Chapter 4

Melissa spent the whole night staring at the ceiling with wide eyes and a racing heart. She tangled her sweaty body in the sheets to remove Hugo's scent from her skin, but it only made her think about him more until she finally drifted off.

The next morning, Melissa watched the sunrise in peace as she sipped a steaming cup of Earl Grey. Images of the previous night flickered through her mind as she prepared for the day ahead when her ringtone distracted her.

Melissa glanced at the screen to see her mother calling and she gave a heavy sigh. She pulled her jumper over her head and answered the call.

"Good morning, Mum, you're up early."

"Good morning, Mandy, a day like this should not be wasted. We have a lot to do today."

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Mum, you're exaggerating. How long can hair and make-up possibly take?"

"It can take anywhere from an hour to several hours depending on the equipment and base I have to work on. When should I expect you to pick me up?"

"I was just about to leave. Shall we say in 20 minutes?"

"Perfect, I'm ready."

Melissa ended the call and hurried to the car. Her mind was still puzzled over Hugo's unexpected visit and her reaction to it.

She couldn't deny the odd chemistry between them that made her knees weak and her heart race at the same time. His presence was intimidating and imposed respect, which only made her want to do exactly the opposite. Whereas with Andres, she had found their encounter at the funeral very natural and easy.

Her mother was waiting in the driveway of her house and hopped into Melissa's rental as soon as she slowed the car. She eyed Melissa's cosy jumper and leggings with disgust.

"I see you have little thought of other people's opinions," her mother said, sniffing with disapproval. "What if Andres showed up at your house uninvited?"

Touché

Her mother's innocent words brought Melissa back to Hugo's unexpected appearance and hungry eyes, but she forced herself to remain present.

"Well, if he doesn't appreciate me for who I am, we can't be such a good match after all."

Melissa's mother rolled her eyes. "Mandy, why do you have to be so complicated? It's common courtesy to at least run a brush through your hair before leaving the house!"

Melissa quickly eyed her mother and grinned. The nickname her mother used didn't really match her full name. She had preferred the one her father had given her, but now with her father being gone, she was happy to have shared it only with him.

Melissa observed the traffic and forced a cheery smile.

"Then it must be your lucky day as my hair has never looked better," she replied, shaking her head to allow her golden locks to bounce on her shoulders.

During the twenty-four hours she had been in the small town, the seaside had already given her hair an added shine and much-needed volume, which she tried to compensate for with expensive hair care products in London.

Naturally, the authentic sea breeze was always better than a bottle, she thought and briefly brushed her hair back.

"That's not the point!" her mother snapped, crossing her hands over her chest.

Melissa turned into the familiar street and parked on the side of her father's driveway. She helped her mother out of the car and followed her inside.

"Oh, sweetheart, it's so warm and cosy here!" her mother exclaimed. "How did you manage to settle in so fast?"

Melissa dropped her keys onto the kitchen table and her thoughts returned to Hugo.

She huffed at his demand to cancel her date with Andres and wished she had argued back more, but his overwhelming presence and seducing cologne had clouded her thoughts. Had she sounded desperate?

"Melissa, are you listening to me?"

Her mother's voice brought her back to reality and she blinked. "Sorry, Mum, I missed your last words, what?"

Her mother sniffed at her. "I just said the house looks liveable again. It's such a shame no one lives here full time."

Her mother gazed around the kitchen with a curious smile, and Melissa worried that she'd be expected to stay.

She cleared her throat and sat down at the table, hanging her jacket over the back of the chair. "Don't get any ideas, will you? Like I said many times, I'm just visiting for the weekend."

"Yes, yes…I know," her mother said with a dismissive tone. "Come on, we've no time to waste. We need to get you ready for tonight."

Before Melissa could prepare a pot of tea, her mother strode toward the stairs and headed upstairs. Melissa sighed and followed her. She sat quietly on her bed and watched her mother go through her small weekender and then her old closet.

"I can't believe you didn't bring anything remotely presentable for the weekend!" her mother exclaimed as she rifled through Melissa's holiday bag.

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Mum, I came here to attend Patrick's funeral, not to go on dates and entertain myself."

