Chapter 64: Men Are All The Same

Maria's POV

I sat on a bench beside just outside the hospital building for a moment before stepping in. The hospital building looked bigger than I expected, quiet and a little intimidating. 

My fingers were cold as I reached for the door handle. I was here for answers, though a part of me already feared them.

Just as I was about to walk in, my phone vibrated in my bag. A number I didn’t recognize showed on the screen. For a second, I thought about ignoring it, but something pushed me to answer.

“Hello?” I said softly.

“Maria?” The voice was low but familiar.

“Yes… who’s this?”

“It’s me. Alex.”

I froze. “Alex?”

“Yeah,” he said, sounding calm, like this was nothing unusual. “I wanted to show you something. We found a good bar location.”

I blinked, confused. “The bar? I thought Luca wanted me to choose the place myself.”

“Well, he asked me to check it out and show you,” Alex replied smoothly.

I didn’t push further. If Luca wanted me to see it, then I’d go. “Okay. I’ll meet you there.”

“I’ll come pick you up,” he said quickly.

My chest tightened. I didn’t want him to know where I was. “No, it’s fine. I’m at the hospital.”

“The hospital?” His voice tone changed immediately. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing serious,” I lied. “I’ve been sick and I didn’t want Luca to worry. Don’t mention it to him please.”

He paused, then said, “Alright. I’ll come there.”

Before I could answer, a nurse came out, calling my name. I slipped the phone back into my bag and followed her.

The doctor was kind, speaking to me gently like I was fragile. He explained that I would have the tests tomorrow, that today was just about talking, preparing. 

His voice was calm, almost comforting. It felt strange, almost like someone cared, even though I knew he was just doing his job. When he wished me well, I almost smiled. 

Almost.

By the time I walked out, Alex’s car was already parked outside. He leaned against it, waiting, his hands in his pockets. He straightened up when he saw me.

“You ready?” he asked.

I nodded and got in. The car smelled faintly of cologne, clean and sharp. As we drove, I found myself watching him from the corner of my eye.

“Why aren’t you with Luca?” I asked finally. He was always by Luca’s side.

“Luca sent me to show you the location,” Alex said simply, eyes fixed on the road.

“Where is he now?”

“Attending to some things,” he answered shortly, not giving me more.

I let it go.

When we got to the location, it wasn’t bad. A little old but with character. I could already imagine what could be done with it.

Alex handled the talking. He spoke to the woman who owned the place with respect, asking her questions politely, even smiling in that way that seemed genuine.

I watched the way his tone softened when she explained things, how he never interrupted.

It made me think of Luca. How, at the beginning, he used to treat me like his little doll, soft and delicate. He even called his little doll. 

But now… now it felt like I was just there. Something he used to get over other women. A distraction more than a person.

Maybe that's what he actually meant by doll, something to play with. Stupid me thought he meant something good.

I shook my head, forcing my thoughts back. Alex turned to smile at me, and for a second, I felt something stir inside. Almost like a sensation ran down my spine and I almost… just almost wanted him to smile at me longer. 

But I pushed it down quickly.

He was Luca’s boy. I had no business looking at him or wanting him like that.

Besides, I knew better. Men were always nice at first. They smiled, they opened doors, they spoke gently. But once they got what they wanted, everything changed. Their smiles fade and their manners disappear.

“They’re all the same,” I whispered to myself as I slipped away from where Alex and the lady were and wandered into the back rooms of the building. “All the same… all of them.”