Chapter Eighteen-Let Me Spoil You-Enzo
2242 Words
Breakfast the next morning was loud.
Not because anyone was arguing.
Because Mateo was Mateo.
He had somehow managed to fill his plate before most of us had even sat down.
I watched him take another croissant.
Then another.
Then a piece of bread.
I looked at him.
“Are you planning on leaving anything for the rest of us?”
He looked at me with complete seriousness.
“I’m on vacation.”
I laughed.
“That explains everything.”
Across from us, Luca and Elena were talking quietly.
They were smiling.
Actually smiling.
There was something different about them here.
They looked lighter.
Relaxed.
Like they had temporarily forgotten every problem waiting for them back home.
I liked seeing that.
I liked seeing Azul’s family happy.
Then I looked at Azul.
He was sitting beside me, his tablet resting close to his hand.
He was eating quietly.
Every now and then, he would glance around the table.
I wondered what he was thinking.
I wanted to ask him.
But before I could, I decided to bring up the plans for the day.
“So,” I said, looking around the table. “I had something in mind for today. But if any of you have something else you’d rather do, you can suggest it.”
Mateo immediately looked up.
“Bro.”
I looked at him.
“I trust your plans.”
I laughed.
“Do you?”
“Absolutely.”
He pointed around the table.
“Your plans are luxurious. Nobody should give plans here.”
Everyone started laughing.
Mateo continued eating.
“Let’s just work with Enzo’s plan.”
Luca shook his head, smiling.
“Then let’s do whatever you have planned today.”
I nodded.
“Perfect.”
I looked around the table.
“After breakfast, everyone change.”
Mateo stopped eating.
“Why?”
“We’re going shopping.”
His eyes widened.
“Really?”
Then he suddenly looked worried.
“But, bro…”
I raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
He lowered his voice dramatically.
“We don’t have cash.”
Everyone looked at him.
He continued.
“The whole family is broke.”
Azul immediately looked at him.
The expression on his face said everything.
Stop talking.
I laughed.
Mateo shrugged.
“I’m just being honest.”
Elena covered her face.
“Oh, Mateo.”
Luca shook his head.
I looked around the table.
“Don’t worry about money.”
I leaned back.
“We’re going shopping.”
Elena immediately looked uncomfortable.
“Enzo, you don’t have to—”
“I know.”
I smiled.
“That’s why I’m doing it.”
She shook her head.
“Shopping?”
“Yes.”
I looked at everyone.
“Everyone gets at least five things.”
Mateo nearly choked.
“Five?”
I nodded.
“Or ten.”
Mateo’s eyes became enormous.
I laughed.
“And I’m paying.”
Elena immediately shook her head.
“No, that’s too much.”
“Please.”
She looked at me.
“Enzo—”
“Please.”
I smiled.
“Let’s just go shopping. We can do some sightseeing afterward. We can spend the whole day out.”
She still looked hesitant.
Then I turned toward Azul.
He was already shaking his head.
I smiled.
“My life.”
He looked at me.
“I know you don’t want to.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“But can we please?”
He looked toward his father.
Luca sighed.
Then he smiled.
“Sure. We’ll go.”
Elena immediately brightened.
“Let’s go!”
She reached across the table and touched Azul’s hand.
“Come on, honey.”
Azul looked at his mother.
Then at me.
I smiled.
He sighed.
He knew he had lost.
And honestly?
I was f*****g happy.
Because I wanted to spoil him.
I wanted to spoil all of them.
Not because they needed my money.
Because I wanted them to experience something they had never experienced before.
They had spent their lives working.
Saving.
Being careful.
Thinking twice before buying something they wanted.
Today, I wanted them to stop thinking about the price.
I wanted them to simply choose.
After breakfast, everyone disappeared upstairs.
I went to my room and changed.
When I came downstairs, Mateo was already waiting.
He was wearing another two-piece linen set.
It suited him.
He looked good.
Cute, actually.
He looked at me.
