Destined Hearts Ch. 03

"I will always do that and thank you so much."

"Thank you too." She sobbed softly. "I have to go now but I promise to be calling you from time to time to check on your progress and don't forget to tell me if there is any problem."

Praveen felt really terrible as if there was a huge lump on his throat. "Yes!" He covered his mouth to prevent a sound from escaping. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye Praveen!"

Praveen quickly put the phone down and more tears came rushing down his cheeks. His heart was beating faster than anything else. He felt suffocated and although he didn't wanna cry at that moment, he couldn't help it. The tears in his eyes kept on flowing nonstop.

He quickly turned to find Celine and granny staring at him with no expressions on their faces.

"Oh my God," Celine gasped, touching her chest. "Are you okay?"

Praveen looked at her and he had no idea why he felt like pouring his heart out.

"My aunt and her family are leaving today." He sobbed softly, trying to rub his tears. "They just called to inform me that..." He couldn't say anymore.

Granny sighed, rubbing on his shoulder. "I am really sorry Praveen." She apologized. She didn't like seeing tears in his eyes. She had grown so attached to him in just a few days that she felt the way he felt. "Would you like to go and see them?"

"No!" He shook his head, still rubbing his tears. "They are already on their way to their airport right now."

"I am truly sorry about that." Celine apologized, shaking her beautiful head. "I know how you feel right now but..."

"Don't worry about me." It was gonna take him time to calm down. "Excuse me."

Without saying anything else, Praveen rushed to his room and sat on the chair where he just cried and cried. Celine wanted to follow him but granny told her that Praveen needed to be alone.

Praveen took out a photo he had taken together with his best friend and his family. They had seemed really happy, smiling and just enjoying themselves. He could remember it very well as if it had just been a few hours back. But now they were gone and he had no idea how long it was gonna be before they saw each other again.

Praveen felt as if a very important part of his soul had just vanished from him. They had been his family and now he had no one left. He was all alone in the world with no one to support him. He had no idea just how much he was gonna suffer but he still wished for his aunt to be happy.

"I will miss you so much." He sobbed, holding the photo closer to his chest. He closed his eyes as more tears poured down his beautiful face. "I am sorry I couldn't tell you the truth but I know you will be happier if you don't know that I am sad."

He sat on the couch just crying. He was hurt, lonely and just wanted to lock himself up. He didn't even realize that time was passing. He had no idea if it was an hour or two that passed but what brought him to reality was the sound of something hitting the chair.

He got out of his thoughts, moved his eyes and saw what was on the couch. It seemed like a small box which was wrapped in a small bag. He couldn't make of it clearly but seeing it there made him wonder who was in the room.

He quickly moved his head and found Antonio looking at him at him as if he wanted to devour him. Seeing Antonio, he quickly got up and took off his glasses. He tried to rub his tears but realized that they were dry already. But he wiped his face and still wondered what was going on.

"What's that?" He asked in a small voice, gesturing towards the item.

Antonio didn't want to talk to Praveen but he had no choice. "Why don't you open it and check it out? It's for you."

Praveen stood still, wondering if what he had heard from Antonio was correct or it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He closed his eyes and opened them again but Antonio was still there and so was the item on the couch.

He gave him a not so sure look but leaned down and took the item anyway. He removed it from the bag and found out exactly what it was. It was a phone and he didn't know if he read correctly but the words, "Iphone X" was written on that box.

Praveen's heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened. He still thought it was a dream until he decided to open the box. When he opened the box he was welcomed by a beautiful big, silver brand new Iphone X. Praveen was definitely caught off guard and he still couldn't believe Antonio had just bought that for him. It was a surprise.

He raised his face and stared at the handsome hunk. "Thank you so much for..."

"Before you even finish that sentence I want you to know I didn't want to buy that for you." Antonio said hoarsely, folding his muscular arms on his chest. "Mom actually forced me to buy it for you because according to her, her son in law cannot be phoneless when he is married to her son." He laughed manically, furiously dropping his hands.

Oh! And Praveen had actually thought his husband was gonna change for a while.

