The Otherside Of Love || Sadistic Billionaire

Natalie’s POV

I didn’t reply to her because I knew exactly what kind of history Rafael had with women.

I turned around again and was about to enter Daniel’s car when a large hand held my arm. “I said, I’ll drive you.”

I pulled my hand away and said with a smile, “No need. Stay with your friend and reminisce about your precious history together.”

He wiped his face with both hands and then lifted me into his embrace. I gasped in shock and yelled, “Put me down!”

“No,” he said calmly. Walking towards his car, he asked Daniel, “You can join us.”

Daniel didn’t hesitate and entered Rafael’s car, sitting in the front seat as Rafael placed me in the back. I rolled my eyes when he put the seatbelt on me.

When he started the engine, Julia said through the window, “I’ll message you through IG, Rafael!”

I hate that kind of women who knew the man was married and still tried to grab his attention desperately.

“Where are we going?” Rafael asked me through the rearview mirror. I didn’t want him to know about my father, but did I have a choice now? The man who arranged this meeting just sent me a message ten minutes ago saying I had thirteen minutes left.

I cleared my throat and said, “To the Rehabilitation Center.”

Rafael stared at me through the rearview mirror with confusion and repeated, “The Rehabilitation Center?”

“Yes,” I replied. Then, after a short pause, I added, “To see my father.”

Daniel didn’t say a word. He wasn’t in favor of this meeting, saying it wasn’t safe for me as a pregnant woman. His actions were unpredictable.

The rest of the ride was silent except for Daniel giving Rafael directions.

Before we arrived, Rafael asked in a calm voice, as if he had been pondering this, “How did you know about him? How did you find him?”

“Natalie is my cousin. Her father is my uncle,” Daniel said.

I could see the shock in Rafael’s eyes. He didn’t speak for a while, then he asked, “Was that why you lived next to us? But why didn’t you tell us before?”

“You’re asking too much, Rafael,” Daniel replied. I could see that his reply irritated Rafael, who growled, “Asking too much? Do you know who we’re talking about? She’s never been just a stepsister to me. She has always been and still is my life. And now you say I’m asking too much?”

I can’t say that Rafael was lying about his feelings because I felt the same. The difference was that when I needed this love, he wasn’t ready, and now that I wanted to move on, he wanted me back.

“Is that how you managed to keep the investigators from finding her?”

Investigators? Did he hire investigators to find me? I looked at Daniel, waiting for his reply. All this time I thought Rafael wasn’t been searching for me.

Daniel sighed, “I just helped her change her last name to her original family name and deleted all the records from the airport.”

My mouth dropped to the ground. Rafael searched for me; he didn’t neglect me!

“Why?” Rafael growled, hitting the steering wheel. “Why did you do that?”

Daniel shouted back, “I’m not the bad guy here, Rafael. I just wanted to give her some space, to make you feel how it could be if you lost her. Your father asked me to help you both make your marriage succeed.”

“Dad Matt!” I asked.

“My father?” Rafael asked.

We both asked in shock.

“You mean you knew about our marriage all the time?” Rafael asked.

“Of course I did!”

I remember the first time I met Daniel at the engagement party. I remember how I instantly felt comfortable with him.

“This didn’t give you the right to do what you did,” Rafael mumbled in disbelief.

We arrived at the Rehabilitation Center. I was very nervous. I didn’t think I would be this nervous.

“Follow me,” said the doctor.

Rafael, Daniel, and I followed the doctor silently.

I could hear my heartbeat from the tension.

“Please, only one of you can enter,” the doctor said as he was typing a number on the door’s automatic lock.

“I… I’ll be the one to enter, doctor,” I stammered.

“I’m her husband. I want to go with her. My wife is pregnant; I can’t let her enter alone,” Rafael said firmly.

The doctor sized him up and down, then nodded in agreement.

All the times I saw Rafael use his power to convince people or force them to do what he wanted, I now realized he truly had a commanding presence and a persuasive way of speaking that didn’t rely on power or money.

“Stop admiring him, you fool,” I snapped at myself in my head.

I didn’t refuse Rafael’s suggestion as I really needed support at that moment.

We walked side by side. A white door opened, and the doctor said, “You have fifteen minutes, but as I said before, his state is not stable, so please be careful.”

I took a deep breath and entered, with Rafael walking exactly behind me.

There was a man sitting in his chair, his head down, and there was a glass wall separating him from us.

The doctor said, “He hears you clearly. If you need anything, press the bell.” Then he left the room.

I stood still in my place, staring at him wide-eyed. He looked very exhausted.

I smiled when I noticed his white hair mixed with yellow, remembering my mother always told me I had my father’s hair.

He didn’t look at us, and I didn’t know what to say. All I knew was that I felt pity for him.

This was my father. The father who never asked about me.

I felt Rafael’s hand around my shoulder. When I lifted my gaze at him, he smiled and whispered, “Let me support you, please. Even as an old friend.”

Didn’t he know he could never be just a friend to me?

I said in a low voice after taking a few steps forward, “We have the same hair color.”

One tear rolled down my cheek, and Rafael wiped it instantly.

My father didn’t raise his head; he kept staring at the floor.

“We didn’t have anything in common except our hair color. Did you know that?”

I kept talking, but he didn’t even raise his head.

I felt depressed and shouted, “Why? Why didn’t you look for me? Did you know I loved him more than you?”

“He was a real father, not like you who threw away his flesh and blood.”

I noticed his chest rise and fall.

He was crying!

He mumbled in a low voice, “Get out of here!”

I was shocked.

I pushed Rafael’s arm away from me, hit the glass with my palms, and shouted, “Do you know how old I am? I am twenty-three, and we’ve never met. I’m your daughter.”

He finally raised his head. But there wasn’t any trace of longing in his eyes; all I saw was sadness and sorrow.

He said one word, “I don’t have daughters,” and got up from his chair, turned around, and started walking away.

“Wait!” I said.

He stood for a second, then repeated, “I don’t have daughters.”

I realized he rejected me. He didn’t want me. He knew I was his daughter, but he didn’t want me.

Once he was out of my sight, my tears streamed down my face, releasing the feelings I had from a young age, that I didn’t have a father.

Rafael pulled me into his embrace, and I buried my head in his chest, sobbing and crying.

He patted my head patiently.

I heard Daniel asking, “What happened?” as we exited the room.

Daniel drove while Rafael sat beside me in the back seat. I placed my head on his lap as he massaged my hair.

“The family is having a gathering, and they are waiting for you,” Daniel said.

I sighed, “Can I not go?”

He smiled tenderly, “You know you can’t.”

Daniel drove straight to the family mansion. I thought Rafael would leave, maybe to see Julia, but he didn’t. Once we arrived, he asked Daniel if he could attend.

Daniel hesitated at first, then said, “I warn you. Maybe you won’t like this.”

I didn’t wait for their conversation. I just opened the door and entered the mansion.

All the family was there.

Daniel’s parents, grandparents, and other relatives.

“Come,” Uncle Peno, Daniel’s father, said.

I hugged him as he caressed my cheek. I saw Rafael entering the hallway. Everybody stared at Rafael and asked, “Who’s this, Daniel? Is he your friend?”

“I saw him at Natalie’s design show party,” said Carla, staring in my direction.

“I know him. This is Mr. Merrin, right?” said one of the girls with a hint of admiration.

Daniel stared at me, then said, “Yes, he’s Mr. Merrin, my neighbor in the USA.”

Then his smile widened, and he added, “Natalie’s husband.”

When everybody looked at me, I clarified, “Ex-husband, you mean.”