Antonio drove back to the Franco family in a blaze of glory, running every red light along the way.
At the Franco family villa, Fabiana, dressed in a housecoat and with her long hair down, is sitting on the couch, with the moment of Kimberly’s collapse that day at the hospital on her mind….
It hurts, doesn’t it?
It must have been painful, but, she didn’t get that rush of pleasure she imagined?
No, the moment she told him the truth that she had been buried for twenty-seven years was a moment of relief, but now, she was restless….
From that day on, more and more restless….
How could that bitch’s daughter, how could she be so quiet, how could she not mess with Antonio, how could she not tear the shattered Carballo family apart again, how could she not initiate the divorce, how could she not piss off that Marisa alive.
And, right now, there are even more difficult things….
Today Adriana was so convinced to defy her and turn the tables on her without the slightest concern, making her suddenly realize that the secret she thought only she and Antonio, Efrain knew about what was left of Antonio’s life, was not known by others… like Adriana.
Did she use this to blackmail Marcos?
Even if she didn’t talk to Marcos now, maybe it was to blackmail him when he wanted to divorce her?
Her two children were very close, even though they shared a mother and father, and yet she gave all the rights of the Franco Group to Antonio so he could take care of the Carballo family. If Adriana had made public that Antonio was related to Katarina, it would have been a devastating blow to the Franco family and to Antonio …..
Therefore, Marcos must have compromised with Adriana….
A vague feeling of remorse arose in Fabiana’s heart, had she destroyed with her own hands the happiness of her two children?
A loud knock was heard and the closed door was kicked open from the outside.
Fabiana was startled and the great commotion caused her father Ephraim, who was in the study upstairs, to come out and see …..
Antonio strides in with all his murderous aura and rage, like a malevolent fury from hell….
Fabiana stood up, seeing Antonio so full of fury for the first time.
-Ho…
Antonio threw his hand on her neck.
-Mom, what the hell do you take me for! I told you I only want Katarina, don’t hurt her, don’t let her know the truth, I told you Kimberly has had what she deserved, you got everything you wanted, why do you have to go so far! If I’m just an instrument for your revenge, to be used only for you in this life, I’d rather you hadn’t given birth to me!
Antonio’s eyes were red with anger and his hands full of strength, his sanity was gone at this moment…..
He saw in Katarina’s eyes the despair, the heart like dead, the boundless pain she had given, when it could have been avoided, when it could have been good to be together, when there was only a little bit left and everything could have continued in a good direction….
Fabiana rolled her eyes and her throat burned…..
-Antonio, you want your mother’s life!
Efrain, who was running down the stairs, was so angry that he yanked Antonio away, and Fabiana fell backwards onto the sofa, coughing violently….
Antonio shook off Efrain’s hand and stared at Fabiana, who had not recovered her breath.
-Why are you doing this? You obviously promised me you wouldn’t tell her, why did you do it anyway! I told you, I love her, I only love her! Is it true that you can’t see me being happy?
Fabiana stopped her dry cough, her throat still very annoyed, and looked at him.
-Antonio, this isn’t right….
Antonio laughed, a bitter laugh with a touch of sarcasm.
-Why didn’t you think it was wrong when you first told me to pay attention to her and told me to marry her? Why do you think I was willing to listen to you, to approach her, to pay attention to her? Because I’ve liked her from the beginning! Don’t tell me you didn’t see that! Why didn’t you stop me then? Now I can’t live without her and you tell me it’s not right?
Antonio was afraid to admit it before, and only at this moment did he wake up to the fact that his mother’s order in the first place only happened to give him a legitimate reason to approach her….
Fabiana’s fists clenched with a pang of weakness.
-Yes, I could see then that you cared for her in an unusual way, but you are her seed, and like him, sooner or later you will move on, so what does it matter if you play with her daughter and then throw her out!
Antonio’s chest was rising and falling.
-And do you know why Kimberly chose Marisa, loved her all her life and has not moved on until today?
Ephraim grabbed Antonio’s arm to stop him.
-Antonio, stop saying that!
This is the pain of his life?
Antonio, impassive, stared at Fabiana and said, word for word.
-Because Marisa is kinder than you and more deserving of love than you. Kimberly loves her much more than you, so much that she is willing to take the blame and take her away…..
-Snap!
Fabiana stands up and throws a strong slap that deflects Antonio’s face….
His face was full of grimaces and the only thing he could think was that he wasn’t wrong!
It was Kimberly who was wrong and Marisa who was wrong!
It was all her fault!
She was in love with him, they were already talking about marriage, and if that damn bitch hadn’t seduced Kimberly, her twenty-seven year revenge wouldn’t have happened!
Antonio put his tongue to his flaming cheek from the blow and looked back with derision.
-You’re right, his son… he’s also your son, your son, who fell in love with his own sister and married his own sister, and you call that wrong don’t you? I tell you I’ll always be wrong like that.
Then he shook off Ephraim’s hand and walked away.
-Antonio!
Fabiana pulled his sleeve and spoke in a hoarse voice.
-Antonio, listen to mom, finish, this is the last time, go ahead…..
-There’s no turning back, I’ve come back to tell you that this is the last time I’m coming back! If you want to destroy me, try it!
He turned around and left.
-Antonio!
Efrain shouted.
Antonio pauses.
Ephraim approaches him.
-Antonio, are you turning against mom and dad because of that woman?
Antonio scoffed, looking at Fabiana before looking back at Efrain, with a look of no warmth.
-You made me do it.
After a pause, the coldness in his eyes diminished a little.
-Dad, the love you feel for her is a foolish love. I thank you for treating me as your own for twenty years, and from now on I won’t go back half as far.
Antonio was about to leave when Fabiana stepped in front of him.
Fabiana, strong as she is, looks at her son, who is determined to go, and softens.
-Antonio, I didn’t mean to tell Katarina that I remembered my promise to you, I just wanted to give Kimberly a hard time, I had her watched to see if she was back, but somehow it slipped my mind and she was standing outside the living room and heard it, I really didn’t mean to tell her… -. I didn’t mean to tell her…
Thinking about the look on Katarina’s face, about every word she said, Antonio’s heart ached beyond words, and he put his hand to his heart, trying to ease the pain.
-What’s the difference? It all came out the same.
It’s not like I plan to give Kimberly a death blow and nothing happens….
-Antonio, now this thing, we’re not the only ones….
She wanted to talk to him, and Adriana probably knew it, and wanted him to nibble and think it over calmly in the long run, when Antonio’s phone rang suddenly….
He pulled out his cell phone and it was Katarina, his heart shrank, she still cared about him, didn’t she?
Antonio quickly answers.
-Katarina…
Katarina’s sobbing voice was heard.
-Where have you been, hurry back…