"But you do not deserve that because you are not worth it." He thundered, scaring the boy who was already hurt. "Boys like you deserve to get nothing but you can have it because you could use something valuable in your wretched life."

Praveen closed his eyes as a sharp pain made his whole body squirm. He had no idea how long he was gonna endure the pain, the emotional torture and everything because he had grown tired of all of them.

"Besides," He smirked, giving Praveen an evil grin. "Things like those are the only things you came in this house anyway. But let me make one thing straight," He warned, angrily pointing at Antonio. "Stay away from me and know your place in this house and in my life. That thing doesn't mean anything at all and if you are wise you will get what I am saying to you..." He paused and looked at Praveen from head to toe in disgust. "...four eyes."

With those painful words, Antonio passed Praveen and started heading to the office on the right but before he even went further...

"Thank you." Praveen said to him, making him stop in his tracks. "Thank you so much for this wonderful gift."

Antonio furiously turned, wondering if what he had heard from Praveen was correct. But Praveen was standing there staring at him with a serious face. That got Antonio really angry because he had said that in order to hurt Praveen's feelings. He hadn't expected to hear that.

"What?" Antonio gasped as his eyes widened. "Why are..."

"Someone once told me that no matter how a person gives you something even if he insults you..." He paused and smiled slightly. "...that thing is a gift and must be accepted. You are absolutely right. This phone is really expensive and I couldn't afford it even if I sold my soul..."

Tears started building in his eyes but they weren't moving Antonio at all. "...it is valuable and it will be the most expensive thing I know but I will accept it because I know mother thought of me with love and nothing else. As for my place in this house..." He furiously rubbed his tears. "...you don't have to worry about anything at all. I don't plan to overstep my boundaries. I am used to all this anyway."

Praveen took a quick turn and left the room. Antonio remained standing there dumbfounded and still wondering if the person that had spoken was Praveen. He had expected him to keep quiet and reject the gift but he was really surprised.

Meanwhile, Praveen went downstairs and met with Emilia whom he thanked a lot for the phone. She hugged and kissed his cheek instead and told him how valuable he was in their house and their lives. If only he could hear those words from his husband's lips but according to Antonio, he was a curse, a plague in his life.

Emily told him that she was sorry about his family but she promised that he wasn't gonna miss them that much because she was gonna make him happy.

The day went on with Praveen cooking lunch and dinner which everyone appreciated except for Antonio and Andrea. Things were heating up and Antonio was awfully quiet at the table. He was thinking about what Praveen had said to him in the room.

When night came, Praveen just grabbed a blanket and pillow and went to sleep on the couch before Antonio came to sleep. He had had enough pain as it was and he didn't wanna hear anything. He was still thankful for the phone but that didn't mean he was to get pain in return.

The day went by and he was thankful it was successful, well most it. The next day was coming and a party was on its way.

***

The house was being decorated perfectly by the best decorators. It was shiny, sparkling everywhere one looked. Emilia wanted everything to be perfect. She didn't want any mistakes or anything to go wrong on her watch.

She had hired the best chefs to cook the food and the best DJ to play the music. The entire living room, floor and even outside were sparkly. She had made some adjustments to the living room so that there was enough space for people to move and dance, most especially the two grooms.

Emilia had prepared the party for both Antonio's marriage and also his inheritance but to be honest, it was mostly about the marriage. She regarded it really important because she knew that it was the most important thing to Antonio or so she thought because she had no idea what was going on in his brain.

She had gone to the biggest company they owned and then met with the lawyer to sign some documents and then she had left him with Andrea to finish up work and visit the other companies and finally hold a board meeting. She would have stayed but now she was busy preparing the party. She had called up most of the people to invite them and she was really excited.

She had chosen the outfit for her son and Praveen and she was really happy. She had given Praveen the outfit. She had prevented him from working and had the best hairstylists and makeup artists to make him glow.

It took the entire day for the preparations to be done but at the end of it, she was happy with the outcome. Everything was just perfect. She was just waiting for her son and the guests to arrive.

