Kara’s POV

*
              I shut the door firmly when I entered the office, my eyes fixated on the man pulling off his lab coat. “You requested to see me, Doctor Shane?”

“Yes, I did. There is something I want to tell you but I would like you to be discreet about this. Please have your seat.”

I nodded with a frown but he shook his head. “Thanks doc. Is anything the matter? Do I need to contact his family?” I asked in all seriousness.

“I don’t think you get what I’m saying, miss Kara. Anyway, you don’t have to call anyone. That was what I meant by the word, ‘discrete.”

“You have my word sir. I won’t tell a soul, if that is what you mean.” I affirmed.

He nodded firmly, satisfied with my response. “Does anyone know about Mr. Stephano’s condition? I mean someone living in your house.”

“Do you me-”

“I mean asides your mother and the other girl working as the house help? Perhaps a man got to know about it?”

I tried to wrap my head around the question so I would understand him properly. “You mean the driver? He wasn’t told.”

“Not the driver. A man came into Mr. Stephano’s room today after I had the nurse check on him and the man gave him another dose of that drug. I’m afraid I need to increase the security on him and no one is trusted. I’m only telling you this because you’ve been with him for the past few weeks and also because he won’t let anyone that isn’t you come near him or touch him.”

My head began to spin at the voluptuous information. Paul and Andre were the only ones who knew about Stephano’s state of health— also, his brother. James, his personal driver was on a week’s leave to visit his family in another city when the incident happened three weeks ago and till now, I hadn’t told him a thing. I had followed Andre’s instruction to not tell anyone else about the case on ground, so not even the men at the estate knew.

“Was it the man that was with me the other day...?” I trailed off in fear. I didn’t know what I would do if Paul was the culprit and though this negative vibe thingy was slowly building in me already as I thought about Paul’s encouraging nature and support since he got to know that Stephano fell sick — I didn’t tell him the nature of the sickness — I wasted no time in pushing the thought aside. Guilt ate at me as I told myself that Paul couldn’t be the culprit. I shouldn’t think that way about him.

No matter what, I should never accuse him for such a thing without evidence. Still, this was Stephano I was talking about! Stephano, the only man in my life. And not just any man, the one I now cared so much for than I had ever cared or treasured anything in my life. Over the past few days, I had done nothing but stayed with him, listen to him make small talks and laugh with him. He was pretty cool, much more than he let on these past few months that we had been dating.

It was a little by little progress but Stephano was beginning to get better and the other drug that had been mixed with that one he mentioned were a series of drugs that drug addicts usually abused. He mentioned the name of those substances but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember them. The combination was strong and weird, it was heartbreaking to even hear him talk about it.

I was quite surprised and really grateful that Stephano didn’t lose his life after receiving such heavy amount of drug into his system.

“The man from that first day he was admitted, you mean?” Doctor Shane asked, seeking confirmation. “The one that stood with you with ice cream cups, right?”

I nodded, surprised he even remembered that Paul had been holding an ice cream cup. “Yes. Was-was he the one?”

“No. He wasn’t. This one was quite muscular and had full outgrown beards and honey brown hair parted to the left side. Mrs. Bailey, the nurse assigned to his room ran into this man when she was returning to duty after going to ease herself but she found Mr. Alfonsi passed out.”

Muscular... Full grown beards.... Honey brown hair....

I couldn’t recall anyone who fitted that description. Sure it did sound familiar but at the moment, I came up blank.

“Passed out...” I mentioned with furrowed brows.

“Yes. Looks like he struggled for a while with this man but help didn’t arrive on time. His arms were sprawled beside him when I walked in.”

“That’s quite troubling. So where and when do you intend to transfer him?” I inquired.

“The private ward at the back building. The security is tighter there. Also he was beginning to regain his full consciousness, as we both know. Now we’ll have to start the treatment all over again.”

I nodded sadly at this information. Stephano now knew that not everyone was a threat. Mrs. Alfonsi came every two days, along with my mother who sometimes came and Mimi. Though she had only been here once this week.

I thought of all the stress this was putting on me. I still had to concentrate on my studies because I had less than a year remaining and I was also currently working on my final year project in school.

