Chapter Two: The Proposal and His Return
1533 Words
Ruth woke to the sound of squealing.
She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. Sunlight filtered weakly through her thin curtains, but the noise downstairs was deafening. Clara’s high-pitched laughter rang through the house like bells except to Ruth, it was more like nails on glass.
“Oh my God, yes! Yes!” Clara shrieked.
Ruth swung her legs off the bed and padded barefoot to the door. Her heart thumped in her chest, dread curling in her stomach as she descended the stairs.
In the living room, Clara stood spinning in a silky pink robe, phone in her perfectly manicured hand. Her hair was flawless, her smile wide enough to split her face. Mrs. Williams sat on the couch, clapping her hands like an excited child. Mr. Williams looked proud enough to burst, grinning from ear to ear.
“What… what’s going on?” Ruth asked hesitantly from the staircase.
Clara turned, spotting her. Her smile only sharpened. “Oh, good morning, dear sister,” she said sweetly, the words dripping sarcasm. “I was just sharing some wonderful news.”
Ruth gripped the banister tighter. “What news?”
Clara held up her phone like a trophy. “Leonardo proposed to me. He said me to marry him, my dear look at the message. We’re getting married!”
Ruth blinked. Her mouth opened, then closed again. “What?”
“Yes!” Clara twirled dramatically, nearly knocking over a vase. “I’ll be Mrs. Leonardo Romano! Isn’t it beautiful?”
Mrs. Williams clasped her hands together, practically glowing. “Our Clara! Soon to be the wife of the richest man in the city!”
Mr. Williams rose from his armchair, his chest puffed out with pride. “Finally, a daughter worth boasting about. Leonardo Romano as my son-in-law, do you know what this means?”
Clara giggled, “It means I’ll be living in mansions while Ruth’s still scrubbing floors.”
They all laughed.
Ruth stood frozen. A hollow ache spread through her chest. She lowered her eyes, but Clara noticed the flicker of hurt and smirked wider.
“Don’t worry, Ruth,” Clara added, tilting her head in mock sympathy. “When I move into my mansion, maybe I’ll hire you as a maid. At least then you’d have a roof over your head.”
Mrs. Williams chuckled approvingly. “That’s kind of you, darling.”
Ruth’s fists clenched at her sides. Her throat burned, but she said nothing.
An hour later, Ruth watched from the window as the family piled into the car. Clara wore a shimmering dress, her makeup flawless. They were heading to the Romano mansion to make things official.
“Stay here and clean the house,” Mrs. Williams ordered Ruth before leaving. “We’ll be home late.”
The car pulled away, laughter trailing behind them. Ruth stood in silence until they were gone, then turned away. She began sweeping mechanically, her mind drifting.
She didn’t know which hurt more the constant insults or how easily her father joined in.
***********
Raphael adjusted his tie as he stood outside the towering glass building of CloudTech, his gaze lingering on the company logo that gleamed in the morning sun. Five years. It had been five long years since he’d left the country to expand his empire overseas, entrusting the company temporarily to his trusted assistant, Leonardo.
The plan had been simple: Leonardo would manage the local operations until Raphael returned. But fate had kept Raphael away longer than intended. Now, as he stepped back onto familiar ground, there was an uneasy tightness in his chest.
He walked through the glass doors of the skyscraper with steady strides, unnoticed by the bustling employees. No one recognized him. That was exactly how he wanted it.
Inside, the reception area buzzed with life—keyboards clacking, phones ringing, people rushing past in polished suits. Raphael approached the front desk, where a young secretary sat typing furiously.
“Good morning,” Raphael said smoothly. “I’m here to see the CEO, Mr. Leonardo. I have an appointment.”
The secretary glanced up briefly, giving him a polite but distracted smile. “Name?”
“Raphael Knight,” he replied calmly.
She checked her system, frowned slightly, and shook her head. “I don’t see any appointment under that name.”
Raphael leaned closer slightly, lowering his voice. “Trust me, it’s important. Call him. Tell him Raphael is here.”
