31. The moment of truth

JESSICA'S POV

At this moment I'm sitting on the bed looking out the window. I'm exhausted and it wasn't even midday yet. On the other hand, I'm also nervous because I'm going to the doctor this afternoon and I'm afraid of what they might say to me. I'm sure the tumour grew, there's no doubt about that, but I maybe it couldn't be operated or something.

On the other hand, throughout the morning, Monica was telling me everything I was involved in that she knew, many things seemed true to me, and I don't have the slightest idea where she found the time. We were also talking about the way in which I could say I'm alive, the truth is, none of them convinced me at all, and least of all Jackson, who's determined I should give me a little time, but time is what I don't have. I don't want to be hiding for a long time, so they don't discover me, I want to live a quiet life without anyone bothering me, but apparently, that's impossible.

I had a thousand things on my mind and a considerable headache, so I decided to go to bed to sleep for a while, it was still early, and Carla had sent me a message telling me she would be coming a little later than expected, but not too much. I lowered the blinds, because the brightness of the sun is bothering me at this moment, I put a pillow on my face and a few seconds later I fell asleep.

I don't know how much time has passed when I notice slight swaying that ends up waking me up. I move the pillow away from my face, but soon I put it back on because I don't know who the hell turned on the light. "Turn off the fucking lights" I murmured, "Are you okay, darling?" Santi asked next to me. "I'll feel better the moment that damn light goes out." I said more sharply than I intended.

I noticed how he got out of bed, turned off the light and closed the curtains again, and then sat down next to me. He ran a hand on my arm, and I calmed down a little. "Are you okay? You need something?" He asked, "I need the light out." I whisper, "Would you explain to me what's happening to you?" He asked, "Migraines, that's what happens." I confessed annoyed "Do you want us to go to the doctor?"

"For this, it's not necessary to go to the doctor." I assured, "I'll bring you a pill then." he said, starting to get out of bed "It's not necessary, really, I just need darkness. What did you come for anyway?" I asked, "I came to tell you the meal was finished, and you should go down and eat something, and to ask you what you wanted to talk to me about in the morning."

"In the morning?" I asked, confused for a moment. "Didn't you tell Carla to call you when I could?" He questioned, frowning. "Ah, yes, that." I responded, remembering the conversation we had had. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I was talking to Jackson yesterday and he told me he would find me a doctor for the tumour." I revealed "Did he find it?" He asked with a sparkle in his eyes, usually the one that appeared whenever something made him very happy. "Yes, and this one wants me to go there as soon as possible." I said, "Well, let's go right now, the sooner they take it out from you, the sooner this will all be over."

"I know, that's why I told Carla I wanted to talk to you this morning. Would you come with me?" I asked even though I knew what his answer was going to be. "You don't have to ask that; I'll go no matter what." He assured and I frowned. "Don't you have to work?"

"That's the least important thing to me right now." When those words come out of Santi's mouth, I move the pillow away from my face and look at him, because something in his voice tells me something isn't right with work, and it worries me because I know it's something he likes to do, and When I see his face, it confirms my suspicions.

"Is everything okay with work?" I asked "Yes, why do you ask?" He questioned without looking at me. "Because I know something is wrong with work, you can tell me, you know?" I said sincerely, "Don't worry about my job." He asked and I denied, because I didn't care about his job. "I'm not worried about your job, I'm worried about you. Are you going to tell me what's happening, or do I have to find out?"

Flashback (Narrator)

Santi and the kids were in the study waiting for Carla to arrive so the former could go to the meeting with the bosses. During that time, Santi was showing them the place where he worked, and the kids were happy to learn about Santi's work and to be able to spend a little time with him to get to know him a little better. While the kids were looking at the sound board, Carla enters the room angry and upset.

"Is something wrong Carla?" The man asked when he saw his best friend's face. "No, I'm just coming for you to the meeting." she reported "It doesn't seem like nothing is happening." He insisted and the singer denied, "Nothing's wrong, we just have to go to the damn meeting."

