Now seated in a restaurant and variety of dishes served in the table, a reluctant Luca started intently at Elena as if she was some danger lurking around and he felt the need to the wary of her.“Thai food taste so nice!” Angelo shrieked happily.“You eat it everyday. What’s the difference today?” Luca said with a Frown as he picked on his food.“You always spoil the mood, Daddy.” Angelo turned to Luca who dropped his cutlery and rested back in his chair. “Do you like your food….” Angelo realized he didn’t know his new found friend’s name. He gaze at her with an expectant eye. “What’s your name?”“Ariadna. You can call me Ari.” Elena said with a forced smile, hoping she was as natural as she wished she is.“Ari,” Angelo nodded as he turned to look at his father.“Dad’s name is Luca. You can be his friend too.” He said with a smile as he turned to look at Elena who had a surprised look.“Ugh?”“I can chose my friend, Angelo. Thank you.” Luca said with a frown.“Well it’s okay if you d
“You keep getting weirds ideas,” Luca waved dismissively. “Having Angelo is enough for me.” He turned to the window in his study as If trying to gather his thoughts. Rio drew a deep breath. “I won’t judge you, Luca. Angelo talked about your being lonely. And…” he bit his lower lips as the word felt too heavy to let go. “The need for a mother.” Luca swung around to meet Rio’s carefully gaze. “What?” He raised a brow.“It turned out the boy secretly need a woman figure in his life.” Rio explained as Luca raked his hands through his hair.“But…”“He cares about you more than you can imagine.” Rio interrupted as Luca watched Rio.“And you?” “Me?”“Don’t give me that look Rio. Your feelings for me…..they remained unrequited for years. Even after Elena’s death, I still couldn’t move on. Still couldn’t give you a chance.”“Don’t!” Rio said abruptly. “Don’t blame yourself. We don’t have that luxury. Just concentrate on Angelo. You don’t have to force it.”“Rio,I….”“You won’t be able to
“Elena?” Luca called absentmindedly as Elena jerked her hands away when she realized what had happened. “Wait…what did…”“Daddy?” Angelo who stood in the middle of the stairs called out as they both turned to see the boy whose eyes shone at the sight of Elena.“Ari!” He shrieked in delight as he descended quickly and rushed towards her. Elena was thankful for the distraction as she opened her hands for the boy who flew instinctively into it. She held him for what seemed like a moment before the boy moved away. He smelt so good. So much like his father. Elena realized that she couldn’t got back again. She would stay here, with her son. No matter the result of this charade.“How are you doing, Angelo?” She asked as she focused on him, trying to ignore the insistent gaze Luca shot her. They were going to have a conversation sometimes later about what had happened earlier. But not now“Great! I’m so glad you actually came, Ari!” His eyes glint.I’m more happy to see you. Elena wanted to s
“They were unusually close earlier. I think Daddy is starting to like her, Rio! It’s a good thing right?” Angelo's eyes shone in anticipation.Rio opened his mouth to talk but he felt constrictions in his throat. “I’ll call you later.” He said when he could manage to talk.“Rio, I…..” Angelo looked at the phone when he realized he had hung up.“Is he not happy?” He asked no one in particular. But as he remembered the thought of how his father and his nanny were close.“I might have a new mummy soon.” He giggled as he walked out of the room, back to the dining area.Meanwhile, Rio was disconcerted by the news. How could this happen? Luca was close to another woman? He made to dial Luca’s number to get across to him but he stopped. Angelo might wonder what was wrong. He would need to see him physically.********Later that night, after dinner, Elena tucked Angelo into bed while she went to her room after watching him sleep peacefully for a while. On her way to the room assigned to her
