Hi! As promised... let's make this quick but thorough! (I do not own this novela!)
Chapter 14
Oscar still hasn't returned. Neither Juan or Franco could sleep. They stayed up all night, waiting for any update on their missing brother. He even refrained from seeing Rosario, who he can imagine is angry with him. He can't handle that either. He needed to see her just to explain his absence.
She didn't believe it at first, but when she noticed the sorrow pooling in the depths of his big blue eyes, she caressed his face and embraced him. He sobbed in her arms while she whispered sweet words in his ears.
Without Oscar, the drive to the Elizondo ranch was meaningless.
"There's still no news about Oscar", grumbled the sleep-deprived Juan, his thick long fingers gripping the steering wheel.
"When he returns, Juan.." Franco said, staring into the distance, "We're to stop going to that ranch."
"Why are you saying that?" bellowed Juan.
"If we had never stepped foot in that place, Oscar would still be with us."
"That's not true!"
"It is true, Juan!" argued Franco. "This is what happens when you go to places with bad intentions!"
Juan grumbled, his weary dark eyes glued on the road. They arrive and Dominga advises them to report inside the mansion because the police have gathered new information on Jimena and Oscar's whereabouts.
Gabriela seemed like she never left her armchair. Sarita and Norma are holding each other on the couch, neither of them look like they've slept well. Sarita's eyes were red and swollen. Franco could tell she was up all night crying for her sister. Fernando stands by the window and Eva nervously stands at Mr. Martin's side. They are all accompanied by two officers, who reveal that they located the van described by Olegario, the horse trainer. Unfortunately, Jimena and Oscar were not there. They were beginning to lose hope. Franco began to think the worst and apparently Sarita, who Norma had to tighten her hold on her when more tears adorned her pale cheeks.
Franco and Juan were moved to the changing room, refusing food but a strong desire to see their brother. Two hours went by and their ears perked up at the sound of joy just outside the changing room.
Curious. The two stepped outside. There he was. Oscar is back. Oscar looked around for anyone he knew while Jimena was surrounded by her relieved family members. Franco and Juan ran to their brother, rejoicing in his return.
Their happy moment was short lived when Franco begged them to leave and never return. He firmly believed that things were going to get worse if they continued working for the Elizondos. They didn't listen and Franco wasn't surprised, just disappointed.
It turns out Franco was right all along. Things were starting to get worse. The brothers seemed to not get a break at all. Everything kept on piling up.
Armando finds out Franco was working at the Elizondo's while visiting his best friend Fernando, and threatened Franco's life, which caused Juan to retaliate violently. This made Gabriela feel uneasy and suspect the brothers as troublemakers, much to Sarita's delight, who he saw holding on to Jimena as if she'll lose her again.
The next tragedy is the collapse of the decrepit cottage during a night the Elizondo's were throwing a small gathering. Franco won't ever forget the searing sting by the small but strong hand of Sarita, who truly showed her worst at the sight of Juan and Franco. Franco swore he couldn't hate someone as much as he detested her. On that very day, Oscar and Jimena left in secret to get married. Adding more to Sara and her mother's rage, Jimena moved in with the brothers, but Franco had to stay with Rosario because he didn't want to bring discomfort onto his brother and Jimena.
Much later, Rosario was turning cold on Franco because he wasn't employed. As soon as he got a job offered to him by the gossipy owners of a market place, Rosario still wasn't satisfied. Franco kept promising her that he will do better to make her lavish dreams come true. Instead of being pleased, Rosario dismissed him to go on a musical tour with a businessman, named Mr. Santillana, who Franco suspected had other ideas with Rosario other than a musical career. Given her past activities regarding her finances.
Adding more to the brothers' constant struggles, Norma is pregnant with Juan's child. Franco watched his big brother go through a mild depression at not being able to see her or her or the baby. Oscar was also suffering because Jimena discovered Libia's belongings and even a picture of her. She mistook the Reyes brothers as murderers and in a horror-stricken panic sent Oscar straight to the hospital. Due to what she discovered, Norma, Jimena, and the rest of the Elizondo family are made rivals to the Reyes. Their only allies were Eva, who was soon fired after confessing her acknowledgement of the brothers' intentions. And Ruth Uribe, who reminded them so much of their lost sister, befriended them. Her friendship didn't last long when she told Oscar that she knew of their horrible story with the Elizondos.
Money was coming in less without employment, and the bakery the brothers once relied on, was destroyed by two strangers, nearly killing Quintina, who was hysterically forced into the bathroom.
Things were not well for the Reyes at all. Juan, Oscar, and Franco were desperate. Juan was desperate to make ends meet and see Norma. Oscar was desperate to see Jimena and took a job as Leandro's assistant at his fashion boutique. Franco was desperate to help his brothers in any way he could and to make Rosario happy. Knowing that Rosario was doing God knows what with Mr. Santillana, Franco thought of doing the same. Well...not exactly.
The answer to his prayers was a very rich, very desperate, cougar by the name of Eduvina Trueba, whom Oscar introduced him to before ever working for the Elizondos. Eduvina was smitten with Franco ever since she laid her greedy shadowy eyes on him. She was obsessed with him and vowed to give him everything he wanted if he either worked as her assistant or even worse...married her. He chose to be her assistant, which didn't play out right because of his relationship with Rosario, who had just come back from her failed tour.
Eduvina made a big fuss and wanted Franco all to herself, complicating his relationship with Rosario. Franco was not at ease knowing that he had to lie to her about his current occupancy with the rich old woman, who proved to be more trouble than she actually was.
Eduvina was throwing a party for some of the most important ranch owners in the district. She had him on her arm, like he was an ornament. Once he saw who was there at the party, he tore his arm from her and proceeded to wait by her car.
Eduvina was chatting away with Gabriela, who had Sarita at her side. She gestured to where Franco stood and ordered him to come back.
With reluctance, Franco obeyed. Gabriela and Sarita were shocked to see him. He watched Gabriela pull her daughter by the arm because she wanted to leave immediately. Sarita looked as if she wanted to strike him like she did before. Her cold brown eyes never left Franco's blue ones.
He had enough with that old woman especially because she had the audacity to threaten and belittle Rosario at her workplace, causing a huge fight between Rosario and Franco. Infuriated Franco resigned as an assistant, sending Eduvina into a grand despair.
Franco, thinking everything will be alright with that old woman out of the picture, heads over to Rosario's place, only to find his belongings outside her apartment while Rosario remains inside, sleeping in the arms of Armando Navarro. Both were in the nude.
To make everything far worse than it already is, he stood a few meters away from a church, knowing that the love of his life married his worst enemy.
Things were not going well for any of the brothers. All three were anguished, having lost their loves and their will of carrying on… that was until the broken hearted Franco Reyes, decides to forget his own happiness to help his frustrated brothers by finally agreeing to marry the bizarre and wealthy Eduvina Trueba.
Their lives are about to change, especially Franco's.
Oh my goodness... let me breathe. All that was more than four episodes! Now...we're getting to the good parts. Thank you so so much for reading! On to chapter 15!