank you speaking for me." And moved back.

"That's what siblings are for!"

He burst out into laughter.

"Ethan, don't do business if you don't like it even if someone forced you."

He held my hand and said, "I'm not going to stay here for long. I'm planning to open a restaurant in Uk and I'm going to move to the UK once I open a restaurant."

"You're moving to the UK? Can't you open a restaurant here?"

"Helen is waiting for me so I have to go. And, I'm planning to propose to her after opening a restaurant."

"When are you leaving?"

"Why are you upset? Did you get upset because I said that I'm leaving?"

I gave a nod.

"I didn't talk about this to anyone. Not even to my mother."

"Why? Won't she allow it?"

He gave a nod and continued, "I'm leaving secretly."

"Does this mean I'm the only person to know that?"

He gave a nod and smiled.

"What if your mother threatened me to know about you?"

He laughed and said, "Then… hang in there."

"That's not fun."

"Don't worry. No one asks you once I leave. I'll make arrangements for that."

"Then, what about Rodriguez corporation? Who's going to take care of it?"

"I know a person who's better than me."

"Mr Martinez?"

He shook his head and said, "Not him."

"Then who's that?"

"You'll know it after I leave." And made a smile and continued, "Well, get some sleep. You look like someone woke up from the dead."

"Boo!"

"I got scared." And laughed and continued, "Go to sleep. Good night." And left my room.