Raven's POV.
That's why, when Lethia almost died because of me, my heart couldn't take it to ignore her. That's why I don't have friends anymore, and I can't get attached to people quickly because I'm afraid of losing them again, and it's my fault again. But Cbiara came and made me think that there's nothing to worry about when you're in love with someone.
I avoided her because I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't. I couldn't steer away from her because I felt like she was the only one who could make me like this. I was engaged a lot of times, even when I was in high school, but in the end, I would just say no. I don't know, but I always doubted them, maybe because I knew I wouldn't love them. That love that I can give everything for a woman, the love that is unconditional, the love that would change me. I used to think I wouldn't be able to experience that kind of love. Not knowing that, in the end, Cbiara is the only one who can make me.
If she only knew that from the start I didn't love Lethia because it was only her, and the revenge is not to take revenge on my family because of Lethia. It is for her; she moved herself away from me because of what they did. I found out late that she was no longer in the country and that she had flown somewhere and left us. She came back as Hiro, my source, because I blackmailed him.
"When you won't tell me where Cbiara is and what his steps are, I will report you to your daddy." I threatened him, which I won't even do. I just wanted to know where Cbiara was and what she was doing.
Hiro had his life to face, and I'm out of it, so I don't want to interfere. Unfortunately, things aren't going right because I need his help. That's why I took the opportunity when he said the woman would come back and offered her something that I knew she would bite. I did everything for us, and she feels it, so I don't know why she left me.
"Fuck!" I drowned myself in alcohol; every day, I hardly had time for the town as a governor and my company. I became a failure at that time, but Hiro punched me a few months ago.
"What? Is that what you want Cbiara to see come back?" Hiro growled in the bar. He took the glass I was holding and was about to drink it. "Raven! I didn't vote on you for nothing!"
"W-why? Would Cbiara come back if I stopped?"
"And would she come back if you were like this? Defeat, fall, and lose everything?" He fired back to make me aware. I look at my surroundings, and everyone makes out in their way. "Get up, Raven; I didn't help you only to make you a loser." He flipped his imaginary hair and ran away from me.
Hiro's words motivated me; I know all of Cbiara's actions, even when she was in Chicago. Hiro recorded everything. Hiro didn't miss anything about Cbiara, so even so, everything is fine with me.
I managed to get up from my downfall when I got addicted to alcohol and drowned in sadness. I have put everything back in order; even if it takes a long time or is vague, I will wait for Chiara, as I promised her. I will forever be here, no matter what. I will wait for her to come back to me, and I will accept her even if she leaves me. I don't care what her reasons are; what's important to me is that she came back.
Years had passed, but no Cbiara silhouette had come. I still waited for several months, but nothing. Until Hiro gave me an idea about Cbiara's father.
I endure the insults that he throws at me; even if he punches me, I don't care. Hiro told me they became complicated after Cbiara's mother's death.
"What are you doing here? Are you going to mess up my daughter's life again? You're not done yet, are you?" Mr. Ashton was petite, unlike the last time I saw him, but even so, he was still muscular. I can see in his eyes that he seems to be missing his daughter, but he is just pretending that he is fine.
I wooed him many times; I didn't stop him until I won his heart. I follow him wherever he goes; even though his brothers are watching, they are dead to me.
Everything changes when, one time, while they are in the middle of their hunting, he is attacked by a loose trend. Good thing I followed him, so I saved him the first time. That's when I captured his heart; we became friends, and I told him how Cbiara misses her father and how he will miss his father. I don't know if it is until now, but I have no choice.
I was struggling at first until he admitted that he also wanted to see Cbiara. But his siblings declined that offer because Cbiara would only be busy with them, which makes me confused about such a thing. I mean, how would they think like that?
"I wanna make time with my only daughter after what happened. I miss her so much, and I have a lot of shortcomings with her that I want to fill. I prioritized my anger and forgot that she was my only family. I blamed her for everything; at that time, at that time I just wanted someone to blame me until I lost her. I didn't even have the guts to apologize to her after I neglected her." He said at one time that we are able to talk about this since his siblings were out of town and he didn't come because he had a visitor. And with that, we couldn't go inside because Laura had locked the house, so we had to stay in the hut.
"You know, I regret all that; I was too blinded by my anger." He looked away. "I...I love my wife over everything; I forgot my daughter was innocent of everything. But it's too late; I already lost my daughter."
"Why didn't you reconnect with her when she came back?"
"I was embarrassed, man," he said, lifting his lips. "I didn't know how to deal with her, so I didn't try to go and talk to her."
"Didn't you think that she waited for you to be together again?" He shook his head.
“She didn't want to see me. After what I did? I doubt she was.” He chuckled.
“Do you really know what Cbiara is?” I sneered. “I bet you know that she loves you no matter what.”
“Why are you doing this?” He asked me back, I was caught off guard that time, I swallowed hard before admitting him.
“I want to marry your daughter, sir,” he said, it's like he was looking forward to telling him about it.
“By how concerned you are and was pursued to make the two of us get back together. I know that Cbiara is special to you.” I nodded, “you'll take care of her once I'm gone.”
***
The two of us often talk, and I notice that Mr. Ashton is Mr. Ashton to me. At first, I didn't notice until Mr. Ashton.
"Mr. Ashton." I waved at him, but he just gave me trouble. I thought at first that Mr. Ashton was just being ignorant but that's one after the other day, and I can hear him talking to himself, which is unusual.
"Hey man, come over here," he waved at me, and he was grinning, so I was surprised to approach him even though I was a little hesitant. "I have a task for you."
"W-what?" I swallowed, because his smile was strange and it seemed like something was playing in my mind.
"You have to pitch my daughter in the airport today," he said, pointing to the cellphone.
"Really? She's coming back?!" Because of my excitement, I grinned a lot. Damn, there was a hint of excitement and fear in my heart, but my joy still prevailed. "B-but how?"
"John told her something." He patted my back, and we fist-bumped as if we were friends. "Look after him until I can, and we'll meet in the zigzag room."
We got along for a moment, and then I picked up Cbiara. I was dumbfounded seeing her even from a distance, especially when she got close. Her crinkled forehead suddenly brought me back to where we were before. Everything was overcome from down to up, and that was fvcking smooth. I wanted to slap myself because I felt like I was just daydreaming, but hearing her voice, I realized she is true.
"Yes, baby, I love you." That's what I heard when he put down her cell phone. I've often caught her calling in the middle of the night.
There is something in my heart that I cannot understand, and she always insists that I already have a wife. Where did she get such news?
I hope everything will be fine when she arrives, but knowing about Mr. Ashton's illness is making me depressed. Mr. Ashton, especially now that his illness is getting worse according to his siblings, which doesn't make sense. Since it didn't exist then, why do they seem to be hiding something?
That's why I will join Cbiara in discovering the truth. I also have a suspicion that everything is off. I need to be sure because I feel it has something to do with the last thing Mr. Ashton said to me.