Chapter Thirty Eight
Elena's POV
A call woke me up at midnight.
"Mrs. Stavrakos?"
It was Sheila, Grandpa's personal assistant.
"What is it?"
"We're in the hospital right now," there was a siren sound in the background, so loud I could barely hear her.
My heart hammered so fast, "what happened?"
"Your grandpa had a stroke."
Adonis' POV
*Two months later
Everyone fell silent when I entered the Stavrakos building. One could hear a pin drops on the floor at its solemnity. The front guards looked shock when I strode through the main door. The receptionists and staff in the lobby stared at me with questioning eyes, doubting if I was really their boss.
I was gone and came back hardly unrecognizable.
I looked out of place when I stepped inside the building, with my overlong hair and beard, worn out cargo khaki pants, gray shirt that used to be white, and a climbing boots with traces of mud around the soles edges.
I had my black backpack with me I carried everywhere. Inside were the essential things I needed to survive in the past two months.
I climbed Mount Everest. I joined the expedition to reach the peak of the mountain. It had been one of my bucket list in life.
I entered my private elevator and headed to the penthouse. After two hours, I was back at my old self again. Wearing my usual businessman attire with a clean cut hairstyle and well-shaven face.
I had a meeting with the department heads, officers, company lawyers and managers, and they gave me feedback regarding the status of the Stavrakos holdings while I was away. Everything was doing well, Dad and our trusted team managed the company well in my absence.
I was very busy in the office, catching up with the paperworks that had been pending for two months. I have to finish the rush transactions before I would settle my personal life.
I stayed in the Penthouse. Going home at the Stavrakos Mansion just reminded me of Elena and everything we did together. It just made me feel so empty without her.
Friday night, I had dinner with my parents in their mansion, the place where I grew up.
"I'm glad you came," Mom said, after the chef presented the main dish, "I heard you're always working until midnight, and that's not healthy anymore."
"You should be happy that I'm working, and not drinking in the bar."
Dad coughed, then said, "he enjoys working, hon. Let him be."
"I'm just concern about you, Adonis," Mom continued despite my warning, "you're putting too much pressure on yourself. Get out and meet your friends, have fun! You're always in the office working too hard."
"At this moment, it's the only thing that keeps me going every day," I pushed my plate, done after forcing myself to eat.
Our topic shifted on business, about our current dealing and plans for next year. The topic about me and my struggle stopped.
"I have a favor to ask from you," Dad said.
"What is it?"
"You know we want to go to Maldives for our wedding anniversary, right?" Dad continued.
"Of course," I turned to mom, who was enjoying her avocado sorbet, "you can't stop talking about it these past few days."
"That's right," Mom agreed, "we can't leave because your dad has a speaking engagement this coming Thursday."
"That's too bad."
"Yeah, it is," Dad's lips twisted, "I wonder if you can talk on my behalf."
That made my forehead furrowed, "what's the topic?"
"Living Life to the fullest," Dad answered, and it made me chuckle bitterly.
Strange. When I was not myself and trapped in a room of darkness.
"I don't think I'm equipped to talk about that at the moment," I shook my head.
"I'll have my secretary make the speech for you. All you have to do is read it."
"Are you sure?" I asked, and he nodded, "this Thursday, right?" I checked my schedule on my phone, "I have a business meeting, but I can move it the following day. Okay, I'll do it, I'll attend the event."
"That's great! So, that's all settled then," Mom smiled brightly, her hand reaching to Dad's, "we can book our tickets tomorrow."
"Of course, honey," Dad took her hand and kissed her knuckles, "we'll do it first thing tomorrow."
My parents looked very excited. Every wedding anniversary is very meaningful to them to celebrate their undying love for each other. I could never say no and deprive them of their happiness to have an adventure together.
Yeah, my parents' love story made me idealistic. That one day, I would find a woman who would fill my life with love and happiness.
--
Thursday came, my parents left for Maldives while I went to attend the event as a speaker.
The venue was on the outskirt of New York City.
New York Cancer Society Rehabilitation Center.
