THE NET

"Toro! Toro! TORO!"

He was jarred back to the present. He fluttered his eyes when someone snapped fingers across his face. He raised his gaze and it was no other than his PA Thompson. His brows were knitted in an inquisitive manner and his eyes held a look of curiosity in them.

"Where was your mind?" He inquired, placing the files on the ottoman stool beside Toro's bed. "You didn't even notice my presence when I walked into this room." Thompson peered closely at him, throwing him an assiduous stare.

"And your face looks unpeaceful, is something bothering you?"

Toro's mind had been directed two nights ago at his father's 70th birthday. The heated conversation he had with his father when he realized the reason he wanted him to have dinner with them. He had made up his mind to leave immediately after his father's platinum birthday but his father insisted on him staying over.

"Did you get Darrell to bring me here?" He queried, once in his father's room. His father's back faced him. His father Mr Allen Wilson stood before the window, staring out of the window. Looking out at the quiet night, the moonlit streaming into the room.

"Would you have shown up on my doorstep if I hadn't used your cousin? You wouldn't have honored my birthday invitation," his calm voice drifted off with the rustling leaves from the tree outside, down the road.

His father's back still faced him and in his grip was a glass of cocktail drink. He was dressed in a stylish suit and pants, causing Toro to ponder if he wasn't feeling stuffy and sweaty in those.

"How much longer will you run from your father?"

"I'm not running from you," asserted Toro. Puffing out a deep breath. "I've been busy."

"So busy, you wouldn't have honored your father's birthday if Darrell didn't bring you here?" This time, his father turned to look at him. A glint of disappointment appeared in his eyes. His brows drawn in accusation.

Toro wasn't running from his father, he wasn't just prepared to go down the lane his father wanted him to go and judging from their past. Their relationship was nothing good to write home about. The relationship between him and his father seemed more political, sort of business related. His father never for once took time to understand his son, his aspirations or discern what brought his son peace of mind.

Toro never for once seemed bothered because he never expected much from his father.

"And you got me here for that? Did you possibly send her my way?" Toro didn't want to come off as a bit rude to his father but he was getting on his nerves.

"I didn't." Mr Allen defended himself, taking a little gulp from his wine. "I bet she found you attractive and approached you—- it wasn't my doing. So what do you think?"

"Father, I'd appreciate it if you would only invite me for the sole purpose of the invitation and not trying to show me off or make me mingle with your friends. Also I'm not interested in her."

"Mirabel's father and I have been good business associates and our relationship has gotten better over the years so it would be nice if you get to know Mirabel, she's a nice beautiful woman. She's a model, an ambassador of some brand. The second in line to her father's assets."

Toro let out a low grunt under his breath. Feeling a bit annoyed and weak at the words of his father. This was why he wanted him to be present on his 70th birthday. He always avoided his father's past birthdays because he was afraid he would bring up the one topic he always brings up whenever he showed up in his villa, and sadly he was bringing it up again.

How many times do I have to break it down for you that I'm not interested in your business, political life?" Rhetorically, Toro asked, also half expecting him to answer. "And I'm not interested in any of your rich friend's daughters."

"You are my son and the sole heir to everything I have and owned, my companies and most of my assets. What's going to take care of my assets when I'm gone?"

His father arched a brow. Throwing him a pointed look. Showing clearly across his face he wasn't pleased with his replies.

"The main reason, I pray you live long….. listen father," Toro halted and drew in a deep breath before resuming. "Business isn't my calling, but acting is. Acting has been my calling right from the start, I have no desire in taking over your assets."

"I have made enough money that would sustain me for a lifetime."

A dark glow graced his father's face. His dark glint flickered in his eyes as the moon casted a shadow across his face.

"What would happen to the companies I've assigned under your name?"

"You might have to adopt another son who'd be business oriented like you or you can assign everything to Darrell. Though he might be a model, he is business oriented....."