Rio shook his head in disbelief as he watched his father as he was some sort of deranged man. “Killing people is like a hobby for you. How can you easily do such a thing?”“Don’t play innocent, son. I have done it before. And I can do it again. I will do anything for you. For your happiness.” He said the last statement with the kind of protectiveness that scared Rio. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have come here. I thought we could just talk. Like every other normal father and son. Not on how to kill a person.” Rio made to stand up but Levante’s next statement stopped him.“You already have blood in your hands, Rio.” Rio turned to him slowly, as his face switched to that of a child that saw his mother in a pool of blood.“What are you insinuating?” “You had a hand in Elena’s death, man. Don’t play dumb. That call….”“Stop!” Rio fired angrily as Levante's lips curved into a sly smile. “I get it!” He said and continued. “And I regret it to date. That is why I want you to stay out of my bus
“Us?” Luca stared at him as if his statement was shocking.“Yes. Us.” Rio said as he watched him intently as he searched for any sign of resistance. But he was more interested in getting his approval. More obsessed with his reply.Luca smacks his lips. “Look. Rio. We have only just started dating. And we are still trying to make things work….”“Still trying?” Rio asked with a disbelief look. He shook his head in disappointment as he made to stand up from the bed but Luca held his hand in time to stop him.“Let go, Luca.” He breathed without sparing him a glance.“Rio…” Luca started instead, without loosening his grip on Rio.“Fuck off!” He jerked his hand away as he walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.Luca raked his hand through his hair and cursed under his breath. Things weren’t going as he had expected. He thought dating Rio would help him take his mind off Ari. Off obsessing over her. He drew a deep breath, the only person he has obsessed over like this in the pa
“Luca.” Rio urged as his gaze was fixed on him. Luca stood there as if he was some sacrificial lamb waiting to be sacrificed.“Luca,” Rio called again as he gave him a reassuring smile that looked more like a forced one.“Daddy? What is it?” Angelo chimes in. “Ah…”Luca started as he shifted his gaze from Angelo to Elena who watched him intently. They haven’t seen each other for a while, and now she was watching him like she was some cool-headed homeschool teacher.“Rio…why don’t you break the news to them?” Luca turned abruptly to Rio who gave him a disbelieving look. One that turned into a disappointing one. “Luca…we agreed we would tell them,” Rio said with an accusatory gaze.“Yeah.” He scratched his head. “We did. But it’s about us, right? It doesn’t matter who tells them.” Luca proposed. Rio scoffed. “It’s fine if you’re not ready….we can.”“Fine!” Luca interrupted. He turned to Angelo. “Leave us, son.” He said finally.“What? Why?” Rio asked immediately. “Not yet, Rio,” Luca
Luca scoffed. “Why do you care?”“Luca, I….”He raised his hand to stop her from talking. “We call each other by her first name, ugh?” He stared at her lazily as Elena's heart twinged in pain. She walked up to him and wrapped him in her embrace. “Please…..Please, Luca.” She said like a mantra.“She cheated on me till the end,” Luca said almost absentmindedly. Elena released him and stared at him. Cheated? Did she cheat?“Cheated?” She asked.“On the day she got into an accident, they were this letter, from her lover. They planned on eloping.” Luca raised his gaze slowly to meet Elena’s. “She was about to elope with her lover when she died.” He completed as Elena forced herself not to slump on the floor.“What lover?” She didn’t realize when she muttered.“Elena, I missed you so much. I know you are having a hard time with Luca. Come, let’s elope together. From your dear Carlos.” Luca said as if the letter was right in front of him.Elena stood in shock. Luca couldn’t make all this up
