LOVE 2.0

CHAPTER 3: The Real Girlfriend

July 8, 2016. Friday. Lolo Delfin and Lola Armina watched the games of the ZINGERS live at the arena. Lolo Victoriano and Lola Carmen also watched their games live for the very first time. They were accompanied by Daddy Alexander and Mommy Violeta. Lolo Crispin and Kelsey were also at the arena to support Kiel.

The five masters of D' ZINGERS all paid their tribute to Zach's elders, but it was only Ella, who received a cold treatment from Lolo Delfin.

Zach knew that Ella was hurt so he wasn't able to stop himself anymore from consoling his girlfriend in front of so many people in the arena. He put his left arm around Ella's back as they sat down, kissed the top of her head and then whispered to her ear, "Please don't feel saddened by Lolo's behavior, sweet."

She whispered back, reminding him of his public display of affection, "A lot of people are looking at us, heart."

He responded, "Then let them all know! I want all the world to know that you are mine and that I am yours! So you better wear our promise ring and the engagement ring that you have been hiding there on your necklace under your uniform later on. I will also be wearing mine later on. Lolo had already waged war on me the moment he treated you coldly. It is already time for us to reveal our relationship in the open. No more hiding."

She replied, "The promise ring will do, heart. Let us not reveal our engagement yet."

He agreed, "Okay, we will do that then." He felt that he might have been impulsive in thinking of revealing their engagement as well. But he was very much convinced into revealing their relationship.

Zach's display of affection had been caught in the camera and it was played back at the giant monitor in the arena while the sports commentator announced, "It seems that Liege has finally revealed to us the only lady that captured his heart. It was Queen all along and we all failed to notice this."

They were then shown at the giant monitor as they closely talked. Geoff then told them, "The two of you are on the giant monitor, Zach, Ella."

They looked up, smiled and then waved.

The other sports commentator announced, "We will have to confirm their relationship later on, our dear viewers and fans all over the world. I really did not expect this to be happening, partner. Our God and Goddess being together is really quite amazing."

In Daddy Alexander's mind – Zach had finally unleashed his direct defiance on Papa. This will not be good. They are both stubborn. Obviously, Bri was hurt by Papa's cold treatment and Zach wasn't able to hold back anymore. He felt like fiercely protecting his lady love in a time like this. This trait, I think is what he inherited from his Mom.

In Mommy Violeta's mind – You should not have provoked my son, Papa Delfin. Now, you are hurting. You did not expect Zach to do this public display of affection. You have picked on the lady he loves, of course, he will be fiercely protective of Bri. She does not deserve your cold treatment. She has done nothing wrong. She just happens to love my son. So what is wrong with that? You must give up already with your obsession. Zach would not give up on Bri the way he had given up on Penelope in the past. Penelope was just a dear friend to him. But Bri is the lady he deeply loves.

In Lolo Victoriano's mind – That is how you show your love to your lady, Zach! Kudos to you! I am very proud of you! You must not be afraid of Delfin. I will always have your back. I will not let him ruin your happiness the way he did in the past.

In Lola Carmen's mind – Zach must have been so in love with Bri that he had openly defied Delfin with this public display of affection towards his fiancée. Will they also reveal their engagement? Well, I do not think so. They will not be that impulsive. Bri wants as much as possible to be private about their relationship, so I don't think that they will reveal about their planned secret wedding. It will defeat their purpose of their surprise attack regarding Delfin's plan.

In Lola Armina's mind – And you really have to treat Bri coldly, Delfin?! That was just so unacceptable! What were you thinking?! She does not deserve to be treated that way. Why can you not just accept that our grandson has found his perfect match? It is quite very obvious that they love one another with their body language. Our son, who always wears a poker face, is now much happier and much more relaxed.

In Lolo Delfin's mind – So now you have confirmed your relationship with her! You have directly defied by wish. No matter how good she is, I can never accept her. A life with her was not the one I planned for you. Your sense of leadership will shine even more if you are married to the Marianos.

In Kelsey's mind – The two of you have finally revealed the truth to my suspicion. I am very right all along in thinking that you have romantic feelings for one another. Everyone will believe me now. I was not just making any fuss in the past. Let us just see how the two of you will handle Lolo Delfin's wrath. Lolo Delfin only likes me to be your wife, Zach. He was able to put a stop on your relationship with Penelope back then, he will also be able to do the same with your relationship with this b***h. I don't even have to do anything. In the end, Zach will still be mine and mine alone, b***h! The last laugh will all be mine!