Her mother brushed her forehead. "I know, Mandy, but regardless, you should always be ready for opportunities like this and prepare yourself a little bit, don't you think?"

"Well, I do have my little black dress and pumps from yesterday," Melissa suggested.

Melissa's mother gaped with horror. "Don't be absurd! You can't wear your funeral dress on a date! Especially as you met your date at the same funeral! What is wrong with you, Melissa?"

Melissa sniggered with amusement. "Good point, Mum. I guess I'm so used to it by now. I wear black dresses all the time at the office, at parties and at after-work drinks, it's practical and always looks elegant. "

Her mother nodded with satisfaction. "Well, that's why you have me to guide you, Mandy. Lucky you."

"Lucky me, indeed," Melissa repeated with sarcasm, rolling her eyes.

Her mother smiled, oblivious to Melissa's tone, and unzipped a large make-up bag on the desk.

"Mum, don't you think this is a slight overkill? You know I prefer to keep it simple," Melissa said, eyeing all the tubes and palettes as she took a seat.

Her mother grinned. "I wanted to come prepared as I didn't know what you had brought with you, and based on what I have seen so far, you're lucky that I did. "

"I didn't know I needed all this stuff on my face for a simple make-up look."

"You don't as you have very good foundation on your face, this only gives us a little bit of choice as we don't know yet what you're going to wear."

Melissa widened her eyes, surprised by the genuine compliment, which was not typical for her mother who was a master of complaining.

Her mother placed a few rollers in her hair and applied a brown base of brown eyeshadow to her eyelids, adding a plum hue to bring out Melissa's blue eyes. She made her pupils pop with a few coats of jet-black mascara and the plum shade of lipstick complemented her peachy foundation and blush.

A few minutes later, her mother removed the rollers and stepped back to eye her daughter.

"Voila, Mandy, I have to say, you look stunning! Even I would want to date you!" her mother chirped, closing the last eye shadow palette.

Melissa grinned. "Mum, please never say that again. I think that's considered child abuse."

Her mother chuckled and said, "Well, you look gorgeous, and this look is so easy to achieve, even for work."

Melissa raised her eyebrows. It was the first time she had heard her mother even remotely support her choice to move out of the small town and build a career.

"Anyway, what do you think?" her mother asked.

Melissa touched her hair and admired her new look in the mirror. "I look so different."

"Well, good different?" her mother pressed.

Melissa nodded. "I think so. I mean, it looks amazing, just not exactly like me."

"I know, sweetheart, and to be honest, I didn't even realise the results before I finished," her mother said, stroking Melissa's hair softly. "I must be very talented."

"Of course, Mum, what else could it be?" Melissa said with a sarcastic tone.

This time, Melissa's mother noticed her tone and said, "Obviously I had a good base to start with."

Melissa grinned through the mirror. "Thank you, Mum."

"Well, if you really think about it, even the base is something I created, once upon a time."

Melissa put down the hand mirror and stared at her mother. "Mum, why is it that you have to ruin every simple compliment with a side note?"

"Well sweetheart, who would argue with the truth?"

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Never mind - which dress should I wear?"

Her mother darted over to the closet and pulled out an icy blue gown with long sleeves and a sensual cut.

"Wait, this isn't my dress," Melissa said, touching the light fabric.

"I know, Mandy, luckily I threw a couple of outfits together just in case!" her mother replied with triumph.

Melissa glared at her mother and gazed at the dress in her hands. "I'm not joking, where did you get this dress?"

"Oh, sweetheart, it's something I bought some time ago but never had a chance to wear," her mother explained. "I think it would look great on you with your make-up and all."

Melissa eyed the elegant garment as doubt overwhelmed her. She had to admit, it was a beautiful, elegant dress with a sensual cut. It wasn't too revealing, on the contrary, it left much for the imagination, which was refreshing considering the mini dresses she had witnessed in London on Friday nights on her way home from the office.

"I don't know, Mum. It's a beautiful dress, but I'm not sure it's my style," Melissa hesitated. "I never really wear colours apart from black and occasionally beige."

Melissa's mother stared at her with pity. "I know, sweetheart, but that's why you should give it a try. Who knows, you might be pleasantly surprised."

