Chapter 50

The best boyfriend isn't the best looking, funniest or richest. It's the one that makes sure you know he loves you ~ @Facts, Twitter.

Stephano’s POV

*

“Are you set?” I barged into Kara’s room, loving the feeling that accompanied it and allowing a smile tug at the side of my lips. Soon, I would not need to barge into anyone’s room because we would be sharing the room anyway. I’d waltz in, grab her by the nape of her neck gently, because she was Stephano’s girl and I’d kiss the hell out of her.

Then she would moan into the kiss and ask me not to touch her when we had visitors waiting downstairs even though her hands would be shamelessly trailing her palm down my chest while she panted like crazy. I hummed at my thought with pride surging through me, already anticipating what the future meant for us. I was confident about it; my Kara would be mine and no one else. She’d wake up in my arms and I’d get to love her till the day I die. She would be the mother of my children.

I halted just by the door at the thought of my Kara bearing my children. My eyes blurred a little as I sucked in a harsh, emotional breath.

Then I did an eye roll at my own reaction to this thought. Maybe I was overreacting.

“Yep. You?” She checked me out, coming out of the bathroom and gave a nod of approval.

My arms stretched out and she got into them, chuckling as she tried to pull away but I stopped her.

“Hmm.” I hummed in bliss as I inhaled her powerful fragrance emanating from her. She didn’t wash her hair but it still smelled nice, because she’d already done that in the morning.

“Let’s go.”

I held her back and moved my hands to firmly hold her waist. “You look lovely.”

She was in a long blue gown that had halter neck, red lipstick covering her beautiful lips from my hungry gaze and wearing two inches shiny slippers.

She wore tiny studs of blue, sparkling earrings and necklace that had blue pendant dropping right on the middle of her breasts.

Blush stained her cheeks and I released a groan, physically narrowing my eyes at her but mentally chiding myself because I knew my thoughts were heading far south. Just how far would that blush on her cheeks go though?

“Thank you.” She looked up at me. Subconsciously, my hands encased her neck delicately and I gathered the hair in one hand, surprised that it filled my right hand totally.

Her hair was really full. I leaned in and kissed her lips. She planted one hand on my chest as the other one held me by the upper arm while I gingerly moved my lips to her neck.

“Uh, St-stephano, let’s leave this room before-”

“Before?” I sucked on the same spot, enjoying her moan of approval as she gripped my shirt helplessly, her actions countering her words.

“Good. Now let’s go.”

She scowled at me and left, which only made me laugh. Now I had a good view of that delectable backside. The mark would soon be obvious, not much but still there for Diego or any other guy coming over to get the glaring signal.

When I got downstairs, Kara was hushing to Diego and they were laughing. I ignored the feeling of jealousy that surfaced as my eyes settled on them for a few seconds and finally replied Andre’s greeting as he approached me. He was scratching the nape of his neck and looking very uncomfortable.

Did it have anything to do with Mimi walking in and out to attend to them?

I knew he had a crush on her. That would explain him asking me to employ her two years ago at that café where he first spotted her and asking me so desperately. She’d gone there to search for job and Andre had excused himself to talk to her, returning a while later and explained to me that she was pregnant and in dire need of a job.

I released a groan and decided to just go through the business news on a local site. We couldn’t throw a house party as would have been appropriate because of the Adrian issue and we also couldn’t go anywhere since we were mourning her boyfriend’s death so we would have to settle for this.

“Stephano dear?” I looked up at the person whose shadow was now cast over me.

Danielle was battling her eyelashes down at me shyly, her smile charming as always.

When did she even come in? Or where was she before now and how come I hadn’t noticed her?

My jaw almost dropped as I noticed it. Not because of how charming Dani looked, because she’d always been attractive and had catchy, sparkling blue eyes like mine since we were younger and that made majority of the boys in our social circle buzz around her like bees.

This wasn’t the surprise though. It was because of the person she was holding hands with- or rather, clutching his elbow.

Benito.

I raised a mocking brow at him but he shrugged. “I don't even need any explanation from you.” My attention shifted once again to Danielle. “What are you doing with this looser? I can see that he has finally managed to confess his feelings to you after all these years.”

She caressed my cheek, making me uncomfortable at the wry smile on her face then she delivered two loud taps on the same spot she’d caressed and I huffed. That looked more like Danielle. I puffed air through my lips.

“This looser was chasing me since high school when I was busy chasing someone else. He even stalked me one time, following up on my public campaigns and promotions but at least I’m not begging him to love me. He just does, naturally. Don’t you, baby?” She batted her eyelashes at Benito, who looked shy and awkward but was staring at her with love-struck eyes.

