Stephano’s POV

*

           “Hope the flight arrangement has been made? We have no time to waste.”

“Please, he will be a good boy.” The man pleaded on the phone. I sucked my teeth in irritation, my left hand swiftly moving in my hair as I shut my eyes.

We’d already had this discussion before so I had no idea why he was pleading now. No amount of pleas could do it, I would even take drastic measures without hesitation if it called for that.

“No! That wasn’t the agreement.”

“I promi-”

“You want me to repeat myself, sí? He is a threat somehow.” I grunted.

“He only takes it as a child’s play.”

“Child’s play with my relationship? There’s no child’s play in this. He is a threat and he has to go.” My relationship with Kara was more important that what threat that boy would pose if he stayed here any longer.

He heaved a disturbed sigh. “Sir? I promise to talk to him. If you continue with your plans and then send him to....I would be broken sir. He’s my only child.” It almost pained me that I was doing this to such a man I had known for years but it had to be done. So many people were threats to me and he was one of them.

He could be young and foolish now but his actions could ruin the great plans I had for my own future. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

“I have made my decision and I will be sending him away for a while. Relay my greetings to Josephine and I am sure she would be happy to see him, Sí?”

He heaved another dramatic sigh.
“All right Sir. I must tend to my business now. Duty calls.” I could hear the defeat in his tone.

I wasn’t too pleased with the discussion we just had and that didn’t sit well with me but when I remembered the purpose for my action, I knew I couldn’t go back against my decision. I needed to do what I need to do and it was for the best; for me and also for Kara.

“Hmm.” I grunted in response and ended the call with a good heart. No employee ever hung up on me so I couldn’t know if he was angry but he of course knew better than to be angry at me. Anger wouldn’t put food in his plates or clothes on his back.

I remembered what this evening was and a feeling of relief flooded my chest. I was finally going to be alone with amore mio; be it for a while, I was still content with it. Why did I even speak and act towards her that way like I did with everyone?

I furrowed my brows as I thought about it. That was definitely something I couldn’t help. It just came with how I started behaving when I became a teenager and moreover, I was used to being around her. She wasn’t a temporary person in my life.

I knew that if I was stony faced towards her, she wouldn’t want to be so close to me. She wouldn’t be like those regular girls I used to be around in ninth grade.

I quickly got tired of those girls because they were always in my space with their ponytails between their fingers as they twirled their hair whenever I was in sight. Also, they giggled to no end. A girl giggling wasn’t wrong but hearing half the whole population of girls in my class and sometimes in my school giggle wherever I walked in with my two friends then, it irked me.

I started hating giggles because of it.

Weirdly enough, I once dreamt about a girl with big lips painted in red and she was giggling irritatingly with her face so close to mine. The horror!

Since then, I mostly only spoke to tomboys who wouldn’t disturb me with their giggles and to girls who didn’t have a crush on me, which were still of course, tomboys.

I didn’t understand girls but I also didn’t want Kara to be like them. Probably crushing on me and then having some dumb fantasies; I knew girls were weird like that and I didn’t want to get tired of Kara, so avoiding her for years was the best option.

I would still see her everyday anyway so it wasn’t like she could run away or something. Now though, things were different. She was fast growing into a woman. One that made men turn their heads and suck in a deep breath. A beautiful woman and she was as oblivious as ever.

Maybe she had never been in a serious relationship before. I focused on my work as my mind occasionally drifted to the girl.

I made sure to call my fashion stylist and ask her to deliver one of her best designs for Kara, describing what it should look like.
Once I was through, I left for my home. Yes it was home and not just house, because Kara was there.

I didn’t want to anticipate it but I was giddy! I couldn’t stop myself from the thought of her and I felt this fluttery feeling fill my whole body as if she had touched me. Goodness!

I, Stephano Alfonsi, having a fluttery feeling in my manly stomach because of a girl? I was acting like a micío.

It even surprised my secretary, a forty three year old woman —who seldom came into my office as per my command — when she greeted me today and the sides of my lips curled up into a small smile. I myself was surprised.

Kara.

She did this to me without even trying. I didn’t struggle to do anything when she was around. Breathing came easily whenever she was around; I slept easily like a baby whenever I thought about her. Only Kara could do this.

Even my mother couldn’t get me to smile when I was growing up, because I grew up like a bitter teenager. She would try her best but no, I would remain rigid, unsmiling and uncaring even if I was hurting those around me.

