Kara’s POV

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             “Diego is Kara’s twin.” My mama broke the ice. Stephano stared at us with slightly wide eyes, hands fisting into a ball as he digested the information. I patted his chest with shaky hands of my own. I could read the expression in his eyes. He was asking me if mama’s statement was true.

I nodded at his surprised expression, knowing he was as clueless as I was. When I came in earlier on to tell mama Diego was asking after her, I met Diego hugging mama and she was crying then I asked what happened and she ran into her en-suite, muttering apology for what I’d had no idea. I didn’t even know he was in this room.

He had told me he wanted to ease himself and I told him where to go. It was a good thing I didn’t follow him, at least now he knew who I was. Or rather, who he thinks I am.

“Explain mama.” I heaved a sigh, knowing she was going to start a story but also very excited because I had a brother. This was such great news, though I had gotten used to being mostly alone when I was growing up.

After playing with the estate children when we were still at Mr. Alfonsi Snr’s mansion, they’d all go to their homes and I would go to mine as well, to sleep by myself and sometimes talk to myself since I didn’t have a phone to call any high school friend and I kind of disliked reading novels. It was such a waste of time.

Angela was always busy with one thing or the other, so I got used to being by myself since I couldn’t go to Giuliano who was three years older than me, talk-less Stephano who was the glaring young master that always treated me coldly.
Stephano and Giuliano had given me phones several times but mama always found an excuse to seize them and only when I became a senior did she let me have a cheap one she purchased me herself.

It was only after that one got spoilt by falling into water did I get another one, — the same China model I changed with my current iPhone when Stephano caught me talking to Marcus in his room earlier this year.

“How did you find me?” Mama asked him with glistening eyes. She was resting on the wall beside her en-suite and looking somewhat troubled.

“Can you tell me why I’m just meeting you first? After all these years...mom?” He whispered the last word with a shaky breath. Stephano still hadn’t taken his eyes off me since mama dropped the bomb.

“It’s a long story.” She muttered and avoided his gaze.

“I have all night mom. I’m glad I finally confirmed this, I always had this fondness for you Kara.” He told me softly.

I nodded in response. I always knew there was this longing in his eyes whenever he looked at me. Adrian insisted he liked me but I always denied it. Sure he liked me, but like a sister or someone he could relate with.

“Remember when I told you a story earlier this year Kara? When you were home from one of your random school breaks?”

“There’s been so many breaks....”

“About a girl that was...forced by a man who attended a ball the master of the house held?”

I scrunched up my face. “The house help that was raped? You said she was your book character.”

She flinched a little but nodded. “Yes.”

“What does that have anything to d-” a gasp escaped my lips. “Wait mama, you’re that girl?” I screeched. She nodded and Diego walked to her, crushing her in a tight hold as she cried in his arms.

“I couldn’t tell you it was me, it was degrading to even remember that night. The thought alone made me feel pathetic all these years but you are a product and I’ll forever be proud of being opportune to bring you both into this world.”

“What happened?” My lips wobbled but I struggled to stay strong.

“They tried to take you from me Kara. They took Diego, the man’s wife I mean. I tried running away from my then boss’s place but someone was sent to escort me over to their house for a chat with her and I knew they were going to do something bad to me and take you away. That person they sent was Alfredo. He fell in love with me and I convinced him to escape with me though he wanted to go over and shoot the man and his wife after I told him what had transpired between me and the man.” She narrated with sad eyes.

My heartbeat accelerated at the mere thought of her going through all these, especially when she just put to bed. Stephano was quiet all through. He led me to the loveseat in mama’s room while Diego helped mama sit on the bed. I blinked as tears blurred my vision.

“Number one, mama. You were assaulted and the man’s wife wanted to take me from you when I was born. You must’ve suffered a great deal.” I ran into her arms and hugged her tightly as sobs wracked over my body. She didn’t reply me but patted my head with red eyes. “Two. They took your son, my brother and only sibling!” I screamed. By now I was choking on my sobs.