"But you just got out of one." Santi said confused, "I don't care about that, I want to see what they have to tell you." Carla responded and Santi frowned. "Do I have to worry?" He asked, "I hope not, because then I'll make a hell of a fuss." assured the young singer.

"What did they tell you at the meeting?" Santi asked, getting up from the chair he was sitting in. "They didn't tell me anything, but they insinuated things I don't like at all." assured the girl "What did they insinuate?" The man insisted with curiosity, but at the same time worried about his best friend's reaction. "I don't know how to tell you, but something doesn't feel good to me. I hope you don't mind me coming to the meeting with you."

"You know it doesn't bother me at all, you know that. But who will the kids stay with?" Santi asked, looking at them. "With the bodyguards. They will make sure nothing happens to them." the girl quickly responded, "I have no doubt about that." He nodded, agreeing with his best friend. "Then let's go, they're waiting for you."

Before leaving for the meeting, they took the kids to Santi's office and left Halsted inside with them, Hamilton would stay at the door and Pérez would leave with them. It's not they needed bodyguards inside the building, but Jackson had made sure Carla had a bodyguard at least always with her to prevent her from doing something crazy and to prevent something from happening to her like what happened to Jessica four years ago.

When they entered the meeting room, everyone turns in their direction ready to break the big news, at least for the board and Alison, but not for Santi and Carla. They stare at Carla as they were angry with her for not accepting the deal, they offered her.

"What are you doing here Carla? Your meeting has already passed." said one of the executives, snorting at the end. "I don't care about that; I'm going to stay." The singer assured, "This meeting is with Santi, not with you." protested another, "I don't care if she's there or not, let's just get this over with."

"Carla has to go outside." They insisted and Carla just snorted, "I'm not going to move from here and I'm already warning you, you're not going to be able to get me out of here in any way." The girl assured, "It's okay, anyway, you'll have to find out. Sit down."

They sat in the chairs in front of the board and remained silent while they organized the papers and both Santi and Carla noticed the other's discomfort, Carla hoping they wouldn't offer him the same thing as her, because if so, they would find out how angry she really is.

"Well, this meeting is basically about one simple and straightforward thing." said their boss, "Well, say it now." Santi said tensely. "We want you to be Alison's partner." With that, the two of them stood paralyzed without understanding anything, at least Santi, because Carla didn't take long to jump. "What the hell is wrong with you wanting to match Santi?" She asked full of anger and getting up from her chair. "They are ways to promote both Santi and his partner."

"And that's why you told me before I had to be Santi's partner?" Carla asked, upset with the whole situation occurring. "We told you because there are already rumours you are dating, that's why we offered it to you before." responded another person next to the boss. "And why does it have to be Alison?"

"Because she accepted, and we know that Santi will." The boss said, looking in the man's direction, but it didn't take him long to deny, "I'm not going to accept that." He assured, "Well, you have no choice because Alison has already signed her contract." reported the representative of the other girl "I don't care if she signed her contract or not, I didn't sign anything, and you can be sure I won't."

"Well, you'll have to sign, or you're fired." his boss revealed with a smile on his face. "Do you really want to lose the person who gets you the best talents?" Carla asked without believing what she's hearing. "We will find someone else to replace him, but I'm sure he won't reject this opportunity considering he has been single for a long time." he responded, as if they weren't talking about a person who thinks for himself, "I'm not single, I still have a girlfriend."

"A girlfriend who is three meters under the ground. Look Santi, these four years we left you to your own devices because we knew you weren't well, but it's time for you to get to work and do what we tell you." The boss reported, "Well, I'm sorry to tell you our contract is over." The man said, confiding, "Are you seriously going to turn down the opportunity to have a great girlfriend, what will Alison be like?" asked the representative of said girl without believing it. "She will be anything but a great girlfriend. I don't want to have anything to do with her even if I didn't have a girlfriend."