In Kiel's mind – This is the scenario that I am most afraid of happening. They are indeed in a relationship! No wonder why Boss Captain and Boss Lady treat each other nicely. They are in love with one another. Ate was correct in her suspicion. But when did their relationship actually start? I do not believe that they lie about just being friends in the past. The feelings could be present but they did not both act on such. How can I ever compete against Boss Captain into your heart, Boss Lady? Clearly, you feel happy with him. There is this certain glow in your eyes.

Reymund was not in the arena but he saw the live broadcast on his TV screen and he was like – This could not be happening! Why did my suspicion have to be real?! He is the man you have been in love with all along that is why you have not been entertaining any suitor. But his grandfather seems not to approve of your relationship with him. What will you do about it, Ella? My entire family accepts you as you are. Why did you still choose him even if you will only get hurt? His grandfather will definitely put a stop to your relationship with him. Kelsey will also not allow you to have what belongs to her. What were you thinking? You know all along about their pre-arranged marriage.

Upon the commercial break, the official courtside reporter of V+ Tech E-Sports Association had approached them.

Reporter: So are the two of you in a relationship?

Zach: (Holding hands with Ella) Yes, we are.

Reporter: Since when?

Zach: Early January.

Reporter: Why did you keep it?

Ella: We did not keep it. Our family and friends know about it. We just prefer being private with it.

Reporter: Shall we hear wedding bells soon?

Ella: We just want to enjoy our relationship for now. I have just started my career as a businesswoman and writer. As for our future plans for our relationship, only time will tell. After our retirement as e-sports players, we will be focusing on our respective careers.

Reporter: How did your love story actually start?"

Zach: It was mutual love at first meeting. She was just 14 back then and I was 18 when I went to their place with her brother Geoff and our other two best friend's Nate and Irvin, to ask her to draw something for us during our coursework.

Ellla: (Adding) And we only get to know of each other's feelings when he decided to confess his love for me early this January. But prior to his love confession, he had sent me flowers, love letters and gifts as a secret admirer for months. And I was just like, I hope it is him!

Reporter: And it was indeed him! Were you surprised when he confessed?

Zach: She immediately figured it out before I can even confess.

Reporter: On another note, Queen, how does it feel to be included in Vienburg's Annual Billionaires List just like Liege here, who has been there for a few years already?

Ella: It is actually an honor to be included in it. But I would not be on that list if not for my family, friends and most especially my ZING brothers. Kuya Geoff introduced me to the world of e-sports. Then, along with him, Zach, Vin and Nate have all trained me to become a successful e-sports player. Thus, we have gained fame and fortune, which have helped us a lot in all of our respective endeavors outside the e-sports circuit. E-Sports is a very big part of my success. So I would like to take this opportunity to express my utmost gratitude to all of our followers who have supported D' ZINGERS all these years. We might be retiring as professional players, but we will continue to be in the background in bringing glory to our country through e-sports.

Reporter: Thank you very much for your appreciation, Queen. I am a huge fan of D' ZINGERS and I feel very touched by your sense of gratitude. Well, we wish the two of you all the happiness in the world. Thank you for allowing this interview.

Zach and Ella: You are welcome!

The interview clip was immediately shown after the commercial break. The sports commentator immediately said, "There you have it, e-sports fans! Our God and Goddess have finally confirmed their relationship. They have been in a relationship for six months already. After their retirement as professional e-sports players, they will just be focusing on their respective careers. Our Goddess has just started literatura.com, an online platform for story sharing. She just finished her degree in creative writing last May. She also debuted on Vienburg's Annual Billionaires List, released early this June. Her multibillion net worth included her E-Sports championship prizes; income from her ZING sportswear designs, which was a business partnership with LYNX; endorsement income from being the brand ambassadress of Shadow; and income from Solomon Food Company, which owns several branches Tita Ginas' Restaurant, several Queen B's Food Vans, and FoodBlaze, a food delivery app developed by her and her brother Geoffrey 'Blaze' Solomon. It does not include yet the income that she is earning as the CEO/Founder of Literatura Portal, the company which manages literarura.com and literatura app. We are so proud of you, our Goddess. May you and your teammates continue to be a source of inspiration to all the youngsters out there. Just like D' ZINGERS always believe – Diligence, Dedication and Discipline are their 3 D's to success. Our Goddess has become a self-made billionaire because of these 3 D's."

