CHAPTER THREE: HE CAME TO STAY FOR A WHILE
1373 Words
The moment their eyes met, Luana’s heart skipped greatly. She wasn’t sure if her eyes were deceiving her. That was her handsome savior, the same young man she had been thinking about on her way back home. Their eyes locked until Roberto quietly looked away.
“Come here, you stubborn child! Why are you returning late again?” her father barked as he stormed over and pinched her ears. “Why have you decided to keep making us angry?”
“I... I...”
“Dad, you shouldn’t be too hard on her,” Cecilia interrupted, masking her wickedness with fake concern. “Honestly, my sister went out with one of her notorious boyfriends again. But that doesn’t mean you should be so harsh. Take it easy, Dad. I believe one day she’ll realize everything we’ve done is for her own good.”
“What! You went out with those stupid boys again?” her father shouted, landing repeated slaps on her till a tear slid down her cheek.
Roberto took a sip of water and intentionally dropped his glass loudly on the table, drawing attention back to himself.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Mr. Roberto,” her father apologized quickly. “It’s just that this child has always been a thorn in my flesh. So stubborn and untrained, she drives me crazy.”
He dragged Luana to the center of the room. “Have you greeted Mr. Roberto?”
“Good evening,” she greeted softly, her head bowed, unable to meet Roberto’s eyes.
“Oh, my dear brother, we’re sorry for this mess. We didn’t plan for you to see such unpleasantness, but we can’t avoid disciplining her,” Elisabetta, Cecilia’s mother, added with a sigh. “Luana has always lived a wayward life. She can’t even emulate her sister Cecilia. We’ll keep disciplining her until she learns.”
Roberto didn’t say a word. He sat there gracefully, legs crossed, absentmindedly tracing a finger along his expensive wristwatch.
“Ouch, I don’t know how else to make this child come to her senses. Now go into your room!” Elisabetta ordered.
Luana quietly bowed and climbed the stairs.
“No food for you tonight!” Elisabetta shouted after her.
Luana didn’t flinch. She kept walking. She was already used to such punishments, it felt like routine.
“Mr. Roberto, would you like…” their father began, but Roberto cut him off.
“Who is she?” His finger still trailed his watch.
They looked at each other, confused about who he meant. Maybe Luana was so insignificant that they didn’t imagine she could be the subject of his question.
He gave them a look that screamed, I hate repeating questions.
“Oh! I’m sorry, you mean that girl?” her father replied, clapping his hands nervously as Elisabetta shook her head in disappointment. Their faces showed clear disapproval, shocked that of all people, Roberto asked about her.
“Mr. Roberto, that girl is the daughter from my ex-wife. Always acting like her mom, following boys around and causing trouble at school. She’s the black sheep of this family. A pain in my neck! I can’t fathom why she won’t behave like her sister, Cecilia. Sometimes, I regret ever fathering that child,” he said, spitting out his rage.
At the mention of her name, a smug smile spread across Cecilia’s face. She was pleased to be praised in front of the richest man in the city, while her sister was once again humiliated, just like every other day.
Mr. Roberto stayed silent for a moment, then asked again, “Did you ask what delayed her in school?”
Her father scratched his head awkwardly, but Elisabetta quickly jumped in.
“What’s the point of asking when it’s the same story every time? What she does is obvious, even the principal confirmed it. That girl has refused to change, so we’ll keep being tough on her until she does.”
Roberto nodded slowly. They assumed he was satisfied with their answer, but deep inside, something else was brewing.
“Uncle Roberto, please! I’m about to enter the university. Remember what I wished for on my fifteenth birthday? You have to offer me a very high position in your company,” Cecilia reminded with her usual sugary tone.
Roberto stood up and met her eyes. “I’ll fulfill your wish… if only you merit it.” With that, he walked off to his room.
It was Roberto who gave them the house, so he had a master’s bedroom reserved for himself whenever he visited.
---
Luana sat alone in her room, crying bitterly. Her thoughts swirled around the incident earlier that day. How she nearly drowned, how death had almost embraced her, if not for the savior who appeared just in time.
But her heart sank again as she remembered how everyone had painted her as evil in his sight. Even the school principal had misjudged her in front of him. Now, she was nothing but a delinquent in Roberto’s mind. She was used to being judged unfairly… but this time, it hurt more.
Because he wasn’t just anyone. He was someone people admired… someone no one dared to offend. And yet, she had been labeled right in front of him.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knock at the door.
The knock came again and again… and again.
“I’m coming, please,” she said quickly, rising to her feet and wiping her tears with her shirt.
She unbolted the door, already apologizing in fear. “I’m sorry, I was changing,” she said, expecting it to be Elisabetta, ready to slap her.
But her heart skipped even more when she realized who it was—Roberto.
He stood by her door, holding a branded five-star carrier bag.
“Good evening, I’m sorry, I... I was” Her legs trembled in fear. Maybe he came to scold me… maybe he heard all the bad things they said.
He stepped forward and handed her the bag. “Take.”
She stared at him, frozen. She didn’t move to collect the bag until he gently added, “Take it, It’s food.”
Like a starving lion who couldn’t afford to wait, she snatched the bag and quickly stepped back inside, shutting the door in his face.
Then something struck her. Was that rude? Am I being abnormal.
She reopened the door quietly.
“Thank you, sir. But… I’m sorry. I can’t take this. I don’t have the money to pay for it.” She held the food out, offering it back.
“What do you mean, pay?” Roberto asked, slightly confused.
“I mean… I’m out of money. I can’t pay for the food.”
“Do you usually pay for food?” His brow furrowed.
Luana nodded innocently, her hungry eyes still glued to the bag, even though she tried to return it.
“Well… don’t pay for this.” He handed it back and turned away.
Before she could even process what just happened, he was gone.
She whispered the thanks she wanted to say and closed her door gently.
---
That night, Roberto stood alone at the veranda while everyone slept. He wasn’t the type to fall asleep easily, so he stood sipping a glass of wine and scrolling through his phone.
In the darkness, he noticed someone sneaking out through the sitting room. When he looked closer, it was Luana, with the same food bag he had given her.
He took a slow sip of wine, not bothering to stop her.
Just then, Cecilia appeared out of nowhere. She leaned against the railing beside him.
“She’s gone out again to meet one of her boyfriends. My sister never listens. How are we ever going to make her stop this dirty behavior?”
Roberto didn’t respond. He continued scrolling through his phone, his face unreadable.
I’ll make sure no one ever likes you in this world, Cecilia cursed her sister silently.
Roberto looked at her and said calmly, “Excuse me.”
Cecilia grinned cruelly as she walked away, thinking she had succeeded.
Roberto leaned back silently, His thoughts deep, quiet, and unreadable. Everything remained locked within him.
- Writer
