Chapter 6: Avoiding Leandro

My entire time at the event, I couldn't stay still. The same thought kept running through my head—who among the De Lucas would be attending this event? What if it was Ma’am Celestine, Rafael’s mom? Or maybe… Leandro?

I took a deep breath as I stared at the delicious food displayed in front of me. Of course, when you’re unlucky, it’s like the universe is laughing at you. Of all the chances a round to run into a De Luca, it had to be here? It would’ve been fine if it were Rafael I’d see here, but something in me knew it wasn’t him.

“Relax, Gigi. So what if they see you here, right? You’re not doing anything wrong. You’re just working,” I whispered to myself.

“Gigi, are you okay? Who are you talking to?” Jay, one of my fellow catering staff, asked curiously.

I quickly shook my head and forced a smile even though my hands were trembling from anxiety.

“N-No one. Just… cheering myself up,” I replied before giving a fake laugh.

No matter how hard I tried to calm down, I could feel my hands shaking even more when I saw the number of guests entering increase. With so many staff like us here and so many guests, surely, I wouldn’t end up face-to-face with a De Luca tonight.

The event started, and I tried to keep myself busy working, but I froze when someone spoke up at the front.

“Everyone, let’s welcome our very important guests tonight. Despite being such a busy person, he still made time to attend this evening,” the emcee said.

The anxiety in my chest flared up again as I looked toward the stage.

“Girl! What are you doing? Get back to work!” Trina said to me.

I quickly shook my head but pulled her closer to me.

“There’s a De Luca guest here. I don’t know if it’s Ma’am Celestine or Leandro,” I whispered to her.

Her eyes widened, and neither of us could speak before the emcee spoke again.

“Mr. Leandro De Luca! Let’s give him around applause!” the emcee announced enthusiastically.

My heart almost leapt out of my chest, and Trina and I locked eyes. She seemed to notice how nervous I was, so she held both my hands to calm me down.

“Don’t worry. There are so many people here, he won’t even notice you. Now, come on! Let’s get back to work,” she said.

I sighed and nodded. That’s what I needed to believe. I’d make sure I wouldn’t end up in front of him tonight. I convinced myself that he wouldn’t see me because I was just a small person in the middle of this grand event.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Leandro De Luca will now give a few words,” the emcee said.

I couldn’t help but glance toward the stage again and saw Leandro standing at the podium. He looked impossibly handsome in his dark suit as the crowd applauded him. I rolled my eyes and went back to work, closing my eyes for a moment in annoyance.

Seriously, why is it that wherever I go, there’s always a Leandro De Luca?

“Good evening, everyone,” he said in his deep, confident voice.

I immediately felt a chill run down my spine.

“I want to thank everyone for being here tonight,” he continued. “This event wouldn’t have been possible without your support. It’s truly an honor to be part of such an important cause. On behalf of our family, I am deeply grateful for your generosity.”

The people applauded him again. I couldn’t help but glare in his direction, and that’s when I noticed Luciana, his fiancée, sitting at his table as well.

I shook my head and quickly looked away, only to remember again the words he had said to me earlier in front of my house.

Three million just to stay away from Rafael.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Come on, Gigi! Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Just do your job!

I focused on my work until the guests started eating. I even smiled as I watched them fill their plates with food, but then I saw Leandro heading in my direction.

Fear and panic shot through me, and I immediately stepped away from my station. I went to the beverage area and saw Nico holding a round serving tray with five drinks on it.

“Nico! I’ll take that,” I told him.

He frowned in confusion and chuckled a bit because I practically grabbed the job from him.

“H-Huh? Are you sure?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I quickly nodded. I’d rather serve those drinks myself than face that arrogant Leandro De Luca again!

“Okay, fine. Just do it properly. Remember, all the guests here are VIPs,” he reminded me.

“Y-Yeah,” I replied nervously.

I just hoped I wouldn’t mess, as up even though I was used to carrying multiple drinks.

I carefully held the tray and started walking toward the VIP table. Every step was deliberate, but the more careful I tried to be, the louder my heartbeat became.

“Okay, Gigi, you got this,” I whispered to myself.

I decided to go to Leandro’s table first so I could get it over while he wasn’t around. I was only a few steps away when Luciana suddenly stood up from her seat. She had her back to me and seemed to be looking for something, but instead of checking where she was going, she walked straight toward me.

I got even more nervous, afraid she’d bump into me, so I spoke up immediately.

“Excuse me—” I said, but it was too late.

She walked straight into the tray I was holding, throwing off my balance. The champagne glasses tipped over and spilled all over her dress.

“Oh my God!” she shrieked as she looked down at her soaked outfit.

My eyes went wide, and I immediately stepped back. Dozens of people turned their heads toward us and rushed closer.

“Gigi, what did you do?” Nico asked me right away.

“I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t you dare touch me!” Luciana snapped sharply.

Shame and panic filled me as she glared at me like I had committed a grave sin. The growing crowd only made it worse, and I was sure by now Leandro had seen us.

“You didn’t mean it?! Or are you just plain stupid?!” she shouted at me.

