Riccardo is standing in front of the door, clenching his fist, not knowing what to do. He couldn’t bring himself to do this. He just froze there, thinking whether he should knock or not.
It has been weeks since he hasn’t seen them. When he went to visit Melody at the hospital, the nurse had informed them she had been discharged days ago. Damian decided to continue the treatment at his place.
Right decision though, Riccardo thought.
The last time he met Damian was when he…and him… had a heated argument.
“I hope everything went well…” he mumbles to himself.
Riccardo raised his hand to knock, but the door opened abruptly, causing him to flinch. Melody standing there in her pyjamas.
“Mel! Damian wouldn’t like it if you’re out with your pyjamas!!” Matthew’s voice echoes in the mansion.
“Geez! I just went out for some fresh air!” She grunts.
Melody turns around and is shocked to see Riccardo there. Her eyes blinked, trying to think this is not a dream.
“Hey, sweetie,” Riccardo smiles.
She gasp, “Riccardo!! It’s been a long time since I saw you!!”
“Yeah, I know. I visit you at the hospital, but I didn’t know you had already moved here,” he said.
“Yup, I can’t stand to be there-wait. How do you know I was here? Damian said this place is secret,” she asks.
“Damian and I have known each other since childhood. What do you expect?” Riccardo chuckles.
Melody nods as she realises that. “Anyway, come in.” She steps aside and lets him in.
Riccardo walks in, trying to hide the fact that he was nervous. Nervous in meeting Damian. He didn’t know how that guy would react with his presence that appeared without any welcoming.
“Seriously, I didn’t see you after…everything happened. Where have you been?” Melody asks, leaning on the couch.
“I…uh…” he scratched his head, “I kind of…have some work to handle.”
“I see. I thought something happened to you also. You are not hurt or anything, are you?” Melody looks at him with concern.
She just noticed that Damian never talked about Riccardo since she woke up. Besides, she forgot to ask also.
“I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m strong as your husband also, dear,” he winks at her.
Melody let out a small giggle. “Yeah, right. Do you want anything? I can get you some drinks and snacks.”
“You are so sweet, Mel. But, I’m fine. Can you go tell Damian I’m here?” Riccardo asks.
“Sure! Wait here,” she beams and ran upstairs.
Riccardo let out a small sigh. He leans on the couch, trying to calm himself down. His fingers couldn’t stop fiddling with each other.
“Ric?”
He startled and turned his head to see Victor and Celestia. They are looking at him with confusion and not expecting him to be here.
“Since when have you been here?” Celestia inquired.
“Sorry for coming unannounced. Melody invited me in, and I already asked her to tell Damian about my presence,” he explained.
“What are you doing here?” Victor asks.
“I just…want to have a talk with Damian for a moment,” he shrugs his shoulder.
“Do you expect him to want to see you?” Victor bluntly asks. Celestia slightly elbows him. “What? I’m just asking.”
Riccardo chuckles. “It’s okay. I didn’t know about that though but…I just want to talk.”
“Ric, we are afraid that Damian wouldn’t like that,” Celestia sighs.
“I know, just let me talk to him,” he pleaded.
They exchange looks.
“You love your friendship with Damian, huh…” Victor asks.
“I do. I wouldn’t repeat my past mistake,” he firmly speaks.
Before they could reply, a voice that he had been waiting for appeared. “What are you doing here, Ric?”
Riccardo turns around and sees Damian standing at the end of the stairs with Melody, who is looking confused by the atmosphere.
“Dam, can I talk to you for a second?” He gets up.
“There is nothing we can talk about. Leave,” Damian firmly said.
Riccardo clenched his fist, “I don’t understand why you don’t want to talk with me and shut me out.”
“I’m his son-it doesn’t mean you have to see me-”
“Because you are his son, I can’t let you be here,” Damian cuts him off. “I told you. Seeing you remind me of that old man. He did enough to my wife.”
“I can’t put the same trust in you”
“Um…what is going on here? Did I miss something?” Melody softly asks.
Damian glanced at her, “Go wait for me at the kitchen.”
“What? You can’t just push me aside. I want to join the conversation as well!” She huffs.
“Melody. Wait for me at the kitchen. Now.” His voice was firm, making her flinch. Melody sighed and went to the kitchen with one last glance at them.
Riccardo let out a sigh, “Anything happened to her, you can’t blame me. I don’t know anything about that old man’s plan.”
“You know it or not, I don’t care. Leave now before I do it severely,” he threatened him.
“I don’t know why you just can’t listen to me. My father was right, no matter what I did, you will never forgive,” Riccardo chuckles with a glint of sadness.
Damian didn’t say anything. Instead, his hands clenched into fists, holding himself back. His ego is too high. He wants to say it is not his fault, but the thought of Riccardo is Matthias’s son, it’s too hard for him.
“I can’t say anything but just agreed with what you want. Before I leave, I want to remind you something.” He steps toward Damian, “Matthias is watching your wife. He already made a move to get her.”
“Once he gets her, he will use her on you.”
By that, he walks towards the door. Melody came out of the kitchen seeing Riccardo about to leave.
“Ric? Where are you going? You just arrived,” she stops him.
He turns to her with a smile, “I had some work to do. Besides, seeing you in good condition has already eased my mind.”
“Are you going to come back? I got a lot of gossip!” she grins.
“Of course, I do,” Riccardo chuckles. “Well, see you, sweetie.”
The door closed. The tension still lingering in the air. Melody turns to Damian, who is still in his place, looking at the ground.
“Why can’t you just listen to him? I have nothing to do with what Matthias did to me…” she fiddles with her fingers.
“Did you eavesdrop?” Damian glares at her.
“I’m not. Both of your voices were so loud, and what do you expect? Our kitchen is just there,” she rolls her eyes.
“Whatever. Don’t mind him,” Damian sighs and is about to walk off.
Melody furrows her eyebrows. She doesn’t understand what is wrong with this man. She ran after him, walking alongside him.
“You know Riccardo is not the one we should blame, right? You just use him to lash out your anger about what happened to me,” Melody says the truth.
“Mel, neither will you stop talking about this or I will make you,” he firmly speaks.
She huffs, “So, it was true. You use him to lash out your anger. That’s not fair for him!!”
“Nothing is fair in this world, Mel!!” Damian raised his voice as he stopped, looking at her. “He didn’t lose someone he loved!”
“I lose my twin because of him! I can’t put trust in him after that! But when you came, you tried to bring back our friendship!”
“I try my best to accept him back but after the incident we’re going through, I just can’t put trust in him! I don’t want to put risk and lose you! He took my twin from me! Tell me what is not fair for him and me!?”
Melody stands there, listens to his words. She could hear the pain and fear in his voice. He wants to put his trust in Riccardo, but the fear of that guy betraying him again, hunting him until today.
“You want to talk about fair? Nothing is fair in this world, Mel. Every little thing you did had its consequences.”