Melissa opened her mouth to respond when her mother's phone chimed. She raised her finger to silence her with a smile and answered the phone. Melissa turned her eyes back to the mirror and touched her bouncy new locks whilst listening to her mother's childish giggle over the phone.

"Oh stop, darling, of course I have time for you," her mother said, brushing the air and grinning flirtatiously as if the person was standing in front of her. "No, I'm not doing anything special at the moment. Sure let's meet there in the next half an hour or so?"

Melissa rolled her eyes at the sudden turn of events. Her mother always got bored with her daughter only to find interest in something more glamorous. She watched her mother carefully collect the makeup equipment from the table and close her bag.

"Right, Mandy, as much fun as this has been, I'm afraid there is another engagement that requires my presence shortly. I hope you don't mind."

Without waiting for Melissa's reply, she turned on her heels and walked toward the staircase. Melissa grinned to her back and lifted the small suitcase her mother had left for her to carry down. She followed her to the front door.

"Have fun tonight, sweetheart, and enjoy!" her mother said, kissing Melissa on both cheeks and grabbing her bag from Melissa.

"I'll do my very best and thank you for all your help," Melissa said, putting a brave smile on her face.

Her mother nodded and turned away when Melissa spoke quickly. "Do you want me to drive you to your next engagement?"

Regardless of their difficult relationship, she instantly regretted not showing more appreciation for the hard work her mother had done. After all, she was her only living parent now.

"Oh no, don't be silly," her mother protested. "I'll find my own way. Besides, you need to finish getting ready!"

Melissa nodded. "OK, I'll talk to you tomorrow on my way back?"

"You better; I want all the details of tonight!" her mother replied. "Speak soon, Mandy."

Melissa smiled as she closed the door and rested her head against the cold wood. Her head throbbed behind her eyes and she considered again calling off the evening with Andres, but she didn't want all her mother's effort to go to waste. Plus, she could use a nice evening out.

Melissa returned to her old bedroom and eyed the dress her mother had picked up for her. It was a beautiful dress and just as her mother had said, it would emphasise her figure and looks perfect, so after a short while of consideration, she slid into the dress.

She turned to look in the mirror and her eyes bulged with surprise. The fabric was soft but firm and the dress hugged her curvy figure like a glove and brought more attention to her peachy behind. Its mid-length emphasized her narrow ankles and made her legs look longer than they were. Melissa smiled at her newfound beauty and twirled in front of the mirror.

Suddenly, Hugo's face appeared in her mind as she imagined flaunting her defined figure in front of him.

Over my dead body, she thought and shook the thought away. Now was definitely not the time to sacrifice any thought to Andres's arrogant older brother. She gave a stern look at the clock in the room.

It was time to go.

Melissa reapplied her lipstick in the mirror and threw a black blazer over her arms. She slipped into her black high heels and hurried out to her car. She had decided to drive after all as she didn't want to be dependent on anyone, even though she was sure Andres would be a perfect gentleman and send someone to take her home if she asked.

She drove silently through the tortuous road towards the Ferrero mansion to the most affluent yet private part of the town.

She hadn't been near the mansion since the time ten years ago when she had followed the beachline for hours and eventually ended up at the entrance of one of their private beaches. Contrary to her normal behaviour, she had broken through the small fence and sat down on the clean, white sand to enjoy the silence until she heard quick steps behind her.

"What are you doing here, this is private property!"

Melissa stood up and quickly turned around like a rabbit caught in the spotlight.

"Cat got your tongue?" the boy had asked with a soft foreign accent, which Melissa now recognised as Hugo's.

She had been so caught off guard that she had quickly run away without saying a word, leaving Hugo to watch her go.

That day had been just after the late Mrs Ferrero had drowned, and since then, she hadn't dared to enter the private land of the Ferrero family, before Andres's invitation.

After a short drive, Melissa cruised through the open gates and slowly drove along the well-kept driveway towards the Victorian castle. She gazed up at the stone walls of the two towers and admired the heavy door covered in Devil's Ivy. The fortress reminded her of the one in the fairy tales she used to read as a child.

