LOVE 2.0

CHAPTER 6: Unexpected Visit

July 11, 2016. Monday. Ella felt very anxious when the personnel at the reception desk at the ground floor called up and notified them that an old man by the name of Delfin Belmonte wanted to talk to him. At first she didn't know if she would agree or not. After a short while, she decided to tell her employee to let someone escort Zach's grandfather into her office.

She was still doing some digital drawings on her graphics tablet when Lolo Delfin came inside her office and art studio in one. She tried to finish what she was doing quickly as Zach's grandfather was escorted by her secretary to the seating area and offered him some drinks and snacks. Zach's grandfather opted for tea.

As he was served by her secretary with his favorite tea, Ella had already joined Zach's grandfather in the seating area.

She greeted him, "Good morning, Lolo. I am sorry if I wasn't able to welcome you right away. I was almost done with a drawing when you arrived. So I finished it first before joining you here."

Lolo Delfin said, "It is okay, Bri. I should have come unannounced anyway. I just did not expect that you will be busy especially that you are the boss of this company. I forgot that you are as workaholic as your teammates."

Ella answered, "I might be the majority owner of the company, Lolo. But I am also an online author who has to give regular updates of my story for my readers."

Lolo Delfin then stated, "I will be direct to the point, Bri. The reason why I came here is to ask you to..."

E

lla finished for Zach grandfather, "Break up with Zach."

Lolo Delfin confirmed it, "Yes."

Ella said, "The decision is not for me to make, Lolo. Even if I break up with Zach, I still believe that you cannot force him to do what you want when it comes to his own marriage. He will just find someone else. But it will definitely not be Miss Kelsey Mariano. We have been very good friends even before we became boyfriend-girlfriend. And often, he would tell us how frustrated he was whenever you and he would have a heated discussion about you trying to manage his own life for him. I and his three best friends all knew how much he loves and respects you. That is why it has always been difficult for him to go against your will, Lolo. I am in no position to tell you what to do in the same way that you cannot tell me to stop loving your grandson. I have tried to hide my feelings for him for so long, knowing of his pre-arranged marriage with Miss Mariano. I was just fine loving him from afar, but when I found out that he has the same feelings as I have for him, I was not able to reject him. If you cannot accept me for him, then I guess I just have to live with that burden. So I am sorry if I cannot break up with him, Lolo. For once in my life, I am being selfish this time around."

Lolo Delfin cannot even find it in his heart to be angry with the young lady that his favorite grandson had fallen deeply in love with.

She was just so respectful and modest even in declining him. He stood up and just said, "Okay," then left her on her own.

Ella was able to breathe normally as Zach's grandfather left her office. Afterwards, her phone rang. It was a call from Zach. She received it, and said, "Yes, heart."

She could feel the anxiety in her fiancé's voice, "Your security details told me that Lolo is there. I am already on my way there."

She told him, "There is no need to come here anymore, heart. Lolo Delfin had already left."

He asked, "What did he tell you? Did he hurt you?"

She described her conversation with his grandfather, "Your grandfather was just calm when he talked to me. I somehow felt that he wanted to ask me to break up with you and so I already said my piece in advance and told him that I cannot break up with you. Luckily, he didn't make any fuss. He just calmly left afterwards."

He responded, "Okay. I kind of expected it already for him to approach you and do this. But I didn't expect that he would be calm. Anyway, are you free for lunch?"

She informed him, "I have to go to the main restaurant for a work lunch meeting with all the head chefs. You are free to join us. We will have the meeting on the rooftop."

He replied, "Okay, I will see you there."

Just a few minutes after his conversation with Ella, he was also notified by his secretary that his grandfather wanted to see him. Zach told his secretary to allow his grandfather to come inside his office. He was still on the footbridge connecting the ZING Technology Building and the ZING E-Sports Club Base.

Lolo Delfin was already in his office when he came in. He joined his grandfather in the seating area.

His grandfather immediately asked him, "Why were you and Bri avoiding seeing me at the base this entire weekend?"

Zach honestly gave an answer to his grandfather in a calm voice, "Well, you started being cold to her, Lolo. I just don't want my girlfriend to receive the same treatment you did with Penelope back then."

His grandfather responded, "So you confirmed throughout the entire world that she is your girlfriend to spite me."

