Chapter 28
"Everyone thinks we are in a relationship, yet I haven't even stepped foot in his room," Gloria whined in frustration, feeling she was losing the game.
To marry him and become Mrs. Serrano was her ultimate dream. Nate wasn't just a handsome face, he was the heir of the Serrano legacy. And she
wanted to be his queen. The time was slipping through her fingers though. Soon, they'll graduate and scatter. She had to make him hers before it
gets too late.
"Nothing you missed. His room makes a prison cell look like a five-star hotel. No color, no aesthetic," Gigi drawled out. Even though they were twins,
they barely ever saw eye to eye.
Gloria's lips curved into a sly smile.
"Well, I can change that. You've seen my room, right?" Gloria quipped. Gigi rolled her eyes at her excitement. She could never understand why every
girl was so head over heels for his brother. He, literally, was the most annoying creature to dwell on earth.
"I don't think he would appreciate his walls colored in pink with unicorns flying across them," Gigi remarked in a bored tone.
"Gigi," Gloria reached out, whining and grasped her hand. Pouting, she added, "you know how much I like him. Just help me get closer to your
brother. I'll be the best sister-in-law in the whole world, I promise."
Gigi exhaled a sigh.
"Nate isn't like any other guy, Glo. If you can't handle his fire, then trust me, his indifference is better than his attention. He is either all in or nothing,"
Gigi coached her. They were twins, even though they drove each other up the wall, Gigi knew him better than anyone.
"I know. Just help me, okay," Glo insisted, eager to gain his attention. Gigi nodded, not sure if her best friend even understood her words.
.......
I can help you
She opened her eyes to find herself in a class. The teacher's voice droned on, but it failed to drown out Giovanni's words, which kept replaying in her
head. Regardless of how tempting his offer was, she knew better than to take the risk. He called her fear an illusion but only she knew what a maniac
Nate was. She wasn't scared for herself as much as she was scared for her family. She knew freedom would mean sacrificing her family. He would
come for them to exact revenge if she fled and it was a risk she wasn't willing to take. Her family was her everything and so there was no escaping
him.
After finishing classes, she came out of the building to head for her house when Gloria stopped her.
"Hey, you. Stop," her cold voice cut through the air, making her stop. She turned to see Gloria approaching, her heels clicking against the pavement.
Her one sculpted brow arched in judgment as she gave her a slow, deliberate once over. Sera waited, not sure why she called her. They barely spoke
— especially not at school.
Coming to a halt in front of her, Gloria crossed her arms over her chest while gazing down at her with an air of superiority.
"It seems they fit you just fine. Mom was worried they wouldn't," Gloria remarked, examining her cloth. Sera lit up a little after getting the compliment.
She rarely ever received a compliment.
"Yeah," Sera agreed with a warm smile, glancing down at her washed out jeans and top. "Thank you. They are all very pretty," Sera added sincerely,
looking up to meet her gaze. Her mom had given her those clothes, mentioning they once belonged to Gloria. Even though they were her hands-me-
down, she didn't mind wearing them, after all, Gloria was her elder sister.
Gloria smirked as if she had found something amusing in her statement.
"Oh yeah," Gloria remarked, smirking before adding, "I'll convey your thanks to Regina, my handmaid. Those are her old rags. She had donated them
to my mother’s charity box for the homeless, but, looks like, Mom found a better use for them." Sera's smile slipped upon hearing that.
Gloria’s gaze swept over her once more in open judgement, "But I must say, even though they are practically trash, they still outshine what you
usually wear."
Her words felt like a sting of a needle against her bare skin. But like always, she couldn't give her a befitting comeback that she should have. She just
stood like a statue as Gloria walked away after belittling her.
A honk rang through the air but she paid no heed to it and kept walking. It blared again, louder this time, then again—insistent, almost demanding.
Sera, irritated, turned her head sharply only to find his black sleek car trailing behind her.
He pulled up beside her, the engine humming as he rolled down the window and leaned out, "Get in."
Her disagreement was obvious in the way she didn't move from her spot.
'I'll take the bus," she refused indirectly.
"What are you doing?" she asked with a frown while striding backward. He smirked.
"You know, girls dream about getting kidnapped by a hot guy," he stated, looking intently into her eyes.
"What do you..." he covered her mouth.
"Enough talking," he murmured, bending to her eye level before pulling her in his inescapable embrace.
"Leave me," she struggled fiercely against his hold, but his grip remained unrelenting. With effortless strength, he lifted her off the ground, ignoring
her furious struggles, and in one swift motion, tossed her into the trunk of his car.
"Leave me. What are you doing? This is.." she pleaded as he bound her hands and legs with his bracelet cum chain.
"You can't do this. Somebody hel.." he pasted a tape over her mouth, silencing her.
After that he straightened to his full height and assessed her with a smirk. Tied up, she looked so vulnerable. The poor thing wouldn't be even able to
protest if he decided to torment her in his favorite way.
"You were saying something. Go on, I am all ears," he teased. She glared at him and even mumbled something behind the tape but all he could hear
was incoherent noise. He chuckled.
"What the fuck are you doing?" his smile dropped upon hearing an unfamiliar voice.
"I am calling police," he threatened and started tapping on his phone.
"Better call an ambulance," Nate suggested. The man looked up only to find his fist hurtling towards him, landing with brutal precision. The man fell
flat right there, losing his consciousness. Nate exhaled, rolling his eyes.
Turning around, he locked his amused gaze on her, "your hero turned out to be another damsel in distress."
"Enjoy and don't break my chains. They are my favorites," with that, he slammed the trunk shut on her pleading face.
Putting on his shades, he slipped into the driver's seat and drove off.