“Three, Papa is not my biological father. Poor man. He’s the only man I’ll ever recognize as my father.” I croaked and finally broke down, going on my knees and rocking back and forth. How would he have felt, taking care of me all these years and giving me so much love. Didn’t he try to have a child with mama?

I slipped from her hold and allowed myself slouch onto the carpet, not caring if my dress was ruined. Then strong arms wrapped around me and helped me walk back to the loveseat, placing me on his thighs and rubbing my back. Stephano’s eyes were blank, I couldn’t read a single expression in them as I looked deeply into his icy blues.

His jaws were set tight and muscles hard. His hold on me was possessive and I allowed it as hearing his stable breath intake somewhat calmed me. Stephano rubbed my shoulders and I leaned into him. He adjusted my shoulder to rest on his chest while sitting comfortably behind me.

“He loved you.” Mama whispered.

“Such a sweet man. He took care of me, laid an example of what fathers are actually like. Of course he was my father. My only Papa.” I blinked to clear my blurry vision.
Diego held mama firmly by the shoulders. He looked really mad, ready to kill.

“When I was growing up, I was quite a spoilt child who lacked discipline and my Nanny never failed to remind me that. There was this thing she used to say in an adage about how ‘the son would always long for his own genuine source’ but it was in thick language and I never really understood. Then later, she stopped working under the service of those people that called themselves my parents.” His expression got even harder. Something I’d never witnessed with him before. “When I heard Nana was seriously sick in October two years ago, I paid her a visit. She was doting on me throughout, not like the way they described her sickness because she was as strong as a horse. She told me she was not sorry for not pampering me and showing me the average man’s way of life unlike the Mathews had done, who had claimed to be my parents. Then she told me the Matthews were not my parents.”

Mama gasped as he said this and fresh tears pulled out of her eyes.

“Mr. Matthews! May God judge you! You told me you needed a help and came up with a crap story!” Her eyes got furious. “You used me brutally and then told your wife I seduced you. Then you collected my baby, my sweet boy.” Diego comforted her with soothing words till she stopped cursing.

“She showed me a picture of your younger self and asked me to call you by Selena when I meet you, since that was your real name. So I have been searching for you ever since because she said you were in Sicily but you refused to give her your actual house address before you last mailed each other over ten years ago. Then one day I stumbled upon Kara at a hospital where I stopped to just do some random checkups and I...I just liked her. She reminded me so much of the woman in the picture. I wanted to know you better Kara, but you were mostly busy and I didn’t want to be a burden by being overbearing so I stayed away for a while.”

“I’m sorry. I snapped at you the day you called.” I murmured.

“No, Adrian told me to call you because she wasn’t in the country that day when I called you and there's nothing to be sorry about. She was the one who told me you had some health issues and were currently at a hospital, which made me panic and ask you several questions when I called.” He looked at Stephano before transferring his eyes back to me. “My nanny told me I wasn’t born in November, unlike I had previously thought and that just....broke me because I realized that everything I knew to be my whole life, had always been a lie form the beginning. I felt alone after that day. I stopped treating those people as my parents, that man is nothing but cruel. The family I thought I had, they were never mine. Since then, I decided to celebrate my birthday on Christmas since it was a popular day and it wouldn’t make much difference. All these while, I’d even hired a private investigator to search for my Selena.”

“Meanwhile I could have led you straight to her.” I mumbled.

Diego walked towards me again. “Kara, my baby girl, I’m satisfied now. I’ve always known there was something special about you. It wasn’t even a crush or love attraction. I just...liked you. Twin sister.” He chuckled.

I pulled out from Stephano’s hold and pulled him against myself, crushing him in a hug. We couldn’t fill the years of loneliness we’d probably gone through, but we could start being our real selves now. Siblings.