"Think things through before doing rash things." Another person on the board insisted, "It's nothing rash, I'm not going to let you decide what to do with my life." Santi responded, getting up from his chair. "We will give you a few days to think about it." The boss responded, completely ignoring Santi's words, "I don't need them, I'm leaving here today. You can tell the press what you want, that you fired me, I left, but what I'm clear about is I'm not going to let you manipulate my life."

"Think things before acting." He said with a big smile on his face "I've already thought about it and that's what I'm going to do." I responded Santi "Well, we hope you are lucky with your life, because the way things have been in the last four years, I doubt you'll find a record company that has our patience."

"We'll see about that." With that, Santi got up from his chair and quickly left for his office to collect the few things he had there and leave the record company and never return. Carla followed him, and even though she had a contract she couldn't break at that moment, she would do whatever was necessary to find a way to break it since she didn't want to continue in a record company that imposed those conditions on its workers.

End flashback

"It's really nothing, I'm just not going to work there again, that's all." He said with a shrug "What? Why? You love your job." I calmly responded, "I love it, but let's just say I don't agree with their way of thinking."

"There's something you're not telling me, I can tell." I said and he nodded. "Will you tell me sometime?" I asked, "I'll tell you on the way to the doctor's visit, ok?" he questions "Yeah, now can you do me a favour?" I asked for "Whoever you want." He said, "I need sunglasses, because seriously, the light is killing me."

"We will lower all the blinds in the house." He responded with a smile on his face. "That would help a little, but I don't like everything being closed either." I protested, "I know, but it's best so your head doesn't hurt." He replied, "I'll manage, but don't take them down just because the light is boring into my head."

"If that's what you want, I'll do it." He said with a smile on his face "Thank you, I love you." I said with a smile "I love you" He got out of bed kissing me on the forehead and went to the dresser where he apparently had his sunglasses. Luckily for me, they were quite dark and wouldn't let in as much light, which was going to be a help.

As soon as I put on my glasses, we went down to the kitchen where everyone is, but before entering, Jackson stops me. "The bodyguards are already here, what do you want me to do with them?" He asked curiously. "Let them come eat with us." I responded with a smile on my face "Are you sure Miss Leone?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Sure, you're in charge of taking care of us, you will eat with us."

"No need miss." He answered, "Yes, it is, so go call them and come eat." I insisted "As you wish." He responded, "I hope one day you will just call me Jessica, don't call me miss all the time."

"I'll try." He responded, "And I will appreciate it, now go get them." With that, Jackson left the house to go get the other bodyguards. Meanwhile, me and Santi went to the dining room to sit and wait for the others. "Well, Jessica Leone's diva arrived, and she can't be without sunglasses inside the house." Carla said laughing, "I don't want to take away your diva position, but I need them. Could you lower that blind a little?"

"You like natural light, and you want us to lower the blinds?" I questioned "Carla, leave her alone." Santi protested next to me "It doesn't bother me." I said honestly, because I know she's messing with me, "See? She doesn't mind what I tell her You should worry less about your dear girlfriend because nothing is going to happen to her."

"You can have that for sure. But I must ask you a favour, Carla." I said, "This is hard to believe. Jessica Leone asking for a favour?" She asked, continuing to pick on me. "Yes, Jessica Leone is asking for a favour." I responded with a big smile on my face "I can't believe it, but tell me, what is this favour about?"

"Can you stay with the kids this afternoon?" I asked and her smile widened. "That's not a favour because I'm happy to do it, but can I know the reason why you want me to stay with them? It's not because you want to have sex with Santi without anyone bothering you, right?" Carla asks "Carla!!!!" Santi exclaimed next to me "As much as I like having sex with Santi, that's not why." I admitted, and I could see the horror on my boyfriend's face.