The secretary hesitated, uncertain. His voice carried authority, the kind that made people instinctively listen. She picked up the landline and dialed Leonardo’s office. It rang. Once. Twice. Five times. No answer.
“He’s not picking,” she murmured, sounding flustered.
Raphael sighed, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. “Fine. Just tell me where his office is. I’ll go myself.”
The secretary blinked. Something about this man felt… commanding, like he belonged here in a way she couldn’t explain. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded and pointed. “Top floor. Corner office at the end of the hall.”
“Thank you.” Raphael’s tone was calm but sharp enough to cut glass.
---
He strode through the pristine corridors, his footsteps silent against the polished marble floors. As he reached the top floor, his jaw tightened. This company was his creation. Every wall, every floor tile, every detail—it was his vision brought to life.
He pushed the door open without knocking.
And froze.
Leonardo was inside. Not just inside—he was sprawled across the CEO’s desk, shirt half unbuttoned, tangled between two women in skimpy office skirts. Papers and files were scattered across the floor like debris after a storm.
The room reeked of expensive cologne and sin.
“What the hell is this?” Raphael’s voice thundered through the office like a whipcrack.
Leonardo jerked upright, his face draining of color. The two women gasped and scrambled off the desk, clutching their clothes in panic.
“R–Raphael?” Leonardo stammered, his eyes wide in horror.
“Is THIS how you take care of my company?!” Raphael barked, slamming the door shut behind him. His voice echoed like fire and steel.
The women froze, exchanging confused glances. “Your company?” one of them whispered.
“Yes,” Raphael roared, his glare sharp enough to slice through them. “I don’t care what you do in your personal lives, but NOT in my office!”
The women gasped.
“Get. Out,” he ordered.
They fled in a flurry of heels and whispers, leaving Leonardo trembling.
Raphael stalked closer, his hands clenched. “Five years, Leonardo. I trusted you. I gave you my company to manage, and this is what I return to? Sleeping with staff in the office?!”
Leonardo swallowed hard, his voice cracking. “Raphael… listen… it’s not what it looks like....”
“Don’t you dare insult me with that excuse,” Raphael snapped. “If this is how you’ve been running things while I was gone, you’re finished.”
He turned sharply and stormed out, his anger palpable in every stride.
Leonardo stood frozen, his breath coming fast and shallow. His heart pounded—not from guilt, but from fury.
“Damn you, Raphael,” he muttered under his breath, his face twisting into a snarl. “Why did you have to come back now? Everything was perfect.”
For five years, he had basked in the glory of being seen as the CEO of CloudTech. The richest man in the city. The title, the power, the women—it had all been his. But now Raphael’s return threatened to tear it all away.
“Never,” he hissed. “I won’t allow it.”
He snatched his phone from the desk and dialed a number.
A low, gruff voice answered. “Boss?”
“It’s Leonardo,” he said coldly. “I have a job for you.”
There was a pause. “Name it.”
“I want you to cause an accident,” Leonardo said, his voice chillingly calm. “Raphael Knight. Make it look natural. And make sure he doesn’t survive it.”
There was silence, then a dark chuckle. “Consider it done.”
Leonardo hung up, pacing his office like a caged predator. “If I lose this company, I lose everything. I’ve come too far to be thrown aside now.”
Later that evening, Raphael’s car glided down the highway, the city lights reflecting against its sleek black exterior. His mind was clouded with anger. He couldn’t believe Leonardo’s audacity.
As he reached for his phone to make a call, the screech of tires split the night air.
A truck swerved suddenly, slamming into his car with a deafening crash. Metal crumpled. Glass shattered. Raphael’s car spun violently, flipping over and skidding off the road.
When everything stopped, there was silence.
Blood pooled across his temple, his vision blurring. Distantly, he heard voices—shouting, sirens wailing.
He was barely conscious when paramedics rushed in, pulling him from the wreckage.
“Stay with us!” one of them shouted.
Raphael’s eyelids fluttered, his breath ragged.
- Writer
