CHAPTER 23 : The Pink Room

Angela entered the kitchen, her steps are heavy and laden with unease. As she approached the sink, the clinking of the cups seemed to echo through the room, amplifying the tension that hung thick in the air. Lara's conversation with Mrs. Vera intensified, and Angela felt an uncomfortable knot tighten in her stomach.
Each word that spilled from Lara's lips carried a weight, suffocating the room with unspoken implications. Mrs. Gale diligently wiped the wine glasses on the minibar, her motions swift but purposeful as if she too sensed the gravity of the situation unfolding before them.
"Leonardo must agree with you living with him, Lara," Mrs. Vera remarked, her voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and concern.
Lara's response was calculated, her eyes fixed on Angela, silently conveying a deeper meaning. "Leonardo needed a wife to be with him all the time," she said, her voice low and intense, "A wife who could also give her husband advice."
An uneasy silence hung in the air as Mrs. Vera contemplated Lara's words. "You don't have to worry about me, Lara. I like you as Leonardo's fiancée. But Leonardo must decide his life."
The room seemed to hold its breath as the weight of Lara's intentions settled upon them all. And then, Leonardo's voice shattered the silence, causing Angela to startle. He stood there, his wet hair dripping onto the floor, and a sense of anticipation filled the room.
"Are you willing to give me a child?" Leonardo's words cut through the air like a sharp blade, leaving no room for hesitation. Angela's heart raced as she glanced between Lara and Leonardo, uncertainty gripping her tightly.
Before Angela could react, Lara seized Leonardo's hands, guiding him into his chair with a possessive determination. Angela found herself frozen, a bystander in a tense and complex game of desires and expectations.
"I'll give you a son," Leonardo declared, his voice filled with a mix of longing and demand. "And we could only have one if I stay here with you."
Lara pressed on, her plea filled with urgency. "We can have one after the wedding. Please give me a chance, Leonardo, and allow me to serve you in the same way that a wife serves her husband."
As their words hung in the air, Angela retreated to the sink, her hands trembling as she resumed washing the cups. The weight of their conversation bore down upon her as if she were a mere pawn in their intricate dance of power and desire. Then, with a meaningful gaze, Lara turned to Angela.
"Hey," she said, her tone laced with both authority and expectation. "Will you get my suitcases in the car? Here's the key." With a swift motion, she tossed the key to Angela, leaving her caught in the crossfire of their intense ambitions.
Intrigued by Lara's plan and the mysterious dynamics at play, Angela took the key and ventured to Lara's car without seeking Leonardo's approval. The anticipation of discovering Lara's motivations consumed her thoughts. Could it be that Lara was driven by a genuine desire to be in Leonardo's presence? And why did Leonardo not object? Perhaps he too longed for her company.
As Angela opened the car and retrieved the two suitcases, a sense of curiosity swelled within her. She rolled the suitcases back to the house, entering to find Leonardo already standing in the living room. The sound of Angela's presence with the suitcases caught his attention, prompting him to speak.
"Mrs. Gale, take that suitcase to the last door across from Angela's room," Leonardo commanded.
"Follow me, Angela," Mrs. Gale instructed, swiftly seizing the other suitcase.
Angela wordlessly trailed behind Mrs. Gale, her mind filled with questions and anticipation. Mrs. Gale unlocked the door, allowing a rush of dusty air to invade the space, causing Angela to cough involuntarily. Mrs. Gale stepped inside, fumbling for the light switch while Angela stood at the threshold, awaiting the room's illumination. After a brief moment, the room blinked to life, revealing a soft pink hue.
"Is this a baby's room?" Angela questioned, her voice laced with confusion.
Mrs. Gale's response was flat and matter-of-fact. "No, this isn't a child's room; it's Esmeralda's room."
The name Esmeralda struck Angela as unfamiliar. Not once since her arrival had anyone mentioned this name. "Who is Esmeralda?" Angela inquired, her curiosity piqued.
