Outside
Maria's grip didn't loosen.
Not even a little.
Her fingers clutched Andre's shirt like if she let go, something terrible would happen again.
Her breathing was uneven.
Shaky.
Broken.
Andre stood still.
For once…
He didn't move away.
Didn't complain.
Didn't go cold.
He just… stayed.
His hand rested gently on her head.
Awkward.
Unfamiliar.
But careful.
"…You're safe," he said quietly.
Maria buried her face deeper into his chest.
"I thought…" her voice cracked, "I thought they were going to—"
She couldn't finish.
Andre cut in.
"…They won't, I won't let it happen.
Maria slowly pulled back.
Her eyes were red.
But she tried to smile.
"…I am grateful to you for saving me."
"Again."
Andre looked at her.
Really looked.
Then smiled.
For a second
Just a second
He felt something human.
Something warm.
Something he hadn't felt in centuries.
"WOW."
Marco's voice shattered the moment.
"Should we leave you two alone or… is this a public episode?"
Misheal burst out laughing.
Maria jumped back immediately.
Flustered.
"N-no, it's not like that!"
Mario raised his hands.
"Relax, relax we didn't see anything."
Marco smirked.
"I saw everything."
THWACK.
Maria hit him again.
"Shut up!"
Hugo stood behind them, arms crossed, amused.
"…Yep he deserved it," he muttered.
Marco turned.
"Bro you too?!"
Andre exhaled quietly.
Then turned to Mario.
"…Thanks."
Mario blinked.
"For what?"
"For coming to call me."
Mario scratched his head.
"Actually… I was going to call Maria."
A pause.
"But then I saw those guys surrounding her…"
His expression darkened.
"I knew I couldn't take all three of them."
He clenched his fist slightly.
"So I ran back to get help."
He glanced at Andre.
"And then I met you."
Marco nodded.
"Ahh… so you're the messenger of destiny."
Mario blinked.
"…What?"
"Nothing," Marco said quickly. "Ignore me."
Misheal laughed again.
Maria looked at Mario softly.
"…Thank you."
He smiled.
"…Next time, I'll try to be stronger."
Andre's gaze flickered slightly.
He said nothing.
Class E
The group walked back together.
The tension had eased.
A little.
The moment they stepped in
Eyes followed them.
Again.
Anastasia stood up immediately.
Her head lowered.
"…Maria."
Silence.
"I'm sorry."
"I didn't mean for that to happen."
Maria paused.
Then sighed softly.
"…It's okay."
A small smile.
"I should've understood your intention."
Anastasia looked up slightly.
Relieved.
"…Can I… hug you?"
Maria blinked.
Then smiled.
"…Sure."
They hugged.
Misheal leaned toward Marco.
"…Wow. Girls are scary. One minute enemies, next minute hugging."
Marco whispered back.
"…I'm learning. Stay quiet."
Anastasia pulled back, smiling.
Then turned.
"Hugo, right?"
Hugo nodded slightly.
"Hugo."
"Nice to meet you."
He smirked faintly.
"…Likewise."
Misheal folded her arms, watching.
That look.
Jealousy.
Very obvious.
Then Anastasia turned to Andre.
"Hi"
Nothing.
He didn't even look at her.
Marco sighed loudly.
"Ah ah, remember our socializing class?"
He pointed between them.
"Now is the time for practicals."
Maria hesitated.
Then gently held Andre's hand.
"It's okay," she said softly.
"I'm fine."
Andre looked down at her hand.
Then at her face.
A pause.
A small grunt.
"…Andre."
"…My name."
"…Nice to meet you."
Anastasia smiled brightly.
Finally.
Progress.
She stretched out her hand.
Andre hesitated.
For a moment too long.
Then
He took it.
Lightly.
Briefly.
Then let go.
Anastasia's smile widened.
"Nice to meet you too."
A pause.
Then she tilted her head playfully.
"You and Maria make a fine couple."