“How do I look?”
“Good.”
He smiled.
“I know.”
I laughed.
A few minutes later, everyone was ready.
I had arranged a luxury van for us.
Not a regular van.
One of those large luxury vehicles with comfortable leather seats, plenty of space, tinted windows, refreshments, and enough room for everyone to sit comfortably.
We all climbed inside.
Azul sat beside me.
I leaned back.
His shoulder was against mine.
I didn’t move.
Neither did he.
Across from us, Luca and Elena sat together.
And Mateo was already recording.
“This is the life!”
I laughed.
He turned the camera toward me.
“Look at my brother!”
I raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not your brother.”
“You’re my rich brother now.”
I laughed.
Azul looked at him like he couldn’t believe him.
Mateo continued recording.
“This man has taken us to Sardinia, put us on a private plane, put us on a yacht, and now we’re going shopping.”
He turned the camera toward Azul.
“And this one is still acting shy.”
Azul immediately covered his face.
I laughed.
Mateo was impossible.
The drive was comfortable.
We weren’t going to some enormous crowded shopping center.
I had no interest in taking Azul and his family somewhere packed with thousands of people.
I wanted something quieter.
Private.
Beautiful.
So I took them to the luxury shopping district where the major fashion houses had their boutiques.
Chanel.
Louis Vuitton.
Fendi.
Dior.
Hermès.
And several other high-end stores.
The moment we arrived, Mateo looked around.
His mouth dropped open.
“Jesus.”
Luca laughed.
“Behave yourself.”
“I am behaving.”
“You’ve been here thirty seconds.”
“And I’m impressed.”
I shook my head.
We walked into the first boutique.
Immediately, the staff greeted us.
Everyone started looking around.
Elena stopped in front of a beautiful handbag.
I noticed.
She didn’t touch it.
She only looked.
Then she looked at the price.
And immediately stepped back.
I walked toward her.
“Please.”
She looked at me.
“Take it.”
Her eyes widened.
“Enzo, no.”
“Why?”
“It’s expensive.”
I smiled.
“My mother—”
I stopped myself.
She wasn’t my mother.
Not yet.
But the thought came naturally.
I corrected myself.
“Elena, just take whatever you like.”
She looked at me.
“Really?”
“Really.”
She looked toward Luca.
He smiled and nodded.
Then she looked at Azul.
Azul simply shrugged.
That made her laugh.
“Alright.”
She finally picked up the bag.
A beautiful Chanel bag.
I smiled.
“Good.”
She chose two other pieces and three outfits.
Then she looked at me.
“No more.”
I nodded.
“Alright.”
She had picked what she wanted.
I wasn’t going to force her.
Mateo, on the other hand, needed no encouragement.
He was already carrying things.
A lot of things.
He kept saying, “This one.”
Then five minutes later—
“This one too.”
Then—
“Oh, I need this.”
I looked at him.
“Mateo.”
He turned around.
“What?”
“Do you actually need all of that?”
He looked offended.
“Need?”
I laughed.
“Yes.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
Then he smiled.
“But I want them.”
I laughed.
“Fair enough.”
We went from one store to another.
Then another.
And another.
By the time we had visited nearly ten luxury boutiques, Mateo had accumulated enough bags to make it look like he had gone shopping for an entire family.
Luca had chosen a few things.
Elena had her Chanel bag and outfits.
But Azul?
Nothing.
Not one thing.
He walked around quietly.
He looked at things.
Touched a few fabrics.
Looked at watches.
Looked at shoes.
Looked at clothes.
But every time I asked him if he wanted something, he shook his head.
I didn’t understand him.
How could someone be surrounded by things he liked and still refuse everything?
Finally, we walked into an Hermès boutique.
The atmosphere was quieter.
Elegant.
The displays were carefully arranged.
We moved around slowly.
Then I noticed Azul.
He had stopped.
He was looking at a handbag.
A beautiful sky-blue Birkin.
