CHAPTER 72: – EMILIO –

Blonde hair, light brown eyes, and a pair of glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. This man...

The man whom she had her eyes on at that very moment was...

Sabrina stood from where she sat and angrily shoved the man off, her shoulders rising and falling in heavy breathing. "Don’t you dare touch her, you jerk!"

Viviana’s eyes flickered. Without saying a word, she moved past him, hurrying off towards her car to get in.

The man went after her and grabbed her hand before she could get into the car. Viviana turned immediately and shoved him off. "Don’t you dare touch me again, Emilio."

The man, Emilio, blinked at her. "Viviana–"

"I’m warning you. Stay away from me." She glared at him. "I have no clue what you’re doing back here, and I do not care to know. Mind your business and keep away from me. Don’t come near me and don’t you ever mention my name again, do you understand me?"

Emilio shook his head at her. "Viviana, I know, I know you’re angry with me. And I’m sorry. But–"

"Angry with you? You must have lost your mind!" she spat, pissed like she’d never been before. "I have forgotten you. You mean nothing to me, so this isn’t anger. It’s rather irritating to see your face."

She pulled open the door of the car. "Oh, and one more thing." She glanced at him. "I am married. I have a husband, and it’ll do you good to stay as far away from me as you can." Getting into the car, she slammed the door shut, put it in reverse, and sped off down the road.

Emilio stood and watched the silhouette of the car until it was fully out of his sight. Before he could turn, someone grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

It was Sabrina.

His eyes flickered. "Sabrina–"

"Keep my name out of your mouth," she warned. "Listen here, Emilio. I don’t know what you’re doing here or why you’re suddenly back. But Viviana, I want you to stay away from her, as far as you can."

She spat on the floor. "You shameless jerk!"

She gave him the hardest eyes of disgust she’d ever held and shoved past him.

"Sabrina."

He grabbed her hand.

She shouted in his face. "Don’t touch me!"

He swallowed. "Listen, I’m sorry, and I know my face is the last thing you want to see right now. Especially Viviana. But I... I have to talk to her. I-I want to talk to her. So please, if you could help me. Five minutes, ten minutes, anything, that would be enough. I’m begging you."

Sabrina yanked away from his touch and slapped him hard across the face. "Don’t you dare."

"Stay away from Viviana. And I’m warning you." Her eyes narrowed. "That money you took, keep enjoying it and keep your distance from her. Because if I ever find you near my best friend, I will make you miserable, Emilio. You shameless bastard! I can’t believe you still had the guts to show your face here. But who am I kidding? It’s you, Emilio. I mean, if you could steal from the woman who trusted you with everything she had and abandon her right after, what aren’t you capable of?"

"You disgust me. GET LOST." Turning around, she stormed off, anger seething from her.

Emilio dropped his head. His eyes went shut, and he drank in a deep breath, lifting his hand to brush through the strands of his hair. "It’s not going to be easy. It won’t be easy," he muttered to himself. "I’m sure... I’m sure she’ll come around."

———

Viviana sat at the dining table in the kitchen, fingers curled into her hair. Her gaze was cast down, blank and tired.

"What... what had I been thinking?" she muttered to herself.

Getting entangled with any man. It was the last thing she should have done. It was something she never should have done.

’Love is nothing but a curse’

’Viviana, you can’t let yourself be deceived’

’They’re all the same’

’They’ll break you, and then they’ll throw you. Look what happened to your mother. Your father made her feel like she was the most perfect, precious woman in the world. She gave up everything to be with him. But in the end–’

"Stop it! Just... just stop!" she yelled at herself and buried her face in her palms. "Please, stop!" She felt like she was going mad.

’–Just be honest with yourself. You don’t want to end up like your mother, do you? What? You think you’re the only person who matters to Nikolas. Don’t be a delusional woman. You’re just like your mother, and you’re going to end up like her if you don’t snap out of it. He gave you attention, and now you’ve opened up the warm side of you to him. He touched you, kissed you, held you, and whispered sweet nothings to you like no man ever has, and now you fully believe he’s yours? Oh... Viviana. Are you falling in love with him?’

"No, no, this isn’t... it isn’t..." She rapidly shook her head at herself, clutching and rubbing her fingers nervously at the ruby necklace Nikolas had given her. "It’s not like that. I’m not–"

’Don’t be stupid. He’s just like every other man. He’s not going to be any different. He will hurt you, he will leave you in the dust, everything you desire from him, he will never give you, and those emotions you’re starting to build up for him, he will never give them back. Take a look at yourself. What are you thinking? The only man you’ve ever loved, what did he do to you? He deceived you, stole from you, and abandoned you. He never looked back. He broke you. What about your father? Look what he did to your mother. Viviana, not even your own father could love you. What makes you think any other man would ever love you? You can’t be loved, not in any way. EVER’

"ENOUGH!!!" Rising to her feet, she shoved the glasses off the table, staggering back on her feet with a tear-soaked face. "Stop. Please stop."