Severo Laris’ house in La Ciudad Santa, just down the road from the Lago de la Luna.
Moon Lake Road, as the name implies, is situated in front of a lake, with the breeze and moonlight.
Property prices in this area of Moon Lake Road have been speculated to new heights in recent years, as they are sought after by high class and elegant people.
And Severo Laris has bought a private villa in a posthumous location on Moon Lake Road, an inch of land.
Even Paula Rouco, who grew up in high society, couldn’t help but wonder to what extent Severo Laris has really become powerful over the years.
Today he is worth no less than Adam Rouco and even more than Adam Rouco’s face value.
Severo Laris’ private villa on Moon Lake Road is large and the entire courtyard looks vibrant upon entering, filled with green lawns and various flowers and plants.
Like a tranquil oasis in a downtown area, every inch is not overkill.
Paula Rouco said nonchalantly, “I’m thinking you invited me to your house not to see Costillas but to show off how rich you are now.”
Severo Laris smiled instead of getting angry, a dull, spoiled smile, “All this wealth will belong to the future Mrs. Laris, I have nothing to show off.”
Mrs. Laris? It could have been anyone, but it couldn’t have been her anyway.
Paula Rouco did not accept his words and acted coolly, saying as she went through the gate at the entrance to the villa, “Open the door.”
Severo Laris was in no hurry and stood with his hands in his pockets, not intending to do anything but say, “You already know the password.”
“… How do I know the code to your house?”
Severus Laris came up behind her, his long, bony hand took her small, soft, boneless hand and held it as he pressed the code, whispering in her ear, “The code to all my houses is the code to the door of the imperial block, that’s where we met.”
His chest, pressed against her back, was close.
Paula Rouco was so close to him in his arms that she could almost smell the crisp sea salt cologne he wore, it smelled good, like the smell of the ocean mixed with grass, unbelievably fresh.
His palm encircled hers, dry and warm, while hers was damp.
Knock, knock, knock.
Her heartbeat, for no apparent reason, quickened.
The string of coded numbers seemed to have gone on for what seemed like a century.
Paula Rouco couldn’t even resist urging, “Can’t you hurry up?”
Severo Laris smiled slightly, that smile was playful, “Are you nervous?”.
Opening a door, how could it be so haphazard, with so much hugging and handshaking, he hadn’t touched a woman in all these years?
The door finally opened and Paula Rouco hurried to escape from his arms.
Severo Laris watched her back as she walked away, his eyes full of affection.
Upon entering the house, the first thing that catches the eye is a wall of bookshelves filled with an assortment of books that takes up the entire wall, and the entire house is decorated in a quiet, elegant style.
Paula Rouco looks back and sees Costillas, who has climbed up on a bookshelf and is bent over a thick, famous book.
There was a flash of surprise in her eyes, “This is Costillas?”.
“Yes, it’s normal for you to feel strange after being fattened up so much by me over the years.”
Paula Rouco reached over and pulled Costillas off the shelf, so heavy.
Having flown with Severo Laris for the past seven years, Costillas has seen a lot of big games, so he hasn’t been afraid of people for a long time.
Even though he hadn’t seen Paula Rouco for seven years, Costillas still liked Paula Rouco.
Paula Rouco’s animal affinity is, as always, good.
When she was three years old, Adam Rouco brought home a stray puppy named Cachorro de Lion, and she and Cachorro de Lion hit it off when they met. Lion Puppy might have bitten Adam Rouco, but not her, and she loved everything he fed her.
Severo Laris looked at her with Ribs in her arms and asked, “What would you like to drink?”
“Plain water, I guess.”
“No milk?” Severo Laris remembered that she really liked milk.
Paula Rouco said, “Anything.”
Then she was handed a glass of warm milk on the little table in front of her.
Paula Rouco looks down and sneers at the fat Costillas in her arms, muttering to herself, “Why do you eat so much? I can hardly hold you anymore, do you remember your mother, hmm?”
“Meow.” Ribs liked soft places and rubbed her cat face against his chest.
Severo Laris heard what she said, a dark gleam in her eye, reached out and touched Ribs on her arms and said, “You’re Ribs’ mother, of course Ribs remembers you.”
“…”
She wasn’t talking to him, so why was she interrupting.
Shortly after, Severo Laris’ cell phone rings, a call from a colleague.
He gets up, walks to the open terrace and answers a phone call.
Inside the house, Costillas is hungry and keeps rubbing up against Paula Rouco, who has had it and so knows Costillas is hungry.
Big eyes scan the room and spot a box of cat food on a high shelf.
“Mom’s going to get your cat food, hold on.”
She got to the first one for half a day and missed.
Damn, why did Severo Laris put the cat food so high for fear that Costillas would steal it?
Paula Rouco moved a small bench, climbed on it and went to get the can of cat food.
At that moment, Severo Laris, who had just returned from a phone call on the open terrace, saw her climb up high and his heart skipped a beat.
Running to her, he lifted her up and carried her across the room.
Unprepared, Paula Rouco exclaimed, her watery eyes looking up at him, “What are you doing?”
Severo Laris was distressed, “What’s the point of going up so high?”
“I’ll get the cat food for Costillas. ”
Severo Laris slid the lump from his throat and hugged her, eyes deep and haunted, “Don’t go up high again, I’d worry about you falling.”
Seven years ago, she had fallen down the stairs, and although he had not witnessed that scene, those at Imperial University who knew of the incident said that blood had spilled all over the floor.
Severo Laris closes his eyes, and just imagining that image makes his heart ache with unmeasured self-recrimination.
Over the years, he has always been haunted by the same nightmare.
In the dream, she falls to the ground covered in blood, her small hands clutching his pant legs, begging him not to leave, pleading with him to save her, but he turns and walks mercilessly away.
Whenever I dream of her, I wake up in a cold sweat.
Seeing him in a daze, Paula Rouco frowned, “Severo Laris, put me down.”
Severo Laris’ face sank and he reiterated once more in all seriousness, “Don’t go up that high again.
“… It’s just a short stool.”
When she paid him no attention and was about to find Costillas with the can of cat food in her hand, Severo Laris snapped her wrist and pinned her against the shelf.
The man’s domineering, insistent gaze stared at her, “Did you hear what I said?”
“…”
Wallop’s stance.
Paula Rouco’s eyes twitched slightly at the corners, “Let go of me.”
“If you promise, I’ll let you go.”
“One …!”
The man’s breath was dangerous and Paula Rouco, not wanting to rub shoulders with the tiger, said, “Okay, I promise, you let me go.”
Only then did Severo Laris let go of her hand and let her go to Costillas.
Paula Rouco opened the box of canned food and poured it into the cat’s dish. Costillas ate it in a jiffy.
Time passed quickly and Paula Rouco looked at the time on her watch, the car must have been almost repaired.
“It’s time, I’m leaving.”
Severo Laris emitted a faint “hmm.”
As Paula Rouco headed for the door, Severo Laris patted Costillas, who was curled up on the couch, and quietly ordered, “Go bother your mother.”
Costillas has been trained and over the years has been forced to look at someone’s picture often and, in fact, he is no stranger to Paula Rouco.
Severo Laris gave a little whip and Costillas, on his fat little paws, immediately ran to the door and wrapped his two front paws around Paula Rouco’s slender ankles.
Paula Rouco: “…”