"So?" Carla asked, laughing at the look on Santi's face at that moment. "Jackson got a doctor for the tumour, and we're going to see them this afternoon." I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Really?" She asked and I nodded "Really."

"That's great news, but you don't even have to ask if I can stay with the children, because clearly, I'm happy to do so. Later you have to tell me everything they told you, understand?" my best friend said pointing at me "Understood."

Santi lowered the blinds a little and sat next to me, and it didn't take much longer for the bodyguards to enter the dining room. This would be a great opportunity to see how the bodyguards behaved with the kids and which one would be the best to stay with them, because if there's something I'm not going to allow, it's for something to happen to them, I wouldn't forgive myself.

"Jessica, these are the possible bodyguards you asked for. They are Óscar, María, Eduardo and Max." He said, pointing to each person as he said their name. "Nice to meet you guys." I said sincerely "Pleasure is our Miss Leone." They responded, "Okay, before we start with the formalities, don't call me Miss Leone, call me Jessica."

"Whatever you want." The girl said with a smile on her face. "I have a feeling they'll get the hang of it sooner than you, Jackson." I said, laughing, "I'm trying, miss, it's not easy. I've been dragging it since I got out of the army." He answered, shrugging his shoulders, "And that's why I'm patient with you, but oh well. They are Michael, Madison, that one in front is crazy Carla…"

"Thank you, I think it's the best presentation they gave me." My best friend pointed out, laughing, "You're welcome, and this here is my boyfriend Santi." I pointed to my boyfriend, who had a smile. "A pleasure to everyone." He said, "Come on, sit down. I hope you're hungry, because if not no one will finish eating all this food."

They sat at the table and during the meal it was all laughter and good vibes. I thought about it for a while and I think I'm going to hire them all, the more people I had taking care of the people I loved the most, the calmer I would be. When we finished eating, Santi went to make some coffee and I unlocked my phone to distract myself for a while, and boy did I do it, because news began to appear about a certain Alison who apparently had given an interview today and said she's with Santi, and they were expecting a child.

From what I found, she's the girl who wants to get my boyfriend since high school, and if I'm sure of one thing, it's a lie what she's telling them. Santi wouldn't be with anyone else, I'm know how he feels about me and he wouldn't do something like that to me, so I had to do something to make that girl stop telling lies, and it had to be this afternoon.

"Jess?" Santi asked in front of me "What?" I questioned, confused, trying to understand what's happening. "Are you okay?" He asked again "Yes, but I have to answer this call. I'll come in a little while."

With that, I left the dining room and went to the backyard to call Monica, she's the one who had to help me with this. This afternoon I'm going to give an interview and I'm going to deny what that woman is saying about my boyfriend. "Hello Jessica." Monica answered, probably with a big smile, "Monica, I need you to get me an interview for this afternoon."

"Wait, wait, wait. What is happening?" she asked, confused for a moment. "I'll explain it to you later, but I need you to get me that interview." I insisted, "Getting a last-minute interview is complicated." She noted "I know, but I know you will get it." I responded "And am I saying you are going or what exactly?"

"Did you ever get a call to talk about what happened in Los Angeles?" I asked curiously, with a plan beginning to form in my mind. "Yes, a couple of weeks ago a presenter called me to talk about what happened since the fifth anniversary of your supposed death is approaching." My assistant said, "Well, you'll be the one to go, then I'll show up."

"That's too shocking." She murmured and I nodded, because it is probably "I know, but I need to do it." I insisted, "Do both Santi and Carla know what you are going to do?" Mónica asked, "They have no idea and it will continue like this. They trust me, and that's how I'm going to do it." I responded "And Jackson?" She asked, "He might not like the idea, but I don't care. I want that interview. What day was it for?"

"This afternoon." Mónica said after searching "Well that's it, we already have an interview. Then send me the details of the interview by message, I have to go to the doctor first, but I will be there as soon as it's over." I assured, "Okay, but then you have to explain the reason to me, at least to be prepared for everything that will come after this."