Zach calmly informed his grandfather, "It was Ella's decision to keep our relationship private for a while, Lolo. If I will have my way, then I would want the entire world to know that she is my girl. But then she did not like all the media attention as well as the netizens' mindfulness of our relationship. So I respected her decision. She might be popular around the world, Lolo. But my girlfriend is not an attention-seeker. She is even more popular than me."

His grandfather informed him, "I came to her office before I came here."

He pretended he did not know and expressed his true reaction, "That is uncalled for, Lolo. It was my choice to pursue her because I deeply care for her and I want to spend my life with her when the time comes that she is ready for it."

His grandfather stated, "You are very well aware that I will not agree to this."

He remained calm and said, "Yes, I am very much aware of it, Lolo. But you don't have a say on this."

His grandfather pointed out, "You are carrying the Belmonte name and so I have a say in everything you do!"

He then stated calmly. "Then I guess I have to give up the name and be an Almeda. I am sure that Lolo Vic will gladly agree to that. Vinz is his only grandson who will propagate the Almeda name. So I might as well volunteer to be another Almeda grandson."

His grandfather got agitated, "You do that and I will definitely disown you!"

He responded calmly, "I do not want to be at odds with you, Lolo. So please stop making decisions for me. I will not marry Kelsey. I would rather not marry at all if she would be my only choice. You know this even before and yet you still insist on what you want. I have got other male cousins who might like Kelsey. So why do you insist on this impossible match?"

His grandfather sighed, "They were not as good as you. You even succeeded without any help from me or from Victoriano. You have lived frugally, saved for your startup capital, established your own dream firm with your friends, and gained financial independence by using your gaming skills along with your team to win lots of money and then put them to good use. You are the only grandson of mine who is capable of getting out of your family's shadow and succeeding. So please break up with Bri and fulfill my wishes."

Zach was surprised by his grandfather's request. In the past, Lolo Delfin had always ordered him to do this and that, but at such time he actually used the word please for the very first time.

But even if his grandfather pleaded to him, Zach would never ever abandon Ella. So he told his grandfather, "I am sorry, Lolo. But I cannot obey your request."

Lolo Delfin then warmed him, "Then do not blame me if I take matters in my own hands. I tried to plead to both you and Bri but both of you are just too stubborn not to agree with my request."

His grandfather then stood up and just walked away.

On his way back home, Lolo Delfin was thinking – They might be both stubborn yet they had both declined my request politely. What can I do to break them apart? Threatening her is not an option. I will not only anger Zach but also all the people who love her if I do that. I cannot offer her money just to leave Zach because she is already very rich and she doesn't care much for a luxurious life. She is already a billionaire and yet she does not lavish on herself that much.

On the other hand, before lunchtime came, Zach decided to go to the office building of Ella. To his surprise, he saw Reymund entering the building while carrying a bouquet of pink roses and a box of cake. And then, in a short while, he also saw Kiel entering the building while carrying a bouquet of pink roses and a basket of fruit.

He decided to call Ella first before getting inside the building.

She answered, "Yes, heart."

He asked her, "Where are you already?"

She told him, "I am already in the elevator going down to the basement parking."

He informed him, "I am on the driveway to fetch you so we can go to the restaurant together."

She responded, "Okay then I'll go out to the ground floor then."

He then told her, "I saw Reymund and Kiel going inside the building, both with a bouquet of pink roses and something else."

She felt like he was jealous and so she teased him, "Jealous?!"

His answer was, "I am not! Why should I be? We are already engaged to be married."

She told him, "You are my one and only, heart. And I can see your SUV already."

He had already seen her and so he had got out of his SUV to open up his SUV door for her.

She kissed his lips quickly before she entered the SUV. Thus, making him smile.

Unbeknownst to Zach and Ella, Reymund and Kiel saw such a sweet exchange between them. Kiel was at the reception desk while Reymund had just come out of the elevator to catch up for Ella.

In Reymund's mind – So they are indeed together. No more hiding this time. Where are they headed? Are they going out on a lunch date? But then her secretary just told me that she had gone out for a work lunch meeting. Does their team have a meeting? She is even the one who initiated the kiss. She really loves him. Shall I already give up? But then I still have a chance unless they are already married. Zach's grandfather will definitely allow their relationship to end up in marriage. Perhaps I just have to wait until they have already broken up. There is no point in pursuing her now. They had just revealed their relationship.

