BETROTHED TO THE BILLIONAIRE

CHAPTER 97

Ryan's POV 

Ignoring the emptiness I suddenly felt when her body was lowered feet down the ground, I glanced away to stop myself from breaking down but it was impossible because the action alone hit me hard.

She is gone. Never to be seen again.

I want to break down now but I can not. I am a man. I have a wife who is looking up to me. The way Valerie reacted to her death was shocking and I have to control myself so she doesn't end up crying again.

But I can't hold it back.

How can I when this woman meant so much to me? Is it the pain of losing her when I least expected it? Or the pain of thinking about the people who killed her?

Maybe if it had been a natural death, I wouldn't be in so much anguish. Maybe if it weren't planned by the people I know, I wouldn't be hurt this way.

Why her? Why Mother?

Everybody loved her. She was a great woman. She was wealthy but no one knew she was because her husband was handling everything except, of course, her supermarket which is now closed down.

Lorenzo thinks he can do this and get away with it. He wanted all of her property but I won't let that happen. He is going to rot in jail with the others. I don't care whether we lived together for years as a family. I don't even give a shit about Anita too or Celina.

They all deserve to rot in jail for taking away the only woman who understands me perfectly well.

Her love for me was unconditional. It was normal for a Mother and son to share such a bond but ours was different. She was my confidant. She was my everything.

Even when I wasn't finding myself loving a woman properly after what Celina did, she made me believe that true love still exists and that I was going to find that woman someday. 

I didn't need to search further because she brought that woman to me. 

She preached about true love when she was facing a lot without letting me know and it makes me wonder who my Father really was and how long they were together before his death.

Was he a good man? When she talked about true love, was she referring to him?

I clench my jaw and fists, and bite on my lower lips to refrain myself from letting out a sob but I fail because I drop to my knees the next few minutes and bury my face on the sandy floor.

A lot of dignitaries are here but I do not care anymore. The press can as well carry it. She is my mother and I love and miss her already.

All of a sudden, I whimper in pain as my heart becomes too heavy. With my balled fist, I hit my hand slowly on my chest to stop the pain but it won't stop as I continue to cry.

From nowhere, I feel a touch.

A touch that puts a stop to my wailings. I don't expect that anybody would want to interrupt me from this painful session. I guess this is why I am surprised.

But then, I do not need to turn back to know who it is.

There is only one person here who can do that. I barely know some of the guests around today but I know they are good friends of Mother.

"Ryan…", her calm voice breaks, making me sit upright on the floor, not bothering to stand up.

My gaze shifts to the area where Mother is buried. My tears are blinding me as I smile, praying deep within me for her to sleep peacefully and not worry about me wherever she is.

She would be worried. 

I know this. 

She would be worried that I am not doing well. She would be worried that I am hurting and she might linger around. I don't want that.