Albina was surprised to see Sergio get up safe and sound.
Sergio laughed:
-This is revenge in the same way. You see, when I faked this, the man got scared and left. It’s useless to talk quietly with that guy.
Albina heard the old man’s tone and said:
-You pretended very well.
While they were talking, the police and Macos arrived.
As soon as Macos arrived, he rushed to check Albina’s condition. Before his hand could touch her arm, a baton suddenly separated them.
Sergio gave Macos a serious look:
-Don’t be so intimate with her.
Macos gaped. “How dare I? Her boyfriend is Umberto.”
-You’ve misunderstood, sir. I thought my friend was hurt.
Macos was good-natured and didn’t bother with Sergio, smiling before he started asking about Albina’s situation.
Everyone had just seen how the man had escaped, and the truth was that he had tried to blackmail her.
While Macos was giving explanations to the police instead of Albina, she looked at Sergio who was still by her side and asked him:
-Sir, where are you going? I can accompany you.
Sergio smiled at her very kindly:
-Muchacha, just call me grandfather.
Albina called him kindly:
-Grandpa.
Sergio listened with relief and said:
-My grandson said he would pick me up at home, but he had a problem, and asked me to wait for him here.
He looked very miserable and said:
-I don’t suit my legs…..
Seeing Sergio like that, Albina’s heart softened:
-It’s not far from the end of this alley, that’s where I live, if you want…..
Before she could finish her words, Sergio hurried to say:
-Let’s go!
Feeling too anxious, he sighed again:
-I’ve been standing here for a long time. I just want to find a place to rest, and I’m not carrying any money.
Albina smiled:
-It’s all right. You just did me a big favor, and I must thank you.
She was very patient with Sergio and her personality seemed kind and understanding. The more Sergio looked at her, the more pleased he was.
Albina went over to talk to Macos about it, and the driver secretly approached Selor and asked:
-Sir, aren’t we going back?
Sergio lowered his voice:
-Don’t get involved. I’ll call you later and pick me up at the girl’s house.
The driver, of course, did not dare to refuse Sergio. He watched him drive off in the girl’s car, hesitated for a moment and pulled out his phone.
***
As Ariana had gone to class, there was no one at home. And she made Sergio some tea.
After tasting it, he exclaimed:
-Good tea!
Albina smiled shyly:
-My father liked tea.
She talked about her father and looked a little dejected. Sergio looked at her sad expression, thought about all the information he had found out and changed the subject:
-Muchacha, I’m a little hungry, do you know how to cook?
He spoke in a very natural tone, as if he were in his own home.
Albina also quite liked this kind of cordiality of his, and went over to look in the fridge:
-Okay, I’m going to prepare the food for you.
Sergio smiled happily:
-Thank you very much. You’re very good at cooking, aren’t you?
-No, but my boyfriend is a particularly good cook, I still can’t forget his food!
She was talking to Sergio, happily, full of love and pride for her boyfriend. So absorbed in her emotions, she didn’t see Sergio’s expression.
-Your boyfriend is very good to you.
-Of course,” Albina replied happily.
After dinner, the two chatted for a while and it was already dark.
-It’s already late, I have to ask my grandson to come and pick me up,” said Sergio, making a call to the driver.
Albina was a little sad. This grandfather was too kind. She had never seen her grandfather since she was a little girl, and her grandmother was a bad woman. She had never met an old man who treated her so well until now.
The two lingered for a while before someone knocked on the door, and Albina got up to open it.
Once she opened it, she saw Umberto, and was surprised:
-Have you finished your work?
Although Umberto quite liked her enthusiasm, he felt a little uncomfortable when he saw that there was someone else in the house.
Before he could say anything, Albina took him by the hand, introducing him to Sergio:
-Grandpa, this is my boyfriend, Umberto.
-Umberto, this is the man who helped me today, without him I would have been blackmailed.
He finished his introduction, looked towards the two of them.
Sergio looked at Umberto with a smile and said to Albina:
-This is your boyfriend.
-Yes,” she replied, “He’s as handsome and nice as I said, isn’t he?
Hearing his girlfriend’s compliment, Umberto smiled and said to Sergio:
-Grandpa, it’s time to go home.
As soon as those words came out, Albina froze.
-What? -She looked at Umberto and then at Sergio.
-Albina, it’s my grandfather.
Albina couldn’t believe it. Looking at Sergio’s kind smile, she suddenly realized that he and Umberto were very much alike.
It was no wonder that the first time she saw Sergio he looked incredibly familiar.
“So your grandson is Umberto.”
-Sir… I don’t know what…
Albina stammered. She wasn’t prepared nor did she expect that she had met Umberto’s grandfather so unexpectedly like this.
-Albina, don’t be nervous,” Sergio smiled kindly.
Albina remembered how the two of them had gotten along, and suddenly became very relaxed:
-Hello, grandfather, it’s Albina.
-Umberto begged me about marriage with such a firm attitude. At that moment, I was thinking that the girl, who could make my grandson, who was so cold and unruly, insist on getting married in spite of his family’s opposition, must be a very special and good girl,” he said, looking at Albina. That’s true.
Albina bowed her head shyly at the compliment.
Sergio turned her words around:
-It’s all this guy’s fault for losing such a good woman. Albina, this time you can’t accept to marry him so easily, you must test him properly, understand?
Umberto looked at his grandfather with a face full of aggressiveness.
“At first it was you who told me to marry Albina soon, and now it’s you who let her test me.”
“What the hell do you want?”
Albina saw the look on Umberto’s face and unconsciously began to defend him:
-In fact, at first we misunderstood each other. Besides, although he was threatened by Yolanda, he is a good man.
-Yolanda didn’t save Umberto! -Hearing this, Sergio waved his hand in disgust. I was about to tell you. This morning, I had someone find an employee who worked at that hotel back then. He saw someone save Umberto at the time, but it wasn’t Yolanda, it was a middle-aged man.
Umberto and Albina froze when they heard this.