The Red-Haired Lover

Chapter 4: Maria's Sarkon

Lenmont had numerous luxurious cars.

Only one of them was a dark blue supercar the shape of a bullet.

It belonged to the one and only Sarkon Ritchie, heir to the second most powerful family in Lenmont and an influential figure in the business globe.

The supercar cruised along the seamless highway that connected the villa to the city.

Inside, Maria was staring at the greenery reeling past her window, fighting her nerves for being close to the man she secretly loved.

That morning, after breakfast, Maria thought that Uncle Karl, a personal chauffeur and bodyguard to Sarkon, would be driving her to school since Sarkon had been busy with his mistress.

Instead, Sarkon's favorite car drove into the driveway.

Maria caught sight of the suave owner in the driver's seat with his hands on the wheel, and her heart started pumping furiously.

It hadn't slowed down since.

She wasn't usually this nervous with Sarkon. In fact, she was never anxious around him. He had made her feel very comfortable all these years. She chatted and laughed as she pleased.

Maybe it was Lovette's presence that made things awkward between them.

“You're thinking." Sarkon's deep voice sounded.

It was his usual gentleness, yet Maria perked up upon hearing it as if he had just barked out an order.

“Now, you're nervous."

Maria spun around with a defensive frown. “I'm not."

“Alright," Sarkon responded curtly, his blue eyes staring ahead.

Maria traced that attractive profile with the eyes of an artist until she caught herself staring longer than usual and abruptly looked ahead. She then sunk back into her seat.

“Because of school?" He tried again.

Maria shook her head and pursed her lips.

The car entered a tunnel. The console lit up in a nice shade of purple, illuminating the dark interior.

“How's your health lately?" Sarkon asked.

“Good."

“Have you been eating well?"

“Yes."

“Then why have you lost weight?"

Maria blinked and faced him. “I have?"

Sarkon kept a serious gaze ahead. “Yes. You're too thin."

Maria dived back into her seat, resisting the urge to cross her arms in frustration. Of course, compared to Lovette, I'm much thinner and childish. I believe 'a scrawny kid' is what you wanted to use.

“Please eat more. I can't have you so thin." His hands tightened on the steering wheel as if he was strangling someone.

Maria swallowed her annoyance. Her eyes returned to the road.

The car zoomed past rows and rows of shops.

They were at the edge of the city. Walden was on the other side of the city, so they were still at least thirty minutes away.

Maria's tension was slipping.

He has every right to get a mistress while I have no right to be mad at him. After a careful inhale, she finally relaxed in her seat.

“Alright, Uncle Sarkon. I promise I'll eat well. When I reach the campus, I'll get myself a huge breakfast before the first lecture." She made a mental note to do so.

Sarkon finally released the tension in his arms and turned the car into the city.

“Get a well-balanced breakfast."

“Yes, I will."

“I'll send you a list of the types of food you must eat while you're at the campus. Follow it," he growled.

“Yes, Uncle Sarkon. Any more orders?"

Sarkon finally glanced at her and returned to his blue gaze to the road ahead.

“I don't give you orders, you know that," he muttered, his tone was gentle again.

Maria didn't know what to say, so she kept quiet. Strangely, she felt that it was out of her place to remark on her uncle's behavior. She decided to change the topic to a more light-hearted one.

“Lovette adores all your gifts, Uncle." She smiled and knitted her brows as a muscle in Sarkon's jaw flexed.

It relaxed again, and Sarkon replied, “I'm glad she does."

She had to, Maria mumbled silently. You gave her two sports cars of the most expensive brand in Lenmont.

“She loves those sports cars the best, she said," Maria reported, trying to sound as casual as possible.

“You don't like sports cars."

Maria gripped her seatbelt tightly, but answered nonchalantly, “Yes, I don't."

“Then why do you sound upset?"

“I'm not."

“Alright."

A long period of silence ensued as the car exited the city and cut through hills of yellow pastures. The harvest was completed, and new crops would be grown soon.

Habitually, Maria glanced at Sarkon and smiled. She froze in remembrance that she was annoyed with him moments ago and looked at the road ahead.

“You're upset. Tell me." Sarkon sounded insistent to know.

Maria relented and confessed, “I'm not used to Lovette."

