Chapter 4

That evening at De Luca's estate.

"Father, I believe the young woman with him looks familiar." Francisco addressed his dad. "I just can't place where I saw her." he thought to himself.

Before taking a sip of his whisky, his father gave him a hum.

After returning to their mansion from the McKinley Estate, Leonardo, Francisco, and their father Don Antonio sat in the living room and talked about what had happened earlier.

"I believe she resembles Mama Rachel." Leo spoke as he turned to face his younger brother Francisco.

They glance towards their father after hearing a thud of glass on the middle of the table. Their father said, "I told you not to utter that word again."

"Are you really going to give up like that, Father? What if she is indeed our---“

Francisco was cut off by a glass shuttered behind him, which was the glass of whisky that his father had just thrown at his side.

"I've said enough, I don't want to talk about this again." He stood up and left the living room as he said these remarks, leaving Leo and Francisco dumbfounded.

Francisco sighed deeply and rested his head on the backrest. "I'm just trying to tell him that what if that young lady is our long-lost sibling, and if she is, we'll see Mama Rachel again and ask her why she ran away? Especially with our little sister inside her womb."

"You understand why Francisco..." While scanning some papers, Leonardo told him, "Mama Rachel, can't even sleep a wink in that time that father killed someone in front of her and in that time she was pregnant to our younger sibling."

"I know that, but why?"

"The trauma that a pregnant woman witnessed will not be good for the baby. It was a wise decision to leave than having a nightmare every night and possibly stillbirth our younger sibling inside her womb," Leo said, dropping the papers he was scanning.

Francisco lets out another harsh groan. “Fuck!”

"But, yeah, I think she might be our lost little sibling," commented the man standing at the living room's entry, grasping some papers with photographs on them. He walks over to his brothers and hands them the papers. "When you told me that you saw a look-alike of Michael in one of the restaurants earlier and it's a good thing you captured some pictures of him, I immediately do a little investigation in his background and to his current family and look what I got."

Leonardo grabbed the papers from him. "When it comes to investigation, Erick, you're lightning fast."

Erick, their younger brother, scowls at him. "Of course, I would like to see Michael again. He's like a teacher to me," he explained.

Leonardo smirked at his younger brothers and shook his head in response to his remark; after reading the papers, he passed them to Francisco. Francisco scanned it quickly yet carefully, without letting any information escape into his eyes. He covers his mouth with his right hand since he can't believe the information he's receiving.

As he finishes reading it, he smirks and laughs, bringing his right hand to his forehead and laughing even louder as he leans his head against the backrest. After releasing all of his conflicted emotions, he stated, "That's why we can't even find her, she changed her full name." He sighed, "She is really a very clever woman."

“Matteo!” Yelled Leonardo.

When Leonardo called Matteo, one of their family's trusted men, he instantly went to where they were; in less than a second, Matteo was standing at the door to the living room, where the three brothers were.

"Sir, why have you called me?" Waiting for the brothers' response, Matteo stands at the living room door.

Francisco handed the documents with all of Michael's current family's details. "I want you to track down this man right away in the morning." Matteo took the papers and quickly scanned them after receiving them from Francisco.

"I also want you to find the young lady and bring her here first." Leonardo turns to face Francisco and gives him a serious look. "What?" he questions.

He sighs deeply and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Matteo, just keep an eye on the young lady and don't do anything yet."

"Yes, Senior Leonardo."

"You may go now." Once more, Leonardo turned to Francisco and said, "We will do this step by step, France. Gradually but surely."

__________

As soon as Morning arrived. Richard gets out of bed and takes a fast shower. He dried himself off after showering and changed into black jogger trousers, a grey V-neck that embraces his massive shape, and black stylish sneakers.

As soon as he finished dressing himself, he went downstairs and made his way to the kitchen; as soon as he entered, he asked, "Mother, what do you want for breakfast?" he said, but no one responded.