Melissa stepped out of her car and enjoyed the beautiful scent of the blooming flower beds that stretched to the main gate as she strode towards the main entrance.

She knocked on the door and Andres opened it immediately.

"Good evening, Melissa, I'm glad you could make it," he greeted, pausing to look at his wrist. "On time."

Melissa smiled. "I'm glad you invited me, the place looks amazing and the fresh flower beds outside look divine."

"I'm glad you like them, Melissa," Andres replied. "May I take your blazer?"

"Oh, yes…thank you," Melissa hesitated, a little conscious of her new style, but she removed her blazer and handed it to her date.

Andres placed it on his lap and continued.

"I know your father was quite the green thumb, so I figured you would appreciate the effort."

Melissa blushed. "You did it to impress me?"

Andres chuckled. "Well, you can't blame me for trying, but I must disappoint you. The installation of the flower beds started last month after my accident. My father figured it would cheer me up since I will be spending more time here. Permanently."

"Oh, I didn't know you would be relocating here permanently," Melissa said, surprised.

"The house has been empty for such a long time."

Andres nodded and grinned. "I know, it's about time someone lived in it, don't you think? Anyway, let me give you a quick tour."

Andres turned in his wheelchair and gestured for Melissa to follow him. Melissa stepped inside the castle and closed the heavy door behind her.

"The engineers have finished installing the lift and ramps around the house for me so I can maintain my independence."

"Oh, that's impressive," Melissa said as she followed Andres into the glass lift. She waited for the lift to move before she opened her mouth again. "Is your father paying for the house's refurbishment?"

Melissa knew she was crossing the line, but she couldn't help being curious about the family they had all been second guessing for her entire life, but to her surprise, Andres didn't seem to mind her curiosity.

"God no, my father doesn't have anything to do with the finances of the house," Andres clarified. "My irresponsible brother is covering the costs, but it's the least he can do."

The lift halted and Andres beckoned for Melissa to step out first.

"Do you know the story of what happened?" Andres asked as he followed her.

Melissa shook her head.

"I can give you a quick summary rather than bore you with details." He smiled and continued. "Well, Patrick and I were partying in London with some friends, but we got too drunk to drive home. I knew Hugo was in town, passing through from one of his escapades with yet another woman…" Andres glanced at Melissa knowingly and continued. "As you might remember, my brother is never satisfied with one – so I asked if he could give us a lift."

Melissa tried to recall anything remotely of Hugo from their early years in the town, but for some reason, she really didn't have any recollection of him, let alone his love affairs. On the contrary, he had been extremely introverted for as long as Melissa could remember, but there was absolutely no reason for his brother to lie for him.

"Anyhow, Hugo turned out to be drunk, but we stupidly got into his car anyway. During the journey, Hugo crashed into a lorry in the other lane. Patrick died instantly, but for me – permanent spinal cord injury…hence the chair."

"Oh…"

Melissa gulped at Andres's tragic story but his blasé comment about Hugo circled in her mind.

Never satisfied with one woman…she thought as last night's events flashed through her mind.

Now it made sense. Her heart deflated at Hugo dismissing her as one of his many conquests.

"Are you ok, Melissa? You've gone very pale all of sudden, do you want to sit down? I know the lift can make people lightheaded if you're not used to it."

Melissa shook her head. "Oh no, I'm fine. I didn't have a proper lunch today, so I guess I'm hungry."

Andres nodded. "Say no more, let's go back down to enjoy dinner and we can resume the tour later."

Andres turned towards the lift again and the two of them remained silent all the way down.

Once they reached the bottom, Melissa gasped as they entered the towering dining area that had a lengthy table with twelve seats and a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Multiple white candles adorned the table and the firelight made the chandelier's crystal droplets glisten around the room. Despite the glamour, Andres' family had made the effort to move the furniture around and add disability rails for Andres to move through the room with ease.

"It's stunning in here!" Melissa exclaimed.

Andres beamed. "I know, it's pretty breathtaking. It's actually a signature design of my mother's before she passed away. She always loved the romantic style. In fact, my mother did all the internal alternations in the house, but she was always adamant to leave the exterior in its original state. She considered it too romantic to destroy, and of course, my father couldn't argue with her…he was too in love."

