CHAPTER XXX
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SOPHIA SAT ON her seat, as her course mates walked into the classroom before lectures for that day would commence. Most of them were shocked to see her while some sent curious stares her way. Obviously, they would be shocked after not seeing her for weeks.
But that was the least of her problems. She couldn’t stop thinking about how Lucas had behaved with her. When he hugged her and said something in Italian, she was shocked. She couldn’t believe he had hugged her. When she had gone out of her shock, she hugged him back to tell him thank you and that was when she realized that not everything was meant to last. He had pushed her away and was back to his normal, cruel self. And, he just walked away, leaving her a confused mess.
“Buona fortuna sorellina,” Those were the same words he had uttered to her.
She couldn’t shake it off no matter how she tried. It was always with Chase she hoped she learnt to speak and understand Italian, but at that moment, it was worse. The need to know the language was gnawing at her and she desperately wanted to know what Lucas had said.
“Where did you disappear off to?”
Sophia flinched and turned. When she saw the person that had spoken behind her, she placed her hand on her chest and breathed out in relief. “You scared me, Maya”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
“Was that your brother?” Another person asked from her other side. “You never told us you had a brother”
Sophia turned to the other side and glared at the other person. She pursed her lips. “Alessia”
Maya and Alessia were her close- no, best-friends from high-school. Maya was the cool, reserved type while Alessia was the big softie portraying herself to be the party and crazy type-she actually was. Sophia was just… the shy, naive and innocent one.
“What?” Alessia shrugged her shoulders. “I was only asking if he was your brother”
Sophia frowned. “Who?”
“The guy -” Alessia looked towards the door as if anyone was there. “The one who walked you to the class and hugged you”
“Why would you think he’s my brother?” Sophia asked. She didn’t want to talk to them about the whole dilemma she was in. Not yet. Not until she found a solution.
“Well, you’re not the type to date anytime soon. Plus, you both kind of had the same eye color,”
Sophia shook her head. “Lucas is anything but my brother. And yeah, so what if he has the same eye color with mine? It’s nature. Someone out there too has the same eye color with me and it doesn’t make them my brother”
“Whoa,” Alessia smiled. “Calm down inno-”
Alessia was cut off by Maya. “Would you please tell us where you’ve been all this while? You had us worried, not to talk of your Nana” There. That was the typical Maya; the one who cares about everyone’s wellbeing. It wasn’t like Alessia doesn’t care too. She does, but in her own crazy way.
Sophia blanched at the mention of her Nana, and she turned to Maya. “Is she alright? I hope nothing bad has happened to her?”
“She’s okay now. I don’t know what she was told, but she stopped searching for you after that. And-, “Maya opened her bag and brought out a white envelope which was crumpled by the sides, “She asked me to give you this. I’m sorry its crumpled though. I used to bring it to college every day with the hopes that you’d come one day”
Sophia collected the envelope. “Thanks a lot, Maya. I’ll read this later”
Maya gave Sophia a hesitant stare. “Are you sure you don’t want to do that now?”
Sophia had a slight suspicion that Chase was behind whatever her Nana must’ve been told to calm down. Whatever it was had to be written there, and she didn’t want either of them to know about it. “I-No” She gave them a tight-lipped smile before putting the note in her bag. “I’ll read it later. I’d love to catch up with you two first”
“Well then -“Alessia called out. “Do you care to explain what someone as dangerous as Luca Romano was doing here with you? And hugging you like that? Are you both a thing? Is that why you suddenly disappeared from home?”
“What do you mean we’re a thing?” Sophia asked, turning to Alessia.
Alessia slammed her palm on her forehead. “Even after disappearing for weeks, you know nothing about life. It means you both are dating. I was asking if you guys were dating?”
Sophia replied. “Luca and I aren’t a thing, Alessia. And what makes you think he’s dangerous?” She knew just how dangerous Lucas was, no one needed to tell her about that, but did that mean everyone knew too? Was seeing the both of them together the reason she got most of those shocked and curious stares from people since she had walked into her class?
“Who doesn’t know Lucas Romano is dangerous?” Alessia said. “I’m not making it up, trust me. Ask Maya, you know she won’t ever support me in something like that”
Sophia didn’t need to turn to face Maya because the latter replied. “Yeah, he’s dangerous. Heard a lot about him,”
“His cousin is worse” Alessia leaned in, so her stomach was over the table and whispered to the both of them so no one would hear
Sophia could hear the loud sound of her heart beating wildly against its ribcage in her ears. She didn’t need anyone to tell her it was Chase that was being talked about. “What?” She blurted out louder than she should have done.
Alessia glared at Sophia, her blonde hair falling over her face because of the position she was in. “Are you mad, Soph? Do you want anyone to know we’re talking about them?”
“What did I do?” Sophia frowned with a pout on her lips.
“Don’t speak too loud. You’re going to draw attention to us,” Alessia pushed back her silky locks back over her head. “Now, tell me. How don’t you know Chase Romano when you know Lucas to the point of hugging him?”
“I know Chase, a lot.” Sophia wanted to add but kept her mouth shut.
Alecia’s eyes widened. “You know him? Does he know you?”
Sophia nodded.
That was when Maya dragged Sophia by the shoulder. “What the fuck are you doing with those people? They’re dangerous. Do you know what they do for a living?”
“They kill people” Sophia tried not to shudder at her own indifference.
Maya let go of Sophia’s shoulder and whisper-yelled. “Are you out of your mind, Soph? You’re getting yourself involved with people from the mafia,” Sophia froze, and Maya continued. “Mafia as in, M-A-F-I-A. Those are the type of people you’re getting yourself involved in,”
She didn’t know what exactly the meaning of a mafia was, but she knew it was a dangerous organization. They sold illegal drugs and all sorts of weapons. Some were even engaged in human trafficking and rape, if not worse.
Sophia turned to Maya. “That’s very dangerous”
Alessia snorted out loud. “Didn’t you know they were in the mafia all this while? How did you even end up with them?”
Sophia blurted out her next words absentmindedly. “I got kidnapped”
Her two friends chorused out a shriek. “What the fuck?!”