Twice Shy [ON GOING]

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

Viktor

I entered Vera's house and found her sitting outside by the pool. She immediately got up once she saw me and pulled me into a tight hug.

"My handsome brother." She uttered before she placed a kiss on my cheek so, I narrowed my eyes at her in suspicion.

"What are you plotting now?" I knowingly questioned and she gasped in shock.

"Me? Plotting? I would never." She uttered in disbelief and I just scoffed at her words. "How's Gia by the way? I haven't heard from her in a while." She curiously asked me as we sat on two chairs near the pool.

"She's okay. But we had a bit of a misunderstanding before I left." I told Vera and she frowned lightly.

"And? Could you at least work it out?"

"As I said, I left." I blankly answered her question and she slowly nodded in understanding.

"So, you're telling me that you left your girlfriend at home- alone- after arguing with her and you didn't even attempt to work it out with her?" Vera looked at me as if I was an alien.

"Kemal showed up and they needed some privacy. What was I supposed to do, I already feel like I'm smothering her. I'm just giving her space, that's it." I explained myself and Vera looked at me in disbelief.

"You're becoming distant, Viktor. Just- don't give her too much space. She might take it the wrong way." Vera looked into my eyes so I nodded at her. "What about Aurellio? Is he okay?" She carefully asked me.

"From what I've heard, he's fine. I have no intentions of starting a war against him." I assured Vera and she let out a breath of relief. Why did you want to see me? Don't tell me it was to gain intel on Aurellio." I frowned lightly and she nervously clasped her hands together before she smiled up at me.

"On the contrary. Viktor-- I'm pregnant." She uttered with tears in her eyes and my eyes widened in shock and she nodded at me. I got up from my chair before I picked her up into my arms and she laughed with joy as I lightly spun her around in the air.

"That's great news." I uttered with a smile on my face as I looked at her in disbelief and she gently placed her hand on her belly.

"It's Luciano's." She softly uttered and I silently looked at her in shock. My sister is expecting Luciano Marroquín's baby. How do I feel about that? "Are you upset?" She carefully asked me so I took her face into my hands.

"Not at all. I am happy for you. Both of you actually. Perhaps now you'll stop making my life a living hell." I told her and she looked at me in shock.

"Never. I'll annoy you till the day that I die. That's what siblings are for." She told me.

"You can't choose your family, am I right?" I teasingly questioned.

"Precisely." She smiled over at me so, I pulled her into a tight hug.

"Let me know if you need anything." I told her and she nodded at me.

"I will." She assured me and I smiled at her.

"I'll see you soon." I told her and she walked me to the door before we said our goodbyes. I drove home to Gia and called her as I was halfway there but she didn't pick up the phone. A light frown settled on my forehead as I called her again but she still wasn't picking up.

I increased the pace at which I was driving and got home five minutes faster than usual. I jumped out of my car before making my way into the house.

"Gia!" I called into our seemingly empty house but no answer came. I made my way upstairs and called her name again yet there was still no response from Gia. I walked out onto the balcony and found her staring up at the sky. I hugged her from behind before I placed a kiss on top of her head.

"I'm sorry." I whispered into her ear and she slowly turned around in my arms to look into my eyes.

"I don't appreciate what you did earlier, Viktor. You forced me into a situation that I wanted to avoid because I wasn't ready to face it yet." She told me and I decided to just listen to her.

"Then you left me alone with the man who murdered my parents, someone who can't be trusted right now. Is that how little my safety means to you?" She questioned with a deep frown her forehead.

"Nothing is more important to me than your safety, princess. Trust me." I assured her.

"Then why did you leave me with him?"

"Because I thought it was what you needed. But it will never happen again, princess. I promise you that." I told her and she turned her back on me as she was still wrapped up in my arms.

"Gia, is there something you're not telling me? Did Kemal say something to you? Did he hurt you?" I asked Gia in concern.

"No." She uttered under her breath.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired." She blatantly lied to me so I nodded in understanding. Kemal must've told her something and she's clearly believing the worst about me
so, I left the balcony without saying another word to her.