Gray’s POV
“Mr. Elizalde?” One of the engineers called my name after he was done presenting the proposal.
I heard him but I wasn’t paying attention. I was staring at the glass window where the sun was already rising. It’s still past six in the morning. We haven’t taken a break since last night to finish the proposal for our demanding client who called last minute saying that she wanted to change everything.
Damn! She was getting on my nerves. She should be thankful that she was a close friend of my grandfather, if not, I wouldn’t probably accept her as my client. She’s wasting our time.
I am in need of sleep yet I don’t feel sleepy. I drank so much coffee that I don’t even know how to sleep. When was the last time I had enough sleep? Fuck! I definitely hate this feeling.
The sunrise feels nostalgic everytime I see it. That's why I always made sure that my meetings were held in the afternoon. Today is the exception. I hate seeing the sunrise and now I am staring at it.
“Mr. Gray?”
“Yeah. I heard you.”
I sighed and turned to them.
“Let’s wrap it up. Take a rest and come back after lunch.” I ordered him.
“Aren’t you going to say something about the presentation?” He asked again.
I stood up and moved my head sideways.
“Whatever we do, that woman still has a say. Let her design the project if she wants to.” I irritatedly said and somehow they agreed with me. I am just giving respect to her because she’s a family friend.
“I’ll see you later.”
I walked past them and returned to my office where my secretary put a coffee on my table. I was tempted to drink it yet I wanted to sleep so I told her to just remove it. I grabbed my bag and prepared myself to go home.
“You can go home if you want to,” I told my secretary. “I will be back after lunch and please no office calls when I am home.”
“Yes, Sir. By the way, your father called for a meeting at exactly two in the afternoon.”
“Meeting?” I raised my eyebrow. “What for?”
“The team of Violo Architectural Firm will be arriving tomorrow and they want us to prepare,” She said.
“Ah, right.” I clicked my tongue.
I totally forgot about the Violo Architectural Firm because of too many projects that I am dealing with. I already told my father not to give me the billion contract as I don’t already have time for that but he said that he will be removing my other projects because he wanted me to focus on the project.
It wasn’t only a project but also a partnership in the biggest architectural firm in the world. Aside from that, it’s also personal since our family is the owner of the building that we’re going to build.
We have three private islands across the country and my family decided to turn it into a resort where we could profit.
They told me that the daughter of the Violo Acrhitectural Firm is a great architect so she was the one who designed everything, even the landscapes. I haven’t checked it since the plan was already done and approved when they told me about it.
I wasn’t the one who was supposed to handle it but now I don’t have a choice.
“I thought they would be arriving next week. Did they change their schedule? And, can you give me the design for that?”
I cursed in my mind. I no longer know what to do. I never really liked dealing with these kinds of things. All I want is to build. Now that my bastard and asshole brother is gone, all the responsibility was given to me while he got to enjoy his life. Damn!
My manager handed me the folder and I opened it on my way out. I don’t have time to spare so I will just check it out on the road. I was already at the elevator when I stopped upon seeing the design. It was my first time to look at it and it seems familiar. I am not just sure where I have seen this kind of sketch. I mean, architectural plans usually look the same even if the architect varies, but this way...it seems familiar to me.
Well, maybe, I am just mixing things. I really need sleep. Damn!
I was welcomed by busy people inside our house. It’s not normal since the household is usually quiet, though, this time, our house helper is busy preparing the house as if there was a party.
“What’s the deal?” I asked Nanny Yele who was running back and forth checking the whole house and preparing the dish with the other helper.
“Why is everyone busy?” I added as I stepped on the stairs. My body was already tired. Damn! I hate this feeling. I haven’t taken any rest since what happened. Well, it’s a nice move for me because I could forget other things that crossed my mind yet sometimes I wished I could rest.
“We’re preparing food. Your grandfather called for a family lunch.”
“What?” I raised a brow. “What do you mean by that? What’s the matter?”
I swear I almost punched the wall when Nanny Yele said, “Your brother is coming home.”
Before I could react, I heard his voice from the door.
“Hey! Nanny Yele!” He happily said as he walked towards Nanny Yele who hugged him.
I heaved. Damn! Why is he back? He shouldn’t be back. If he’s back, then I need to go back to my unit. I don’t want to see him nor even hear his voice because that would make him kill him. I’ve been cursing him since that night and I sometimes wished he would just disappear.
“Hey! Son! How’s Spain?” I heard Dad say that when I turned my back to him. I think I need to pack my things and go back to my unit.
“Spain is great.”
Spain? I thought about it. Spain? Fuck! So, he went to Spain with her. They really cheated on me and I am not even aware. How is that possible? Isn’t it enough that he has Vivian? Does he even get Deanara from me? Curse him!
“Gray, aren't you going to greet your brother?” My father said. He’d been doing all his best to make us go back like we used to, but that ain’t happening.
“I’ll go to sleep. I still need to prepare for the presentation,” I coldly said.
“We will wake you up before lunch.” I heard Nanny Yele say that and I just ignored her.
I went to my room and tried hard to sleep but I couldn’t. I was so tired but my mind couldn’t help but think of what happened that night. It was still fresh from my mind like it happened yesterday. Honestly, I haven’t moved on from that. I tried to do it but I couldn’t.
I still love her. Even after everything that happened between us, even though she hurted me, I still love her and if I would be given another chance, I would still choose Deanara over and over again. However, she didn’t choose me. For the second time, it was my brother that they chose.
What’s with my brother that I am an option when it comes to him? I always go second when it comes to him. Not only when it comes to love, but also when it comes to our family. He was always the first and I always went second. I was always the option.
It would be fine to me if it’s only about business or some other things. But, when it comes to the girl I loved? Why does it always have to end like that?
I kept on asking myself, as I stared at my brother while we were having lunch today, what’s with him? Why him and not me? I am definitely more handsome than him. And...fuck! I no longer want to think. I don’t want to deal with it again. I need to be over it. I kept on telling myself those words...that I am over...yet my heart always betrayed me.
“Does it mean you are going back to work?” Dad asked my brother while I was just playing with my food.
I lost my appetite when I saw him. I want to punch him, really hard, but it’s a waste of time. He might think that I am not over him. Psh! He should see that I am happy even though the truth is that I am not happy. I am dying inside. He was part of the reason why.
“No. I am just here to accompany my girlfriend,” he plainly said. “After that, we will both be going back to Spain.”
I circled my tongue as I played with my food. I felt their stare on me and I ignored it. What do they expect? They expect me to actually join their conversation. Well, probably, since they didn’t even know why my brother and I were not fine for the second time.
All they know is that Vivian left my brother so he went to another country to forget her. And, I, too, was left alone by Deanara, without knowing that for the second time my brother took my girl again.
“When are we going to meet her?” My grandfather asked.
I am tired of listening to them so I stood up. They all looked at me.
“Sorry, I still need to go back to the office. I have a presentation,” I said, without looking at them.
Although, my brother was really testing my patience when he said.
“You’ll meet her later. Don’t you want to meet her, Gray?”