Prisioner In Your Arms

Bruno listened calmly to Leandro. He had always imagined that Sergio would eventually try something against Nicole. Rina and Gío had been secretly keeping an eye on her for a while without her knowledge.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll protect them with my life. Thank you for letting me know,” Bruno assured him.

Leandro quickly finished the remaining liquor in his glass.

“I should go. I don’t want my father to suspect that I’m only pretending to be on his side.” Being there, talking to Bruno, was too uncomfortable for him. Bruno was the man who slept next to the woman he still loved.

“Take care,” Bruno said, deep in thought. He had to protect Nicole and their son at all costs. In the morning, he would visit Rina and Gío to talk to them. Sergio was a clever and malicious man, as Rina had told them. They couldn’t let their guard down.

Despite his coldness, Sergio loved his son. After all, he was the child of the only woman he had ever loved. He cared for Deborah, but it was nothing compared to the deep love that Rina had awakened in him.

39 years ago

A young Sergio was gathered with his friends at a trendy café. The boys instinctively turned their heads towards the door as they heard it open. Two girls entered, capturing Sergio’s attention. One of them was a fair-skinned girl with very long, jet-black hair. As she passed by their table, the girl glanced at Sergio, and he could see that her large eyes were as blue as the sea.

“Who is that girl?” Sergio was immediately captivated.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“She’s new at the university, just arrived from California,” one of his friends said.

“Wow, she’s really beautiful,” Sergio remarked.

He watched her for hours, captivated by her beauty.

“Hey, friend, that dark-haired guy over there hasn’t stopped looking at you,” his friend whispered.

“Hmm, maybe he’s looking in another direction,” she replied nervously.

“I don’t think so.”

Rina turned towards Sergio’s direction, their eyes met, he smiled, and she nervously looked away.

“You see, I told you he was watching you,” her friend teased.

“Shh, be quiet. He’s gotten up, I think he’s coming this way. He’s very handsome,” Sergio’s good looks made her extremely nervous as she saw him approaching.

“Hello, ladies. Mind if we join you?” Sergio asked with a smile, accompanied by a friend.

“Of course,” her friend replied, already showing interest in the other handsome guy.

Rina glared at her friend, finding her too forward. She blushed intensely, feeling very embarrassed.

Sergio sat in front of her and extended his hand as he introduced himself.

“Hello, I’m Sergio De Santis.”

“Hi, I’m Rina Jones,” she replied visibly nervous.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Jones,” Sergio smiled seductively, aware of the effect he had on the girl and enjoying how his proximity made her nervous.

They chatted for a long time, unaware of the passing hours. They realized they had a lot in common and enjoyed the same things.

“Hey, I think we go to the same university. I’m about to graduate; it’s my last year,” Sergio mentioned.

“I just started; it’s my first year,” she replied.

“No wonder I hadn’t seen you before. On Saturday, I’m throwing a party for my friends, and I’d love for you to come. You’ll be welcome. There will be signs at school indicating the location,” Sergio invited.

“We’ll be there,” her friend replied immediately.

Rina choked on her drink. What was wrong with her friend? She seemed desperate for the guys’ attention, and that wasn’t the right way to act, at least according to Rina’s beliefs.

“We’re saying goodbye, ladies. Tomorrow we have an exam, and we’re halfway through the semester,” Sergio said.

“Goodbye, guys,” her friend responded.

Rina bid him farewell with a smile.

“What a beautiful girl,” Sergio commented to his friend.

“I thought you only liked cheerleaders,” as they had gone through almost all the cheerleaders at the university.

“She is much more beautiful.”

“Uh-oh, buddy, you’re smitten.”

Sergio laughed heartily at his friend’s remark. He had entered university at the insistence of his parents. At 29 years old, he still lived with them, and his father was quite authoritarian. He had to obey his father’s every request, even though he was already quite mature. He had adapted perfectly to the student life.

Rina was 19 years old, an innocent and trusting girl. Her parents were very conservative and believed they had raised their daughter with good values.

On Saturday night, Maggi insisted with Rina.

“Friend, don’t be a party pooper. Let’s have some fun, even if it’s just for a while.”

“Ugh, fine, but only for a while.”

She put on a pearl-colored dress, sleeveless and short, slipped on low-heeled shoes, and tied her hair in a high ponytail. She applied a touch of blush and some lip gloss.

“Ready, let’s go.”

“Wow, friend, you’re living proof that you don’t have to dress up to look good.”

“Come on, crazy girl, let’s go before I change my mind.”

Sergio was constantly pursued by girls. A handsome and wealthy man like him was quite a catch for anyone, despite being older than most. He excelled in everything, and that’s why he was always surrounded.

