Chapter Two

< Luca > 

Utter shock is visibly shown in my  face and I unconsciously stand up. My older brother on the other hand sits there, astonished. Then the next thing he does is to give our father a welcoming hug.

“Congratulations, pops!” Crispin grins and pats on his father’s shoulder. “It took you too long to propose to her, huh?”

“Well, I’m trying not to marry while I was still under the spotlight,” our “father” says while giving a chortling laugh.

“You are always in the spotlight wherever you go,” Elina chimes in, cheerfully. And I just gaped at her.

 “When you proposed to me, the paparazzi took a shot at that right moment and we were in the tabloids for months.”

As they continue with their chatter on  with the facade of a happy family, all I can think is that, yes, I am definitely the normal one in this family. 

Either that or I left my sanity back in the US. 

“Seriously?” After coming back to my senses, I look at the three as they stop and stare in my direction. “Are you fucking mad, mother? How could you talk normally to him after he left you with that woman?!”

“Luca—”

“I’m sorry for my language, mother. But I do care and love you, really,” I retort, cutting her off. “But I won’t let this slide. Remember back then, he declared that he was in love with someone else? And then, he shoved you the fucking divorced papers soon afterward! How did I know? Because we were there when we saw it!” I continue with my outbursts.

 “Mother, open your eyes. What kind of a husband does that to his wife? He is the father of your two sons, after all.”

I don’t give her a chance to speak before I turn to Rodrigo. “And then you.” I sigh before glaring at him. “You have the guts to come back. Aren’t you happily living with your tramp?” 

“Don’t you dare call her that, Luca.” This time Rodrigo glares back. I hit a nerve there.

Good. 

“Oh yeah? What should I call her then? A bitch? A whore? A gold digger?”

“THAT’S ENOUGH, LUCA!” Rodrigo slams on the table, standing up and ready to strike me.

Before that happens, Elina immediately grabs her ex-husband’s arm and my older brother grabs me from behind.

“Luc…”

“Let me go, Cris! You know he deserves to get punched!” I bellow. 

“But still…” Crispin hesitates for a while before releasing my arms. “You have to listen to him first.”

Now what? 

“I know I haven’t been the best father, Luca,” he says, his eyes showing guilt and of course, regret. 

I roll my eyes. “Well, about time you realized that.”

 “Luca, please, calm down,” my mother shoots me a glare then she turns to her ex-husband. “He is still hurt about your actions…and I should be one talking to him.” She sighs.

“If it’s about him, I will take my leave then.” I have had it. I don’t want to argue with my mother and seeing him there is just going to be difficult.

“Before you leave, Luca, hear me out.”

I sigh, conceding to my family’s wish. The weariness takes a huge toll on me and I just want this to end. “I’m all ears.”

“Luca, since from the very beginning, I respect your father’s decision to choose the path he always wanted just as he respected my choice to continue our arranged marriage and have the children that I wanted.”

I know. I am fully aware that my parents married out of my grandparents’ wishes. A part of me was hoping that since they did get along well, they married out of love. 

Now that she has two capable sons, in that sense, Elina doesn’t need Rodrigo anymore.

“Actually,  there’s another reason why I called you here.” She smiles. 

“Do you remember Nina Caulfield?” She asks as she sips her tea again. “You met her during my fifty-fourth birthday.”

How could I forget? Nina, the daughter of Rodrigo’s tramp, was just a child when we first met. I scared her off with my threats and I…didn’t mean to frighten her, really. It wasn’t even my intention to traumatize her. It wasn’t one of my brightest moments and I allowed anger to take control. I shouldn’t have held her like that. 

And ever since then, I tried…to forget her existence. 

“You’re damn lucky, bro.” I roll my eyes once more. My carefree older brother shows a hint of jealousy in his eyes. “I haven’t met her yet.”

Oh, you didn’t know. 

“Anyway,  as you know Marina and her daughter Nina live in a small town in the US called Freedomville. It’s not too far from where you are.”

Oh, I don’t like where this is going. 

“Rodrigo and Marina are planning to get married in his hometown in Spain but she wishes to have her daughter graduate her remaining year in the US.”

“So, I want you to take good care of her until their wedding day.”

“What? I have to babysit her?”

She smiles, knowingly that I am not comfortable with the situation and knowing that I don’t usually rebel against her. 

“Something like that. But she’ll turn eighteen this month from what I’ve heard.” 

“So, she’s legal then. She can rent her place.” I mean, isn’t it strange for my mother to make me the guardian of a barely legal adult?

“It is my wish that you will get along with her, Luca. I also want her to feel welcome in our family. After all, she will be your sister soon.” 

The word “sister” makes me sick in the pit of my stomach. Yet, I know that if I continue to argue against her, it would unleash her wrath.

This is something I don’t want to experience again in my adulthood. 

I may have taken over the CEO position but I would never, EVER, dare to anger my mother. 

“I take it that she will be living with me from now on?” The more I ask, the more ridiculous it sounds.

“Well, until the wedding day when Nina moves to Spain.”

“And when exactly is the wedding day?”

My mother sounds amused at my frantic questions that I wish I shouldn’t have gone here. I should make some lame excuses and be done with Rodrigo and his affairs. 

But she wants me here for this specific reason. And I feel the lump stuck on my throat as she sips her tea before staring at me with calculating eyes.

“After her graduation which is next year.”