Taming A Billionaire

The third point of view: winning the ex-wife back.

"Nadia," the woman turned the other way when she heard Sakuzi's voice. She knew he was here to try to deceive him with his sugar-coated words. Humph! She had fallen for it the first time she was young and stupid, not this time around.

"What do you want?" She asked with a not so welcomed tone, arms crossed.

"I need you to come with me somewhere, please?" Sakuzi requested of her, stepping closer. The woman was in the garden and the cool afternoon air ruffled her hair while the flowers permeated the environment with their pleasant scent.

"Where? An exotic restaurant?" She sighed," I'm already used to your trick, Sakuzi. Nothing more would surprise me," Nadia claimed. 

"It is not a date, I just want you to come with me to see someone," He said without going into much detail. 

"See someone? Who?" she asked with curiosity when her eyes suddenly widened as she figured out, "No way in hell. I am never going there. Knock yourself out," she turned her back to him. 

"Could you please for once lay aside your goddamned pride - this is what I'm talking about. I'm trying to prove to you that any other feeling I have for her is gone and the fact I'm just helping out is because she's an old acquaintance. Nadia, just give me a chance!" he yelled, chest heaving from the effort. 

Nadia didn't reply but inwardly, she was contemplating a lot of things in her head which Sakuzi mistook as refusal. 

"Fine, I won't go," Sakuzi told her, "But thanks for pushing me away like you always do," He summarized and turned to leave when she yelled out 

"Stop right there!" Nadia stomped over to him in anger, "So because of this little tantrum, you've given up?" she hit him on the chest, "What kind of man are you? Are you even a man? What kind of man doesn't know women mean the opposite of what they want -" 

Sakuzi pulled her into a hug which silenced every form of protest from her. 

"Yaa...!" Isabella's glare cut off Neon's celebration. They were hiding behind a thicket of shrubs watching the whole drama and Neon almost blew their cover. 

Since their mother gave them the mission to bring the old people together, they had to provide enough evidence to guarantee they had accomplished the task and also to tie Reina to her promises. 

"We should go," Sakuzi took her hand and intertwined their fingers together which made Nadia blush, she looked the other way.

Seriously, she was too old for this. But then it crossed her mind, "What about the kids? Reina wanted us to keep a close eye on them?" 

"Don't worry," Sakuzi assured her, "We wouldn't be gone for long. I'm sure they can do well without us for an hour," 

[A/N: Don't be so sure, old man. They burned the house in a matter of seconds. Who knows, they might bomb the city in a matter of an hour?] 

"Are you sure?" She still had reservations about this since she had heard the kids were a wild bunch. 

"Don't worry, nothing's going to happen. You worry too much," At that moment, the flirt in Sakuzi came to life and he tucked the woman's hair behind her ears. Nadia blushed then hit him on the chest coyly as she said, "Stop that," 

At that moment, Isabella wanted to puke at the lovey-dovey act. What's with these old people? If only she knew that was the same way people felt around her whenever she's with Pedro. 

"Alright, let's leave," Isabella issued the kids the sign to retreat and they slipped back as if they had never been there at all. 

With no knowledge that their whole conversation has been recorded, Sakuzi and Nadia went back to the living room to see the kids had been obedient.

"Isabella," Sakuzi called her out as the eldest and related to her his plans of leaving.

"Sure, you can leave them to me," Isabella promised to take care of them. Thus, Sakuzi believed her and left with a gladdened heart.

"Freedom!" The kids screamed out in celebration. But that happiness was only for a moment because each one of them recalled that their mother had given them the mission of spying out anyone that misbehaves. So the once joyous atmosphere become gloomy to Isabella's surprise - she was the only one who had not been given the mission due to her absence

"Well, they have always been weird kids," Isabella shrugged and went back to whatever she was doing. 

The ride to the hospital was filled with anticipation mixed with tension. Nadia knew she was going to meet that woman that had cost her her marriage but she didn't know how to feel.

"You know what? You don't have to do this if you're uncomfortable with it?" Sakuzi changed his mind as soon as they arrived at the door's entrance. 

"I'm okay, you don't have to worry. Even without this situation, I was bound to meet her in one way or the other," Nadia said and with resolve, turned the doorknob and went in before he could stop her. 

However, the sight that met her as soon as she came in wasn't what she expected. 

"What do you think you're doing?!" She asked Angela who was just about to slit her wrist. 

Because they had come in unannounced, Angela was startled and the knife fell from her grasp. Sakuzi who saw the metal clatter to the ground, rushed to pick it up before she tried a stupid move. 

Angela's mouth moved but no words came out. Though she had called Sakuzi to come, she never thought he would make it after he hung up on her - so she thought - not to mention with his ex-wife, Nadia. Guilt like no other plunged her. Guess Maya wasn't the only one who needed her apology. 

Angela was a shadow of herself, that was all Nadia could say. That beautiful, pompous lady who had proudly told her years ago that Sakuzi would never see her as his woman was no longer here, all she could see now was a thin, faded, aged woman. What happened to the Angela she knew. 

Nadia had imagined what she would feel when she meets Angela today, but pity was the least emotion she predicted. She even began to wonder why she hated the woman in the first place. Because right now, Angela wasn't even worth her hate. 

Shame like no other overtook Angela. She was nothing compared to Nadia right now, she laughed inwardly. Life was quite funny. It had ways of paying back people in their coins. 

"Why are you here? To laugh at me? Because if that's the case, you won. Congratulations," Angela told her. 

Nadia threw her head back and laughed, "You're right," She acquiesced, "At first, I intended to do just that. I wanted to come and scorn the woman who had proudly destroyed my marriage but seeing you now, it's a low move if I do that because the battle is already over and the winner obvious,"

She went on, "I'm just honestly happy I arrived on time to stop you from ending your life - that's a cowardly move. You should stay alive to reap what you sowed. This is just karma and you're lucky enough you'd be out of misery soon -"

"Nadia," Sakuzi touched her arm to remind her she was going too far. Angela already knew she was going to die, it was unfair to keep reminding her that.

"No, let her be," Angela sniffed, "I deserve everything that's come my way. She deserves every right to be angry at me," she wiped away the tears from her eyes.

"That's the problem," Nadia said, blinking away the tears that were threatening to fall, " I'm not angry at you but myself for having let hate destroy the perfect life I should have picked up after you destroyed it. It's my fault as much as it's your fault. I wasn't able to protect my family from intruders," the tears she was fighting to keep at bay finally fell.

"I'm so sorry," Angela sobbed on," I was so blinded by the quest for power to realize how much I was hurting others as well as myself,"

"If you're that sorry as you claim, then live on. Fight this illness to your last breath... Fight it enough to have made up for the people you've wronged,"

Angela wept harder from Nadia's words and both women cried for a long time while Sakuzi watched awkwardly. 

"I'm sorry Valentino for ruining your marriage amid everything you did for me. I shouldn't have used and led you on even when I had no interest in you. Can you find in your heart to forgive me, please?" 

Sakuzi breathed out deeply, "I already forgive you when I let go of you years ago," He told her, "If you want forgiveness, go ask that from your daughter," 

Angela nodded, unable to speak anymore; the tears and snots were choking her. 

"Also," Sakuzi continued, "This is the last time I'll be here," 

"What?" Angela was stunned. 

Sakuzi took Nadia's hands, intertwining them with his, "It's time to take care of myself and the ones that matter to me now. Goodbye, Angela,"