I knew she was getting back at me for how I didn’t return the feelings she showed me while we were dating. I winced at the way she said it but then shrugged. The heart would always decide who it wants to be with and mine has chosen Kara.

She pulled Benito in for a quick kiss and Benito smiled at me after she pulled away. “Of course I love you, Dani. I’m happy for you Stephano, I was seriously about to set you up with some gay model so you would experience love at first sight when you broke up with Danielle. You’re pathetic.” He scoffed. He leaned in and accepted her summoning lips while I grimaced at Danielle’s love-struck gaze, making me gag as I left that angle of my large sitting room.

Couldn’t they wait till they were alone? Was that how Kara and I looked whenever we were together? I shook my head.

We’d never look that- what was the word again? Shameless? Yes, shameless was the word.

When I got to where Kara was and sat, she was conversing with Andre. She began making occasional eye contact with me, but still talking to Andre about a course in her school and how it would be relevant to have an extension of something related to it in my company.

Honestly, I was quite bored. But the only other person I could have held a random discussions with was nowhere in sight as well.

“Where’s Diego?” I asked her and looked around.

“He went to...ease himself?”

“Okay?” I replied rhetorically as well. I didn’t really care, as long as he wasn’t in the same room alone with Kara. I pursed my lips at the thought. Maybe I had to start trusting men around her. This was a relationship between two people in love not some weird, obsessive bondage tactic to have her by my side all day. Kara excused herself after some minutes of endless chattering with Andre.

Then he started talking to me about some business we still had to close on the first week after New Year’s break is over. Danielle joined in, all the while playing with Benito’s fingers as she laced them with hers. I found the act cute but anytime Benito’s eyes drifted to me, I would make a gagging face and he would look away uncomfortably.

The act alone brought me some sort of comfort. After all he was about to set me with a guy and I hadn’t gotten even with him for it. I was offended at the thought of him setting me up with someone alone, because I was in love with someone else and he didn’t need to butt into my business.

“Kara? I need help here!” Mimi called from the kitchen, followed by clanking of utensils. Andre shot out of his seat immediately and I stared at him with parted lips as he walked to the kitchen like someone that had been jazzed.

I didn’t want to assume anything was going on between them. We would see the result of everything in the nearest future.

Then I heard someone shout. It wasn’t all that loud, more like an elongated yelp. My eyebrows furrowed. Kara. I knew that voice. She’d used it a lot when she was younger.

I dashed up the stairs. Was she with Diego? “Kara?”

She didn’t respond. I went straight to her room, but she was not there. She was also not in Adrian’s room. Narrowing my eyes, I cursed under my breath as I slammed the door of another spare room shut. If Diego was harming her in some way, I would- my breath hitched the instance I opened the door to Natalie’s room.

“Kara?” I called unsure, taking in the view before me. My forehead creased in confusion.

Her shoulders slowly rocked as she sobbed into his chest while he murmured what sounded like apologies. There was no single hair out of place as I observed her, even though she had her back to me. What do I do in this kind of a situation?

Go in and pull her out of his arms because jealousy was consuming me or give them the privacy they probably needed? Fuck it. I had known Kara all her life. If she was troubled, then I was troubled in some way too. I went in just as they were pulling apart from the hug. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She croaked.

“I wasn’t sure.” Diego shrugged.

“What’s going on?” I asked stiffly. What wasn’t he sure of? Had he confessed his feelings to her? I could never trust him not to pass up the chance in doing that but if that was the case, then I didn’t know what I was going to do.

But Kara already told me she loved me so I would have to just trust her to do the right thing and make the right decision. I could guess he just told Kara that he wasn’t sure of his feelings for her after all these while.

“It was good you told me now, but you kind of broke my heart there.” I couldn’t help the feeling of panic that surged through me. Did Diego really confess his feelings for her? The thought was troubling, so I quickly shut it out. Kara looked at me and sniffed.

“Stephano, I need to tell you something important.” Kara moved from his grasp and planted her palms on my chest, moving them slowly as if she needed the assurance that I was still here— like I would ever leave her for anything in this world, especially now that she needed me.

I pulled her impossibly closer into me and gave her a nod of assurance.

Diego arched an eyebrow behind her. “Should she tell him or you’ll do so?”

“I will.” She murmured with tear streaked cheeks. I wiped of the tear trail and rubbed my palm against the small of her back soothingly.

“Tell me.” I murmured slowly, close to her left ear. I narrowed my eyes at Diego as if he’d just stolen her from me, unable to restrain myself. Kara’s chest heaved as she snuggled into my warm hold. She looked up at me and took a step back, allowing a small smile grace her lips.

Then the door to Natalia’s en-suite creaked open just when she was about to speak. “Stephano, Diego is Kara’s twin brother.”