“Rio,” Rossi said. “There’s a commotion in the hospital he was admitted in. He is on the rooftop with Elena. Luca should have received a call by now. He keeps asking for him.” Rex turned to look at Luca who stared anxiously at him. “I’m with Luca right now. We’ll head there right away.” Rex said and hung up.“What…”“Your crazy Boyfriend has her.” Rex seethed.“What?”“There’s no time. Let’s leave.” Rex said as he walked out of the house, trailed after by Luca.As they entered Rex’s car, Luca was still oblivious to what was happening.“Aren’t you wrong? Rio is in a psychiatric hospital.”“And he has my sister. He is threatening to kill her.”“What?” Luca's eyes shone in surprise. How is that….”“I don’t fucking know!” Rex snapped as he faced the road and hit the accelerator. Luca stared at him and looked at the road ahead. What the fuck is happening?When they got to the hospital, there was greeted by the crowd in front of the hospital as Rio stood at the edge of the rooftop, with a
Rex paced around the living room frantically. It was late in the night and there was no sign of Elena. He has been trying to reach her since they left King’s Hotel. After the argument with Rossi, it was as of Elena had disappeared into thin air. She wasn’t even in the motel she has been hiding all this while. He dialed his father….they had both exchanged contacts earlier, both promising to give each other updates on how things would proceed.“I can’t seem to find her,” Rex said immediately after he heard the beep.Rex could hear him sigh from the receiver’s side. “Where she’s staying?”“Not there. And she isn’t picking up my calls. The call doesn’t seem to go through no matter how many times I try.” Rex said in frustration. “Does Levante have her?”“I will ask my people to track her. She’ll be fine, Rex.” Rossi said.Rex hung up but the gut feeling that his sister was in danger was overwhelming. He couldn’t just sit and wait without doing anything. What if Elena was in danger? A tho
Luca moved instinctively towards her and drew her into his embrace. Elena's lips curved into a smile as she snuggled close to him. “What happened with Rio wasn’t your fault.” She said.“I know. I know. But I can’t seem to stop blaming myself.” He murmured in her hair. Elena rubbed his back like a child that needs consoling.“Let’s get married. And leave this place.” Luca said as Elena’s body stilled in his arms. She didn’t expect things to be going this way.She freed herself from him and looked at him. “Really?”Luca smiled at her. “And it’s not because of the child. I haven’t felt attracted to anyone the way I am to you since Angelo’s mother died. I’ve only loved her.” He said as Elena forced a smile. She hated the fact that she couldn’t tell him the truth yet. It wasn’t the time. When everything’s settled, they would have the whole time in the world. She promised herself.“For now…” Luca stared lovingly at her as he removed the strand of hair that was covering her face. “Let’s help
“What development?” Elena asked.“Someone with the same goal as us contacted me.”“What?” Elena raised a brow. “What do you mean?”“I don’t know. He wants to stay anonymous till the day we meet.” Rex said, frustration evident in his voice.“Does that make sense? Do you want to meet up with some stranger? Because of what?” Elena asked with a sarcastic look.“I don’t care. I lost Victoria. I don’t want to lose you too. As far as I know, Levante thinks you’re dead. We need to strike now. When they least expect.” Rex said with determination.“Do what you want.” Elena stood up and picked up her cell phone on the bed. “I’m going to meet the father of my unborn child.” “What? By this time? Why are so stubborn? What if Levante sees you?”“I don’t care. I might as well tell Luca the truth about them. He would stop caring about that Rio.” Elena hissed and headed for the door.The evening breeze was gentle but Elena couldn’t help but feel chilly as she stood by the roadside, looking for a cab t
“I fucked Martino.” She said dryly as Rex's eyes flickered at her for a while and averted his gaze quickly as if trying to hide something. “I fucked him,” Victoria replied as Rex shifted his gaze to her face again. “Okay.” He shrugged. “It’s all for the plan, right.” He asked, desperation hidden in his voice.Victoria cupped her face in frustration. “I love him, Rex.” Rex's hands stiffened in his pocket. He parted his lips but nothing came out. “Say something, damn it!” She fired as Rex chuckled.“Say what?” He asked, trying to fight the emotion that was burning within him.“Curse me. Call me a filthy bitch. I can take it all. But I do love him, Rex.”“And us?” Rex asked as if that has been the question in his mind.Victoria closed her eyes for a while and opened it. “I don’t know.” She shook her head as Rex’s heart sank.“I don’t know, man. I need space.” She said as tears streamed from her eye. As she turned to leave, Rex caught her arm again.“Our plans?”“Are you kidding me ri