I felt a flare of irritation because of the way she spoke to me like I was beneath her.

“Were you even looking where you were going? You were looking down while walking—”

She cut me off.

“What?! So now you’re saying it’s my fault?!”

“I-I’m really sorry,” I stammered.

“Don’t give me that! Just admit you’re stupid!” she yelled at me.

I was about to answer back, but Nico held me back just as Leandro arrived.

“Luciana! Stop it. She already said sorry. You don’t need to make a scene. You’re embarrassing everyone,” Leandro said firmly.

I glared at him. The two of them really were a perfect match—both with their heads held high.

“And why not, Leandro? Look at my dress! Of course, she wouldn’t know how expensive this is because she can’t afford clothes like this!” she complained.

I frowned as I glanced at her simple red tube dress.

“And how much is that supposed to be?” I asked.

She scoffed and looked at me again, her eyes scanning me from head to toe.

“And you actually asked? Well, judging by the way you look, it’s obvious you can’t afford it. This dress is probably worth more than your life,” she said before laughing mockingly.

“Luciana!” Leandro reprimanded her in a low voice.

I didn’t say anything else because Leandro was already pulling her away. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as I watched them leave. Perfect match, indeed. Both terrible people!

I just apologized to everyone who had seen the scene, including our boss, before deciding to go home. I didn’t even care if I didn’t get paid. I was humiliated enough as it was. In trying to avoid Leandro, I ended up in even bigger trouble!

The next morning, when I woke up, Trina was already at the house. I hadn’t finished the event last night, so we didn’t go home together.

“Why did you even answer back to that woman? If you’d just kept quiet, she wouldn’t have said worse things to you,” she told me.

“And why wouldn’t I? She was clearly at fault. She’s so arrogant. Just like Leandro! No wonder they’re getting married,” I said in frustration, rolling my eyes.

“But in fairness, it seemed like Leandro didn’t like what his fiancée did. Honestly, you weren’t the one embarrassing yourself out there,” Trina said with a shrug.

I nodded.

“And it’s true what they say. Money can’t buy class.”

“True! But at least Mr. Daez was nice enough to still give you your full pay. The only thing is he said he won’t be taking you for gigs for now. He wants you to rest first,” she explained.

I sighed and nodded. I understood Mr. Daez. Sure, part of what happened was my fault, but they couldn’t blame me for refusing to be trampled on. Yes, I was poor, but that didn’t mean I’d let anyone treat me like trash.

That day, I kept myself busy again. I went to the hospital to follow up on when Grandma’s surgery would be, but I came home disappointed because the waiting list was still long.

As I stepped out of the taxi, I saw a familiar car parked outside, and I knew it was Rafael’s. He immediately got out when he saw me arriving.

“Rafael, what are you doing here?” I asked, frowning.

I glanced at what he was wearing. A white long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, black pants, and his hair perfectly styled like he was about to go somewhere important.

“I’ve been calling you, but you weren’t answering. Where have you been?” he asked.

I let out a heavy sigh. I wondered if he already knew about what happened with Luciana last night.

I grabbed my phone from my pocket and saw that I had five missed calls from him.

“Sorry, I didn’t notice. I was at the hospital following up on Grandma’s surgery. No luck though because the waiting list is still long,” I explained.

He scratched his head and shook it slightly before speaking again.

“I can help you with that. I know a hospital where they’ll prioritize your grandma—”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t want to extend the contract—”

This time, he cut me off.

“I’m not going to extend your contract with me. I just want to help you, Gigi. This is my help for you because you’re helping me too,” he explained.

“That’s not helpful. I’m doing it because you paid me,” I corrected him.

“Whatever, I don’t care. Besides, I already consider you a friend, so just accept my help. Think of it as not for you. It’s for your grandma,” he continued.

I sighed because he was right. It wasn’t for me, it was for Grandma.

“I appreciate your concern, Rafael, but your brother already suspects me of milking you for money. He even investigated me because he came here yesterday and offered me three million just to stay away from you—”

I stopped mid-sentence. I hadn’t meant to tell him that, but I couldn’t hold it back.

I immediately saw his expression change, like he was angry.

“He did that to you?” he asked.

I rubbed my face and shook my head.

“How dare him to do that to you?” there was clear irritation in his voice.

“Let it go. It’s fine. He was just trying to protect you—”

“He’s not protecting me. He’s interfering in my life,” he said firmly.

I suddenly felt nervous because of his reaction. What if they fought?

“Let it go, Rafael. What he said wasn’t true anyway, so I’m not hurt,” I told him, hoping he’d calm down.

He shook his head and exhaled sharply.

“Just wait for my text and call. I’m leaving,” he said.

I frowned.

“H-Huh? Where are you going?” I asked.

“I’ll just go to Leandro,” he said before turning back toward his car.

My eyes widened, and I suddenly panicked at the thought of them fighting.

“Rafael!” I called after him, trying to stop him.

But it was too late. He had already made a U-turn and drove off quickly, leaving me standing there, while my heart was pounding.