Chapter 106: YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO

••Luciana••

It was early morning, and the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon. The golden light shone right into my eyes, waking me up from my nap on our private beach. The warmth on my skin felt different here, softer, like the world was finally giving me a break.

Costa rented a secure villa on a secluded beach where we had total privacy. We’ve been in Mauritius for a week now, and honestly, it feels like a dream I don't want to wake up from.

New York was our first destination where we spent a week, and it was everything I hoped for. Then we went to Paris, but we only got to spend five days there. Costa said they had dangerous dealings there and he can’t be seen in public because it could cause a stir, which is not good for business. In his words, "Too many eyes, Luciana."

So, we ended up here in Mauritius, and I’ve been having the best time of my life. Just the ocean and us.

Roman had a phone call from his father during the midnight, which woke us up. The sound of the phone vibrating in the dark always makes my heart jump, a reminder of the life we left behind for a moment.

After he answered, I couldn’t fall back to sleep. My mind was racing, so I came to rest outside and get some fresh air. Well, I woke up at the perfect time to watch the sunrise. The colors in the sky were so vibrant, it made everything we went through feel like it happened a lifetime ago.

Roman was still inside. He would’ve been busy attending to work calls, I guess. Because if we were not together, it was work.

I didn't mind though. He still spent enough time with me, and I understood he is the heir and has a lot to attend to, even if he has people working for him.

A few minutes later, I saw him approaching me with a tray in his hands. He was carrying two plates of breakfast—some fresh fruits, pastries, and drinks.

“Breakfast is served, Princess,” he announced with a proud smile.

Ever since this vacation started, he has made every effort to make me feel cared for and pampered. Unless I actually wanted to do something, I didn't need to lift a finger.

The funny thing is, he hired a lot of staff to do everything for us. Even this meal was prepared by the chef he hired, but here he’s standing in front of me proudly as though he was the one who prepared it. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at his "chef" persona.

“I hope everything is fine,” I said, looking at him closely. “You’ve been in there since 3:00 a.m. and I knew you weren't sleeping.”

“Yes, nothing,” he simply answered, setting the tray down. But I could see the tension in his jaw.

“I’ll tell you about it later. Just eat your food now.”

But my ears were already itching for the gist. I like gists, and it hits differently especially when it’s coming from someone you love. I took a bite of a strawberry, waiting for him to finally spill whatever was bothering him.

——

“Really?” I exclaimed a few minutes later to what he just told me. “Then why didn’t he tell you? You guys are so close!”

“I don’t know,” Roman muttered, looking out at the water. “Maybe he doesn’t trust me enough. I just can’t believe it.”

Apparently, Theo is caught up in a relationship with some girl who works at a bakery, and he’s been slacking in his duties. Now Roman just found out from his father; Theo didn’t tell him a word. It felt so strange to hear. Theo was always the one who was strictly business, the one who never let his guard down.

“If he’s in a relationship, he wouldn't need to keep it from you,” I added, trying to make sense of it.

“If there’s anything about Theo, it’s that he likes to know everything about others and is all reserved about his own personal shit,” Roman said, his voice laced with frustration.

“Maybe he kept it from you because of the girl’s status,” I suggested.

It was unfortunate, but in our lives, we don't get to just go for anyone we like. We are always in a relationship for family gains. Our fathers made sure of that; that way the family can get stronger and expand.

Roman was always one to hide his emotions, but ever since we started again, he became even more vulnerable with me. And I can see all over his face that he’s really pained about the whole thing. It wasn't just about a rule being broken; it was about the secrecy between brothers.

“He might have been waiting for the right time to tell you,” I said, trying to give him reasons to just feel better.

“It’s been two fucking months, Luci. Two months,” he muttered, shaking his head. Two months of Theo living a double life right under Roman’s nose.

“Maybe you should just talk to him, you know, sort things out.”

“That son of a bitch is going to blame himself for this,” Roman said, though I could tell he was more hurt than angry.

“You know…” I turned to him, giving him a look.

“You swear way too much. Can’t you just make a complete statement without swearing?”

“You only just noticed?” He cracked a grin, the first bit of light returning to his eyes.

“Well, you have to work on it. When the time comes, you are not allowed to swear around our children.” I pointed my fork at him for emphasis.

I have become so much more comfortable around him now that talking about children with him is easy for me. It’s a future I can actually see.

“That’s not going to happen,” he protested, snatching the fork right out of my hand.

“Roman, it’s a universal rule. You can’t swear around children.”

“I don’t follow rules.”

He had that stubborn look on his face, the one that usually meant he was about to do something mischievous. Before I could say another word, he scrambled up and ran toward the edge of the water. He scooped up a handful and threw some water at me, soaking my sarong.

“Roman!” I screamed, laughing as I stood up.

In revenge, I joined him in the surf. We started splashing water on each other, chasing one another around the private shoreline, enjoying the moment and completely forgetting that we were even eating before.

In that moment, with the salt water on our skin and the sun finally high in the sky, everything felt perfect.