Corazón

⁰³⁵ : 𝚄𝚗𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚕 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚢

Frediano was still trying to process the shocking revelation as he uttered in disbelief, "Lily- you, how?" His eyes widened with astonishment, but she quickly silenced him with a hush, her gaze darting towards the door to ensure their privacy.

He leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper, "Since when were you married to that man?" The confusion and disbelief were etched on his face as he grappled with this unexpected revelation. He couldn't fathom how everyone had managed to keep this monumental secret from him.

Suzette offered a gentle yet awkward smile, her fingers gently intertwining with his as she began to explain. "It's. . . a rather short story." She glanced towards the entrance once more, ensuring they were still alone, before guiding him back to their table.

Seated once again, her fingers danced playfully over his hand as she continued her narrative. "It. . . all began with my uncle's family," she explained. Frediano's frown deepened as he tried to connect the dots.

"You remember Roxanne's wedding, right?" Frediano nodded, recalling that event from two days after her sudden disappearance. "Well, on the morning of her wedding day, she vanished from Paris, and my investigators tracked her to London."

He listened intently, still puzzled about the connection between Roxanne's disappearance and Lily's sudden marriage to Edric. Suzette went on, her voice soft and filled with reminiscence. "That's when Renard and Sacha, desperate to salvage the situation, decided to arrange a marriage between me and the Snyder family, offering me just a paltry five percent of the shares."

The shocking truth began to unravel, and Frediano's mind raced as he tried to piece together the intricate web of secrets that had been woven around him.

Suzette continued to toy with her brother's fingers as she divulged more of the intricate tale. "I later found out that Edric had tampered with the document, which led to Roxanne discovering that she was to marry a disfigured man. To this day, I don't understand why he did that."

Frediano processed this revelation, his anger simmering beneath the surface at the treatment his Lily had endured while living in the Desrosiers family's mansion. Vengeful thoughts flickered through his mind, entertaining the idea of settling the score with them once and for all. He knew that it would only take just some mere minutes to eliminate his enemies.

However, a more immediate concern arose. His sister was now married to that arrogant man. Frediano's concern surfaced as he asked, "Don't tell me you both had already registered your marriage certificate?" His hope was that they hadn't formalized their union. Suzette responded by shaking her head, indicating that they hadn't.

Relieved, Frediano couldn't help let out a sigh and he playfully pinched her cheeks. She was his cherished sister, and he couldn't bring himself to harm her.

"You're growing naughtier by the day," he chided, his words similar to those of Severo. Suzette blushed as her cheeks were pinched, and Frediano reluctantly released her as he thought, maybe she just wants to pass time.

Then, she posed a question that caused him to pause. "Big Brother, how do you know Rick? Are you quite familiar with him?"

Frediano contemplated his response, deciding how much to reveal about his past with Edric. "He is someone important in the underworld."

Frediano took a moment to absorb his sister's response and her use of the nickname Rick for Edric. It was clear that she had become rather comfortable with him in a short time, considering her casual reference or was she just pretending?