Mrs. Gale, having placed the suitcases under a cupboard, drew closer to Angela, her voice lowered to a whisper. "Never bring up her name again; she was meant to be forgotten. I must clean this room before Miss Lara Chavez enters." With that, Mrs. Gale swiftly exited to retrieve a broom, leaving Angela standing in the doorway, her mind filled with questions and a growing sense of intrigue.
Mrs. Gale's words and Angela's intuition continued to unsettle her. There was an inexplicable sense of foreboding surrounding Esmeralda's name, making Angela shiver involuntarily. As she ran her fingers across the powdery dust on the surface of the pink dresser, a peculiar feeling washed over her. It was as if something had lingered in this room, patiently waiting to be unearthed. Angela couldn't shake the eerie sensation that filled the air.
The mirror on the dresser caught Angela's attention. Its positioning allowed anyone lying on the bed to see their reflection. A slight unease settled within her as she tentatively sat on the edge of the floral pink-covered bed, which emitted a soft creak under her weight.
"This is a princess's room," Mrs. Gale declared, returning with a map and a broom in hand. "Help me by cleaning the floor, please." She handed the broom to Angela, who took it and began sweeping diligently.
As Angela swept, she couldn't resist the nagging curiosity about Esmeralda's identity. "Whose child is Esmeralda?" she ventured, hoping for answers.
Mrs. Gale's response was a hushed whisper, accompanied by a plea to drop the subject. "She's not a child," Mrs. Gale disclosed, her tone laced with caution.
Agreeing to respect Mrs. Gale's request, Angela fell into a contemplative silence. Opening the first drawer within reach, she discovered an assortment of pink hair clips and combs. The discovery further solidified Esmeralda's affinity for the color pink.
"She loves pink," Angela mused, making her way to the cupboard. With a sense of anticipation, she swung open one of the doors, revealing an array of dresses in various colors, though pink reigned supreme among them. The sight before her eyes stirred a realization.
As Angela's curiosity about Esmeralda grew, she couldn't help but be struck by a sudden recollection of the past. Her sister Esper had shared a similar fascination with collecting all things pink, filling her drawer with books adorned with pink covers. The coincidence was too strong to ignore, and Angela's mind spun with the potential connections between Esmeralda and Esper.
"We should ask Leonardo's permission first on how to handle these pink items," Mrs. Gale's voice wavered slightly, catching Angela's attention.
Perplexed by Mrs. Gale's sudden unease, Angela asked, "Are you bothered by being here, Mrs. Gale?" Her fingers hovered over another drawer, filled with curiosity and a growing sense of concern.
"Stop touching Esmeralda's things!" Mrs. Gale's voice burst out, the sharpness of her tone jolting Angela.
Turning to face Mrs. Gale, Angela noticed the elderly woman's sober expression. "What happened here, Mrs. Gale?" Angela pressed, her voice filled with genuine concern.
"I told you to stop asking, and please, don't touch Esmeralda's things. I'll dispose of them in the storage room," Mrs. Gale replied firmly, abruptly ending her cleaning tasks.
Then, footsteps echoed in the hallway, coming to an abrupt halt at the open door. It was Lara, and her tone dripped with sarcasm as she questioned their presence. "What are you doing here?" she sneered.
"We're going to clean this room," Angela responded quickly, her voice tinged with a hint of anxiety.
Lara's eyes fell upon her suitcases on the floor, and she grew increasingly agitated. "And who's going to stay here?" she exclaimed, her gaze fixated on the suitcases beneath the cupboard. "What exactly are they doing there?"
"Leonardo said this is going to be your room, Miss Chavez," Mrs. Gale stated matter-of-factly, her voice devoid of emotion.
"No! I would never stay in Esmeralda's room! Never!" Lara's face drained of color as she stepped back, her movements revealing a deep-rooted fear. She turned and fled as if she were running from some unseen terror, refusing even to cast a glance inside the pink room.