We would be entering the last semester next year January. The most alarming issue now was that this evil person was still after Stephano. And that was pretty much shocking!

“I have held a meeting with the other doctors and the board members. Has he been identified? Mr. Andre, his assistant hasn’t given me any update in a while.”

“The man has been identified. He was last seen at Canada, under the name ‘Rodriguez’ but I know of no such person.” My frown deepened as I filled him in on what Andre told me few days ago. Apparently, it now involved the hospital and the authorities here because a public figure under their care was threatened. This was also getting more serious for me to just stay still.

Doctor Shane picked up his phone. “Kindly excuse me Miss Kara. I need to make a call as this matter needs to be handled with severe caution. The transfer process is already ongoing as we speak and I would like you to be there with him though he has been attended to immediately you went home.”

I nodded.

“This drug...what would happen to him this time? Was it all the ones from that last time?”

“No. This time around, it was just the poppy substance — as most of the younger doctors say they call it in the streets—and some other dangerous substances that are being abused by drug addicts. That was why he had been acting so sluggish, if you noticed. The effect kicked in immediately it was taken, around past six at noon that night he was drugged at the office. That means the person that drugged him took him home and left him there.” He told me with a serious expression.

“Hmmmm...” I mused.

“Yes. There was no way he would have drove home himself.”

I nodded frantically, knowing this was probably as hard for him as it was for I and Stephano’s loved ones. Doctors also had feelings, after all.

“The treatment began immediately though, as our counter effect.” I nodded again and got up so I would leave him to make his call.

~°~

              “Hello?” I sniffed as I watched Stephano take short, stable breaths in. The fact that he had to go back to that condition sickened me more than anything had done these past four weeks. I wished I could take away this ailment, whatever it was, but I couldn’t. I could only stay by him and let him know he mattered, and I was here for him. I couldn’t eat...since Dr. Shane gave me that news this morning. There was no appetite.

“Kara, how ar- wait, are you crying? What’s wrong? Is boss okay?”

I looked down at my phone screen, sitting up when I realized it was Andre. The amount of information circulating in my head prevented me from identifying his voice.

“Hey Andre. No, I’m fine,” I wiped my tears quickly. “What’s the update?”

“The man has been found.”

“What?” I breathed and got up, wriggling my hand free from Stephano’s tight hold in the process. It surprised me how much he held onto me sometimes, even in his unconscious state.

“This is a large information but I’ll break it to you slowly.”

“No, I can handle it. Just, please tell me.”

“This guy is someone you know very well according to the details I got from Mrs. Alfonsi’s secret informants who she had sent to investigate the case three weeks ago. Remember I told you they're working with our men.”

“Yes. So?”

“He left the service of Mr. Stephano some months ago due to some personal reasons. Apparently, Mr. Stephano had someone send him away. That person was the man’s father.” Send him away?

To where? I knew all the men that worked with us at the mansion and mama would have told me if anyone had been let off his duty.

“Wait, he even worked for us?”

“I’m afraid so. He once worked at boss’s mansion before he was sent to stay with his mother.”

“What is his name?” My forehead morphed into a deep frown. I knew so many men at the mansion but this Rodriguez, no. I had never heard that name before because I sure would have committed it to memory.

I mean, I grew at the Alfonsi’s place before I and my mother moved to the mansion the instance Stephano completed it. At the Alfonsi’s place and even now at the mansion, no man I had ever seen working there went by that name.

“His name is Gonzalo Rodriguez.”

My. World. Stopped. The only Gonzalo I knew was the same one that had been asking me out for years and never relented even when I turned him down several times. I never knew his surname was Rodriguez, because, well I never asked.

My frown deepened as realization sunk in. Gonzalo was behind this? But how could it be so?! This was the same person his parents had been working for the Alfonsi’s and Stephano had even taken it upon himself to have them transferred to his estate after the mansion was completed.

His father was the head of the inn keepers. His father had his own horse he was taking care of. Gonzalo’s mother had to leave the year we moved in to take care of her mother in her hometown and she decided it would be better if she stayed there.

“What is his mother’s name again?”