Melissa smiled softly and gazed around the room like an excited child as she followed Andres to the end of the table.

The twelfth chair had been removed for Andres, but the one next to his spot had been reserved for Melissa.

"I would pull the chair for you, but you know how it is," Andres said with a sigh.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Melissa brushed off as she took a seat, glancing around the massive room that could have catered for tens of people, yet they were dining alone.

"I think the chef has prepared lobster with garlic and vegetables tonight, but I'll make sure we have mint tea afterwards, so we don't have any breath issues," Andres said.

Melissa laughed. "Good idea! But only if we both have it, so we won't then smell it on each other."

Andres beamed. "Deal then! I hope you like lobster?"

Melissa smiled and placed a napkin on her lap. "Yes, I'm a pescatarian, so I only eat seafood."

Andres popped open a bottle of white wine and raised his eyebrows.

"Wow, lucky I didn't offer you veal!" he said with amusement as the chef brought out the appetisers.

"Well, I would have felt extremely guilty as it would have been my job to inform you of any allergies or food restrictions before our date," Melissa said and smiled.

"Indeed." Andres nodded, pleased with her reply.

They ate in silence, and after finishing their appetisers, they discussed Andres's career in London, his university experience, and the accident. They briefly talked about Melissa's career as well, and Andres questioned whether she would ever move back to Canford Cliffs. The conversation reverted to Andres' accident a few times and he couldn't help but badmouth his twin brother.

"Andres, you've mentioned your brother quite a lot now during the dinner," she said, wiping the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "Is Hugo staying here with you to help out?"

Andres narrowed his eyes. "Well, he arrived yesterday, but I haven't seen him since. He tends to stay in his part of the house or the local pub drinking his brains out. Why, have you seen him?"

Her passionate kiss with Hugo filled her mind, but she shook her head and avoided Andres' gaze. "Of course not, I just wondered since you've mentioned him quite a few times tonight."

"Well, I'm sure you would as well if he'd ruined your life!" Andres snapped. "Unlike him, I can't practically find a woman because of the state he put me in!"

Melissa's eyes bulged with surprise and she fell silent. Andres sighed and a sweet smile returned to his face.

"I'm sorry for my outburst, Melissa, I didn't mean to direct my frustration towards you," Andres apologised, and he buried his face into his hands in such a manner that Melissa felt sorry for him.

"It's okay, I understand," Melissa said.

"It's ironic, isn't it?" Andres exclaimed, sobbing. "I waited so long to build my career and create my own path without thinking about women, but I'm now unable to attract a woman's desire because of this stupid wheelchair!"

Melissa's heart broke for Andres. She stroked his back and turned to face him.

"Andres, I'm sure there are millions of women who would die to be your wife and share their life with you," Melissa assured, touching his hand over the table. "You're attractive, charming, and you have a good sense of humour. Traits any woman would be stupid to overlook."

Andres eyed her with suspicion. "Are you saying you wouldn't mind this wheelchair at all?"

Melissa withdrew her hand and weighed her response.

"If I loved someone, absolutely not. Your wheelchair would have nothing to do with how I felt about you."

Andres nodded and leaned closer to her. "What about the sexual interaction… and children - I assume you want one?"

Melissa straightened her back and blushed with embarrassment. She didn't want to share such detail with a person she hardly knew, but for the sake of good manners, she forced a smile and continued.

"Well, I'm sure there would be a way to enjoy a physical relationship, and there are many options for people who want children, so I wouldn't worry about it too much."

Andres grinned. "God, Melissa, you are a person with such a good heart. I feel more alive than ever since my accident."

"I'm glad, you should be happy to be alive. Life itself is a miracle."

"Say no more," Andres replied, and he lifted his wine glass. "To us, Melissa, and a bright future."

Melissa laughed with warmth and raised her glass in the air. "I'll drink to that."

The light conversation continued for the rest of the dinner and Melissa stood from the table to excuse herself.

"Sorry, where's the bathroom?" she asked.

"From the main hall to the right and up, you can't miss it," Andres directed.