I still couldn’t believe how satisfyingly I had taken care of myself by just thinking about Kara and knowing she was around but I couldn’t have access to her had spurred that excitement. I remember that I muttered her name and even imagined her strawberry scent waft through my nostrils before flooding my hand and jerking around.

I cleared my head. I didn’t want to get uncomfortable all day with tightness in my pants so I concluded that thinking about her wasn’t really a good idea.

“Welcome Sir.” My gardener greeted with a flashing smile when my driver parked the car and I nodded with my briefcase in my hand, alighting as I entered my house. I looked around and no one was around.

Today was Thursday and though I used to be extra tense because of the seriousness that naturally came with the wrapping of the week, this was an exception.

I didn’t ignore anyone’s greeting like I was used to at work. Kara was also behind that and she didn’t even know. I went in and changed my clothes.

Taking a shower, I decided to have desert before resting for a while and with that, I went for my shower.

~°~

Kara’s POV

*

           “I can’t believe it!” My best-friend screamed.

She literally jumped around her room like a little girl, beaming. I watched as her artificial dark brown locks got all over the screen of the phone before she set it down once again and took calm short breaths in, looking at me with a big smile as if her boyfriend just proposed to her.

“I also couldn’t believe it.” I replied Adrian with a small smile as I tried not to grin widely again because my cheeks were slowly feeling sore.

I was now calmly sitting on my bed and tracing my fingers over Sponge Bob’s diastema as he smiled up at me from my bikini bottom bedspread but in the past one hour, I had pulled at my hair more times than I could actually count. I mean, my mom’s cold boss sent someone to buy me a freakin’ beautiful dress and it was an off-shoulder beaded lace bodice long dress, specifically for formal outings.

I looked up from my phone at the curtain as breeze blew past it and a smile made its way up my lips. My curtain was in blue and yellow designs, complimenting a yellow Sponge Bob who was grinning at Patrick and the blue background filled with the bikini bottom inhabitants.

Also, my wall’s painting was blue because that was both I and my dad’s favorite color. A color I grew up to love because of the beauty of the sea and the sky.

“Are you sure you didn’t add some zeros at the back of that amount?” Adrian coughed again, bringing me back to the present. Rolling my eyes, I scoffed at her question.

“We both know I didn’t.”

She gasped dramatically, again!
“Babe, you’re one lucky freak!” She muttered but her eyes were serious. It was like she was telling me a state secret.

“If you say so.” I huffed.

“Believe me, Kara mio. This man isn’t as evil as you portray him.” She wore a thinking look for a while, “You just have done something to make him treat you as you said and for all I know, you could hate his guts for no apparent reason.”

I gasped. “That is not true. Apologize for what you just said!”

“I won’t be doing that. He doesn’t seem as bad as you portray him and I’ll keep saying it.”

I did an eye roll. This girl would be at young master’s throat if not for her equally good looking boyfriend who was also taking care of her. It was surprising that Lucas looked past her fan-girling habit all the time and maybe they argued about it sometimes. I had never seen him do it though. He merely chuckled whenever she gushed about a male model or singer.

It wouldn’t sit well with me if whoever I dated or later married never got jealous over me— not too much but also not acting like he didn’t care when I gushed at other males. I would definitely get jealous if he tried it with me and no, I didn’t like sharing anything. That was why I still had no boyfriend.

I didn’t want to get hurt at all! I was scared of commitment, of giving more.

“But seriously though, how are you not affected by his gesture? It’s hard to believe you when you’re calm and collected after he did this though we’ll put aside the fact that he’s actually a billionaire and all that. You’ve been saying horrible things about him since eternity. For all fishes sake, look at the damn zeros behind that five on the tag babe, look!”

“I’m used to it Adrian.” Was all I muttered while she stabbed me with a glare all the way from her room in New York. Living here alone already made me realize that nothing could surprise me again. This house alone was a mansion and we had been living here since the young master built it three years ago.

He lived in wealth; we all ate like King and Queens, so how surprising could this be? Because of my mama who was close to the young master, we had so many privileges.

With all the rich things I saw every day, I wasn’t all that surprised but still, he bought this for me and the woman that brought it from a rich boutique forgot to remove the price tag, feeling apologetic for not doing so earlier and tearing it before I could check it the third time.

