Chapter 18 Chapter 18. Resignation
Chapter 18.
Resignation.
Carolina doesn't wait for an answer. She sits on the side of the table, right next to Lucas, taking possession of the space. Daniela, her friend, imitates her gesture. Carolina immediately becomes the center of attention.
"Daniela, this is Alicia, Lucas's niece, and now my niece."
Alicia greets her formally, swallowing her bitterness. Carolina's presence takes away her appetite. She tries to be nice, but hypocrisy is not her style.
It is here that Carolina starts to bring up what happened days before.
"Where did you go, Alicia? We were worried about you. Lucas was a bundle of nerves."
"I went to a friend's house. I'm an adult now, I can go out without having to ask my uncle for permission," Alicia replies, with a cold tone that contrasts with the warmth of minutes before.
Carolina smiles, a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "That's right, dear, you're right. You just have to be careful, protect your image. Don't forget that you are the daughter of the Jank family. Your reputation is what will open the way for you in the business industry. Besides, now that Lucas is thinking of giving you the position of company director, it's time for you to take your place and start fulfilling your duties."
"Is that a request, or a demand? Because I don't recall asking for your opinion..."
Lucas intervenes, gently tapping the table with his knuckles. "That's enough, both of you, that's enough."
"Lucas, I just wanted to..." Carolina tries to justify herself.
Lucas interrupts her firmly. "That subject was for me to handle, you shouldn't have intervened."
"I'm sorry, my love, I didn't mean to, I got carried away by the emotion. I think I'd better leave, my intention wasn't to make you uncomfortable." Carolina makes a motion to get up, seeking compassion and control.
"Sit down, Carolina, since you're here, let's have dinner. I don't want a scene." Lucas doesn't look at her, but his tone is the definitive order.
The table, an hour after the unexpected arrival of Carolina and Daniela, is a minefield of tension. Carolina, in her cream-colored dress, struggles to dominate the conversation, throwing out empty anecdotes about social life. She tries to force a familiarity that doesn't exist.
"Daniela and I were talking precisely about how much a trip to Geneva would benefit you. You need to polish your contacts with the European elite for your future," Carolina comments, looking at Alicia with barely disguised condescension.
Alicia, sitting across from her 'uncle', is radiant. She wears the midnight blue silk dress chosen by Lucas, which falls with spectacular fluidity, highlighting the contours of her body. Around her neck, the delicate diamond necklace shines. The ensemble screams elegance and power, overshadowing Carolina's outfit.
"Contacts in Geneva, Carolina? Seriously?" Lucas asks, his voice cold, without looking at her.
"Yes, Lucas. I'm just thinking of Alicia. She's a lovely girl, but she needs to polish that... spirit. She needs to learn to move in these circles of power."
Alicia smiles, a glacial curve. "Thank you for your concern, Carolina. But my uncle and I already have very clear plans for my future, and they don't include unsolicited advice."
The cutting comment makes Carolina frown. Seeking to regain control and conceal her anger over Alicia's glamour, she lifts her glass of red wine with a forced smile.
"I toast to Lucas's happiness and because his life is finally in order, with a fiancée by his side and a niece at home. To us!" she says, raising her glass with excessive theatricality.
Alicia formally raises her glass. The moment the glasses are about to touch, Carolina, with a movement so subtle that it looks like a clumsy accident, deflects her hand. Her glass collides with Alicia's with a dry clink. The dark red wine sprays out, falling directly onto the chest and skirt of the impeccable blue dress.
"Oh, no! How clumsy I am! Alicia, a thousand apologies!" exclaims Carolina, her voice full of feigned panic, although satisfaction gleams in her eyes. Daniela, the friend, only manages to cover her mouth.
The expensive silk dress quickly absorbs the dark liquid. The red stain is an affront to perfection. Frustration hits Alicia with overwhelming force. She stands up abruptly.
"Alicia, wait!" Lucas is already standing, his jaw tense.
"Excuse me," Alicia says in a low, sharp voice, the effort to contain her emotions visible. She ignores Lucas and Carolina's sugary apologies and quickly heads to the restroom.
In the bathroom, Alicia looks at herself in the mirror. The stain is enormous. She tries, uselessly, to dry it. She feels the humiliation. Tears of anger and frustration fall.
"Damn it!" she murmurs, hitting the sink. "I can't make a scene. I can't..."
She forces herself to dry her tears and compose her face. She won't give Carolina the satisfaction of seeing her broken.
When she returns to the table, her posture is rigid. Carolina, with a handkerchief in her hand, tries to look affected and regretful.
"Honestly, Alicia, I feel awful. Let me pay for the dry cleaning or..."
Alicia interrupts her, focusing her icy eyes only on Lucas. "I want to leave, please. Now."
Lucas catches the signal. "Alright. I'll pay the bill immediately."
They pay and leave quickly. On the sidewalk, Daniela says goodbye to Carolina. Carolina, without wasting time, clings to Lucas's arm.
"Lucas, my love, will you take me home? My apartment is on the way to the mansion. I need you."
Lucas cannot refuse without exposing the plan. "Get in, Carolina."
When Alicia goes to take the co-pilot seat, Carolina skillfully slips into it. "I'm sorry, Alicia, but you know I get very carsick in the back seats, and I need to be close to Lucas."
Lucas opens the back door for Alicia. "Get in the back, sweetheart. It's only until we drop her off at her house. Then you can move up front."
Alicia agrees, sitting in the back. She remains distant, looking out the window. Carolina, in the front seat, doesn't waste time. She slides her hand onto Lucas's thigh.
"The dinner was tense, darling. I'm sorry. I feel you're uncomfortable."
Lucas tries to subtly pull away, but every movement is awkward. "I'm fine, Carolina. Concentrate on the road."
Carolina ignores the warning and brings her face close to Lucas's ear, whispering something intimate. Alicia sees Lucas force an uncomfortable smile. Alicia's heart beats fast. She forces herself to concentrate on the streetlights.
Upon arriving at Carolina's house, he opens the door for her. Carolina quickly turns around, kissing him on the lips with theatrical passion. Alicia, who sees everything, endures the scene.
Lucas quickly pulls away, discreetly wiping the lipstick from his cheek. He returns to the car and opens the back door.
"Move up front, come on, Alicia."