Chapter42
Samuel wasn’t on guard against his cousin, and he got drugged. I couldn’t help but sigh.
Things were complicated in those wealthy families. My family was different, a straight line for generations, and then my mom added another member, making me the bonus kid.
Before I could crack a couple of jokes, Freddy’s phone went off.
I took a peek, not expecting it to be Antonio on the other end. Freddy was busy navigating a turn, so he handed me the phone.
I paused for a beat, answered, and put it on the speaker. Antonio sounded desperate. The moment he got through, he blurted out, “Freddy, is Grace there?”
Freddy shot me a look, grinning, “Yeah, how do you know?”
“I…”
Antonio hesitated, not wanting to say too much, and just asked, “Can I speak to her? I want to ask her about something.”
Freddy’s laughter grew. “Sure thing. She’s right here with me. She can hear you.”
Antonio went quiet for a moment and then tentatively said, “Grace, could we talk alone?”
Freddy finally caught on that something was off, giving me a
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couple of sideways looks. His voice had a hint of a warning when he spoke. “What’s the big secret? Why can’t I listen? You’re not trying to get advice from Grace on how to win back your old flame, are you?”
Antonio sighed deeply, “Alicia and I are history. It’s over.
“Grace, can we have a chat? It’ll just take a few minutes.”
“Damn!” Freddy cursed, hitting the brakes so hard that the car screeched to a halt by the roadside.
“Antonio, don’t push your luck. Do you think I’m clueless about your obsession with Alicia? You’ve been through backup after backup. Now you’re trying to get with Grace? She’s my sister! We’ve been friends for years. Don’t push me to fly over there and teach you a lesson.”
Once he was done with his tirade, Freddy ended the call and chucked his phone into the storage box. Antonio kept calling but he ignored it.
He looked back at me. “What’s really going on between you guys? I thought you said you weren’t close?” I bit my lip, realizing the gig was up, and I laid out everything over the years. When I finished, his eyes were red. After a pause, he wiped his tears and then pulled me into a hug.
“It’s not your fault. I messed up. I should’ve told you about Alicia. Then you wouldn’t have fallen so hard.”
I shook my head, a sense of warmth spreading through me.
“I was the one being stubborn and dumb. He kept our relationship a secret and didn’t come back to see you for seven
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years. I should’ve known something was off.”
Freddy gave my head a rub. “It’s alright. It’ll get better. Samuel is a good guy. I’d bet my life on it.”
Antonio loved his pride. After being scolded by Freddy, I figured we were done for good.
But the next morning, as we were all sitting around the table for breakfast, the maid came in and said someone was at the door asking for me.
Stepping outside, I was greeted by the sight of Antonio in the suit I adored, a bouquet of flowers in his hands, and a soft smile on his face.
“Grace, I’ve thought a lot about it. I was way out of line that day. I shouldn’t have lost my cool and shouldn’t have made you sad.
“Alicia and I are not what you might be thinking. We’re just friends now. If it bothers you, I can stop seeing her.”