Sarkon spun around and demanded harshly, “Did she try to hurt you?"

“No!" Maria was shocked by her uncle's sudden overreaction. “No, no, no. She's fine. It's me. I'm just not used to her. She's been nice, so we've been getting along fine."

“Do you want a sports car?"

“No!" Maria chuckled this time, finding it funny that he was still harping on her reaction toward his gift to his mistress. “You know I don't like to drive."

After another brief moment of silence, Maria chuckled again and turned to the beautiful giant with a warm smile. “I'm sure I'll get used to her real soon, Uncle Sarkon. She's fun and kind."

“She must be," Sarkon muttered under his breath.

Puzzled, Maria wanted to ask about that remark when the car passed through the colossal iron gates of Walden College and Sarkon started his train of instructions.

“You promised to eat well," he solemnly said.

“I will," Maria replied with the same seriousness. Inside, she was fighting the urge to smile at the man's generous caring.

“You have my number on speed dial. If you face any danger, you call."

Maria nodded.

“You don't have to wear dresses when you're on campus."

Maria blinked. What? Why?

She was about to ask Sarkon the two questions in her mind when he beat her to it. “Because you'll be overdressed."

They stopped at the front of the dormitory. A young woman in an ankle-length white dress and high heels was entering the building.

Maria turned to Sarkon again with a deadpan expression that said, “I'm definitely not overdressed."

Equally deadpan in his expression, Sarkon insisted, “No dresses. Especially not that blue one."

The dark blue supercar came to a stop at the red lights.

"She's in school," Sarkon answered the voice in the speaker. "If Maria calls home, I want to know."

"Yes, Sir," a gruff voice came through. "I'll inform Sophie at once."

"Any news of the eye?"

"Yes. We have someone there. He'll watch over Miss Maria."

"If anyone knows about this arrangement, you know what'll happen to you, Karl." Sarkon's voice was as calm as the dead sea.

"Yes, Sir. I'll pay with my life," the voice in the speaker stated bluntly. Then, it recited like a pledge, "Nothing must happen to Miss Maria."

"Report everything to me," Sarkon ordered. The light turned green, and he quietly stepped on the accelerator.

"Of course, Sir."

"That's all." The striking giant pressed a button on the console. The call ended as abruptly as it started.

After a few more traffic junctions, the car came to another red-light stop.

This time, Sarkon immersed himself in the engulfing silence.

His listless blue eyes trickled to the vacant seat beside him. All of a sudden, Maria was in it, smiling back at him.

After an exhale, she was gone again.

He clenched his jaw and looked at the road ahead. The lights turned green, and he drove off.

*****

The supercar drove down the stretch of road that opened to the villa. It swerved left, down a slope, and slid into a garage the size of a football field.

The dark-blue door flipped up, and the charming giant in his midnight-blue suit slid out and made strong steps toward Albert.

"My study," Sarkon said quietly.

Albert bowed and left.

Sarkon crossed the large foyer in long strides, swooshed past a few maids who bowed at his presence, and went through a tall, white door into his study.

He walked to a magnificent antique desk and plopped into the big chair.

He kneaded his forehead.

His headaches were back.

Whenever Maria was far away from him, his head throbbed like there was a mechanical drill pounding inside.

She's all grown up now. Stop worrying.

He couldn't.

And he wouldn't.

Until Maria found a perfect husband, someone who could protect her from all harm and give her the perfect family, only then, would he completely let her go.

At this thought, his heart began to throb.

The doors threw open.

His mistress crashed through.

"Baby! There you are!"

Sarkon met Albert's gaze. He had appeared at the door holding a tray of his coffee.

The butler nodded and closed the doors.

Lovette slithered to Sarkon. "Where've you been, sexy?" she purred.

“I drove Maria to school," Sarkon answered in a flat tone.

Lovette threw her head back and laughed, “Ho, ho, ho, ho!" She leaned forward as her fingers tip-toed up his muscular thigh. Her voice was sultry. “Your room… or mine?"

Gazing into those magnetic blue eyes, she flattened her hand on the warm inner-thigh and gently squeezed its muscles. She whispered seductively, “Or here?" Her bright red lips angled closer to that enticing Cupid's bow.

“What are you doing?" the deep voice asked coldly.