Chapter Four

Lisa Roberts was trying to sort out some documents in Lucio's office when Margaret Delevonte barged into his office. Locking eyes with Lisa, she glared at her, disgusted by her sight. 

"And who are you?" Margaret was furious. He hated seeing women around her son. They were not good enough, the only one who was good for her son was Sophia. She was the woman she approved for her son to get married to. But Sophia wasn't in town and so Margaret had to keep other women away from her son. 

They were leeches who didn't know when to get lost. The worst of them all was Valerie, the slender blonde girl who was always throwing herself around her son and she hated it. She was disgusted by the woman and her family. Despite the fact that Valerie came from a higher social status, she still found her annoying and all.

"Who are you?" Her eyes were already shooting daggers at Lisa Roberts.

Lisa stared at the unfamiliar woman, she was sure she wasn't one of the numerous women who came around the office. Margaret was looking nothing like her age, she was young and beautiful that someone would pass her off as Lucio Delevonte's lover.

"I'm sorry but who are you?"

"I should be asking you that, you whore!"

"What?" Lisa's eyes widened. She hated it when people called her names, especially strangers who she had no idea who they were.

"Tell me how much do you want?"

"I don't understand you"

"How much do you want for you to leave my son alone!"

"You are Mr. Delevonte's mother" Lucio has talked about his mother once but that was it. She wasn't one of those people who loves to be nosy. She always stayed within her territory. Lucio saved her and she was grateful but that was all it was ever going to be. He didn't look so enthusiastic when she asked him about his father and so she felt he wasn't so close to his family since he barely talks about them.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, I didn't realize you"

"Now I ask again, what are you doing in my son's office?"

"Arranging his desk"

"And who gave you the right to lay your filthy hands on his table? Have you no shame? Didn't your mother teach you not to throw yourself at men?"

Anger simmered through Lisa but she exhaled deeply trying to calm her nerves but the motion did little to calm her. Lucio was her boss and she works for him. They had a deal but no one knew about it and she wasn't about telling Margaret all about it. Neither was she going to explain what she was doing in Lucio's office. She didn't look like one of those women in short skirts who loves to throw themselves at Lucio because he had money.

"Tell me how much do you want? 10 million, 20? Name it!"

Lisa felt a blow to her face, she may not come from the same social status as Lucio but she certainly couldn't be bought with money. She had her dignity and Lisa would never want to lose it.

"I don't want your money"

"Then stay away from my son"

"I don't want your son either!" She was livid. Margaret may be Lucio's mother but she had got to stop else she was going to do Something that she was going to regret.

"Then what are you doing here?"

Lisa was about to say something when Lucio entered his office. He was surprised to see his mother in his office. She had called him last night for him to come over for dinner but he declined. Lucio didn't want to sit all through the night listening to his mother nagging him about marriage.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

Lisa took that cue and left his office, Lucio stared at her face, studying the lines on his face, every crease, he could tell his mother must have said something to piss him off. 

"What did you do to her?" Lucio shut his door.

"Who?"

"Lisa. What did you say to her?"

"I didn't say anything to that tramp"

Lucio glared at his mother, she had not liked his mother indicating that Lisa was a tramp. She was his assistant and most of all, she was a nice and sweet girl. Lucio sometimes couldn't even keep his eyes off her. The woman was doing a lot of things to her without even realizing that. The other night, he had peeped through the open door way when she was sleeping.

She had left a lot for him to imagine. Right there, he wanted to enter her bedroom and run his fingers through her hair. Good thing he controlled himself otherwise Lisa would have hit him. She had not liked it the other day when he kissed her. Though Lucio remembered Lisa kissed her back or so, he wasn't sure since he had a lot to drink that night.

"She is not a tramp Mother" He wasn't going to let his mother disrespect anyone, especially Lisa. He admired her a lot.

"Are you defending her?"

"Yes Mom! I'm defending her, she is my assistant"

"Your assistant? Fire her! I want your assistant to be a man, you can hire David"

"Are you seriously asking me to substitute my friend and head of Public relations officer to an assistant"

"Isn't that much better?"

"No! David is my friend and mind you, Lisa is good at her job. I hired her and she's my assistant. I'm not going to fire her because you asked me to"

"Are you going to choose that woman over me"

"I'm not going to choose mother but if you want me to then I'm sorry because I don't choose you. You are being inconsiderate!"

Margaret furrowed her brow. She was surprised her son was choosing his assistant over her. Lucio has never really listened to him when it comes to other women. He always did what he wanted to do but Margaret wasn't going to let him anymore. Lucio was an eligible bachelor and a lot of women were hovering around him.

"You should be careful about girls like her"

"Lisa is not like that"

"How would you know that? She must be one of those gold diggers that Jump from one man to the other"

"That's enough mom!" He bangs his fist on the table.

Margaret knew better than to stop. Her son was livid.

"What do you want, mother? I have a lot of work to do here"

"Is about dinner tonight"

"What about it? I already told you that I won't be able to make it"

"You better make it to dinner, the Castelo's are going to be there and besides, is been awhile since we had family dinner"

Lucio was lost for words to say, his mother was right. Ever since his father died, Lucio has never been around the house. He moved away to avoid the family drama and get over the fact that his father was murdered. 

"Is so lonely without your father around"

Lucio held the urge to roll his eyes. "You should stop mother"

"Isn't that true? You and your brother are just too much. If only your sister was around then none of this would happen"

"Come on mom," 

Margaret feigns to be crying. Lucio stands up, his mother may be annoying sometimes but she was still his mother and he loved her. 

"That's enough mom, I'm going to be there"

"Really?" Her eyes lit up brightly

"Yes mother but if only you promise that you won't try to set me up with one of those women"

"I only want you to get married"

"Fine I will get married"

"You won't Marry who I haven't approved of"

"Mom please, I can marry whoever I want just like you and Dad"

"It was an arranged marriage"

"But you were in love with him"

Margaret smiled at the memory of Philip. Even though it was an arranged marriage, she never regretted it. Philip was in love with Margaret and she as well was madly in love with him. Her mother hadn't even noticed that she was secretly in love with Philip so when she informed her that she was going to be married to Philip Delevonte, it was a dream come true. Philip was in love with her elder sister by that time. They were secretly dating but her sister cheated on Philip with his driver. They eloped together at her wedding and she had to be a substitute bride. 

Margaret could still remember the rumors, the whispers around but she kept her head high as she walked down that high. She had to save her family from the embarrassment but she had to save Philip the most. The wedding wasn't colorful as Philip didn't even bother to glance at her all through the wedding but Margaret endured it all, the humiliation was too much but she held it all under control. Her mother had raised her to be a strong woman and she proved to Philip that she was a very strong woman. 

"It wasn't always like that and yes I don't regret marrying your father"

"Mom there is no arranged marriage for me"

"Why is that?"

"I want to fall in love and all"

Margaret was about to say something when the door was kicked wide open.