Melissa thanked him and headed towards the spiral staircase and realised how much the wine had affected her. Her vision blurred and she had to grab the handle to get upstairs.

Once she reached the top and staggered towards the first door, a familiar, musky scent caught her attention. Melissa touched the door handle when she noticed the shadow of a dark figure reflected on a framed painting on the wall. She gasped and turned, staring into the corridor. She couldn't see anything suspicious, but she could sense someone watching her.

"Melissa, is everything ok up there? Did you find the bathroom?" Andres called from downstairs.

"Yeah, I found it; everything's fine!" Melissa yelled back.

She used the bathroom as fast as possible and returned to Andres, who had moved to the main salon. He waited in front of a massive fireplace and beckoned her towards two more glasses of wine on the mantelpiece. Another open bottle sat in a metal bucket of ice.

"I don't think I should drink much more, I don't want to disrespect you by drinking and driving," Melissa declined, eyeing the full glass.

"Nonsense, Melissa," Andres dismissed, and he wheeled closer to the table and took a long sip of the cold wine. "Come and sit with me on the sofa."

Andres used his arm strength to lift himself onto the couch and Melissa sat beside him with her wine glass.

"Your athletic background seems to have come in handy with the wheelchair," Melissa observed.

Andres nodded briefly. "Yep, even if the legs don't work, my hands are stronger than ever."

Andres winked and made a sexual gesture with his fingers. Melissa raised her eyebrow at the vulgar expression but forced a fake giggle. She didn't want to upset him now he could finally focus on something positive.

Andres sipped his drink and placed his empty glass on the table before them, and Melissa did the same. "To be honest, Melissa, sharing a meal and catching up is not the only reason why I invited you here today."

"Oh, is that so?"

Andres twisted his fingers and bit his lip. "I must confess that I have always been fond of you. Some would even call it love, but I never approached you when we were younger." He smiled apologetically. "None of us thought you were very approachable."

Melissa gaped at Andres' revelation. "Oh dear, Andres, I had no idea!"

"Well, you do now," Andres replied with a grin. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. "I know you're not dating anyone at the moment, and I understand that you are focused on your career and all, but wouldn't it be nice to share the burden of building your career with someone who has a mutual interest in life?"

Melissa remained silent and thought back to Hugo. "Who knows, perhaps I could introduce you to some of the businesspeople I know in London," Andres added. "I could help you skyrocket your firm's portfolio!"

"I don't know, Andres, I'm not sure it's a good enough reason to start dating," Melissa doubted.

Andres' mouth quivered into a wolf smile. "Oh, I must have explained myself poorly, Melissa. I don't want to just date you, I want you to marry me."

"What?!" Melissa exclaimed, incredulous.

"Of course, I wouldn't dare to offer you anything short-term. You are way more valuable than that," Andres clarified.

The mysterious meaning of his words was left unnoticed as she eyed him in shock.

"But you don't even know me!" Melissa cried.

"Sometimes, you don't have to spend years getting to know someone before you realise that they're the one. Don't you believe in that, Melissa?"

Melissa fell silent again as she considered the lack of experience she had had with love and relationships. Could it be that easy? She had no idea.

"Melissa, I mean it, all I want to do is make you happy. Who knows, maybe you will fall in love with me eventually?" Andres pressed, tugging her face closer to his.

Andres' alcohol-filled breath tickled her face as she allowed him to lean in and kiss her, but the sudden sound of glass shattering outside the room cut the moment. Melissa jumped back and covered her mouth.

"Don't worry, it's probably one of the waiters," Andres assured.

Embarrassed that she had let both brothers kiss her within the same twenty-four hours, Melissa got to her feet and rushed for the exit. "I need to go."

"Wait, Melissa!" Andres yelled, but Melissa didn't stop until she heard a loud bump behind her.

She turned to see Andres on the floor a short distance from his wheelchair. Out of guilt, Melissa assisted him back into his chair.

"Thank you, Melissa," Andres said with a smile. "You see, I do need you."

Melissa returned his smile but remained silent. The last twenty-four hours had filled her with too much confusion to handle, so she wanted to get home to clear her head.