It was the new center that Dad supported this year. Obviously the reason he got invited as the principal speaker.
It was a close event, attended by health professionals, staff and their in-house cancer patients.
The cancer patients moved me when I met them. They were smiling brightly, showing their happiness and warm welcome upon seeing me. They shook my hand, and some even hugged me.
Hope. That's what I saw in their eyes. How they value their lives, every day, every minute, and every second. They had the will to beat the disease in order to live longer.
Now, I grasped the importance of my speech. How every word I would utter bring meaning to them. Living Life to the Fullest. Because one would never know when his heart stops beating.
I stood in front of the stage, holding the paper that contained my speech. I folded it and put it inside my pocket.
My heart turned liquid upon seeing the patients. These patients left their loved ones, their jobs, their homes, and their activities in the city, to fight and survive the disease. The sacrifice they made was difficult.
Hope and will to survive my battle suddenly hit me.
I made the speech, speaking from my heart. Talking about my travel to Mount Everest and other adventures. I narrated a bit of my heartache, my recent struggles, but I refrained from getting too emotional, so as not to bring negativity to the patients. All they needed was positivity on how to live life to the fullest.
After my speech, I sat the front row of the audience. Beside me where the heads and board members of the institution.
The program was about to end, and the host gave tribute to those who beat cancer and were leaving the institution. They were called one by one onstage to receive some goodies.
I was half listening.
I felt like I was in my lowest point. I had never felt so empty as that moment. Seeing all the patients hanging on with their lives, opened my eyes to give importance to mine.
My thoughts drifted to what happened in my life the past months, but more on Elena.
Elena.
I'm done torturing myself too much, I could not deny it anymore. I miss her so badly. The pain of not being with her got unbearable every day.
I lost my trust in women, and in love, because of what Trisha did. But Elena opened my eyes. I learned to trust that she would be sincere, loyal and honest to me.
She made me believe in love again.
I filed a divorce to dissolve that agreement with Constantine, about the arranged marriage in exchange of the land. It only brought toxicity in our relationship – a bad start. We could not help but being affected by what people kept on saying about us. To set us free, I trust that a divorce was the solution.
We agreed to take a break in our relationship. To focus on our lives and see what would be in store for us. She took over their family business when Constantine had a stroke, and I got burn out from running the family business, I climbed Mt. Everest and fulfilled one of my bucket list.
I wanted to prove to her that my ancestor's land did not matter to me anymore. But she is.
"Congratulations to our last graduate," everyone clapped with laughter, "Miss Celine Pallis!"
Celine Pallis? That's Elena's mom.
My attention brought back to the present.
I was stunned as I looked at the woman smiling brightly, as she went onstage, waving at everyone. She wore a scarf over her head. Her face was pale, and she had no makeup on.
What the hell. She's indeed Elena's mother! Their resemblance is striking.
She gave a brief speech thanking everyone for taking care of her in six months' time she was in the institution.
Isn't she supposed to be in England... Singapore... Dubai... wherever in the world to spend the Pallis fortune in shopping?
She bade goodbye, and the host repeated her name. Celine Pallis.
Constantine and Elena hid Celine's illness to everyone. I wonder why?
It made sense, why Elena was hesitant to talk about her mother. She evaded answering questions about her. She also did not want us to meet.
The event ended, and I was desperately looking for Celine. She was nowhere to be found. Every person I met, I asked, but they did not know where she was.
I went to the garden, waiting for nothing. I suddenly felt frustrated about everything that happened in my life. I sat on a bench, when suddenly, someone sat beside me.
"Were you looking for me?" A feminine voice asked.
I turned and saw her, "Celine."
"Finally, we met, Adonis."
*One hour later
I was inside my car. I felt numb and stun after talking to Celine. With trembling fingers, I called my executive assistant.
"William. Did you process the divorce papers?"
"Yes, I did. Congratulations, sir. The judge approved your filed divorce."
SHOCK. My phone fell on my lap.
"NOOOO!!!!" I shouted.