"I'll do that, don't worry." I responded, "Then we'll talk later and good luck with the doctor's appointment." She replied, "Talk to you soon and thank you." I thanked with a smile on my face, "You're welcome." With that we hung up and I put the phone in my pocket. I stayed for a while taking in the air when out of nowhere Jackson appears through the garden door.

"I don't know why I get the feeling you're up to something." My bodyguard said "Point for you. After the doctor's appointment we have to go get Monica." I responded, "And what's the reason for this change of plans? We were supposed to go to the record company." He said a little confused, "As soon as Monica confirms the time, I'll tell you if we're going or not."

"Where are we going?" He asked more confused. "At this moment I'm not allowed to give you that information, dear." I said with a smile on my face, "Of course you can give it to me, I'm your bodyguard." He responded, with a frown, "It's true, I can give it to you, but since I know you'll stop me, I can't afford it." I replied "What are you trying to do?"

"I would tell you if it weren't for the fact I know you're going to tell both Santi and Carla." I responded, "And I assume they don't have to know." He thought out loud and I laughed softly, because I didn't want them to find out right now, but they would end up doing it, I have no doubt about that. "Believe me, they will find out, but they won't be able to do anything."

"At least tell me if we will need more bodyguards with us." He asked, "That will depend, do you think we will need them in a TV studio?" I asked "TV studio? What the hell are you planning to do?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Settle a small matter with a person." I said as if it were nothing, "And it will take a long time?"

"Well, I do not know." I said sincerely "We will bring more bodyguards then." He responded "If you consider it that way, we'll do it, but I warn you, you won't be able to stop me, I'll do it with or without your help. And you better not tell anyone inside the house, because I'll leave without any bodyguard." I assured, "I know you will, that's why I won't tell anyone. But I understand Santi will come with us, are you supposed to take him there too?"

"No, we will come home and I will make any excuse that comes to mind." I reported "I hope this doesn't go wrong; I really do." He murmured and I nodded, because I didn't want that either. "I'm sure it won't turn out the way I expected, but I have to do it," I replied. "I just hope it doesn't pose a problem for your health, that's the only thing that matters to me."

"It won't, so don't worry." I said, with a big smile on her face "I will always worry, you're a good boss and friend." He answered with a smile on his face, "I like the second more than the first, but I'm glad"

"I'm trying with all my might; I'm really telling you." Jackson admitted, "I'm convinced of that." I said, laughing, "By the way, I know it's a short time since you've met the bodyguards and everything, but do you already have in mind which one you want? I don't like people to get their hopes up, after all, everyone has heard about how you treat your bodyguards."

"Well, you're in luck, they'll all stay." I responded "Are you serious?" He asked "Seriously, after all, after today, we're going to need more people." I said, shrugging my shoulders. "That only makes me worry more." He protested "Maybe you should worry about that a little, but nothing more. I'm sure everything will turn out well."

"I just hope you don't get into any trouble." He insisted "And I won't do it, I will only defend what is mine." I responded, "Anyway, now let's go inside before Santi comes out to look for you." He responded "He won't." I assured, "I get the feeling you don't know your partner." He replied, laughing, "I know him, but he won't worry, after all, I'm home."

"But you are the most important thing to him and you're sick, so yes, he'll worry." He pointed and I laughed "Okay, you're right. Let's go, I don't want to worry anyone and so we'll tell the others they'll stay with us." I said with a big smile "I'm sure they will love the news."

"I hope so, because they're going to have to put up with me." I responded laughing, "They will gladly do it like I do." He replied with a big smile on his face "You are a great person, Jackson." I admitted, "I try." I said sincerely, "Well, you are"

With that, we went inside the house and told the other bodyguards they would stay to work for me, which they seemed to like. An hour later, we left the house to go to the hospital where we would meet the doctor and then we would go to that interview I had to do.