The rich don't Cry

Chapter 8

Maria came running into the mansion. She saw no one in the hall, so she chose to go ahead while ignoring her mother's calls urging her to wait. Maria was determined to find her grandfather. He always seemed to be playing hide-and-seek with her, so she didn't hesitate to look in every room she could before her mother could reach her. Before accepting her failure in the mission, she finally heard her grandfather's voice. The voice seemed to come from Francisco's private office, so the little girl didn't hesitate and ran to meet him.

When she reached the office and opened the door, Maria stopped suddenly as the unexpected scared her. With her grandfather, there was a very tall man who was looking directly at her, causing her to back down instinctively. The little girl looked at her grandfather for protection.

Francisco looked at his granddaughter and tried to reassure her. He raised his arms to signal her to come closer, but the little girl took quite a while to walk closer. Behind her, Elisa finally arrived with the rest of the girl's things.

Elisa noticed Alex. She wasn't sure how to react, but she decided to put away all the curses that were going through her head at that moment and take the bull by the horns.

"Hello, good afternoon," she said, trying to appear calm.

"Hello, daughter. Today, I brought some work home, and I asked Alex to help me put some things in order. In the end, we take something good out of this marriage."

Alex ignored Francisco's hint and replied to Elisa's greetings. It was clear that for this man, no one was eligible enough to be his son-in-law. He could see that he would lighten the weight Juan was carrying by having that man as his father-in-law.

Maria kissed her grandfather's cheek and avoided greeting Alex, even though her grandfather asked her to. To Alex, the girl's shy behavior, although common and expected, seemed ironic. Was it possible that this little girl could read his mind and know what he was trying to do to her "daddy and mommy"?

Elisa approached her father and took her daughter who was in his arms. She slightly bowed her head and left, using the work that the men were doing as an excuse. Elisa could feel Alex's cross-glance, the look that had controlled her during the adolescence and whose desperate effect on her was only increasing over the years.

Alex came out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He only ate that way at the Monte Negros' house. The truth is that he could never avoid it. Helena's food always reminded him of his mother's. Maria's initial shock disappeared upon acquaintance with Alex. Maria was at first scared of Alex. After a few moments, he approached the little one and lowered himself to her height, sinking one knee on the ground.

"You scared me. Aren't you with Mom?"

"I must wash my hands."

"Yes? Can I help you?"

Elisa asked Maria to approach her. She had been so secretive that none of them noticed her presence. The girl went to her mother who told her to go in the kitchen and wash her hands with the help of some servants.

"She is sharp. She reminds me of myself."

"Yes? She reminds me of her aunt."

"Can we talk?" asked Alex, softening his voice.

"No."

Elisa saw Maria's toy on the floor and tried to lift it, but Alex came forward, lifted the doll, and offered it to her. Although she had promised herself not to succumb to Alex's provocations, her body didn't seem to support her in her effort. Elisa got angry with herself after she blushed and her cheeks flushed. All she had to do was to get a damned toy, but the terror of rubbing against him, even a little, overcame her.