Love is a dangerous game (mlm)

Bonus chapter

(Alexandro's POV. Two months later)

It's been two months since my father got into the hospital. I avoided visiting him, because I didn't want a confrontation again. Even though I was stronger than him until he completely recovered, I was still scared of what could happen. For the first two weeks, my mamma visited him every day. She told me he was sleeping most of the time, so that gave me an idea. I bought a bouquet of purple hyacinths. I wanted to place it on his bedside when he was asleep. It was my way of apologizing without having to speak to him.

The first thing I did when I walked into his room was arranging the flowers on his bedside, so they looked good when he woke up. I then looked around. They tried to make the place more cosy by using a colorful curtain, but it only emphasized the sadness of everything else. I wanted to flee, though I knew deep down I had to stay just a little longer. With a heavy sigh, I grabbed a chair to sit beside his bed. I watched him for a long time, while I rethought everything that we've been through. He had once been the most powerful being in my eyes. But as I gazed upon him at that moment, I could only see a weak, broken body. And for some reason, that was the most human I'd ever found him. There were no shouts, no threats, no domineering presence. He was simply a man. A man with all these machines around him to monitor the things that made him a living soul.

After what felt like hours, though it was only a few minutes in real life, I stood up. Just as I was about to leave, my father's hand started to twitch. Panic surged through me. I wasn't ready to face him, not yet. So I turned around and never looked back anymore. In the days that followed, I focused on my new job. I had to prove to everyone, including myself, that I was capable of leading. I had meetings with Sienna to discuss our plans for the future, constantly working to ensure our alliance was strong. It had been three busy months, but now things are gradually beginning to slow down. I finally had time to hang out more with Lucas and Rosaline. Which is why Rosaline asked me if I wanted to go to the beach with them today. I said yes, because it seemed like a good opportunity to clear my mind and I was looking forward to spending time with them outside of work.

I told them I would pick them up, so I drove to Lucas' house first. I rang his doorbell and his roommate opened the door. "Yo, wagwan?" I still wasn't used to his way of speaking, but Lucas had taught me some words. "I'm going to pick up Lucas. Is he ready to go?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. Lucas had never been on time before, so this time wouldn't be any different. As expected, Ben told me: "Man's not ready yet. You can roll through if you want." He led me to the living room, where I flopped down on the couch. I stared at some posters of famous women that were plastered on the walls, while I waited for Lucas.

After a few minutes, he emerged from his room with a sheepish grin. "Hey, hey, hey! Look who's early!" He exclaimed. I chuckled when I saw what he was wearing. His swimming shorts that were covered with little pineapples, and his usual red sneakers weren't exactly a good match. "You really went all out with the outfit, huh?" I teased, raising an eyebrow. Lucas grinned, unfazed by my comment. "What can I say? I'm a trendsetter." He grabbed his backpack from the kitchen counter. Ben, who was microwaving some leftovers, gave Lucas a thumbs-up. "Lookin' peng, fam. Enjoy yourself." We said our goodbyes to Ben and then we hit the road. As we approached Rosaline's house, I spotted her waiting outside. She waved at us with a big smile. I parked the car in front of her, so she could easily step in. She carried a big beach bag that she threw onto one of the backseats. "Okay guys, let's go!" She cheered while she fastened her seatbelt.

With the windows down and the wind tousling our hair, we laughed and chatted enthusiastically. We blasted white girl music and Lucas sang along to all the words. Sometimes, he leaned over to press a quick kiss on my cheek. It was a small gesture of affection, but it never failed to make me smile. After some time, we arrived at the coast of Malibu. I stepped out of the car to get a good look at the ocean. The sunlight caused the water to shine as if it were sparkling. Lucas stood beside me, trying to see what I was staring at. Once Rosaline joined us, we all took a moment to breathe in the familiar smell of sea salt.