-LONDON-
"Daddy White!"
White Francis was still in the entrance of Cazzandra's house that six in the evening, but his godson, Nheowell France, abruptly called out his name and happily ran towards him to give him a super tight, warm hug. Francis smiled warmly while closing his eyes and kissed Neo's rosy cheek again and again that made his godson cutely giggled so loud. "Hello, sharkbait. I missed you." He said and gently carried his godson in his arms while smiling and messing up with Neo's blonde hair. "I missed you more, dad!" He smiled and kissed Neo's cheek once again. He loves Neo so damn much that he treated the child as his own already ever since. And the heartwarming thing was, Neo was surprisingly has a huge resemblance of him. Not just Neo's looks, but also the child's behaviors sometimes. So back then, he keeps on pulling out jokes to Cazzandra that the latter might be thinking of him always while the latter was still pregnant of Neo because they really looked the same. Except of Neo's electric blue eyes and Neo's likes on playing guitar that can't help him to remind of someone he doesn't want to think ever again. Funny, but Cazzandra's the mother but Neo doesn't have a resemblance of Cazzandra even a little. But has a huge resemblance of him instead.
That thought made him smile and kissed Neo's nose and asked, "How's school? Did you get high grades again?"
The little kid giggled again and proudly nodded. "Uh-huh! Yes, dad. I maintained my high grades still to the top one just like you always tells me!"
He smiled even more kissed Neo's forehead. "That's good to hear then. Expect a big reward from dad on your big day next month."
"Yey! Thanks, dad!" "Anything for you, son. Now where's your mom?"
"Looking for me?"
White immediately chuckled as he heard Cazzandra's sweet voice behind him. So he turned around and saw Cazz smiling sweetly at him. "Hello, Mr. Top 1 Multi-billionaire bachelor businessman in history and soon to be Mr. Trillionaire."
He chuckled. "You're exaggerating things again." He said as he walked slowly towards Cazz while carrying Neo.
Cazz just shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him even more. "Just telling the truth, Mister. So.. I think we have a lot of catching ups to do later. It's been three weeks already since your last visit here."
"Sure thing, Miss. But let's talk about that after dinner. I'm starving." He said that made Cazzandra laughed and obliged. After three weeks of being so ten times busy with his mining business than the usual, he decided to pay a visit to Cazzandra and latter's son and happens to be his godson, after his working day that day. He missed the two. And he knew the two missed him too.
--
"So how's the life of Mr. Top 1 rank now, hmm?" Cazzandra asked and sipped her red wine on her wine glass. They were at the balcony of Neo's room, catching up with each other's life upon their dinner. While Neo was sleeping in its bed already, after Francis made the latter fall asleep earlier.
Francis smiled. "As usual."
"I saw your interviews in different talk shows, White. And frankly, your only one answer on their questions about your personal life made me shake my head."
He chuckled. "And why is that?"
Cazz rolled her eyes. "Because your answers on their questions about who's your girlfriend now or your fling is the same. You kept on answering you don't have any of those. So technically, it is so obvious that my matchmaking agents from my matchmaking agency didn't do well on their job to find you a perfect match, Mister." Cazz said that made him chuckle again in amusement and gazed upon the stars that night that was twinkling above the night sky.
"Well what can I do, Cazz? They don't match me so let's just leave it behind that way."
Cazzandra rolled her eyes upward. "Oh come on, White. Even the fabulous actress Rhianna Duprév who has a crush on you?"
He smiled and shook his head slowly. "Yup."
"How about the famous superstar model Izobelle Young?"
"She's Blue Terrence' ex. So no."
"The heiress of fashion jewelry corporation Miss Rosé Hammilton?"
He smilingly sipped his wine and shook his head again. "Nope."
"Tss. How about Alexandria Keys?"
"Nah. Mismatch."
"Margarette Shane?"
"Mismatch."
"Zarraya Zulkerberg? My beautiful sophisticated friend who has a major crush on you?"
"Definitely a mismatch."
"And lastly.. Narishka Klein?"
"Also a mismatch."
"Argh! White, how can you even say 'mismatch' if you haven't even try knowing them deeply?"