“Josephine Rodriguez.” I gritted my teeth in anger. Of course it was the Gonzalo I knew, I’d always called his mother ‘Aunt Jose’. Gonzalo was an ungrateful piece of trash and he was going to get what was coming for him. The bastardo!

“I know them. I’ve known that piece of crap since childhood!” I snapped. My eyes were beginning to get warm with unshed tears, something that usually happened whenever anger consumed me.

“Now don’t think of leaving boss at this time and going in search of him. Doctor Shane told me what happened and though this man at the hospital was wearing a face cap, the description totally matched that of the culprit. The spies just let it in now that he was at the mansion so I am on my way there with a few security men from the company and police officers.”

“Well, I hope he is caught.”

“He will be. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Thank you so much for this, Andre, really.” I all but cried in joy, though my hands trembled as I clutched onto my iPhone. “You’ve been really helpful.”

He chuckled. “Boss needs to come back to his normal self. The office isn’t the same without him and I don’t think I want to keep sitting on that chair. The pressure from below is quite much, you know?” He explained.

I nodded, doing an eye roll when I realized he couldn’t see me. “I know.”

“Alright. We just got here so I’ll call you later for updates.”

“I’ll be expecting.”

“Bye.”

I sat back down and held onto Stephano’s hands tightly. “Do you hear that Stephano? Gonzalo is the person behind this!  He has been cau-”

Stephano snapped his eyes open. They were wide in alarm. “He.. He came back...” He wheezed. I nodded in realization. Gonzalo was the man he had been referring to all these while when he had been adamant that the person said he was coming back.

“He did?” I asked slowly.

“He came back. He.. He did it. Stephano, I.. I didn’t do it.” He slurred. I held tightly onto his hands and looked straight into his eyes in defiance; receiving the comfort that came with the fact that he wouldn’t hurt me even in this state.

“Stephano, he will be caught by the police and put in a cell for his crimes. The police will deal ruthlessly with him for this!” I told him with full confidence. My hands shook as Stephano stared at me, the adrenaline pumping furiously in my veins and shaking me to the core but I stood my ground and matched his stare.

He needed to know that his assaulter was now going to pay for his crimes. Gonzalo had always been a nice guy since we were little, or so I thought.

He had no issues with Stephano or even Giuliano, Stephano’s brother. He had the same respect every other worker showed the boss. He was usually with his father while Stephano was rarely at home and when Stephano was at home, he never associated with the workers much.

He did sometimes. But not too much for the men to get familiar with him and even when he visited them and stayed for hours, he would always be with the men; never their sons. I couldn’t, for the life of me, think of a reason why Gonzalo would have done this to Stephano. Why had Stephano even sent him to his mother?

“Kara....” Stephano called. I snapped out of my thoughts. “He came.” He mumbled with trembling lips, shattering my heart into several million pieces at the sight of a frightened Stephano.

“He won’t come for you again. If he comes, attack him. Kill him. Stab him with a knife or hospital injection, it will be self-defense.”

The footage of Stephano struggling with the man who had stabbed him with the needle still haunted me. I shouldn’t have watched that footage, I should’ve listened when Dr. Shane suggested I don’t watch it immediately he made me know someone had attacked Stephano in his room.

“St-stab him.” He muttered slowly, processing each word.

“Yes Stephano. Stab him, you can do it. You are strong and you can fight him. I won’t allow him come near you again honey.” He looked like an obedient little child as he nodded and I almost gushed but I knew this wasn’t Stephano. I couldn’t gush.

This wasn’t my man. This was not my Stephano. At least he was still mine to take care of and. I would be damned if I didn’t take advantage of that fact and reciprocate the feelings he was showing.

I hugged him tightly, possessively. He shouldn’t be going through something like this; he didn’t deserve it in all sincerity. The emotions that ran through me couldn’t be held as I looked into his eyes.

I pressed my lips on his and further leaned into him in the process. I kissed him as if I needed each lip caress to survive and ran my fingers through his hair, heaving a contented sigh when I heard him hum in appreciation.

“We will be alright Stephano. He won’t come near you anymore. I won’t let him, love.”

*

The culprit has been found! What punishment do you think is fit for him?