In Lolo Delfin's mind – They did not lie about being friends. Zach had just silently loved her all these years and waited until Bri was already in her last semester of her bachelor's degree in creative writing before confessing his love. It seems that Lex and Vi knew all along that Zach had feelings for Bri for years. And Bri also had feelings for Zach for so many years and yet she never acted on it. She has focused on her studies, e-sports career, and other endeavors. Now, she is already a self-made billionaire. How can I put a stop to their relationship? It seems that it will be harder than I thought. Penelope was just a passing fancy, a special friend. But Briella Solomon is something else. My grandson is totally enamored of her. Zach, you have actually defied my wishes all because of your love for her. Why do you have to meet an amazing young lady like her, Zach?! Why does your love for one another have to be mutual? She has also silently loved you all these years while making herself very successful in all her endeavors. She has managed to finish her degree in creative writing Latin honor along with her busy schedule. She is a highly-acclaimed e-sports player like you. She is also a well-regarded visual artist, so one of the biggest art galleries in the country offered her an exclusive art exhibit . A sports brand giant in the world has even in business partnership with her because of her excellent sports fashion designs and her worldwide fame in e-sports community. V+ Tech Company has chosen her as the brand ambassadress of ZING Technology's very own Shadow wristwatch because of her awe-inspiring charisma, well-established online presence, and high level of professionalism. She is even a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadress and an outstanding businesswoman. And now she is gaining popularity as a comic story creator.

In Lolo Crispin's mind – Kelsey was not at all wrong with her suspicion that these two could actually have romantic feelings for one another. But they also did not lie about just being friends. It seems that their relationship just started during their trips together for the invitational cups. Zach took that opportunity to confess his love for her and she just returned it. She was not aware that Zach was in love with her until he confessed. She had never acted on her love for him until he acted on his love for her. What will happen to Kelsey now? What will happen to the pact that Delfin and I had made for them? All of our plans will just go down the drain if we will not be able to put a stop to their relationship. Zach had already confirmed their relationship to the entire world. He has actually defied his grandfather's wish head-on by revealing his relationship with this quite admirable successful young lady. As far as accomplishments are concerned, this young lady has so much compared to my granddaughter's accomplishments. She has been able to be a self-made billionaire with her diligence, dedication and discipline. No wonder why Zach is totally smitten with her. Even my grandson Kiel has fallen in love with her. She is quite an outstanding young lady. If only Kelsey is like her, then Zach would probably have paid attention to her. Kelsey is just now starting to be serious about her business career. Although her dance academy is doing well, I don't think that she is ready yet for married life. She is just a year older than Zach's girlfriend. They are both still very young to get married. The main goal now is to break up Zach and his girlfriend so that we can announce Zach's relationship with Kelsey after some time. Once it is already done. Then we can announce their wedding engagement. Perhaps I should ask Kiel to pursue Zach's girlfriend. If he really likes Zach's girlfriend, then I must support him. It could be the only way for Zach and Kelsey to be together. Kiel could be a catalyst in ruining Zach's romantic relationship with Briella Solomon. Anyway, she would not be a bad choice for a granddaughter-in-law. Yes, this could be a possible solution.

Their relationship had been an online trending topic in the entire world. Majority of the netizens were so happy about their relationship despite of being broken-hearted because their idols were not available anymore. Only few had bashed them with regards to their relationship.

Such trending news had somehow saddened Penelope – It seems that you will be able to avoid the pre-arranged marriage that your grandfather had planned for you, but I did not. You are now with a very admirable young lady. I envy her for she has your undivided attention and affection. Our relationship was not like that. We understand each other. We experimented together. I have fallen in love with you but you have not fallen in love with me. I am not at all happy with my marriage but then you seem very happy with her. You have found true love. This young lady obviously loves you in return. She is not even from the upper class yet she has made herself a billionaire with all of her efforts alone. Of course, she got some help from you, her family and her friends. She will not be this successful if she did not become a member of D' ZINGER. You have already come a long way, Zach. Do you even remember me at all? Everyday, I am emotionally suffering from the loveless marriage that my elders had planned for me. My husband is just using me as a breeder and as a trophy wife. He really does not love me a bit. He even has a mistress. How I wish you have also fallen in love with me back then. Perhaps, you would have also fought for our love. But it was just a wishful thinking on my part. I am now a mother of two sons and a daughter. They are the only ones that making me stay in this loveless marriage. I cannot let hem have a broken family like mine. If only you were their father, then perhaps I will be a happy wife.