But no one responded, so he looked at the kitchen counter, where their mother usually spends her time while waiting for them to wake up in the morning.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed. It is still difficult for him to begin his morning routine of cooking for himself, his mother, and, most importantly, his younger sister.

He still can't believe the woman who took him in is no longer with them.

Richard was preparing food in the kitchen when he heard a yawn and muttered.

"Did you sleep well?" Richard asks Linnea who just woke up and who just came down from her room. He didn't let her know how frustrated he was over what had happened to their mother; he needed to be strong for her.

As Linnea entered the kitchen, she yawned again before responding, "Yes, I did sleep very well. What about you?"

Before answering her question, Richard smiled and said, "I did sleep well too, sunshine." He instructed her to take a bath while he made their meal.

Richard returned to the breakfast he was preparing for them. Huevos Rancheros, a genuine Mexican breakfast that's robust, flavorful, and a fantastic way to start the morning. He set the table and got a pitcher of freshly brewed orange juice as soon as he completed cooking their breakfast.

"Where's Llyod?" Linnea asks as she enters the kitchen and takes her seat at the table.

Richard responds as he sits at the table, "Well, I told him to sleep here but he has some work to do even though it's late at night."

Linnea simply nodded and ate her food. Richard, on the other hand, looks worriedly at Linnea. Linnea notices this and asks, "Is there something bothering you?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to move out of here." Richard suddenly said

"Why are we moving out?" Linnea said, puzzled. "This is our mother's house, our house," she remarked worriedly. "...you know very well how she gathered the money to just pay for this entire house for us."

"Linnea, please relax. I understand, but it's very difficult for me to be in here." He admitted after a little pause. "Every time I woke up in the morning and came down here in the kitchen, I still called our mother, but she was nowhere to be found." It's still surreal to me that my mum isn't here with us. It's difficult for me to live in this house without her."

Richard waited for Linnea's response but received nothing, so he stood up in his seat, picked up his car keys, and left their home, leaving Linnea alone in the dining room. Linnea, on the other hand, fell into tears and called her friend Cindy, asking if she could pick her up so they were able to get to their University together.

_____________________

“Are you done crying now?” Cindy ask her.

Linnea was picked up by Cindy at their home. Linnea was sobbing when she opened the door for her after pressing the doorbell at their home. While they were on their way to their University, Linnea told her everything.

“Yeah!” Linnea said through hiccups "A little."

"You know I get your brother. But I see what you're saying." "But you two should talk about it properly," Cindy added. “Richard is partly at fault since he makes decisions without consulting you, but you are also at fault because you become upset easily.”

While driving, Linnea looked at her best friend, and Cindy gazed at her. "Well, your right!" Linnea sniffs and sighs loudly.

“You know your brother can’t stand you, right? He can't tolerate seeing you sad or not talking to you, is what I'm saying.”

“Yeah! I’ll talk to him first late---“ an unexpected call cut Linnea off, and when she looked at her phone, it was her Brother.

“Eyy, speaking of the devil… “ Cindy chuckled “… I told you your brother really loves you and he can't stand you to see so sad.” Linnea smiled at Cindy before she picks up the phone.

“Hello?” she said, trying not to be obvious that she cried

“Are you at your school now?” Richard ask at the other side of the line

“Me and Cindy where almost there.”

“Okay, I’ll pick you up later and let’s talk later about what happened earlier.”

“Okay!” Linnea said.

“Okay…” Richard said in the other side of the line “You know I love you right?”

Linnea started to sniffle again “Yeah, I love you too.”

Richard chuckled at the other side of the line “Stop crying now I’m at fault not you. I don’t want to you crying later, okay?”

“Okay.”

“See you later, I’ll hang up. I love you my little sunshine.”

“I love you too.” As soon as she said those word she hung up and look at Cindy.

“I told you your brother can’t stand you crying or to see you sad.” Linnea look at her friend as she sniffling and gave a nod. Cindy smiled at her and they laugh together.