Stephano walked over to the other side. He patted mama and she told him something but they started speaking in hushed tones, mixing thick Italian which by the way, sounded dangerously sexy on Stephano’s lips.

“I’m going to fight them for this. Him, actually.” Diego gritted his teeth.

“What about his wife?” I couldn’t help spitting the word out.

“She...she’s sick. The last time I saw her was about three months ago and she explained everything to me. She was just a bitter woman and was sad that her husband could have fun with someone else after removing her womb. She took the anger on Selena.”

He heaved a sigh.

I arched a brow. “On mom, I mean.” He smiled sheepishly. “I’ve been calling her Selena since I was given her picture and I’ve been talking to her sometimes, creepy, yes I know. God, I always prayed she wasn’t dead or living an undeserving life. She didn’t deserve it.”

“What do you mean by removing her womb?” Mama frowned.

“She said dad- uh, that man, was her high school crush and before their parents even set them up with a business deal, they’d fooled around several times and she’d aborted for him twice already. The third time she got pregnant, he explained to her that he had arranged with the family doctor to remove the baby when he drugged her. But she didn’t know he removed her womb because he hated children and was scared of scandals at the time. His family name was more important.”

I merely stared at Diego as he explained all these. I knew the world was cruel but never knew a man could be this cruel? How dare you remove baby from someone’s womb without her consent?

There was a knock on the door. “Kara?” Mimi poked her head in. “Oh, I already searched everywhere for you. The guests were wondering what was happening. Also, the table has been set.” I forgot we had guests already. How formal of me.

“We’ll be out soon. Send them my apologies.” I told her sheepishly and she left with a nod.

“I’ll be downstairs.” Stephano announced with a stiff posture. His eyes lingered on me and then he was out of the door.

“I’m sorry for not being able to fight for you Diego.” Mama was back to sobbing. I heaved a sigh. Her eyes were red and her face flushed.

This wasn’t good for her health. “Mama, it’s fine now. He’s here and he won’t be taken from you again.” I mumbled.

“She’s right. I’ll never leave you again. No one can take me away from you now.” He pecked her head. “Now as much as I love how beautiful you are despite the blush, you need to rinse your face and get the dried tears off them.”

She nodded and we three hugged in silence for about thirty seconds before releasing her. The feeling was blissful. “I was about showering earlier on.”

She entered her en-suite. Diego was beside me in a heartbeat, squishing me into another hug.

“Now I finally get to play the protective brother role my friends play with their sisters and girlfriends.” He declared with pride glinting in his eyes.

“You don’t have a girlfriend?” I raised a brow.

“Not really.”

I wiggled my eyebrows. “Anyone you like?”

“Well, there was this girl...but we kind of had just an issue and I might have slept with her without her consent...” He scratched the nape of his neck. Gasping, I slapped him and refrained from shouting. I didn’t want mama hearing what I was about to ask him.

“You assaulted someone sexually?!” I demanded horrifically.

“Goodness, no! We had amazing sex but she doesn’t remember me. I think she was drugged that night...I guess. She was in my room and she told me to have sex with her…and I was kind of tipsy, so I can’t say if she was drunk or not. Moreover, she was really hot.”

“Oh. You didn’t realize before that?”

He gave me a look of bewilderment. “If I knew, I wouldn’t have ever gotten involved with her. Anyway, she didn’t act like she remembered me after that night. It was like what, two years ago? Yep.”

“That’s bad.”

“Right?” He sighed in contentment. Then his eyes lit up. “Anyway, where’s your loud mouthed friend?”

Stiffness encased my muscles. “Uh, she’s somewhere around, sleeping.”

He snorted. “Sleeping? Can she really be sleeping when she has me to throw glares at? Did she know I would be here this night? Wait, what’s her problem with me anyway?”

“Let’s put that aside. Something kind of happened to her recently, something bad. So she won’t be joining us downstairs.” I murmured. The familiar ache lingered around my heart before slowly settling.

