The Devil's Love For The Heiress by LiLhyz

Chapter 4: Nine Years Ago

*** FLASHBACK: Nine Years And Eleven Days Ago.***

“Kate, coach is taking me to a junior tennis tournament tomorrow. It’s sponsored by the school. Do you want to come with me?” Carlos walked into Kate’s room while she was trying on a new dress. He whistled at the sight of her, and he flushed, knowing what the dress was for. “Is that for the year-end dance?”

Kate and Carlos were still eighteen at the end of their high school days. They had always gone out together for the year-end school dance as friends throughout high school. Carlos was Kate’s male best friend, and she also had a girl best friend named Lyla.

Carlos was sixteen years old when he became part of the Wright family. This happened after his father and mother died. Because of his father’s debts, Manuel Ronaldo’s house was sold to the highest bidder. Social service was supposed to take Carlos’ custody, but Kate’s parents opened their home for him.

The Wright family was not a stranger to Carlos. After all, they were neighbors. Carlos’ old home was three blocks away from the Wrights. Kate and her siblings had been friends with Carlos since they were kids.

Hearing Carlos ask about the dance, Kate bit her lip, and her eyes tightened. She awkwardly replied, “Carlos, about the dance -”

Before Kate could resume, Carlos’ eyes landed on the new bracelet around her wrist. He asked, “You bought another jade?”

Kate gulped. She looked down at her beaded bracelet and reluctantly replied to Carlos, “This – this was a gift from Tyler.”

Noticing how Carlos fell silent, Kate reminded him, “You know I like jades. I can never say no to Tyler!”

“By the way, he asked me to the year-end dance and.” She pursed her lips before admitting, “I said yes.” With a shrug, she added, “For a change? We will still go home together.”

She tried her best to be careful with her words. When they were seventeen, Carlos had admitted to Kate how he liked her. However, to Kate, she saw him as her best friend and nothing more.

Kate saw how Carlos gulped. His chest heaved, and he folded his arms across his chest. Carlos looked down, appearing to be hurt by her decision. Stuttering, he said, “You’ve always liked Tyler… You like him because he ranked number two in junior tennis tournaments.”

“Hey, you introduced me to him at your practices,” Kate said, trying to put the blame on him. “And you would have won tournaments if you had gone to them.”

don’t have the money, Kate. It’s not like they pay for the plane tickets or the hotel stay for

help you

paid for

talk to dad, and

Don’t,” Carlos replied weakly. “I’ll… I’ll find my

but soon or later, Carlos asked,

Carlos, but she did not know the answer to that. Kate loved being around Carlos. She loved him as a friend. He made her smile and was her constant companion from school to home. Kate felt attached to Carlos, but she did not feel that spark, that

school. Tyler had the looks. He had a well-defined body. He was

He did not dress to impress, and he followed a strict routine. He went

best friends, and she

reply that Carlos answered for her. He said, “Your silence says it all –

“Carlos-”

Kate. I understand.” He

she saw him speaking with Hailey Mckenzie and her father at school, but

in the living room when he snorted

as soon as she turned her heel to the mansion’s doorway, he felt Carlos embrace her. The hug was tight and warm. Something in his

“Take care, Kate. I want you

his company. His jokes weren’t amusing, and just when she thought she

was already eighteen, he was free to leave without the consent of Ethan and Samantha. He merely left a note, saying he wanted to pursue his career in tennis. He thanked the Wright family for their love and support. Carlos promised one day to return the

with the Mckenzies that same night at the dance. They fled to another state

and her entire family was, but soon, Carlos’ absence became so felt that Kate acknowledged how she missed him. The pain kicked in, and Kate went in and out of a

she felt for him and that perhaps her constant need for Carlos’ presence was not merely because of friendship but love. Sadly, her

FLASHBACK: Back To Present

all to her parents, Kate sniffed her tears away. She softly