"Please marry me, Melissa! You would make me a very happy man!" Andres begged.

Melissa sighed. "I don't know, Andres, I barely know you and it's not the best way to start a marriage. I always thought it should start with a great love story."

A dark shadow appeared on Andres' beautiful face and his voice sharpened. "Really? Let me remind you that a great love story didn't save your parents' marriage."

Melissa frowned. "How do you know that?"

"Please, everyone in town knew about it. Your mother couldn't stop talking about it until my mother told her to keep her marital problems within the family and work them out with your father," Andres explained as he wheeled closer like a preying tiger.

Melissa blushed at her mother's familiar behaviour. She had always been a gossip, but Melissa had secretly hoped that she didn't blab her marital problems with everyone in the town. She had clearly been wrong.

Andres softened his voice and stopped in front of her. "Think about it, Melissa. At least we could avoid all those problems by being a team."

"I will think about it," Melissa whispered, eyeing her shoes.

She turned to leave when Andres said something that halted her in her tracks.

"I didn't want to be the one to tell you, but if we married, I would be able to assist you with the outstanding debt held against your father's house. I'm sure you don't want to lose it."

Melissa jerked her head up. "What are you talking about?"

Andres smiled apologetically. "It seems that your mother is more high maintenance as an ex-wife than your father thought, and she incurred a large debt over the years after their divorce. Your father had eventually settled some outstanding bills against the house's value, but he didn't have the time to finish the repayments, so the house now belongs to the bank unless you have the cash to pay it."

The blood drained from Melissa's face, and she turned pale. "My father wouldn't do that! Not without telling me first."

"I think you'll find he would, Melissa," Andres said. "Why would an old man admit his love for a woman who only cared about his monthly financial support?"

"Oh my God!" Melissa cried, recognising Andres' description of her father, who always spoke lovingly about her mother despite all the demands she had put on him over the years.

"I know, it's tragic, and I'm sorry to be the bearer of the bad news," Andres said, lifting his hand to caress her cheek.

Melissa brushed his hand away and stepped back from Andres' touch. "I have to go."

Andres opened his arms in surrender. "Think about it and check the facts if you like, but it's common knowledge. I'm surprised you know nothing about it."

"I will, thanks," she said.

Melissa dashed towards the door as multiple questions filled her mind. None of what Andres said made sense to her.

"Leave the car behind, will you? I'll call you an uber," Andres called after her again and pulled his mobile phone from his pocket. "I would hate for you to disrespect me by drinking and driving."

His ironic remark was left unnoticed as the uncomfortable silence stood between them. Melissa tapped her heel on the floor and brushed her neck nervously. She didn't want to come across as ungrateful, but she couldn't wait to get home to prove Andres wrong, though, deep inside, she was sure there was a hint of truth in Andres's words. She just hoped that the damage done was fixable.

"Ok, the uber should be here any minute now. You're free to wait at the main gate if you wish, it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes," Andres said and closed his phone.

Melissa nodded and closed the door behind her. She hurried to the main entrance and shivered as she waited a few minutes for her driver.

When the Uber arrived, she hopped inside and suddenly remembered that she had left her only blazer behind.

"Shit!" she exclaimed under her breath, already dreading her return to get it before she returned to London.

Melissa exhaled and tried to erase both brothers and her family's debt from her thoughts. She let the heat of the car warm her skin and drift her to sleep.

***

Hugo winced as he picked small shards of glass from his palm. He never planned to eavesdrop on his brother's date, but listening to Andres' proposal stabbed him deep for a reason he couldn't explain. He hadn't thought about Melissa for a long time before Patrick's funeral and his visit to her father's house, but now she entered his mind more than he liked to admit.

His childhood obsession had merely been down to the curiosity of a teenage boy and an escape from the sibling rivalry his brother had taken to the extreme over his unreasonable jealousy concerning their mother.

Still, Melissa's stubborn character mixed with the innocent way she flaunted herself in front of him made her irresistible to him. Hugo still had no intention of pursuing his ridiculous childhood crush, but his brother's proposal and her obvious consideration made him squeeze the glass in his hand, the edges penetrating his skin as the calmness he craved engulfed him.