The color immediately caught my attention.
It was almost exactly the color of his blue eye.
I looked at the bag.
Then at him.
Then back at the bag.
I smiled.
“My life.”
He looked at me.
“You want that one?”
He immediately shook his head.
“No.”
I laughed softly.
“You didn’t even let me finish.”
He shook his head again.
I knew why.
The price.
The bag was around a hundred thousand dollars.
Azul looked at the price tag.
Then at me.
Then away.
Mateo saw it.
His eyes nearly came out of his head.
“One hundred thousand?”
I looked at him.
He whispered loudly.
“Bro!”
I laughed.
Mateo stared at the bag.
“This bag is crazy.”
The sales associate approached us with a polite smile.
She explained that the particular Birkin was exceptionally rare, and that the color and combination of materials made it a highly sought-after piece. She spoke about how difficult certain Birkin configurations were to obtain and how pieces like this could command extraordinary prices.
Mateo just stared.
“One hundred thousand.”
He looked at me.
“Bro, are you serious?”
I laughed.
“Very.”
Azul was still staring at the bag.
I stepped closer to him.
“My life.”
He looked at me.
“Take it.”
He shook his head.
“No.”
“Please.”
He shook his head again.
I lowered my voice.
“You like it.”
He looked at the bag.
Then at me.
He still wouldn’t say yes.
I understood.
He didn’t want me spending that much on him.
That was exactly why I wanted to buy it.
Because for once, I wanted him to stop worrying.
“You don’t have to think about the price.”
He looked at me.
“You don’t have to worry about whether I can afford it.”
I smiled.
“I can.”
He shook his head.
I stepped closer.
“Please allow me to spoil you.”
His expression softened.
But he still didn’t agree.
I sighed.
“Alright.”
I didn’t push him.
Not there.
Not in front of everyone.
But I wasn’t giving up.
Not completely.
We left the boutique after everyone had finished looking.
I made sure Elena had everything she chose.
Luca had his things.
Mateo had enough shopping bags to open his own store.
Azul had nothing.
Not even a pair of socks.
I looked at him as we walked back toward the van.
“You’re really going to leave without anything?”
He smiled slightly.
I shook my head.
“You’re impossible.”
He shrugged.
I laughed.
“Fine.”
But I had another idea.
We stopped at an Apple store.
I looked at Luca.
“You need something.”
He immediately shook his head.
“No, no.”
“Yes.”
I looked at everyone.
“Actually, everyone gets something.”
Mateo’s eyes lit up.
“Now we’re talking.”
I laughed.
“Pick whatever model you want.”
Within minutes, everyone was choosing.
Phones.
iPads.
Watches.
Accessories.
Mateo was in heaven.
“This is the best vacation of my life.”
Luca laughed.
“You say that every hour.”
“Because every hour gets better.”
Even Azul smiled.
That was enough for me.
After shopping, we went sightseeing.
We walked through beautiful streets.
Saw historic buildings.
Took pictures.
Stopped for coffee.
Mateo continued documenting everything.
My security team stayed nearby, discreet enough that the family barely noticed.
I stayed beside Azul.
Sometimes our shoulders touched.
Sometimes our hands came close.
And every once in a while, I caught him looking at me.
Not with fear anymore.
Not like the first time.
Something different.
Something softer.
I didn’t know what it was yet.
But I knew I wanted more of it.
At one point, we stopped near a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the water.
Azul stood at the edge.
The sunlight hit his face.
His hair moved slightly in the breeze.
I watched him.
And suddenly, I didn’t care about the shopping.
The yacht.
The plane.
The resort.
The money.
None of it.
I had spent my whole life believing that having everything meant having control over everything.
But Azul had taught me something completely different.
Sometimes having everything was simply watching the person you loved smile.
And I would spend every f*****g cent in the world if that was what it took to see that smile again.
I looked at him.
He turned toward me.
Our eyes met.
I smiled.
He smiled back.
And for that moment, I had everything.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD