Luisa strained to catch the voice from the other end of the line, but only Sonnyâs clipped responses reached her ears.
âAlright.
Good job.
Just send me the address and leave the rest to me.
â
As he ended the call, Sonny glanced at Luisa and said, âI have located your family.
They didnât seem aware of your presence here with the Payne family.
They believed you were still in Eurfrica.
I have their address.
Do you want to visit before dinner? You can tell them you have found someone reliable and that we are going to be engaged.
â
Her expression froze, her grip on his hand tightening involuntarily.
His words triggered a flood of unpleasant memories, leaving her on edge.
Seeing the strained look on her face, Sonny gently caressed her cheek and reassured her, âWe donât have to go see them if youâre not up for it.
â
Luisa inhaled deeply and said, âNo, Iâll go.
â
She grasped Sonnyâs hand, weaved her fingers through his, and asked with a hint of hesitation, âSonny, after we get engaged, or even married, would you ever leave me just like my dad left me in Eurfrica for money?â
Sonny sighed and looked at her with honesty in his eyes.
âNo, never.
Iâm a man of my word.
Once I decide on something, I stick with it with no regrets.
If Iâm committing to you, then youâre it for me for life.
â
His tone was as grave as if he were discussing business matters.
But the promise Sonny made touched Luisa deeply and stirred an overwhelming emotion within her.
âThanks to your assurances, I feel ready.
This visit to my family will be the moment to cut off those fake familial connections once and for all.
â
Sonny affectionately ruffled her hair.
With Sonnyâs support, Luisa felt incredibly confident and secure in everything she faced.
They left the amusement park behind and drove their luxury car to a quiet rental home in Stastle, following the given address.
This marked the fifth time Luisaâs family had relocated.
Chased by debt collectors, their lives had been anything but easy.
Sonny and Luisa made their way through the corridors of the aged building, looking for the specific apartment number.
Just as they neared their destination, Luisa suggested, âSonny, you should wait here for a moment.
â
Sonny nodded in agreement.
âOkay, Iâll wait here in the corridor.
â
Luisa quickly ascended the stairs, eager to reach Room 555.
The building was old and the walls were thin, offering little in the way of soundproofing.
As Luisa drew close to the door, she could already hear two voices she knew all too well arguing on the other side.
A sharp female voice berated, âYouâve been gambling again? Donât you realize weâre already drowning in debt because of you? How could I have married such a useless man?â
A gruff voice of a middle-aged man responded, âI might be worthless, but youâre no prize either.
Look at yourself! I told you to make some money with your body, but you couldnât even earn a dime.
At the end of the day, you still depend on me!â