***

Antonio was seated in the car with his eyes outside the window, looking all around the compound as if he had been there for the first time. He was dumbfounded and he couldn't speak. He couldn't recognize his compound and he was definitely confused.

The entire compound and most especially the house looked really different. There were many cars outside that it got him wondering how many people had come. The house was glowing with the most expensive decors he had ever seen his mother put at a party before.

"Surprised?" Andrea chuckled, rubbing on his shoulder.

Antonio slowly moved his eyes, looking at her with a confused look. "Yeah, mom has never..."

"I understand you but she is crazy over that boy." She said harshly, clenching her fists. "Ever since he came to this house, she always wants him to have the best. He has just been here for three days and yet she is..."

"You don't have to worry about that." Antonio said in a dry tone, his jaws trembling. "Very soon, that boy will realize his mistake and he will be out of our lives for good."

"But he keeps ruining each and every moment in this house." She groaned, feeling anger taking control of her. "That boy will get it from me and I swear..."

"Andrea..." Antonio called.

"Just promise you won't fall for that boy's magic as mom has done and please..." Andrea chuckled teasingly, looking at her brother wide eyed. "Don't even fall for his tricks. That boy is really evil and he might try and take you away from..."

"Are you crazy?" Antonio grimaced, feeling extremely irritated at what Andrea had just said. "What do you think of me? Do I look like I could fall for someone like him? I hate him and he will be removed from my life very soon."

"And you shouldn't let him seduce you because..."

"You don't have to worry about anything." He said with a serious look on his face. He couldn't picture himself having sex with such a boy. It would be disgusting. "The only one I love is Bruce..." He smiled as he remembered his boyfriend and the way they kissed and made love. "...and he is the only one that I will spend the rest of my life with. Bruce and I will be married and this I swear. He will be in my arms very soon."

Andrea smiled at her brother when she heard his words. "That's my brother. The only one who deserves you is Bruce. That boy is just trash and very soon we will sweep it."

Antonio raised his hands softly, rubbing on his sister's cheeks. "I love you so much, Andrea."

"I love you too." She said, rubbing on his hand. "Now let's go in before mom starts calling like she is crazy."

Antonio laughed and then hugged his sister tightly before placing a kiss on her cheek. He got out of the car together with her wearing a pitch black designer's suit which was stuck on his muscular body like a second skin. He had a deep red shirt inside which was halfway buttoned up, revealing a wonderful muscular chest that would make any girl or guy go bonkers.

He had white designer's shoes on his feet and his hair was gelled to perfection, revealing his gorgeous eyes. He had a perfect but tiresome day but that didn't stop him from looking extremely hot. He was now the new owner of all his father's companies and if not for anything else, he needed to celebrate. To him there was nothing more important than his wealth, his boyfriend, his family and his career. He didn't care about his marriage.

When Antonio and Andrea entered the mansion, they found that the party had already started. The guests had already started arriving and it seemed most of them had arrived anyway. They were busy enjoying their drinks and snacks while talking among themselves.

There were different people in the house, business men and women, friends and fans. How could he deny something like that? He was gonna be happy with everything except that stupid ugly boy whom he hated so much.

"Antonio!" He heard some girls gasp.

He moved his eyes towards their voices and saw about 5 girls coming towards him with smiles on their faces. Fuck! The way they were looking at him was as if they were already undressing him with their eyes. When Andrea saw this, she laughed and smiled at her brother.

"Let's just forget about the stupid boy and enjoy the party." She whispered in his eyes, waving at some of the people that waved at her. "Besides, you are now the president of one of the biggest companies in the country. You need to celebrate."

"You are absolutely right." He whispered back as the girls got closer. "I am gonna enjoy myself and forget about the ugly thing."

"That's my brother." She chuckled happily. "Now if you excuse me, I have to go and get changed."

"Okay."

Andrea kissed her brother's cheeks and left before the girls arrived.

"Hi there, sexy..." They all greeted.

Before he even had the chance to answer them, they were all over him, holding him and smelling him. But he was just laughing because he found it funny and sexy. He wasn't straight so it didn't matter to him.

"Hey girls, how are you?"

