In the afternoon, Macos handed over all the evidence to the police, he believed that she would definitely be convicted.
As a result, there was still a problem.
Lila went crazy at the police station and was identified as mentally ill. Once the result of the identification came out, all previous preparations were useless.
She was acquitted.
And as soon as she left the police station, Lila disappeared and the people of the Murillo Group could not find her in any way.
Macos’ good mood in the morning was completely destroyed.
Seeing his sullen and somber expression, Albina reassured him:
-Relax, she chased you so frantically before, I noticed that she might have some mental problems, but I didn’t expect it to be true.
Macos remembered something from her words:
-I didn’t notice it during the work in the past, but her appearance that looked last night was really….
After thinking about it for a long time, he couldn’t find a suitable word and was only shaken by a shiver:
-I thought it was terrible at the time, but now that the result comes out, I don’t think it’s strange.
Albina thought of something else:
-She has disappeared now and we don’t know where she is going. This person is very dangerous now and still has a mental illness. She hates me so much, besides, Ariana took you yesterday. I’m afraid she’s hiding some tricks.
Macos frowned when he thought about that and said guiltily:
-It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have involved you.
Albina didn’t expect him to say this, so he was stunned for a moment, then patted her shoulder with a smile:
-What are you thinking? You’re our friend, if you’re in trouble, you should be saved. We can’t see you fall into the hands of that madwoman.
Macos was still worried and said to Albina:
-Before we find Lila, you and Ariana are not alone outside. I’m afraid you will encounter some danger.
Albina nodded:
-I’ll call Ariana later and tell her about it, so she can pay attention.
When Macos heard this, he just wanted to say that he caused this matter. If Ariana couldn’t deal with it, he could help her. But Macos came up with Santiago, pursed his lips and said:
-Santiago protects her, she should be fine.
When Albina heard Santiago, her eyes sank and her expression was very strange.
Santiago? She still didn’t know where he was, how he could protect Ariana.
She lowered her head, thinking. If she let Ariana live at home during this time, but Umberto was still at home.
Last night he suffered from insomnia again and couldn’t separate from her all night.
***
At this time, Ariana was sitting in the studio with a drawing board in front of her, she adjusted the paint calmly and concentrated on the painting in front of her.
Sunlight was streaming in through the windows. Smoke and dust in the air appeared in the sunlight and danced in the air.
Ariana as if she was coated with gold, she looked like a fairy and as if she would disappear with the wind in the next second.
When she stopped her hand, there was the sound of the door outside.
Suddenly she turned away from the silence and looked in the direction of the door.
Santiago returned with a tired face, saw the door to the side of the room open and walked in:
-Santiago, I’m back.
When he said this, they were embarrassed to look at her and she felt a little guilty.
He had told her on the phone last night that he would be back in the morning, but it was in the afternoon and he came home.
Ariana frowned slightly, not blaming him and nodded:
-Are you rested? Are you hungry now, do you want to eat?
If she could scold him, Santiago wouldn’t feel so guilty. But she was sitting there, not making noise or fuss, she looked at him with clear eyes.
Santiago felt guiltier. He took a step forward, pressed his fingers tightly in his palm, bent down and looked at her.
-Ariana, you only reproach me. It’s my fault. I didn’t come back at the promised time. It’s my fault you waited so long for me.
Ariana shook her head:
-It’s okay, anyway, I have nothing else to do today. I stayed in the studio for a day. Even if you are at home, I’ll let you rest.
The words made Santiago feel very uncomfortable. His facial appearance was captivating and he used to have a sense of cynicism. It seemed that nothing in this world could make him frown.
But this time, he couldn’t help but feel annoyance. Looking at Ariana’s beautiful appearance, he used to be able to speak well at the sight of beautiful girls, but now he couldn’t say a word.
-Ariana, I…
-Don’t blame yourself -Ariana picked him up with a smile and asked again -Have you stayed up all night so far?
-I was too sleepy, so I slept in a nearby hotel -after Santiago finished speaking, as if he was afraid she would misunderstand him, he explained- -I slept alone and I didn’t flirt with other girls, really. I’m afraid I come back too early and disturb your rest.
Ariana smiled and said softly:
-Well, I understand, why don’t we go eat? I haven’t eaten for a day, I’m a little hungry.
She was going to the kitchen, but Santiago stopped her:
-Are you unhappy? If so, I, I …
Ariana looked at him and waited for his next sentence, but Santiago talked for so long without saying a word that he vowed never to go out and play all night.
He dared not guarantee this. If he reneged on the promise, it would make Ariana disappointed and it would look like the oath he swore was meaningless.
Ariana lowered her eyes to hide the disappointment and told him:
-Santiago, you asked me to come last night, but I was delayed for something and didn’t go. But, on the other hand, too lively places are not suitable for me, even if I came, it would be very difficult to mingle with your friends and it would make everyone feel uncomfortable.
-I don’t want you to change your lifestyle to accommodate me. You don’t have to take this oath. Each of us takes a step back, I will participate in your life in an appropriate way and you will restrict your desire to have fun a little, okay?
She said it carefully, but Santiago listened with dissatisfaction.
He was the one who had pursued her first and involved her in his affections. The girl who used to be so indifferent became so cautious and insecure in little more than a month.
He was an incompetent boyfriend, he remembered what he had sworn before in front of Umberto and Camillo, he took a deep breath:
-Ariana, I promise you that I will not force you to join my social circle in the future. I will not take you to chaotic occasions. I will also try to mature and give you a more stable life. I, I will not let you down.
After Ariana heard his promise, her eyes lit up slightly and she smiled:
-All right, I believe in you, I hope you won’t disappoint me.
I wanted to try again and hoped for a good ending this time.
The door to the studio was open and a breeze blew in. If Santiago could look back, he would see the painting on the drawing board, which was completely different from Ariana’s previous style. There was a sense of depression, which made people feel heavy and uncomfortable when they saw it.