His eyes grew large. Then his hold on mine tightened. “What happened? Is she okay?” His eyes grew concerned.

“She lost her boyfriend.” I looked down and bit my lower lip.

He looked lost for a second. “Lost as in they brok-”

“As in he died.” I narrowed my eyes. Did he really have to make me explain?

“When? And what happened to Lucas?!”

Oh. Did he ever get to meet Lucas before he died? Maybe he just often got to hear about him from Adrian.

“He was sick. He had brain tumor and went in for operation yesterday morning but didn’t make it.” My breath got shaky as I blocked out the emotions that tried to overtake. If they did, I would have to call it a night earlier than planned.

“That’s bad. I feel for her. Can I see her?”

My expression slipped into a grimace. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea Diego.”

“I’ll be quick. I won’t even wake her if she’s sleeping...I just feel concerned, that’s all. No one should lose the one they love.”

I got up and heaved a resigned sigh, leading him out of Mama’s room. “Fine. I’ll take you to her room but if she screams, I’m putting the blame on you. You know she has a special likeness for you.” My tone was bitter sweet. Nothing could come between the invisible fight between Adrian and Diego. At least I didn’t think anything could. Whatever it was that made her dislike him so much, only she knew it.

“Good luck.” I whispered as he slowly entered the room. For a full one minute, I didn’t hear any noise. I took this as a good sign and went to rinse my face and check it to make sure my cheeks were no longer puffy before heading downstairs. Mama was there already, and she looked better.

“You okay?” Stephano asked me.

“Yes love, I’m better.”

That expression I couldn’t read in Stephano’s eyes was back. And he was staring so intently I had to tear my gaze and cut a piece of chicken, feeding him. He hummed and planted his hand on my lap. Diego joined us.

An hour later after making light talks during dinner and watching Danielle’s gaze linger back and forth to Benito, we were slow dancing at the large hall reserved for parties at the side of the mansion. I was with Stephano, a reluctant Mimi was with Andre, Stephanie was with a guy she met recently and brought home in order to introduce to mama, Diego was with mama and Danielle was with Benito.

“How did she react when she saw you?” I whispered at Diego who now had his hands wrapped around mama’s waist and was close to me. Mama was staring at him like he was a dream come true, and I was sure he was, to her and to I myself.

He smiled sadly. “She cried. And then I just stayed till it died down.” His gaze turned sad and I blinked the tears away as well.

“Kara.” The deep, velvety voice had me snapping my attention back to Stephano.

His eyes lingered on me like he was searching for something and he caressed my waist. I inhaled the familiar scent of his cologne, sandalwood. Then Stephano tilted my head up. His arms tightened around me, and then his face split into a dashing smile that made my heart flutter.

“I love you, baby. So damn much. You know that right?” He asked with emotion clear in his eyes. Was it possible to un-love someone just so you could love them again? That was what I wanted to so badly do to this man right now.

Caught off guard at the sudden confession, I nodded. “I know Stephano. And I love you too. So damn much too.” I beamed.

“Happy New Year, Kara.” He smiled down at me, his breath fanning my face with each word and lingering his lips an inch apart from mine which was a bit frustrating, since I only got the urge to grab his head and kiss him senseless.

“Happy new year Stephano.” I whispered.

Then his lips met with mine. And I fell over again. And right there for the umpteenth time since I first fell for him, he already had me in his hold with the assurance that he’d always catch me.

I love you Stephano Alfonsi.

*

Happy new year SBTTB lovers! So they've exclusively entered 2019 in SBTTB and I'm so happy about this!

Diego is Kara's twin. Natalia's past was revealed. Stephano never misses a chance to make Kara know he loves her, and that doesn't mean he'll take bullshit from anyone. That's dopeness on a whole new level.

Did you love the chapter? Kindly drop me a comment stating so. But please not 'update' 'moreee' okay? That's a turn off.

Till next time. God bless you all 😚😚 Lol

Your girl,
Hephzibah.