Word count: 1925

My shout out goes to Germany and Ireland. One love guys ❤

*

"What did you just call her?" I questioned, confused and shocked at the same time as I eyed Natalia who was still smiling with a slightly flushed face.

Diego turned around and his eyes lit up when he saw me. He unwrapped his hands from Natalia's shoulder and cleared his throat, seeming very happy for some reason. My eyes narrowed into slits at him.

"Well well, Adrian-"

"Hey b, have you had breakfast?" Kara ran in at the same time and Diego stopped talking as he smiled at her.

"How did you sleep? Anything helped with the stomach cramps?" Diego asked her and she smiled at him.

"Yes, thanks. Stephano got me some meds which I later used after you went to bed and I slept well. You?"

"Same here." Diego blinked and sighed. I noticed he blinked a lot whenever he was happy about something or in a good mood.

If he wasn't in a good mood, he would be restless. He wouldn't be able to sit in a place for more than a few seconds.

Kara came towards me, pulled me out of the chair and then dragged me towards mama.

"Mama, I'm going to take Adrian upstairs." Kara announced, enough for the whole house to hear. We were only three in the kitchen but I guess she wasn't only talking to mama. She was obviously also talking to Diego and didn't want to mention his name.

"Why?" I asked in further confusion and admired her outfit. A short, pleated gown that reached above her knees. There were stones embroidered on the torso, giving it a unique look.

And it fitted Kara perfectly.

She had on just little makeup but the pendant on her cleavage caught my eyes, the same one Stephano had gifted her one time.

The gold pendant was carved S&K. Stephano and Kara, obviously.

I touched my own neck in reflex and my eyes widened when I realized I had misplaced the cobra shaped, thin necklace Lucas gave me.

A gasp escaped my lips, my question about wanting to know why she wanted to take me upstairs long forgotten.

"Kara did you-"

Kara smiled, noticing where my fingers were slowly feeling. "It's in your purse. You broke the hook when you were...erm, having a hard time days ago."

"When was I-" I trailed off as my eyes widened. I had been struggling with Lucas's brothers when he was laid down into the pit. My eyes blurred at the remembrance of that moment, when everything even relatively close to Lucas physically was being ripped from me.

I had even threatened to jump in if he didn't come back to me but Lucas didn't come out of that casket. He was gone.

Sealed in the casket. Forever!

"Oh." I pursed my lips, beginning to feel strongly upset.

Kara was looking at me with sad eyes, blinking rapidly and trying to smile widely which was disturbing.

If things weren't okay, I didn't need her acting like they were. I lost Lucas, he wasn't coming back. She didn't need to act as if everything was okay or he would suddenly come knocking on the door.

I glared at her. I could feel my head beginning to hurt but just as I wanted to burst out, I felt someone move closer to my right.

Pecking me on the cheek, mama patted my shoulder and smiled at me. The anger bubbling in me was immediately doused out.

"You should give her the bacon and toast and pancakes now since it's still past seven and breakfast isn't until eight thirty." She told Kara swiftly and went back to what she was doing. "Oh, and give Diego some too."

Kara nodded and I stiffly went back to my seat while Diego came to take a seat beside me on another barstool.

Kara carried the frying pan and dropped it before going to get the other pot while I awkwardly stared at Diego, not liking the fact that he was sitting beside me one bit.

"You shouldn't be in here." I finally stated when I could no longer contain myself.

Diego seemed to find me amusing this morning, because he was holding back a smile. A cocky one. "Says who?"

"Says me." I retorted through slightly clenched teeth. "You're a guest, you should be in the sitting room."

"Well, I'm no longer a guest...was never a guest anyway." He got off the stool and stretched, flexing his shoulders. "Oh, I need to hit the gym. I'm getting lazy these days." He lamented cockily.

I got distracted for only a few seconds and ogled his biceps, appreciating the amount of muscles he'd managed to gather overtime.

He looked even more good looking. The wheels turned in my head as I thought of why he was possibly here.

Also, was he so close to Natalia that he now called her mom? Obviously not that familiar though, since he didn't say 'mama' but said 'mom' instead.

"So, you and Kara?" I asked curiously, not knowing what to think anymore. He was so homely with Natalia and Kara. And even Stephanie the house help who'd just left the kitchen didn't seem to have an issue with him. It was like she was used to seeing him in the kitchen.

Diego opened his mouth again when he was interrupted.

"Here's your orange juice. Enjoy the treat."

I looked down at the orange juice Kara had placed between me and Diego and pursed my lips. I hated oranges, the taste was just not for me and that citric stuff was even not okay at all.