"TORO!" His father's voice reverberated across the room following a low rumble from the sky. Anger was evident in his father's eyes, brows pulled together and eyes that looked like they would murder him simply by staring at him, Toro thought it would be best to take his leave otherwise both of them will end up getting upset in the end.

"Sorry, father but I have to take my leave now." He started turning away from his father when his next words halted him in his tracks.

"Are you still hung up on that woman?"

'Woman?' Toro's chest tightened at the sarcasm and disrespect laced in his father's voice. "You do realize she has a name?" He turned to face his father, feeling anger brewing slowly within him.

"So? Isn't it high time you let go of that poor woman? She's long gone and forgotten? Why are you beating yourself up for something that happened years back?"

Toro burned with rage, hands coiled in fists. If this man standing before him weren't his father, he would've punched the living life out of him.

"There are better girls out there in the world, and Mirabel is one of them. It's a good thing, that woman is no more. She really turned you into an idiot."

"You do realize you contributed to my messed up life?" Toro tightened his fists and glared at his father. Having a burning urge to tear him apart.

"Wow....." Thompson's mouth stood ajar. His eyes were laced with surprise. "You really do have an interesting relationship with your father."

Toro relayed everything to him that happened at his father's 70th birthday. Feeling a bit relaxed after letting everything out.

"One might think your father is your rival." Thompson sighed. "How could a father and son relationship be this way... well, I grew up under the care of a single mom so I wouldn't know."

Toro sighed, staring off into space again.

"Huh? How could she say such a thing in a public place?" Thompson said, scrolling through the internet on his tablet as the video of intoxicated Jane saying something in a slurred voice popped up. "I thought she would be like the way she portrayed her characters in movies. Calm and collected."

Thompson's words pulled him back and he tilted his head toward him, peeking at what might have caught his attention on his phone screen.

"I feel bad for the poor guy," Thompson let out a breath. "How could she accuse a random person over her mistake? I wonder who this guy is and how he might be feeling over that."

Toro's gaze flew on the woman from the bar, how she was acting insane that night, under the influence of alcohol. Saying words that had no meaning as the audience laughed and made jest of her, taking pictures.

It was embarrassing to watch.

●●●●●●●●●●●

Jane did well to cover her face in order not to attract attention from people as she climbed down the cab and paid her fare, the oversized cardigan feeling comfy over her tiny body. She sighted her car still parked at the parking lot of the bar. Thank goodness, it was in good shape and the way she left it. She sneaked toward her car, praying no one would recognize her. She hurriedly climbed into her car and stirred the engine back to life before hauling out of the parking lot into the roads.

She prayed she didn't cause any harm to that hood guy because of how drunk she was. She wondered what responsibility he wanted her to take, if the responsibility was because she called him Toro Wilson, then he's some weirdo. He should count himself lucky; she mistook him for her role model.

She drove home. Killing off the engine the moment she stopped in front of her house. She hurried out of the car and raced the stairs to her room. Relinquishing on her bed, the moment she stepped into her room.

Her racing heart seemed to slow down when she thumped on her bed. Hands spread out. She tried to remember what might have happened at the bar but nothing was coming forth. Another shot of splitting headache shot through her forehead, causing her to whimper.

How many shots did she take last night? And most importantly how did she wake up in that hooded masked guy's bed. Did something happen between them when she was under the influence of alcohol?

She cursed under her breath as she turned, lying on her back and facing the ceiling. "Why can't I remember a thing!" She screamed.

Just then the door of her room snapped open in a force, startling her to the point she almost jumped out of the bed.

"Ivy, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sis, you won't believe what I saw on the net right now. You are everywhere. Your video is blazing the whole internet."

"What do you mean I'm everywhere? What video?"

Ivy came to sit beside her, showing what played on the screen of her phone.

Jane's eyes bulged out of their sockets in shock. Her jaw dropped and breath ceased momentarily when a video of her at the bar played on her sister's screen. There she stood, speaking into a high pitched tone over the microphone. Announcing to the whole audience.

Her face flushed with embarrassment when she dragged the masked hooded guy over to the bar stage.