HERNAN AND GABRIELA BOOK 2

CHAPTER 108

Later in the evening,

Marianna is jogging in the park when she sees Martin from a distance. He is busy talking to a beautiful young woman. They are sitting on a park bench. Marianna rolls her eyes, at them. She calls Martin a shameless flirt and says that she doesn't care what he does. She then remembers the day, some time ago, when he kissed her right there in the park. She shakes her head and says that she cannot stand him and she cannot start thinking about him. She adds that she won't allow Martin to get into her head and make her betray her friends.

She continues and says that she must help her friends make sure that Antonio, Gina, Hector, and Adrianna are never happy. Marianna looks at them again and sees Martin kiss her. She frowns but remembers their last kiss. She reluctantly admits that as irritating as he could be sometimes Martin was handsome as hell and a damn good kisser. Marianna then tries to convince herself that she isn't jealous. She rolls her eyes and says that the woman isn't on the same level as her.

Elsewhere,

Antonio is in his grandfather's study, as that is where his grandmother told the butler to direct him to wait for her when he arrived. He sips a glass of juice then stands up and begins to pace around. He is deep in his thoughts when he hears a knock on the door. He turns and he sees his grandmother. He goes to her and hugs her. He asks her if his grandfather will join them. She says that his grandfather will come back from his trip the next day.

She adds that the conversation she wants to have with him is a private one anyway. Claudia's eyes then become teary, and she wipes away a lone tear. Antonio holds his grandmother's hand and looks at her worriedly. He asks her if she is okay. Claudia waves him away. She then says that she wants to talk to him about Isabella. Antonio clenches one hand and says that after everything that has happened, he wants nothing to do with Isabella.

He adds that he doesn't even want to hear her name mentioned. Claudia tells him that she understands him but she feels guilty about how she looked down on Gina and pushed him towards Isabella. She adds that he was separated from such a good woman as Gina, and Gina was separated from her son, because of her (Claudia).

Antonio tells his grandmother that all of that was in the past.

He adds that what matters is that he has Gina back and that they can rebuild their family with their son. Claudia says that things are much more complicated than that. Antonio looks at his grandmother confused. He asks her what she is talking about. Claudia takes a deep breath and says that she went to the police the previous day and made a statement on Isabella's case. Antonio is shocked and asks his grandmother what she knows about the case.

Elsewhere, at the mental hospital,

Aranza has come to visit John (Gabriel). They are in the garden of the hospital. He looks at her and wishes he could tell her that he is her father. Aranza folds her hands and then stares at him. He asks her what is wrong. Aranza says that they are all treating her like a baby and she doesn't like it. John asks her what she means. Aranza says that they know about his family as well as who he really is but they won't tell her anything.

John tells her to relax, he adds that something like that is a delicate and complex process that cannot be done haphazardly. He adds that he and his family haven't seen each other in decades and it has to be done properly so that they can all adjust well. He adds that it is only a matter of weeks or a few months, and he will be back to his former life.

Aranza starts to cry, and he comforts her and asks her if she is fine. She says that she doesn't want him to forget her because he is the closest she has ever got to having a father. He wipes away her tears and says that he will never forget her, and she is a daughter to him. He (to himself) calls Aranza his little princess and says that she has to forgive him because he cannot reveal himself as her father yet. He then hugs her.