When Love & Hate Collide [Completed]

Chapter 72 - Or Have You Forgotten?

A/N - As promised, here's a quick update after the last chapter (while it is still the regular Sunday update but it still appears quick coz the earlier update was delayed :)

Hope this makes you happy and brings a smile to your face, just like it does to mine. Go ahead, dig in now!

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"Raul, why don't you go play with Nate for some time?" I told Raul so that I could talk to Norberto openly.

"Really, at this time? But we have Mr Fritz at home. You never allow me to leave when we have guest at our place," Raul was clearly surprised with my unusual request.

"It's okay. Mr Fritz and I have somethings to discuss. You can play with Nate at his place. I will come to get you soon," I replied to him.

"But I wanted to play with Mr Fritz too. Can he come to Nate's place too?" Raul pleaded with his puppy face. Any other time my heart would have melted at that look but not right now. My patience was running thin. Despite no fault of his, I would have said something harsh to him, but Norberto beat me to it.

"We can play together as much as you like, champ. But right now, your mother and I need to discuss some important things. We'll be with you soon," he said rubbing Raul's hairs off his forehead.

"You promise?"

"Yes, I do," Norberto gave him a sweet smile. As I had noticed yesterday, that smile seemed to change his face completely. At that moment, he looked like a real father to Raul. That's what he is, my brain chided me.

I knew it was the truth, but I was still surprised. I didn't remember seeing that smile of Norberto. Not that he never smiled but it was so rare that I could hardly remember him ever smiling this sweetly at me.

Was I being jealous? I could hardly tell.

Raul left for Nate's after being reassured by Norberto's promise. Once he was out of ear shot, I immediately came to the point with Norberto.

"What do you want?"

"That was quite straight."

"Answer the question."

"Of course, that's the reason I came here. But after that unpleasant start, we need to be comfortable while we discuss such important things. Won't you agree?" He taunted reminding about Tom. I decided to ignore.

Walking slowly up to the sofa seat, Norberto sat down on the single seat. Gesturing towards the opposite seat, he asked, "Would you mind?"

Not wanting to delay this further, I went to sit down opposite to him. It was a small room and even with us settled on the opposite sofa seats, our feet could touch each other if we so much as moved our legs. Being seated with him in my living room was the last thing I would have imagined if I was ever forced to imagine Norberto in my house.

That's because you were mostly on a bed with him!

The small voice smarted inside my head and if it was a person, I swear, I would have hit it hard. But before I could turn my irritation on Norberto, he surprised me with his next words.

"I want my son," he expressed with full seriousness.

"What do you mean?" I knew exactly what he meant.

"Just what you heard. It was cruel of you to keep my son away from me for all this time. Ten years I had no clue of my son's existence. Ten years you had him all by yourself. Now it's time to balance out the injustice. I want my son and I am going to take him." He explained in detail without blinking an eye. He was serious. He meant each and every word of it.