"We are not fine." One of the girls joked. "We were hoping we would have a chance with you but too bad you are married."

They all laughed including Antonio. He needed to entertain them since they were his fans.

"But maybe his groom doesn't mind sharing this piece of hunk." Another one joked. "I mean, how could she handle him all alone? I am really jealous and I can't wait to meet the lucky guy."

"Yeah," Another one sighed. "We all are jealous. Man, I can't control myself just from your magazines and videos. I wonder how he controls himself when he is around you."

His fans were really hilarious. Antonio found that really funny and he actually laughed.

"Well, just between you and me..." He said happily, putting his arms around two of the girls beside him. He could tell that they were getting turned on by the expressions on their faces and the way they breathed. "...he isn't anywhere as beautiful as you girls."

The girls looked at each other in surprise and then at Antonio. "Really?" They gasped.

"I bet he is just trying to tease us." One of them sighed. "No one can say that his beloved his not the most beautiful. He is lying to us."

If only they knew. "I am serious." He said and he wasn't even lying. He had never met anyone as ugly as Praveen.

He wanted to continue with the girls but he noticed his mother waving at him and he had to excuse himself. She was putting on a beautiful yellow designer's dress which was just the right one for her. Her hair was made into a pouf which made her beautiful face to be in view that night. She had brown high heeled shoes on her that just looked perfect and she had a smile on her face that Antonio had never seen before. Her face was glowing with makeup and that smile was the final touch. She was gorgeous.

"Hey! You are finally here." She said as she kissed his cheeks.

"Yes! Have you been waiting for long?" He asked with a smile. "I am sorry if I am late. It's just that I was caught up in traffic and the board meeting took longer than I had expected."

"Look who's finally here." Antonio heard a familiar voice behind him.

He quickly turned to find his granny looking really amazing. She was dressed in a traditional outfit with slippers on her feet and her hair made into one long braid. But she was gorgeous.

"Granny." He kissed her cheek before giving her a wonderful hug. "You look really amazing tonight." He finally let go of her. "Did you look this beautiful to have a dance with your grandson?"

"You crazy boy!" She hit him softly on the arm. "You are always joking and no, I won't be dancing with you tonight!"

"What?" He gasped, his eyes widening at her answer. "Why?"

"Because your attention should be on Praveen tonight." She said with a smile. "You are married now and you should give him all your attention, baby."

"Mother is absolutely right," Emily coiled her son's arm, getting closer to him. She smiled at him and Antonio didn't find it funny at all. "We need to start the party because many people have been waiting for the introduction to begin. Besides, Praveen has been waiting for you. Come on, let's begin..."

Without even getting any word from him, Emily took her son and went to where Eduardo was. He was putting on a blue suit which looked lovely on him with matching shoes. His hair was combed perfectly and along with him was Ethan who was dressed in a shiny blood red designer's shoes with matching shoes. His hair was gelled and that smile on his face made him look even more handsome.

But Antonio didn't find anything funny. In fact, his mood was ruined and he didn't wanna go on anymore. He had come back home only to meet with another headache. But it was fine, his anger was gonna get justified. He was mad.

"There is the groom," Ethan patted on his shoulder. "We've been waiting for quite some time."

"Hey Ethan!" Antonio did his best to smile. He remembered that he had almost lost his best friend and it just made him madder.

"Hello to you too."

They both hugged before Emilia took the microphone.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen and welcome to our humble home." She announced in the mic, getting everyone's attention. "This evening is very special to me, my family and most especially my son." She held him closer to her. Antonio had no choice but to smile at the happy faces.

"We've invited you here as our friends, family and colleagues so that you can join in this happy celebration." She chuckled in the mic. "You all know my youngest son, Antonio who recently came back from abroad after a long time. I have watched him grow..." She said happily. "...I have watched him mature into this handsome young man standing beside me and I have also watched him become responsible."

She cleared her voice. "Antonio has been a great boy and I love him so much. Not long ago, he used to be really young and today ladies and gentlemen..." She raised her voice. "...he is now the president of all the Gonzalez companies."