When Rina and Maggi arrived, Sergio distanced himself from the other girls.

“Hello, beautiful, I thought you wouldn’t come.”

“Well, here we are, guy. Where’s your friend?” Maggi replied.

“I think he’s upstairs.”

Sergio didn’t leave Rina’s side all night. He introduced her to his friends, and his female friends didn’t miss an opportunity to point out that she was a small-town girl.

“I imagine the city must seem fantastic to you since you were used to living in a small town,” one of them remarked.

“To be honest, I find it to be a beautiful city,” Rina innocently replied.

Sergio took her hand and led her to a secluded spot.

“Let’s get away from those vipers.”

She smiled sweetly. “I’ll give you some advice. You have to learn to stand up for yourself, or they’ll devour you.”

“They didn’t seem like bad people to me.”

“Trust me, they’re witches. You can’t trust them. If you can avoid them, it’ll be better for you.” He was concerned about her innocence.

From that day on, Sergio didn’t leave her side. They were together whenever they could be, and he quickly fell in love with that girl.

On the day of his graduation, he arrived with her. His parents couldn’t accompany him, which was no longer surprising. They never did. They danced all night, and in the end, he invited her for a drink at his apartment. She accepted. By that point, she was deeply in love with him.

They spent the night together, and he was happy to know that he was the first in her life. He made love to her with tenderness and passion, and she felt like she was floating in his arms. She didn’t mind the pain she felt because all she felt afterward was pleasure. She fell asleep in his arms, and in the morning, Sergio woke her up with gentle caresses.

“Get up, sleepyhead. Come on, we’re going to have breakfast. I have a surprise for you.”

From then on, it was all gifts and caresses. Rina divided her time between him and the university.

“My parents are arriving tomorrow. We’ll have dinner with them. Get yourself all dolled up. I’ll introduce you to them. They’ll love you as much as I do.”

“I hope so. I want to make a good impression.”

The next night, they arrived at the restaurant for dinner, and Rina had made an effort with her appearance.

“You don’t have to be nervous. You look beautiful,” he said as he kissed her hand.

“I can’t help it. What if they don’t like me?”

“Hahaha, don’t be silly. My parents are not ogres,” he said, trying to reassure her, although he knew they were.

From the moment they entered, Rina felt her in-laws’ gaze fixed on her.

“Hello, son.”

“Hello, father, mother. This is my girlfriend, Rina.”

“So, this is your girlfriend? I can’t deny that she is very beautiful, but it’s obvious that she’s a small-town girl,” his mother retorted as she looked Rina up and down.

Rina felt like the ground was opening beneath her feet, but Sergio hugged her.

“Son, your mother is right. This lady is not up to De Santis standards, so you’ll end this today,” his father said sternly.

“What the hell is wrong with you? She is my girlfriend, and soon she’ll be my fiancée. Whether you like it or not, I’m not a kid anymore for you to try to control,” Sergio responded defiantly.

He took her hand to lead her out of there. Rina didn’t say anything; she just cried silently, terribly confused. Hadn’t he said they weren’t ogres?

“Don’t worry, I’ll talk to them. I’ll reason with them. They shouldn’t care more about appearances than their son’s happiness,” he said.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to be with you,” she cried with deep emotion.

“Shhh, hush,” he said before kissing her.

That night, Sergio made love to her in a different way, with passion, forgetting about tenderness.

In the morning, he said goodbye to her. He had to talk to his parents before they left. His parents were having breakfast, and they seemed calm when he arrived, as if they knew he would come.

“Parents, I need to talk to you.”

“We know what you want to tell us, son. We’ll speak before you do. Listen to us. From now on, you’re forbidden to get close to that girl. If you do, you’ll be disowned, no matter that you’re our only son,” his father said, leaving him surprised.

“I don’t care about that inheritance. I choose her over and over again.”

“Quiet! I haven’t finished speaking. From now on, several of my men will follow you. If you get close to her again, I’ve ordered them to make her disappear. You know I’m not joking. It’s your decision.”

“Damn it! What the hell do you think my age is? I can make my own decisions.”

“This is our final word. You may leave.”

Sergio walked away with his head down. He knew his father wasn’t joking when he threatened. That night, he drank like never before, remembering the previous night when he made love to Rina. That night would be etched in his memory forever, but unknowingly, it had been a farewell.

He cried like a child and fell asleep on the bar table. The men his father had sent to keep an eye on him took him back to his apartment. Rina was still anxiously waiting for his return, believing that something must have happened to prevent him from coming back. She was sure he loved her.