Martino sat down in the visiting room while Levante paced around in front of him. He didn’t dare to talk. After he received his call at the hospital earlier. His urgent tone signaled to Martino that Levante was, even more, crazier than his son. “PTSD ugh?” He stopped moving as he regarded Martino. Martino paused, nothing ever gets past this man. More reason why he should be more cautious.“The doctor hasn’t made any diagnosis yet. He’s still under observation.” Martino replied, careful with his words in order not to infuriate him any further.Levante nodded. “Will he be admitted to some psychiatrist hospital?”“Like I said…”“I bloody heard you the first time, Martino!” Levante fired as Martino bowed his head. That’s more like it. This was his true character. Not the unusually quiet type that was unpredictable.“I’m sorry boss.”“Did the doctor say what caused his trauma?”“I…”“I could get that information in a matter of seconds. Think before you lie.” Levante hissed.Then why did y
“What?” Luca asked, surprised. “This is crazy, Rio.” He added quickly when he noticed his surprised look wasn’t helping matters.“Yeah! I’m crazy about you, Luca!” Rio sobbed as Luca pressed his lips in exasperation.“Those times in the past…” he started slowly and his grip on the injection was less. “I would always watch your back. Dad said it was my duty. It was our duty to watch out for the Romanos.” He scoffed with a bitter smile as Luca watched him. He hated seeing him like this. He couldn’t do anything and it added to his frustration. “I misunderstood man.” He added.“You were the best thing that happened to me,” Luca said.“Were?” Rio raised a brow.“Rio…”“Those times when you would always stay alone. Angry you couldn’t approach other girls, I wished you would just look at me. Even for once.” Rio said.“I didn’t….” Luca brushed his hand through his hair. “I didn’t know, Rio.”“Well, Now you know!” He snapped.“Yes. I do. And I appreciate you….your love.”“No, you don’t,” Rio s
“Victoria….I…” Martino started to say but the words got hung up in the air.“Martino?” Victoria called when he didn’t say anything afterward.“Anything I do in the future, just know I love you. I love you so much, Victoria.” Martino said and hung up. He swung around and marched back to the cottage. He narrowed his eyes at Elena. “I’m not going to kill you. A certain person is betting on me. So I wouldn’t want to break her trust.” Elena watched him. Was it Victoria?“Then what?” She asked with a frown.“Let’s make a deal….” “Deal?”“You already know by now that Rio wants you dead. And I can’t seem to understand why you said he tried to kill you in the past…” Martino gave her a wary look. But Elena didn’t reply. There was no use hiding it. Or was there? He is going to spare her. She should keep her mouth shut till the end.“Your deal…” she said.“Stay away from Luca. Go far away from him. Out of the country….I don’t care. Because if I see you anywhere around him, I’ll be the first to
“How are you feeling, Rio.” Levante ignored his initial statement.“It’s not your concern. You’ve always wanted to do my bidding right? Then take her out? I don’t want to see her ever again!” A silence ensued for a while then Levante spoke up. “Did she try to hurt you?”“Is that more important to you?”“Answer the damn question, boy. I pay my enemies back in full.” Levante spoke harshly as Rio sighed.“Not directly.”“What do you mean?”“Luca slept with her.” He said and paused but his father didn’t say a word. “I got overwhelmed with the thought and crashed on a poll.”“I can’t believe this,” Levante muttered under his breath.“Well?” Rio asked.“Focus on recovering. I’ll take care of the rest.” Levante said and hung up.“That isn’t a bloody answer,” Rio muttered as he put down the phone. He lay there in silence as he took time to eventually review his decision. He had called his dad on impulse. He was angry. Especially after that talk with Luca. His rage knew no bounds. He just cou