He chuckled in amusement and joked. "Because I don't like the sound of their names."
Cazz raised one eyebrow. "Oh yeah? So how about this name then? Venz."
His smile abruptly vanished. "Cazz, don't start."
Cazzandra arched her eyebrow even more Aside from his family, Cazzandra knew about his past too. She witnessed his downfall towards that woman back then also, and because he already consider the latter as part of his family just like Neo, so he shared to Cazzandra a little part of his past that time of his devastation. And he was thankful that after that time, she did not mention that woman's name or any topic about that woman again. Not until that moment.
"White, don't tell me you still haven't moved on from that woman yet?"
"I have." He replied and cleared his throat.
"Oh don't give me that reaction it's freaking irritating me."
He chuckled. "Why? What's wrong with clearing my throat?"
Cazzandra rolled her eyes. "Duh? Because it's so obvious that you still haven't moved on yet. Like seriously, White? It's been six long years but you still prisoned yourself inside your dark past and that's not healthy anymore."
He let out a fake chuckle. "And who told you I haven't moved on yet?"
"Uhh.. Your reaction did? Duh?"
He just laughed softly and looked at the stars silently. Then he heaved out a deep breath and sipped on his wine. "My lawyer found a mining prospect in the Philippines and I.. I disagreed to that."
"Why? Because it's in the Philippine country where your unforgettable past happened? Just like you always declines all the request from the talk show industry in the Philippines because just like you always tells me back then, you don't want to set foot in the Philippines ever again to avoid thinking your memories with her. How.. Exemplary irritating."
He sighed. "Cazz--"
"No, White. Listen. The only way to forget about that woman is to date another woman with an opposite attitude of her. A woman who's true to you no matter what and will never leave you despite everything unlike that Venz who left you because she loves somebody else and doesn't even love you. How grrr! Very irritating again. Tss." Francis didn't react to that. He was just silent there. Devouring each word that Cazzandra blurted out to him. He heard her sigh and put her hand on his shoulder. "White.. Listen.. Being so busy with your business still can't help you to move on with your life totally. Because no matter how rich and successful you are now, if you still have that thorn hiding inside your chest and always pricking your heart, you still can't live a successful peaceful life thoroughly. Because you still feel that pain. But if you only give yourself a chance to love again? And pull yourself together totally without hiding a wrath inside your heart, then you can probably and finally move on with your life peacefully and thoroughly. Trust me, White.. I've been there. So please.. Heed my advice. And give yourself a chance to feel that love once more that you're afraid to feel once again. And this time.. Don't give your all.. Navigate things first. And if you finally feel that she's the perfect match for you.. Then go for it. Because a perfect match in this era is so not east to meet, White. But I'm sure yours are just waiting somewhere. Probably still single, probably still broken and probably still with a wrong guy. But I'm sure fate will put you both together in the right time. In a right place. And in God's perfect timing. And when that happens.. Don't hesitate to open your heart for her. And do everything.. To make her see.. That you are her perfect match. And that she is.. Your perfect match as well."
White gulped secretly and stared at the horizon blankly. Then he gasped for an air and released it softly. Those words shattered him to pieces. Because deep inside him he knew, no one can replace that woman in his heart. Moving on? He tried many times, really. He tried to date other women, those women that Cazzandra mentioned the other night, but always end up failing even one time of dating. Then he heaved out a deep sigh again. Because one thing's for sure though.. No matter how hard he tried to link himself to someone, he will always end up realizing that no one.. And absolutely no one, can replace Venz in his heart. Not now.
And probably.. Nor ever.
-PHILIPPINES-
MEANWHILE..
"Nelica, darling!"
As soon as Nelica entered the main door of their mansion that from the cemetery, her mother hurriedly walked towards her and hugged her so tight. So her soft sobs became a little loud now while hugging her mother back.
"Oh, daughter.. Stop crying already.." That's her father's voice, calming her down also while gently rubbing her back.
She cried do hard even more. "I.. I still can't accept it.. I.. I still can't accept that he's gone in my life already.. I just can't.. I'm so sorry, Love.." She softly said while sobbing in so much pain.
And so her parents looked at each other in pain also. While their eyes were speaking silently, thinking the same thing.