Chapter 11: Become her crush
Sara slowly opened her eyes when she felt a sharp sting in her left hand. Tilting her head, she noticed an IV drip connected to her vein and looked up at the glucose bottle, it was almost empty.
Propping herself up on her elbows, she glanced around. Luca wasn’t in the room. That alone brought her a sense of relief. "Did he call a doctor?" she murmured, recalling the harsh words she had thrown at him in anger.
Her gaze drifted to the wedding ring on her finger. ’For a year, I am now his wife. Dad could’ve stopped this, but he didn’t.’
Just then, footsteps echoed, and she saw Luca standing at the door. His gaze fixed on her as he said, "She’s awake. Remove the IV for her."
Marco walked in, giving Sara a small wave. "How are you feeling?" He settled into the chair beside her.
"Better," Sara replied softly. "You live nearby?" she asked.
"Yeah," Marco nodded, gently holding her hand. "It’s going to sting a little. Bear with the pain."
Sara flinched as the needle slid out of her skin.
"She was talking about murdering me earlier," Luca suddenly remarked.
Sara shot him a glare, her eyebrow arching in defiance.
Marco quickly taped a bandage over her palm. "Sara, you still talk to him like that? I thought you two married each other because of love."
"Hell, no! I hate him," Sara spat.
"Did you see now how she talks to me?" Luca rolled his eyes. Just then, a maid entered, carrying a tray in her hands.
"Set the table," Luca instructed her.
"When did you return, Marco? I thought you were going to stay in London for a while," Sara asked, her gaze shifting to him.
"I returned a year ago. Mom and Dad wanted me to serve in their hospital," Marco replied.
"I see. I’m sorry for troubling you," Sara apologized.
"Mention not. I’ll go now. My noon shift is about to start. See you later," Marco said, rising to his feet. Luca thanked him as well, and soon after, Marco left. The maid also exited, quietly closing the doors behind her.
"The one you should apologize to is me," Luca remarked, watching Sara climb out of bed.
"And why should I apologize to you?" she frowned, walking to the couch. She glanced over the breakfast and smiled, it was just to her liking. Her favorite fresh pineapple juice glistened in the glass, and she reached for it immediately.
She picked up a toast, taking a bite before lifting her eyes toward him.
"You should be at the office, not here," she said, chewing slowly.
"Exactly. But thanks to someone, I had to cancel my meetings," Luca replied.
"Since when did I become your priority?" Sara retorted, sipping her juice again.
Luca answered promptly, "Since the moment you signed the deal with me to be my wife for one year."
Sara almost choked, coughing hard. She looked around for water, but Luca was quicker, he poured a glass and handed it to her. Sitting beside her, he gently patted her back, brushing away the strands that had fallen over her face.
Sara’s heart thumped wildly, not from the coughing, but from his sudden care. "I’m good now," she whispered, tilting her head, only to find his face just an inch away from hers.
"Mom and Dad invited us for dinner tonight," Luca said, pulling away at last.
"They must be angry that you married the daughter of their rival," Sara mumbled.
"My parents never considered your father a rival," Luca replied.
"You should give respect to my father. Earlier, what you did was wrong," she said, finishing her toast and grabbing another.
"Why should I respect the old man who dared to raise his hand on you? Don’t tell me he treated you like that whenever you failed to please him," Luca said, his tone sharp.
"I never failed him before," Sara answered quietly. "This was the first time I made such a terrible mistake. And I never siphoned any funds. Someone used my name. I just couldn’t find out who. I’ve been trying for a month." She bit off a small piece of toast.
"It could be your stepbrother. He’s useless, but he’s cunning," Luca stated.
"I thought the same. But there’s no evidence," Sara said, still chewing. Then she froze, realizing they were talking too comfortably as if all their hatred had momentarily disappeared.
"Do you want me to find out?" Luca asked.
Sara tilted her head, confusion flickering in her eyes. "No, thanks. I’ll take anyone else’s help, but not yours!" she snapped.
"But no one else will help you," Luca countered firmly. "In this one month, you’ve gained more haters than followers. People smile at your face but act like snakes behind your back. At least with me, you always know the truth, I’ll say it bluntly, whether you like it or not."
Rising to his feet, he added, "Don’t leave anything on your plate. It’s a pain to look after you."
As he turned to leave, Sara’s voice stopped him. "Did you always hate me? Am I that unlikable to you?"
"Why do you want me to like you?" Luca tilted his head, his hand tucked in the pocket of his trousers.
"I never said that. I merely said why do you..." she sighed, not completing her sentence, "nevermind."
Luca didn’t press further and walked out of the room, leaving her in quiet.
Sara finished her breakfast soon and took the tray downstairs. She found an eerie silence in the living room as no one was there. She made her way to the kitchen, and put the tray beside the sink.
Out of curiosity, Sara went decided to explore the mansion. However, her feet stopped her upon reaching the pool where Luca was swimming.
Seeing him swim, her memories drifted back to their high school days. She could still picture that very first moment when she saw Luca slicing through the pool. Back then, she had only gone to watch the swim meet because her friends dragged her along, insisting it would be fun.
But the instant her eyes found him in the water, something shifted inside her. The boy who always annoyed her in class, the one who never missed a chance to argue or tease her, suddenly looked different.
That was the moment she realized her heart had betrayed her. The boy she swore she couldn’t stand had somehow become her crush. And no matter how hard she tried to bury it, she had never been able to erase the memory of that day.
Now, standing here years later, watching him swim, Sara’s heart fluttered. She bit her lip, silently cursing herself.
’Why am I remembering this now? I hate him.’
And then, Luca came to the surface, his hand raking through his hair as he glanced at her. "You still enjoy watching me swim, don’t you?" He mused.