The Billionaire 3: Tyron Cruz

"Where are we going, ma?" The five-year old Isabella asks her mother, Esperanza who is busy packing their clothes. "And why are you crying?" she added. "We will leave the house tonight, sweetie." Esperanza said forcing a smile.

"Are we going on a vacation with grandpa?" she asks innocently. Her mother stopped packing and pulled her closer.

"We will go on a vacation, but it will be just the two of us. Your grandpa will..." Her mother's voice cracked. "...he will stay here."

"But why, mama?" Isabella asked again. "Didn't we used to go on vacation? Me, you, papa and grandpa?"

Esperanza sigh as she stares at her with sad and lonely eyes.

"We can't do that now, sweetie... at least not now." She said and hugs her daughter. She needs to be strong for her daughter. "Now, be a good girl and help me pack our things."

"But mama, didn't you already pack enough clothes?" Isabella asked. "Why do we still need to pack almost everything?"

"You will understand soon, sweetie." She bitterly smiled at her daughter. She is still too young to understand what was happening.

"But mama, why are we going on a vacation when we just buried papa?" Isabella asks again making her cry. She still can't accept the fact that her husband died in a car accident and not to some illness. But she strongly believes that it was not just a simple accident, even the Don had a hunch who is responsible for it but there is no evidence to prove it.

"It's time to go, Isabella." She told her daughter who is still clueless on what's going to happen. Her only wish is for everything to be okay. They didn't even get enough time to mourn for her dead husband.

They opened the door and Don Samuel is standing in front of their door.

"Esperanza..." The Don said, his eyes were sad and lonely. He glances at Isabella who is clueless on what's going on.

"Papa, do we really have to do this?" Esperanza asks. "I don't really want to leave you alone especially now..." She said, her voice cracked.

"This is the only way, Esperanza." The Don said. "I also don't want to part from the two of you but there is no other way." He sighs and hugged Isabella. "Isabella, sweetheart, be good to your mother, okay?" He said, shredding a tear. "I just hope that you will not hate me for this, and that someday, I can freely hug you again."

"Grandpa, why are you crying too?" Isabella asks as she wipe the tears on his face. "You're going to get old early." She added making the Don cry some more. "Grandpa?" Isabella begins to shred tears too. She can already feel that something is not quite right.

"I love you, sweetheart." The Don said and kisses her forehead. "I apologize in advance to what you will hear and see today, but always remember that I love you and I want you and your mother safe."

"Papa, we don't have to do this, you know." Esperanza said, crying.

"We already talked about this, Esperanza. There is no other way, the enemy already killed my son, your husband is just around the corner. I am afraid that a snake might be around us." He said and pulled out a thick envelope from his pocket and gives it to his daughter-in- law. "Use that money to start over again, there is also an address inside that envelope, go there and start anew. That is a house I bought secretly and is under Ricardo Ferrer's name. You don't have to worry about Ricardo because he is a good man, I already called and informed him about your arrival. I also explained to him the situation."

"But papa-"

"There is no time, Esperanza." He sighs. "I will send money through Ricardo, but you have to live a lie-low life and away from this luxury, so that the enemy will believe that I really chased you two out of my life."

"I understand, papa." Esperanza said, tears falling from her eyes. "But you have to promise me one thing, papa, take care of your health."

"I promise, Esperanza. I promise. Take care of yourselves too. It will be heart breaking but we need to endure it." The Don said. "I never thought that there would be a time that I will be grateful to those rumors that I am despise you for marrying my son." He sighs. "But I am really grateful that you are the one who married my son, Esperanza." He said and holds his daughter-in-law's hands. "I am really grateful." He added.

"Papa, why is the destiny too hard on us?" she asks, bursting in tears. "We already lose Hernan and now we will lose each other too."

"We have to be strong for Isabella, Esperanza." The Don said. "We have to protect her from them." He added and glance at Isabella who is curious on what is going on. "I will do my very best to protect the two of you." He added as he hugs his daughter-in-law and Isabella for the very last time.

"Master, we need to act now." Hugo said cutting their moment. The Don sighs and look at his family with sad and lonely eyes.

"I don't really want to do this, Esperanza but-"

"I understand, papa." Esperanza softly said and holds Isabella's little hands.

A while later, shouting and crying is heard throughout the whole Morgan mansion. Just as they agreed, the Don chased them out of the mansion.

Isabella is crying so loud that the Don's heart is clenching, he wanted to hug her tight but he cannot do it, they don't know who the snake around them is. The only one they trusted around the house us his secretary, Hugo and the head of the housekeepers. He needs to keep his family safe even if it means not being with them.

•

Isabella suddenly wakes up by Tyron's worried voice.

"Bella, are you okay?" He asks, worried. "I think you're having a bad dream." He added.

Isabella blinks a few times before realizing that they are still at Tyron's car and is parked on the side of the road.

"I...I don't know if it is a dream or a memory." She confesses. The dream felt so real that makes her heart felt heavy. "But-Ahh!" Her head suddenly felt like spinning and throbbing and it hurts.

"Bella?" Tyron started to panic and pulls her closer to him. "What's happening?" He asks. "Should we go back to the hospital?" He asks again but she didn't say a word as she suddenly remembers something from her past.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" The five-year old Isabella shouted as she run around the house. "Where are you, grandpa?" She asks, still shouting.

"Sweetie, don't run around the house." Hernan told his daughter. They just got home from the park.

"But I miss grandpa." Isabella pouted. "Grandpa didn't come with us to the park. He's been like that for the past few days. Whenever we go out, he doesn't come with us."

Esperanza and Hernan looks at each other before glancing at their daughter.

"Grandpa is just busy that's why." Esperanza said.

"But..." Isabella pouted.

"It's okay, sweetie." Hernan said as he carries his daughter.

"Why is the little princess sulky again?" A voice asks. They look up at the stairway and there stood a powerful man.

"Grandpa!" Isabella happily squeals and run towards her grandfather. "Grandpa!" She puts up her arms, asking to be carried.

The Don smiles at his granddaughter and carried her.

"Did you have fun today?" The Don asks.

"Yes, but it would be more fun if you're with us." Isabella pouts, making the Don smile. "You rarely join us when we go out."

"Grandpa is just busy, sweetheart." The Don said and walks down the stairs. "But I have a surprise for you." He said as they take a seat on the couch.

"What is it, grandpa?" Isabella asks, beaming with curiosity.

The Don smiles as he gets a rectangular box from his pocket and handed it to Isabella.

"Open it." He said. Isabella opens it and was shocked to see a golden necklace with her name on it. "I made it personalized for you, sweetheart." The Don said.

"It is beautiful, grandpa." Isabella said mesmerized as she stares at the necklace.

"I'll put it for you." The Don said and carefully gets the necklace from the box and puts it around her neck.

"Thank you, grandpa!" Isabella hugs the Don. "I promise that I will cherish and will always wear this!"

"I'm glad that you like it, sweetheart." The Don smiles and hugs her. "Always remember that you are my sweet little angel and that I love you very much!"

"I love you too, grandpa!" Isabella said as she kisses the Don's cheeks.

Isabella suddenly opens her eyes and touch the necklace she's always wearing. All this time, she thought that it was her father who gave her that but it turns out that the old Don gave it to her. "Oh, Tyron!" she said as her tears started to fall. "I remember everything now." She said, her voice full of regret and remorse.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