On the other hand, Kiel was thinking – It would be useless to pursue Miss Ella now. Their relationship is definitely real. She even kissed Boss Captain. Their relationship is already out in the open and so they are not hiding their feelings for one another anymore. They are even displaying their affection publicly. Since they revealed their relationship last Sunday, Boss Captain has not stayed at the base during nighttime. Are they already sleeping together? Now way! Why am I thinking about this? Miss Ella is not such a kind of lady. And Boss Captain is a perfect gentleman. What am I thinking? I should not get in the way of their relationship just for the sake of Ate Kelsey. Miss Ella just sees me as a teammate. Nothing more, nothing less. What am I thinking following Lolo's advice when I already know that Boss Captain and Miss Ella are together? It was just wishful thinking that it was a ploy for Boss Captain to avoid Ate Kelsey. But it seems that it is not the case. They are in love with one another. I had no chance on her from the very beginning.

Meanwhile, Zach and Ella were holding hands while talking on their way to the main restaurant of Solomon Food Company.

She asked him, "Honestly, heart. Were you jealous of Reymund?"

He told her, "During your first day at school at Saint Thomas University when I and Geoff fetched you, I honestly felt hurt. I was more envious of him back then because he could freely express his feelings for you. You also got to spend time with him as well whenever you are on the campus, even if you are just treating him as a good friend."

She asked further, "So you don't mind if I am still friends with him and she is part of my online publishing company?"

He answered, "I trust you. You had warded off all your suitors back then. And your studies seemed to be not the main reason but me."

She remarked teasingly, "So confident!"

Then he asked him, "By any chance, did you somehow invite the idea that Reymund could be the one for you?"

She teased him again, "You're really jealous of him!"

He admitted, "Okay, I am. So please answer my question now."

She told him, "He is very nice to me. He is also a perfect gentleman towards me. But then my heart already belongs to you. So I don't notice other guys anymore. To me, no one can outlast you."

He responded by putting up her hand near his lips and then kissed it, "Thank you for loving me all those years even if I was not able to freely express my love for you. Back then, I could only treat you as a friend, a brother, and a team captain to you. Geoff knew about my feelings for you all along but he asked me to keep my distance at first so you could focus on your studies."

She said, "And I did. With the help of the four of you, I was able to balance my studies and my other endeavors. All the four of you have helped me a lot. All the four of you also spoiled me with gifts that were all very useful for all of my endeavors."

He told her, "We won't also succeed if not for your presence. You have completed our team. We were able to win back to back to back championships because we have you."

She then asked him, "What about Kiel? Why do you think he wants to pursue me all of a sudden? I know he likes me but he has really not made any effort in the past."

He told her, "He had a deal with her father to maintain a certain GPA or else he would have to freely leave the e-sports circuit on his own. I have noticed that he likes you very much, but then I told him to decide on what to do and to know what his priorities are. I even set you as an example to him. I think he wants to prove himself first as an e-sports player before he pursues you. But sad to say it is already too late for him and for Reymund. We will soon be married. And I intend for us to have more dates as an ordinary couple whenever our schedules are not that hectic. I want us to experience the normal activities that couples do, like watching a movie, eating outside, shopping together and whatever you like."

She felt so giddy, "I love that! But how about our followers?"

He reminded her, "They already knew about our relationship. And we can always go out with our hats and face masks on. No more hiding, sweet."

She agreed, "Sure," and then emphasized, "But we still need to be discrete about our wedding."

He affirmed, "Yes."

She then asked him, "Anyway, where will we live after the wedding?"

He told her, "Your choice, sweet."

She asked him, "Will it just be fine if we just stay in my condominium unit since the entire team will not know about our marriage yet?"

He agreed, "Yes we will," and then he asked him back, "Will it just be fine with you that we stay in my place at Horrev during weekends once our retirement from e-sports is finalized."

She affirmed, "Sure," and then recalled, "But how about accompanying our teams to their games for moral support?"

He told her, "The four of us have already decided to take turns. You will be with me when it is my turn. That way we won't be having separate turns."

She commented, "That is a nice plan."

He stated, "The five of us really needed this retirement. We need our much needed break after five years of numerous battles and various travels."

When they reached the restaurant, they were immediately greeted by her employees. The receptionists said, "Miss Bri, the chefs are already on the rooftop."

She replied, "Okay, thanks."

And then suddenly they saw Kelsey Mariano approaching them.