Maria froze.
"…What?!"
Her face turned red instantly.
"We're just friends!"
Anastasia chuckled.
"Just friends?"
A teasing look.
"…Sure."
Maria covered her face.
"Please stop…"
Marco grinned.
"This is getting interesting."
Then the classroom door burst open.
Silence fell instantly.
Carlos.
His gang behind him.
Andre's faint smile faded immediately.
Carlos walked straight in.
Like he owned the place.
Then his eyes landed on Rufus.
"Hey, mate."
A pause.
"Get your ass off my seat."
Rufus leaned back slightly.
"How rude and what if I don't?"
Marco sighed deeply.
"…Why does he always pick fights with the wrong people?"
Carlos placed a hand on Rufus' shoulder.
Firm.
"Look mate, you're new," he said calmly.
"I get it."
A pause.
"Energy. Ego. Noise."
"I understand you."
His voice dropped.
"But I'm not someone you use to build your reputation."
Another pause.
"Because when I'm done with you…"
"…you'll land in the ICU."
Marco groaned.
"AGAIN with ICU, what is wrong with you people?!"
He leaned toward Andre.
"…Did you guys sign a contract with ICU or did you guys open a hospital which one?"
Andre just looked at him.
"I don't know, he stole my catchphrase."
Rufus smiled slowly.
"I'd like to go there."
A pause.
"Take me."
Carlos smiled wider.
"Oh, I will."
Then he shook his head.
"But I won't touch you."
A glance behind.
"They will."
His boys stepped forward.
The heat was turning on.
Then
Anastasia stepped in front of Rufus.
"No."
Silence.
"He's my brother."
Her voice firm.
"No one touches him."
Carlos smiled.
"…Pretty."
A step closer.
"You see, the problem is you are protecting him?"
A tilt of his head.
"But you should be worried about who's going to protect you."
"Touch her and see what happens."
Hugo's voice came from behind her.
Misheal's eyes snapped to him.
"So now you are the hero to other girls".
Marco leaned in and whispered:
"…This feels familiar. Very familiar."
Misheal glared.
"…Don't start."
"Careful," Marco added, "you might get replaced."
THWACK.
Maria gave him a hard knock again.
"WHEN will your brain work?!"
"Ouch! I'm only stating the obvious."
Carlos glanced at Hugo.
"…Stay out of this."
A pause.
"You and I are old news."
Marco stepped forward.
"She's our friend now, touch her you touch us."
He turned to Misheal.
"…Right?"
She gave him a dead look.
"…Just keep talking."
Carlos smiled.
"Three boys…"
He glanced at his side.
"…against four."
Then
SCRRRRCH.
Andre's chair dragged loudly across the floor.
He stood up.
Slowly.
The room went silent.
Carlos stared.
Then
He smiled.
Wide.
Amused.
"…Woah and that's how you make an entrance."
A pause.
"He's up."
He raised his hands slightly.
"Alright, boys."
"We back down."
A grin.
"And by the way…"
A glance at Rufus.
"…that's not my seat."
He burst into laughter.
Loud.
Echoing.
Then turned
And walked out.
His gang followed.
Gonzalez Residence
The door creaked open quietly.
Rick stepped in.
Slowly.
The house was silent.
Too silent.
Then
"…Rick?"
He froze.
Bially stood there.
Arms folded.
Eyes tired.
But sharp.
She had been waiting.
"Where were you last night?"
Rick swallowed.
"…I stayed at my brother's place."
A pause.
Bially blinked.
Then tilted her head.
Amused.
Confused.
"…Brother?"
Rick nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Bially let out a small, dry laugh.
"…You don't have a brother."
Rick stepped closer.
"…I do."
A pause.
"And there's something I've been hiding from you."
Her smile faded.
Completely.
"…Rick…"
"I need you to listen."
And then
He told her everything.
The truth.
His past.
The blood.
The drugs.
The empire.
Her father.
Alexandro.
