I Hate That I Loved You!

61- Once bitten, twice shy

Rizi nodded and smiled.

"You think you will be able to get inside intel?"

Elder Song asked taking a sip of this herbal green tea.

"Yes of course. Even their restricted servers that are not on a common network, we can get access of them as well. I am not sure how much dirt we will able to find but will see how it goes. We will be staying in close radar so the advantages are there."

"What about your Uncle's company?" Elder Song asked another question.

"Well, am going to spread the media article like a wildfire on the web. The more the coverage, the worst it will be for Grey Technosoft. They stocks will plummet drastically. Knowing Dino Cruz is the CEO, it will also affect Cruz Corps stocks." Rizi smirked with a smug look on her face.

Elder Song laughed at her smugness.

She was truly becoming more and more formidable.

Where had that naïve little young girl gone?

"Elder Song, do you recall anything that my mother must have told you in the past related to her family?" Rizi asked while going through the revenue files on the desk.

Elder Song looked at her with a surprise.

They had discussed many times in the past. But Rizi was still looking for answers and keep checking with him just in case he remembered anything.

He stood up and walked towards the floor to the ceiling glass window. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"Well. I am sorry Rizelle, but no. She was very studious, calm, and introverted. We had known each other from our graduation days. But I have never heard her mention anything wrong about her family and your uncle. Your uncle used to pick her up and drop her off to the campus during vacation days. They were on good terms with each other. At least I felt so."

Rizi frowned.

Her eyebrows furrowed.

If they were on good terms than why she didn't recall having good family gatherings like a normal happy family during her childhood.

There were very few visits to her grandparents house and dinner hardly once in a year. That to her mother and her uncle didn't converse much apart from formal greetings. They use to just formally greet each other, get busy with their own tasks or errands or talking to other relatives.

"Did something happen during or after my mother got married to my father?" Rizi asked in a low confused voice.

"I am sorry Rizelle, but I don't know that as well. As I told you, your mother was introvert person. We never talked about her family issues or anything. I was her only friend during college. We kept in touch and use to talk occasionally but not that frequently. Then I got busy with my own life. She never told me about any issue or feud among her family. She was always smiling and happy. When you were 13 years old, we came to know about her cancer, and we lost her a year after that. The same year I lost my daughter to cancer as well."

Elder Song said reminiscing past.

His face reflected deep sorrow and agony.

He had lost his princess that year to cancer, and just after a month, Rizi's mother Ara Cruz died of the same disease.

Rizi's eyes welled up with tears.

She recalled how Elder Song has supported her after her mother's death. He had lost his daughter just a month before her mother's death. They both understood each other's pain and anguish.

As time passed, she grew up and got busy with her own life. They lost touch after she completed her graduation.

After she came out of prison, one day, Jason informed her that someone was desperately searching for her for quite some time. He gave her details. Rizi was suprises to know that it was Elder Song.

Rizi got to know that Elder Song had tried to search for her like hell. He had hired a private investigator as well when he read the news about D'Souza Corporation and her prison sentence.  Earlier someone from Bennetti Group was pulling some strings, so he was not able to meet her in the prison. After that when she got out of the prison, Jason had strictly blocked information about her whereabouts. So he was not able to reach out to her by any means.

After getting tired, Elder Song had personally visited Jason at Pereira Corporation to request him to arrange a meeting with Rizi just for once.

After a week, Jason had invited him to the villa for meeting. Seeing Rizi's state, Elder Song was teary-eyed. He hugged her tightly and broke down in tears. He promised her that she will always have her back from now onwards.

He had looked out for her ever since.

When she wanted to start her firm, She didn't know whom she can trust and was very skeptical because once bitten, twice shy.

Elder Song's son had taken over his company at a young age. So he was kind of retired. Knowing Elder Song was the right fit, she had requested him for help. He had readily agreed and invested in her idea.

He had managed to grow the company to such a stage in a short span.

Even though she had developed the product, it was Elder Song's management and business mind that had helped the company to grow so much.

He has helped her and Jason a lot throughout these years with blind faith and trust.

That is not easy to find in today's world!

"I am sorry. I should not have discussed the past." Rizi walked towards Elder song and placed her palm on Elder Song's shoulder.

She felt bad asking him certain questions again and again. It's painful for both of them to reminisce about the past when they both lost important people in their lives. But she doesn't even know where to start and dig past information.

Seeing Elder Song's eyes filled with tears, Rizi scolded herself inwardly. She had to stop being so desperate and selfish. She cannot bear to hurt the only father figure in her life.

Rizi gave him a tight hug.

"I am really sorry Baba. I really am.!"

Elder Song patted her head lovingly. He was not upset with her questions. It hurts him to think about his loving daughter whom he was not able to save even after trying everything.

She was almost of Rizi's age and both share similar traits and personality. Now Leo's Leukemia was a heavyweight on his shoulder. Leo was like a grandson to him. He was also helping Rizi to find a potential donor for Leo.

Life can be so unjust to some people sometimes.

"It's ok Rizelle. I got another daughter in return." He patted her head warmly again.

"I will always be! Thank you Elder Song." Rizi sniffled and hugged him again.

She missed her father a lot, but Elder Song had tried to fill that void and provided her a fatherly affection and love from past 3 and half years