For goodness sake, the third time!
“Kara, where are the eggs you got yesterday?” Mama asked from the entrance as she poked her head in.

“They are in the store. I still haven’t brought them out yet.”

“And the grapes?”

“Same.”

“What about the onions?” She was still standing there at the entrance, even though I had told her a thousand times to stop standing at the entrance like that. She had just kept doing it. It made her look funny in all her round glory.

“They are in the garden.” I replied anyway, not turning around.

“Garden?” She called but I was too busy speaking to Adrian and giggling about her complaints on the Ducklings that I didn’t hear her question after that.

“Will you speak to me right now Kara or leave me standing here while you stay on that thing? Meet me out there, right now!” She snapped and left, shutting the door firmly. My mama didn’t like when she asked me a question and my mind was somewhere else so I quickly got up to reply her.

“I’ll talk to you later okay? Mama is at it again and I don’t know what’s up this time.”

“Alright babe, make sure you call me, okay?” I need all the details of whatever happens in that event!” She threatened. She looked...sad. Oh Adrie, what would I do without you?

“It’s a pity you won’t be here...” I taunted her anyway and hid a wicked snicker. She had to leave for her parent’s place at New York because they called her over for an important ‘family’ discussion.

“Make fun of me all you want but make sure you leave nothing out and have a good time. Love you.” She pouted and I replied that I loved her too before ending the video call and just about rushed downstairs in the same minute.

“Polló, get the young master fresh grape juice and come join me. It’s time to dish his meal.” Mother instructed as I entered the kitchen and I gaped at her with parted lips. So now she was also calling me a chicken like Adrian liked doing. If not that I had known her since I was little and we had certain similarities, I would have said she wasn’t my mother but Adrian’s.

“Okay.” I headed for the store when she called me again.

“Get the onion first. I need to add it into my oil before frying.”

“What about the ones in the freezer?”

“They’ve been blended and can’t be used. Also, they’re all frozen.” I nodded and stood still, thinking of something. She didn’t seem to have a problem about the young master taking me out. She hadn’t even asked me about it. Also, why was young master at home? It wasn’t even three thirty yet.

“What are you waiting for?” Mama asked when I just stood in the middle of the spacious kitchen and kept quiet.

“But mama, it’s just three pm. Why did he come back so early?” I couldn’t help my curiosity. An image of yesterday evening flooded my mind and I shut my eyes briefly to block it out. He had looked so content.

A warm, fuzzy feeling flooded me and I shut my eyes. My legs rubbed together in instinct.

It was funny that I actually thought he called my name when pleasuring himself. I hoped he didn’t see me because…

Focus. I shook my head and thought about it. He didn’t see you Kara, I convinced myself. He would have mentioned it to you if he did wasn’t so embarrassing on his part. I nodded in agreement.

“He is going to the function and wants to rest before he leaves. He will take just fruits for now, stop asking questions. Go.” I left and went to the garden to pick the grapes and the mittens. Why did I even bring the mittens here? I guess I forgot them outside when spreading the onions and didn’t bother going back for them.

I went in and prepared with her in the kitchen before she reminded me that I had to get a dress. A smile formed on my face at the thought of the dress hung in my wardrobe but then I frowned. I hadn’t told my mum about the dress.

“Mama, I already have a dress.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “How did you suddenly get a new dress that would be that suitable for such a function?”

I hadn’t told her this earlier and I should have.

Great Kara, just what you needed. Mama hated it when I kept things from her. It didn’t matter what it was, be it someone shooting me or a mosquito stinging me. She was just like that. Since papa died, she would fuss whenever I did as much as tripping on the stairs.

“Well, mama, actually-”

“I ordered the dress.” The voice I wasn’t keen on hearing spoke behind me.

My heart did a weird flip. Just interesting. 

...........
A/n: hi! Thanks for reading.

Do you think something will go wrong? I can't wait to edit the next chapter!

Whatever you're going through, don't let it get to you. Depression is strong and those thoughts come...but I am stronger than that and so are you. You're on earth for a reason. Don't allow negativity deny you that. You aren't vulnerable, don't allow anything make you feel like you are! Stay strong. Help someone. Do something that fills you with peace and makes you grateful for life. It's gonna be alright.

I love y'all. God bless you! *kisses*

Your girl,
Hephzibah.