The Theft.

Chapter 9.

Isabella could not concentrate on the bicycle her son wanted. Each second, she looked towards the shop where don Julio’s son was. There was something about him that she could not put together. Why did she feel like she had seen him before?

“Is something wrong?” Manuela asked, with her hands on Juan's shoulders. She noticed the anxiousness on her face.

“No, I think we should buy this and go home,” Isabella answered. Beads of sweat started forming on her face. She dipped her fingers into her purse and took out a white handkerchief.

“Are we not getting the uniforms again?”

“No, Manuela.”

 She then asked the bicycle seller to deliver it to the house. Since her family was very popular, she did not have to mention it to him. He knew the address.

Coming to the market and seeing don Julio’s son brought back the past. She could not stop thinking about her son’s unknown father and Rodriguez. Both men were fools. The first one left her with a huge responsibility, without caring to look for her.

The second was a scumbag, a cheap heart breaker who threw her into this current situation she was.

“Let's go home, Juan. I think your mom is sick,” Manuela told him. He was young, yet he acted maturely, and his age did not stop him from reasoning.

“Really? What is wrong with her?” Juan looked at his aunt, then his mom. She was worried as well.

“I don’t know, but it’s nothing serious. I guess she is tired. Today was supposed to be her resting day.”

Manuela was proud of her friend. Isabella worked at the new company in town. Nobody knew who it belonged to, but the acting CEO was an old man who might retire anytime soon.

She did not want to work in her father’s hotel, so she chose the new company instead.

“Do you notice the way they stare at us?” Isabella touched Manuela's arm. The Reyes were looking in her direction. Maybe they heard about them from the town gossip.

“Yes, Bella,” Manuela answered in a low tone. She did not want Juan to hear them. The boy was excited about his new bicycle. He paid little attention to them.

“Let’s go home,” Isabella hurried out of the shop. She held her son’s hands as they walked down the streets.

The market was a bit crowded now as the sun was coming up. She tightened her grip around her son as she tried to locate where their car was. Manuela was right behind them.

Isabella looked at the store where don Julio’s son was. He was standing at the door, facing the streets. It was obvious his eyes were on them. She couldn’t stop her eyes from stealing her gaze either. From time to time, she stared at him.

All of a sudden, she felt a hand touching her wrist. Isabella did not bother much because she thought it was one of the passersby hurrying to get inside the market.

The touch stopped, however, the person wanted something else. She turned around to see who it was, struggling with her purse. A man dressed in a black outfit with a brown cap covering his face spoke to her “let go.”

Isabella was surprised. He had a lot of gut to say that in public. Was he not scared to steal in broad daylight? The man was very bad at it.

She did not do as he said. The man had a black bag in his front. He took out a gun and his heartbeat stopped.

Isabella was scared to death. The man pointed at Juan. Quickly, she let go of the purse.

She cared little about a purse compared to her son. Juan was her life and she would gladly take a bullet for him.

The man did not go even after he took the purse. He was still pointing the gun at Juan. The people around began to notice something was wrong and when Manuela screamed, some of them ran away.

Quickly, the man drew Juan to his side, pointing a gun at him. He did not care that he was dealing with a child.

He was going to pull the trigger when he saw don Julio’s son across the streets.