"You heard me. Evelyn is my responsibility. She leaves when I say so."
Candela scowled at me.
"And you will not accuse her falsely again, do you hear me?"
"You fucking....."
"I'm sorry, people, but if you don't mind, my patient and best friend don't need this noise right now," Alfredo interrupted.
Mario and Candela kept glaring at each other.
"You both are his family. You shouldn't be doing this. Not right now." Alfredo added as he turned to Adrian.
Mario averted his eyes from Candela and headed for the door. Lucas and Manuel followed him out.
Candela stared at him angrily as he headed out the door.
Dolores walked to Candela.
She reached for Candela's shoulder. "Candy...."
"Get lost," Candela snapped, walking past her and out of the room.
Alfredo noticed as he stared at Dolores, who was watching Candela walking out the room.
Dolores heaved a sigh.
"You have a very hot-tempered sister, Dolores," Alfredo said.
Dolores nodded as she turned to him.
"Yeah. I know," she said, looking at Adrian. Her heart clenched as she stared at him.
Alfredo smiled a bit.
"Is he going to be okay?" She asked, rubbing her arms.
"Definitely. He is a Don, remember?"
She nodded.
"Don't worry. He will be fine in no time," Alfredo said, making her look at him.
He gave her a smile.
She smiled a little but moved her eyes to the Don.
Alfredo took in her never fading beauty, which never ceased to make him feel some type of way whenever he looked at her.
She moved her eyes to him.
He gave her a smile.
She smiled too. "Thanks for coming quickly despite the ungodly hour. We don't know what we would have done without you."
"Nah. Don't thank me. Adrian is my best friend. I will do anything for him."
She nodded with a smile as she moved her eyes to Adrian.
She hopes that he recovers.
********
ALONG THE HALLWAY
Manuel and Lucas stood close to a door that was a few doors away from the Don's room, talking about what could have happened to the Don.
"What about the Don's cousin? I haven't seen him in a while," Lucas asked.
"Maybe he is on one of his frivolous trips. You know how he is." Manuel said, leaning on the wall with his two hands in his pockets.
"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about him."
Manuel scoffed. "You always have a bad feeling about him. What is it this time?"
Lucas shrugged. "I feel he is behind it."
Manuel's face twitched.
Lucas nodded.
Manuel scoffed. "Why would you think that?"
"My instincts said so."
"Instincts? Yeah right."
"I am serious. I hate his guts. I feel he has some weird plans against the Don or something."
"Can you stop saying that? Before someone hears you,"
"I am not loud."
Manuel heaved a sigh.
"I think Dante wants to take the Don's position," Lucas said.
Manuel stared at him. "And you know this how?"
"My instincts."
Manuel scoffed. "Oh my God,"
"I haven't told anyone this but..." Lucas paused as he looked around for anyone. "I saw him trying to kiss the lady,"
Manuel's face twitched. "What?"
"Yes. I saw them. But the lady resisted him. Perhaps she loves and respects the Don so much. That added to my respect for her."
"Geez, Lucas. I never figured you as a gossip."
Lucas scoffed. "I don't gossip,"
"Yeah right,"
"I am only concerned about the Don. He is so important to everyone in this mansion. He is so important to me. I have to watch his back for him. I can't let anything happen to him. He saved our lives, remember?"
Manuel rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and turned us to his son's personal bodyguards,"
Lucas scoffed. "What the hell does that mean?"
"You heard me."
"Mario is our best friend. We grew up together."
"We work for them too, don't we?" Manuel asked.
"And we get paid handsomely. We are wealthy ourselves."
Manuel sucked his teeth, looking away.
"We are...."
"Lucas?" Mimi interrupted, claiming their attention.
Manuel took out his hands from his pockets as he stared at Mimi with a little happiness.
Mimi looked between Manuel and Lucas nervously.
"Mimi," Lucas called.
"Um, can I speak to you for a moment?" She asked him.
"Sure," Lucas said, making Manuel's smile fall as he looked at Lucas.
Mimi moved her eyes to Manuel. He is looking at her in a way she doesn't understand.
"Uh...alone, please," she added.
Manuel's face twitched.
"Alright. Please excuse us, Manuel," Lucas said, making Manuel scowl at him before walking away.
Lucas furrowed his brows a little as he watched Manuel walking away.
"Lucas," Mimi called, getting his attention.
"Yeah?"
"How is my uncle?"
"Fine. The doctor said he is stable."
Mimi nodded as she lowered her gaze.
"What's wrong?" He asked, making her look at him.
"I uh...." She paused, taking in his gorgeous eyes, but forced herself to focus on what she was about to tell him.
"I think Neo and his dad did that to him," she said.
Lucas furrowed his brows. "How do you know that?"
Mimi struggled with words as she lowered her gaze and fiddled with her fingers.
Lucas noticed her unsettled state. He placed his hands on her arms, making her look at him.
"Relax, okay?"
She nodded.
"Relax." He said, rubbing her arms gently.
She felt shivers running down her spine, but he made her feel safe.
Liliana approached with a tray in her hands. She stopped on her track the minute she saw Lucas holding Mimi. He was looking at Mimi with so much concern.
Liliana's heart clenched at the sight of them together again. This confirms it.
Lucas and Mimi are together.
She has to accept it.
She let out a breath as she continued walking. Her heart clenched the more as she got closer to them and walked past.
They didn't notice her passing by.
Even Lucas didn't notice.
That added to Liliana's aching heart. He is really focused on Mimi.
Mimi let out a breath.
"Tell me," Lucas said to her.
"Neo was at my school today,"
Lucas' face twitched. "What?"
She nodded.
"What time was that?"
"Closing hours. I was waiting for my driver, and he showed up." She said.
Lucas gritted his teeth. "What did he do?"
"He was furious. He said he would deal with us. Starting from the Don."
"He will die first," Lucas snarled.
"I just want us to be careful. I don't want anything to happen to us." Mimi almost whined.
"Nothing will happen. That bastard can't do anything."
"But he injured the Don."
"I don't think that was him. It was something else."
Mimi furrowed her brows. "Really? What?"
"I am not sure. Only the Don can tell us. But Neo is too small to do that to the Don."
"He has men like we do."
Lucas shook his head. "It doesn't matter."
Mimi stared at him with worry.
"I think someone in this mansion did it."
Mimi's face twitched. "What?"
"Yes."
"Who?" Mimi asked.
"It is...."
"Yes, Lucas, who?" Dante interrupted, claiming their attention.
He is dressed in all-black attire, looking at Lucas daringly.
Lucas stared at him boldly.
***********
ADRIAN'S ROOM...
Adrian is still unconscious and Dolores is standing a bit close to his bed, staring at him.
There was no one else in the room, just her. Alfredo is away and in one of the guest rooms, leaving Adrian to rest.
Dolores is too worried to leave. All she wants is to stand there and watch him all through.
Even if it means all night.
She hates the fact that he is in this state. She hopes he gets better.
Adrian moved his head slightly, making her face twitch.
"Adrian?" She called as she quickly moved towards the bed and sat next to him.
Adrian moved his fingers slightly, attracting her eyes.
She let out a sigh.
"Please recover, Adrian," she said, looking at him. She picked up his hand gently with her two hands and rubbed his knuckles with her thumb, staring at him admirably.
A smile formed on her lips as she stared at him.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Dolores froze.
She quickly got on her feet and turned to look at the person with the familiar voice.
Candela was glaring at her.
Dolores' heart pounded in terror.