50| all over again

ISAAK

"Diane do me a favor,"

"I need you take Sebas and leave with him,"

"What-"

"Do as I say,"

"I can't leave you on your own,"

"You already have," I said, and it came out rougher than I expected. She blinked, the guilt palpable in her blue eyes. I clench my jaw wishing I didn't utter those words but there was no turning back now. "As you wish," 

"Let's go honey,"

"But-"

"Sebas, go with her. Dante will come and pick you up.  I promise to come and get you after, " I say and I could tell he wanted to protest as he has never been a child to give up easily. Diane reaches for his and we share one last look before she turns her heel.

As I watched Diane and Sebas walk away, hand in hand, a wave of relief washed over me. I knew that Sebas would be safe now, and that thought was enough to settle my nerves, if only slightly.

I turned back to Zander, who was still standing there, staring at me. The tension in the air was palpable,  Zander's tilted his head, smirking a bit.  "It's a pity you're making false promises to the kid, Rivera."

"I don't have time for your jokes, puppet," I said, my voice as cold as ice. "And where's your boss? Afraid to show his face as usual?" I asked, a smirk playing on my lips. Zander let out a snicker, but I could tell he was seething beneath the surface. 

"Ezekiel wants his nephew back," Zander said, his voice dripping with venom. Now it was my turn to snicker.  "Well he can come and get him," I say with a shrug.

"You're messing with the wrong people Rivera,"

"And it's clear that you don't even know who you're messing with," I say.  "You're nothing but a lackey, a pawn in this game. You'll never get what you want." I turned my back on him, ready to put this whole encounter behind me. But I knew deep down that it was far from over.

"Well, whatever Ezekiel says, goes, Rivera," Zander said, his voice smug.

"Not when I'm around, " I said, my voice firm. "Ezekiel knows he'll never get his nephew back, no matter how much he wants it. He knows that I'm not going to let him have what he wants, not on my watch." Zander's eyes flashed with anger, but I didn't back down.

"You can say whatever you want, Rivera," Zander said, his voice dripping with condescension. "But if the mother agrees, it's over and Sebas will belong to us and have our last name." I felt my blood boiling at his words.

"That's not going to happen," I said, my voice calm and even. "Teresa would never agree to that. You're just grasping at straws." Zander's eyes flashed with frustration, and I knew I was getting under his skin.

"Why would she agree?" I asked, my voice firm. "Ezekiel has no tie to Sebas." Zander scoffed, clearly irritated by my words. "It's not about whether he has a tie to Sebas or not," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance.

"It's about what's best for Sebas. And what's best for Sebas is to be part of our family." I could feel my blood boiling, but I refused to give in to my anger.

"That's not going to happen," I said, my tone unwavering. "Sebas belongs with his mother,"

According to my research Ezekiel  and Xavier were brothers there was word saying that Teresa had a baby with Xavier but he got killed which is why Zander wanted to involve Sebas in their family business.

"Well, you're going to have to get through me first," I said, standing my ground. Zander's glare intensified, and I could tell he was getting more and more agitated.

"Rivera-" he started to say, but I cut him off. "If that's all, I'm done here," I said, turning to walk away. But before I could take a step, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I whirled around, my eyes locking with Zander's. He was mere inches from me, his face twisted with rage. "Don't turn your back on me," he said, his

"Get off me," I said, my voice low and steady. Zander's eyes narrowed, but he released his grip on my shoulder. As soon as he did, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my knife, flicking it open with a flick of my wrist.

The blade glinted in the light, and I could see the fear in Zander's eyes. I pressed the knife to his palm, holding it just above the skin. Zander let out a grunt of pain as he felt the tip of the knife press into him.

"Bastard," he spat, his eyes full of hatred. I glared at him, unflinching. "Don't test me," I said, my voice cold and hard. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, making me feel powerful and in control.

"Send that as a message to your little boss,"

□□□

I arrive at the hotel and I was immediately welcomed by a bundle of laughter. I unbutton the of the shirt on my wrist and rolled up my sleeves, and made my way to the balcony where I could here the laughter.

There was she was , chasing after Sebas, her dress hiked up around her knees, her laughter filling the air.

Sebas was squealing with glee, running around the balcony, his little legs working as fast as they could. He darted between the chairs and tables, a huge grin on his face.

I couldn't help but smile at the sight, their laughter was contagious. I stood back and watched, soaking in the moment.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. The way she ran after Sebas, her laughter like music to my ears, her smile lighting up the room. In that moment, I realized just how much I wanted her by my side but the thought of not having her shattered all that.

In moments like these, it was now that I wished I didn't love her the way I did. It was moments like these that I had how I was so drawn to her. 

I was in love with her and for the first time there was nothing I could do about it.

As Diane ran after Sebas, her laughter filling the air, I watched as she suddenly collided with something solid. She stumbled, but quickly regained her balance. When she looked up, I could see the shock in her eyes as they met mine.

"Isaak," she whispered, her cheeks flushed pink. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of her, a thousand thoughts running through my head. The moment seemed to stretch on forever, neither of us moving, frozen in time. Finally, I spoke. "Hello, Diane," I said, my voice low and warm.

Her cheek was warm against my cold hand but she relaxed, her eyes fluttering closed.

And it was like I fell for her all over again and there was no going back.