Almira’s teary eyes looked at Eduardo Tercero helplessly and pleadingly, shaking her head desperately, “President Eduardo Tercero, it’s really not me…”
Eduardo Tercero looked at her coldly and reached out, ruthlessly pulling away her hand that was tugging at his sleeve.
Old K asked, “President Eduardo Tercero, what’s with this guy?”
“Continue with the torture.”
“Yes.”
Almira reached out again to grab Eduardo Tercero’s arm, only to have him slap her away.
Almira was unprepared and Eduardo Tercero showed her no mercy, the slap was with such force that Almira fell straight to the ground.
“President Eduardo Tercero, listen to me explain, I really didn’t…!”
Eduardo Tercero looked at her with downcast eyes, his voice was cold and stern, “You better pray that Claudio is safe and sound, if anything happens to Claudio, you will wait to be buried with him.”
Almira, who was prostrate on the floor, heard such desperate words, her hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turned blue and white, while her eyes were a mixture of jealousy and rage.
“In your eyes, am I no better than a lock of hair on Claudio Belles’ head?”.
Eduardo Tercero didn’t want to talk to her, but at the end of his life, asking her such a stupid question in such a confusing way, he felt the need to make it clear to her.
“In my eyes, you and Claudio, there is no comparison.”
Almira’s eyes were red, tears were falling, she bit her lips hard and asked indignantly, “Why, in what I don’t compare to Claudio Belles, she loves you as much as I love President Eduardo Tercero, Claudio Belles, the attitude she has with President Claudio Belles is nothing but a casual attitude, she doesn’t give a damn about President Eduardo Tercero, if she really loves him, why can she see President Eduardo Tercero destroy himself for her? Even if President Eduardo Tercero was sent to the border because of her, did she ever feel anything for President Eduardo Tercero!”
Eduardo Tercero hooked his thin lips and said nonsensically, “This is my business and hers, does it concern you?”
“…”
Almira gritted her teeth, tears rolled down her face, but no words of rebuttal could come out.
In matters of emotions, voluntarily, in this relationship, she had lost so much that she didn’t even deserve to have a name.
…
Eduardo Tercero took his men to M at night.
But no sooner had he arrived in F City than he received a call from K.
Old K was ringing anxiously on the phone, “President Eduardo Tercero, hurry back, Miss Claudio has returned to H City, but now the old Court Master’s men have taken him away!”
In Eduardo Tercero’s heart, the beats were getting faster and faster, like a roller coaster.
First the surprise that he was safe in H-Town, then the nervousness that his father had asked him to go to The Tercero Family.
“I’ll be right back.”
…
The two missed each other back and forth.
When Eduardo Tercero re-entered H-Town, his face tired and covered in dust, it hadn’t taken him a moment to run to La familia Tercero.
Eduardo Tercero burst into La familia Tercero just as Claudio Belles was leaving the salon, and when he saw the long, panting man standing in the doorway, they were both silent for a few seconds.
Within days of each other, this look separated life and death, as well as countless thoughts and worries.
Once upon a time, Claudio Belles did not understand Esteban Zaragosa’s idea of love, which consisted of leaving everything for Dulcina Calvo, but now he seemed to understand it a little.
Emotions, so full that they were on the verge of overflowing.
Through the air of emptiness, between his eyes, floated a deep emotion.
Eduardo Tercero felt as if frozen in place, looking at her untouched, content to watch her from afar.
In the last few days, when he had heard the news of her accident, he had been calm, but his heart had been troubled.
He had returned to H-Town without a report, and in the last few days, former cabinet ministers had already criticized him in front of the president for being a traitor.
But such things did not matter to him.
Right now, just looking at her standing securely in front of him, it was as if the dust had settled.
Edward the Third looked at her, his voice hoarse and low from the night’s run, and called out to her, “Claudio.”
Claudio Belles curved his lips and moved closer to her, resting his head directly on the back of Eduardo Tercero’s neck, “President Eduardo Tercero, I miss you.”
Eduardo Tercero took a deep breath and hugged her tightly, “I miss you too.”
The moment Claudio Belles’ face buried itself in her shoulder, she felt more relaxed than she had ever felt before, after so many days trapped in Villa La familia Virgen, not sleeping well in defense of Clemente Virgen.
Now, all she had to do was close her eyes and she would fall asleep.
With both hands, she unconsciously wrapped her arms around Eduardo Tercero’s neck.
“President Eduardo Tercero, take me to bed.”
The tone of her voice, rare as a child’s, was soft and pampered.
Eduardo Tercero’s heart fluttered and he took her in his arms to leave La familia Tercero.
Once in the car, Eduardo Tercero hugged her and ran his hands over her body very carefully.
“Are there any wounds?”
Claudio Belles leaned on her shoulder and gently shook his head, “No, I’m fine, I’m just sleepy.”
Eduardo Tercero took her hand between his and brought it to his lips and kissed it, “I’m sorry you’ve been so scared these days.”
Eduardo Tercero wasn’t going to ask about the last few days at the moment, he just wanted to let her rest now.
The man’s hand stroked the girl’s hair between his arms, kissed her forehead and said softly, “Sleep, I’m here.”
Claudius Belles buried himself in the crook of her neck, his forehead arched in reassurance.
…
A good night’s sleep.
Claudius Belles awoke the next morning.
Yesterday afternoon, after returning from The Tercero Family and bathing, he had stayed in bed and slept.
At dinner, Edward Third had instructed the maids not to come and call them for dinner.
So the morning he awoke extraordinarily early, only at seven o’clock.
But his stomach, which had been empty for a long time, was already hungry.
After washing up and going downstairs, the maid greeted Claudius Belles.
“Good morning, where is President Eduardo Tercero?”
The maid said, “President Eduardo Tercero is in the kitchen preparing breakfast.”
Claudio Belles is slightly taken aback and mutters, “Is he still cooking?”.
The maid laughs, “We didn’t expect President Eduardo Tercero to talk about cooking this morning either, and he asked us all to leave the kitchen. I think it was for Miss Claudio, how about a love lunch?”.
Claudio Belles couldn’t keep the corners of his lips from tingling as he turned and headed for the kitchen.
In the kitchen all that could be seen was Eduardo Tercero with an apron tied around his waist, standing in front of the hallway and literally frying eggs.
Claudio Belles walked up and wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, twisted his face and leered at him, “You still know how to cook, huh?”
“It’s the first time I’ve done it, my hands are raw, I don’t know if it’s good.”
Claudio Belles looked at the tortilla in the pan and reminded Eduardo Tercero: “Turn it over, it looks like it’s getting soft.”
Eduardo Tercero flipped the eggs in time and they came out golden brown and not burnt.
Eduardo Tercero pulled his hand away and ordered him, “Go and sit at the table, it’s time for breakfast.”
Claudio Belles just smiled and obediently left the kitchen to sit at the table and wait for Eduardo Tercero’s breakfast of love.
The breakfast, not entirely delicious, but not unpleasant either, was a steaming bowl of millet porridge that went down into his stomach but he felt very much at ease.
Eduardo Tercero asks, “Tell me about these days.”
Claudius Belles bit into his fried egg and said, “I was ambushed by Almira and then almost killed by her people, but someone saved me and then the man who saved me held me captive for a few days and I couldn’t contact you immediately.”
Edward the Third frowned at the word “imprisoned”, “imprisoned?”.