Clara's feeling for Leo becomes deep but pretends.

CHAPTER TWO

The morning sun rays reflected through the front window of Clara's room to the pink coloured walls that also had a splash of red and blue paints. The breeze was warm and gentle; that the curtains were raised from time to time until it finally hung on the cliff.  Isabella gazed through the window and saw the outward gardern that were decorated by borders of bustling rose flowers, purple hibiscus, boungaivillea and others. Women waking with children by their side holding hands, some with babies thrusted on thier breast as she narrowed her eyes.  She had now seen those early smiles fled from the face of her elder sister, Clara.

Clara still leaned back against the wall,her eyes closed, fighting for control over her feelings. She closed her eyes from time to time, and whenever she opened them, she saw him. It was difficult to think a minute, without Leo's face, clouding into her mind. It made her feel more crazy that she had fallen in love with him.

Isabella have been talking for a while,until she noticed that Clara's had kept mute. The silence might have said something about the incidents of yesterday. Isabella was particularly scared that if her sister found out that she had framed Leo up in thier sexual act; she would be mad.  Clara's thought were quite different from her intentions if only she knew what was running through her mind. Her sister voice still filled the background, until she made a remark that saw Clara gazing at her from the distance in shock. 

'I know you love him'. She looked at her, as she brightened her eyes.'

'Who? What are you talking about? Clara expressed anxiously.

'I saw the way you were looking at him yesterday, Isabella obliged.

'I admire his beauty but not his character, he is too proud? Her face had tightened into a grimace.

'Oh! Really! You would give up the dreams of marrying a rich and handsome guy for pride?

'Isabella! What do you take me for? A slot?

'There's no harm trying, marrying him would change our lives forever.'

'Clara, you look so worried, I can see you can't get over him'. Isabella insisted.

'You lied! Pure lies, I'm far beyond that'. Clara struggled in a thin pretence.

'You haven't really told yourself the truth'.

Clara thrusted herself on the bed, and for a while thinking deeply, and as she sighed heavily, she immediately bolted up right from her bed and stood steadily looking across to Isabella who sat in front of her mirror. It seems her dreams are becoming reality, after she had pulled all the tricks in her mind to know if her sister truly loves Leo, but it appears she doesn't and those mild smiles sprawled on the face of Clara.

'Why are you smiling dear sister'.   

She questioned in her confused state. Clara was already starting to feel suspicious but felt Isabella was her blood sister, and looked unreasonable to think of her evil intentions.

'No, it's just a causal smile'. Isabella corrected.

Clara looked midly at her image in the mirror feeling a rumbling in her stomach. 

'He's just so irritating! A slow burning anger begins to build inside her.

'But why do you not find him attractive; he is what everyone would go crazy about'

'Not everyone is attracted to money and riches.' Clara agitated.

She walked slowly from the wall and stood behind Isabella twisting her hair as if it had intentions of forming into a ponytail. She always did that ever since there were kids.

'Apart from trying to rape you, could you believe he entered into the bathroom'

'To do what?'

'He was just staring at my nakedness'. Clara gave a sheer face as she looked 

at Isabella's face in the mirror. 

Isabella laughed so loudly this time covering her mouth, so that the laughter doesn't seem too pronounced. When she turned backwards and glanced across to Clara, with a sheer-rocked face, she stopped smiling.

'He tried to rape you' Clara pressed softly.

'Sister but that could be a mistake'

'Why do you think it's a mistake! Is there something you are not telling me?' Her face harderned.

'Obviously no! Sister! Sometimes we talk carelessly'

'It wouldn't have been a mistake if that bastard harmed you deeply.' she placed her hand on the table.

'I know'. She lowered her eyes but smiled when they faced the ground.

'I could have broken his head yesterday, he should be grateful that I didn't tell Daddy'

For a while they had been talking, but were blind to the presence of Leo who rested nearby_beside the window eavesdropping to all their conversations. A bustling red flowers encircled round his feet and he could barely move backward or forward except he jumped through them, cause they were high up to his thigh. As Leo heard those words from Clara, he felt a stone in his heart, something he had never heard before, something he had never felt before and his eyes furrowed downward in curiousity.

Mr Alfonso intend making his way to their room, meeting Leo by the door suprisingly whose face was buried there. He echoed his name, but he quickly overshadowed Mr Alfonso, and placed his hand by his mouth. He thrusted the gift in his hand and left quickly for them not to notice. They were both laughing loudly until they heard their Dad, voiced Leo's name. He walked slowly into the room. He glanced across them, smiling and felt relaxed, clearing his throat causally.

'It's beautiful to see you ladies smiling again'

'Dad, did I here you say Leo!

'I did, just felt like calling him, I love him so much'

'You called him, as if he were there with you'

Sir, Alfonso stared particularly at Clara and blessed her with a smile that seemed so different from the one he gave Isabella. Isabella's face darkened with bitterness. Sir Alfonso always had Clara as his favorite because of her modesty and composure, but slightly despised her younger sister which was the opposite attraction.

'Dad!' Clara smiled so brightly

'Leo sent a message and gift wrapped around for one of you, when I met him in the ranch.' he lied. 

 Isabella rushed to the position of her dad's and smuggled the gift away from his hands, and when she held it to see whose name was written bodly on it, her face turned sour.

Clara's name was bodly written on it from Leo with a letter:

'I have been longing to see you again, Clara, I love you so much and i haven't had a good sleep ever since I met you, I would love if you accept my proposal'- LEO

Isabella thrusted the gift on Clara and hissed casually.

'Why are you angry sister' she obliged.

'No I'm not, why should I be'.

Isabella pretended with an half smile that ran across her lips and when she turned towards the wall she felt like crying. Anger boiled in her heart. Sir Alfonso interrupted them, with a serious look on his face, while Clara still checked the content of the box, discovering that it was a rose flower, and their eyes peered closely at it.

'He needs a house maid; and I told him I could provide him with one of my daughters at least to augument our income.' They both fixed a gaze at him.

'I could offer this service, Father!'  Isabella's face brightened once again. Isabella sought for every chance to be with Leo, but it seems those dreams were crumbling.

'Isabella! You are still in college, you need to concentrate on your studies'  Sir Alfonso stressed.

'Dad, but why did he send me flowers'

'Clara I have no answer to that but it think you best fit the job, since you are less occupied now'

'Why me?'

Sir Alfonso looked blankly at her, Clara's weird facial expression receive those words with a tumbling in her mind.

'I will make the letter ready tommorow'

'Dad, you cannot just decide like that'

'My love, it is needed to save our family from our financial crisis'.

'You are trading me for money, Dad'. 

Isabella interrupted them calmy.

'You shouldn't Clara! You cannot trust him after all he did to us yesterday.'  

'Yesterday, Leo! Am I missing something darlings' He gave them  a confused look.

Nothing dad, it's absolutely fine Clara said, while she tightened her face staring harshly at Isabella. 

Sir Alfonso shrugged causally. Clara was puzzled by her sister's sudden change of mind after she had earlier pressed him to her. She was starting to feel suspicious of Isabella, all events encircled round her mind till she relaxed back now into her seat, as her father walked out of the room. She still looked at Isabella who still sat in front of the mirror, with many thoughts running through her mind. It's a cruel world for sisters to share same feelings for a guy, it might certainly rip them apart.