Chapter four

 Fredrico's POV

I made my way to the winery to get her some wine. I know it’s crazy to bring her to my house with such a cheap gimmick, but I know she wouldn't have it easy if I left her alone at school.

If one of those people trying to curry favors from me doesn't harass her, my father will likely get wind of what happened and send his men after her.

It's not the first time my father has been involved in dirty practices for revenge. He craves perfection, and if things don't go according to his plan, he leaves no stone unturned to destroy everything in his path.

Our lives have been decided at birth, and despite being attracted to a few girls growing up, I know pursuing something with any of them would ultimately result in writing their death warrant, and that's the reason I've tried to conceal my feelings for Rita as well.

I had to keep quiet and pretend that I hated everything about her, even though she's constantly looked down upon. I started tormenting her myself to make everyone else back off since she's already my prey.

I've been the one pouring trash in her locker since I caught Daniel right in the act a few days after she got to this school.

She still doesn't know I'm the one doing that, so I wonder why she came for me rather than the people she suspected. Well, maybe it's because she'd never expect me to stoop that low and take laws into my hands.

Putting trash in her locker and having her grumble as she cleans them up seems to be the only way you'd hear her say a word, which is why it became a habit for me before I realized it.

I love how cute she looks as she packs the trash with her tiny hands while trying so hard to maintain her composure. I couldn't help but grin as I recalled the look she always had on her face. I never realized she could be a cute, feisty tigress as well.

I picked up one of my favorite wines from the cellar, grabbed two glass cups from the cabinet, and headed to the sink to clean them up. I haven't been to this apartment in a while, and everything has become dusty. I've been staying in the family house to comfort my brother, who is still grieving his missing girlfriend.

Despite being listed as one of the most eligible bachelors several times, Fabian has been in a relationship for over two years, which he kept secret to protect her.

Fabian has been dating Camella for a while and managed to keep the relationship under wraps for the longest until my father found out about her a few months back and did what he does best: destroy them.

Fabian had anticipated this for the longest, which is why he never mentioned anything about her to anybody, not even me.

I had wanted to surprise him since we were supposed to play soccer together before he left for the USA on an impromptu business meeting not long before my father found out. I decided to pay him a surprise visit shortly after he left for the USA. I had his key and let myself into his apartment in Los Angeles.

The apartment, which used to be very silent and dark like a graveyard, had a homely feeling. The aroma of the pancake that welcomed me still remains fresh in my memory. I stepped outside to cross-check, and there it was, house number 7. I definitely wasn’t in the wrong address.

I stepped back inside to understand what was going on, and before I could say a word, Camella's silhouette appeared, and I could swear that an angel had fallen at that minute.

She was the perfect epitome of beauty, and I could swear I never knew a human could be as beautiful and gracious as that, at least not until I met Rita.

I couldn't help but take a moment to appreciate her. Her features were delicate, her eyes pools of shimmering warmth that radiated kindness and understanding. Her hair cascaded in gentle waves around her face, framing features that seemed almost too perfect to be real.

She had a crop top and bum short on, and her hairs were dangling loosely upon the apron.

Before I could ask who, she was, she beat me to it. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice soft and melodic, tinged with genuine curiosity. "And what brings you to this place?"

Her words were laced with sincerity that left no room for doubt, a genuine desire to understand the stranger who stood before her. As I struggled to find the words to explain my presence, I felt no pang of longing, no yearning for connection beyond the simple exchange of words.

"I'm Fabian's brother," I replied, my voice steady despite the uncertainty that churned within me. "I came here to surprise him, but... I didn't expect to find... to find you."

She looked straight at me, her eyes piercing through my soul as if searching for a hint of lies in my words. At that moment, Fabian walked in and was shocked to see me.

He pulled me to a corner to ask about what I was doing there and if something happened at home that made me rush down there barely a few minutes after he had left. I explained to him and he begged me to keep Camella’s existence a secret.

I looked back at her before saying my farewell to them and leaving for Shenza City. I did not return to the mansion and simply headed for my apartment to prevent father from finding out.

But to my bewilderment, Fabian returned to Shenza City a month later, broken and dejected. I do not know the details of what happened, and no matter how many times I tried to pry the answer from Fabian, all he kept saying was father made her disappear.

I know that my encounter with Camella was nothing more than a fleeting moment in time, a chance meeting that held no deeper significance than the simple exchange of pleasantries between strangers. But I could understand Fabian’s loss, and I also felt like I lost someone who could have been a great friend to me.

After this, father canceled my education plan for the USA and insisted that I must have my education in Shenza City without any form of explanation. I was frustrated and determined to make him lose face in the city, which is why I allowed those douchebags around me.

I know the majority of them are just with me to curry favors and not that they are genuinely my friend, but as long as they have questionable characters and being with them was enough for people to think they take orders from me, I am more than pleased.