Kara knew this, yet she'd asked me if I would take orange or apple juice earlier when she came up into my room. She was doing it again now.

"I don't drink orange." I almost snapped, kind of hurt that she wouldn't remember such detail.

"Oh sorry dear, I wasn't referring to you. Yours is right beside you on that side," she pointed to my left hand side. "It slipped my mind for a second earlier this morning because I'm used to taking that and offering it to others...especially Stephano. And I know you don't drink it, the juice is for Diego."

"Thanks babe." I muttered resignedly and ate quietly, sipping my juice.

Diego did the same, while Kara just filled me in on where we were going to celebrate the new year today and told me some people had already asked after me, since she was still with my phone.

Ever since Lucas's absence days ago, she had been handling all my incoming calls. I just didn't want to talk to anyone or see anyone.

I also didn't want to go out. I still would prefer to stay at home, locked up and in nothing but my PJs. But Lucas had told me he would spend the new year out when we discussed what we should do for new year.

He had wanted us to go out everyday for the whole week in the beginning of January.

No isolating from the world or just having marathon sex for a whole day and lazing around like lazy beings. And even though he wasn't here, I wanted to still do it.

It was our thing.

Our ship name would have been Ludrian. I smiled at the thought.

"Hey, are you done?" Kara's voice echoed in my head as I kept munching slowly.

"Huh?" I blinked and looked up. A couple of eyes were on me.

"You've been staring at your plates for like," Kara glanced down at her wristwatch and shrugged her shoulders. "thirteen minutes now. And smiling." She sounded disturbed when she said the last part.

I looked sideways to see Diego also looking at me. With his intense grey eyes. As if ...as if he was a bit concerned.

"I'm fine!" I snapped.

It was none of his business.

"We were just checking. Let's go upstairs!" Kara replied with an attitude as well and glared at me as she left the kitchen. Diego chuckled.

"Jerk!" I gritted out at him and marched after Kara. Only Kara and Lucas had the right to laugh at me.

Walking up the stairs, Kara stomped into her room and dashed for the ensuite. Then, she suddenly stopped and turned around to access me with wary eyes.

"I think we need to talk." She said slowly.

"What about?" I shrugged nonchalantly.

"Your behavior with Diego...I don't like how you're treating him."

She went ahead to sit on the bed.

"What's it to you?" I frowned. Was she seriously going to fight with me over Diego?

"Stop it. You're better than this and-"

"Woah woah woah...where's all this defense shit coming from? I and Diego have not liked each other for ages and that's not for you to scold me over."

Kara huffed. "Look Adrian, this guy is my..my-"

"Your what? Boy toy?" My voice trembled.

Either out of jealousy that they had bonded in just a short while and he was going to steal her away from me or because he liked her, I had no idea.

"My brother." She finally whispered.

I froze, then realized I would only stay in more seconds of confusion if I didn't ask more questions.

"What? H-how?"

She shrugged.

"He came home the other day and met mama and...secrets started spilling. It turns out he's been looking for us for like two years now. He had a nanny...and she was the one that told him things about his real mom so since then Diego left his foster parents in California and came here to look for us. Then he met me at the family hospital we usually use and since then, he felt this...connection."

I nodded when Kara finished explaining.

So, Diego was Kara's brother?

"So, who's older?"

"We're..twins. He came first." Kara smiled. "So now, you can see he doesn't like me that way. It's always been Stephano, just Stephano." She smiled at me.

"Come here!" I ran towards her and pulled her in a hug. "I can't believe you have another sibling, a twin at that. I'm so happy for you."

And I was.

Kara looked at me weirdly when she pulled back from the hug. "I only have that one sibling, which is Diego. What do you mean by I have 'another sibling?"

"I am your sister Kara. Don't be so dumb." I scolded jealously and she laughed out loud while I pulled away.

"That's true, don't mind me. Anyway, now can you be less hostile? He means no harm. Also, I think you guys should be friends." Kara gave me a hopeful look.

I didn't like Diego before, but it wasn't like I disliked him for any reason other than because he was wrecking my Stephano and Kara ship, karano. I didn't like him because I thought he was pursuing Kara.

And now that I had no reason to keep disliking him, it actually felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulder.

Which was very nice.

"I won't treat him badly anymore."

"Thank you." Kara hugged me with an obviously relieved and excited expression and we returned downstairs.

Just in time for Stephano to also be leaving his room and saying hi as he hugged Kara, who easily warmed up to his warm embrace.

I smiled.

I liked how things were going.

*

It's almost one am. ❤❤