The promise.
The lie he lived.
The brother he abandoned.
The brother he found again.
After nineteen years.
By the time he finished
The room felt suffocating.
Bially didn't say a word.
Not immediately.
She just stared at him.
Like she didn't recognize the man in front of her anymore.
Then
She laughed.
Softly.
But it wasn't happiness.
"…Wow."
A pause.
"…Wow, Rick."
Her eyes filled.
But she didn't wipe the tears.
"How could you do this to me?"
Her voice cracked.
"How could you hide the most important part of your life from me?"
Rick said nothing.
"Your family…"
Her voice rose.
"…is rich."
A tear rolled down.
"But you let us suffer."
Another.
"Do you even know what that feels like?"
She stepped closer.
Hitting his chest weakly.
Again.
And again.
"Do you know how many nights I cried?!"
Her voice broke completely now.
"Praying for a miracle"
A shaky breath.
"when there was never a need for one?!"
Rick stood still.
Taking it.
All of it.
"Do you know how much it hurts…"
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"…when Mrs. Elena insults me?"
A tear fell from her chin.
"When she says I married a street rat…"
Another.
"When she says you're a liability…"
Her lips trembled.
"…when she says you're dragging me down…"
She looked up at him.
Broken.
"Do you know what that does to my mind?"
Silence.
Rick couldn't answer.
Because he knew.
He knew he had failed her.
So instead
He stepped forward.
And pulled her into a hug.
Tight.
Firm.
Desperate.
At first
She resisted.
Weakly.
Then
She broke.
Her hands grabbed his shirt.
Tightly.
As she cried into his chest.
"I made a promise…" Rick said softly.
His voice low.
Heavy with regret.
"To your father."
A pause.
"To Alexandro."
Bially stilled slightly.
"I wasn't planning on breaking that promise."
His grip tightened.
"And I won't."
A pause.
"…Because you won't be part of what I'm about to do."
She pulled back slightly.
Eyes searching his.
"I'll carry it."
He said quietly.
"All of it."
A faint, tired smile.
"I love you."
A pause.
"And our children of course."
Silence.
Then
A small chuckle escaped her.
Right there in his arms.
"…You're unbelievable."
Rick blinked.
"…That's it?"
She wiped her tears.
Smiling through them.
"You just dropped the biggest secret of your life…"
A pause.
"…and then said 'I love you' like that fixes everything."
Rick scratched his head slightly.
"…It usually works."
She laughed.
Soft.
Real.
"…Idiot."
Rick smiled faintly.
Then gently patted her head.
"It's only you I get to crack jokes with."
Bially raised a brow.
"Oh really?"
A smirk formed.
"I see where Marco got his nonsense from."
Rick scoffed.
"No way."
A pause.
"Marco is on another level."
They both laughed.
The tension easing.
Slowly.
Then Rick looked at her.
Softer now.
"So…"
A pause.
"…do you want to go on a date?"
She blinked.
"…A date?"
He nodded.
"Yeah."
A small smile.
"Just you and me."
A pause.
"…Then after that…"
He hesitated.
"…we throw a party after we resign."
Bially froze.
Then narrowed her eyes.
"The date?"
A soft smile.
"I accept."
Then
Her expression changed.
Determined.
"But resignation…"
She shook her head.
"…not yet."
Rick frowned.
"…What?"
"I need to close one deal."
A pause.
"Just one."
Rick crossed his arms.
"…How long?"
She smiled sweetly.
"…Four months."
Rick's eyes widened.
"FOUR MONTHS?!"
She immediately grabbed his arm.
"Pleeeease…"
Rick looked away.
She leaned closer.
Soft voice.
"…Do it for me."
Silence.
Rick sighed deeply.
"…Four months."
A pause.
"But not a single day extra."
She grinned.
Bright.
"Deal."
They shook hands.
Like business partners.
Then
Pulled each other back into a hug.
This time
Warmer.
Softer.