Chapter 4 Unexpected Visitor

The next morning, Mama Lulu led Lie to her room. They stopped in front of a white door with golden trimmings.

"This will be your room," Mama Lulu said with a warm smile, opening it.

Lia stepped in and stopped short.

Her mouth fell open.

"Oh my God..." she breathed.

The room was massive. Spacious, airy, and softly lit with floor-to-ceiling windows draped in cream silk. The bed was king-sized, the sheets like something out of a luxury catalog. A soft rug spread out beneath her feet, and everything smelled faintly of lavender and fresh linen.

"It's right next to Romeo's," Mama Lulu said, "so if he ever needs you in the middle of the night, you'll be close."

Lia could barely nod. She was too busy staring around like she'd walked into a dream.

Mama Lulu chuckled.

"I'll leave you to settle in. Breakfast will be ready soon."

Once she was alone, Lia walked farther into the room, still dazed.

She opened the bathroom door and squealed.

There was a jacuzzi.

A whole, real-life jacuzzi.

She turned on the warm water, slid in, and let out a happy sigh as the bubbles surrounded her. She closed her eyes, smiling, sinking into the comfort she hadn't known in years.

After a while, she stepped into the standing shower, turned the handle, and gasped softly.

The water poured like rainfall, soft and warm, wrapping her in a gentle hug. Everything felt surreal.

She dried off and wandered into the closet, and her jaw dropped all over again.

It was bigger than her apartment kitchen.

Shelves, drawers, racks... most of them still empty, waiting for her. A few pieces already hung neatly: elegant, well-made clothes. Even the scent in the closet smelled expensive like vanilla, cedarwood, and new beginnings.

She touched the edge of a sweater and smiled to herself.

She loved it.

All of it.

Every single thing about this place.

There was a soft knock on her door.

She turned. It creaked open.

Romeo stepped in, tiny hands wrapped around Peanut's cage.

"Hey, buddy," she said, kneeling down and ruffling his hair. She took Peanut from him gently, scratching her nose softly through the bars.

Romeo smiled.

"Your room is next to mine now," he said, like it was the best news in the world.

"I won't feel alone anymore."

Lia's heart melted.

"I won't let you feel alone, ever."

She started unpacking her tote bag and small suitcase, folding what little she owned neatly into the drawers.

Romeo stayed beside her, helping in his own little way handing her socks, trying to smooth out wrinkled shirts, chatting quietly the whole time.

After they finished unpacking, Lia and Romeo headed downstairs for breakfast.

She helped him into his seat at the long dining table, and the maids moved efficiently, setting down bowls of cereal, sliced fruit, and warm toast. The room smelled of coffee and vanilla.

Mama Lulu appeared moments later, wiping her hands on her apron, her expression laced with mild frustration.

"Lia," she said, "can you help me call Mr. Rodriguez? That man keeps skipping breakfast, always saying he's too busy. Such a workaholic." She shook her head with fond annoyance. "Honestly, someone needs to drag him down here."

Lia chuckled softly and nodded.

"I'll get him."

She headed upstairs and paused at the familiar dark wood door of his private study. She knocked once.

No answer.

She hesitated, then slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

Empty.

She stepped back out, crossed the hallway, and walked to his bedroom. She raised a hand and knocked lightly.

"Come in," came his voice from inside.

Lia opened the door gently and stepped inside.

And froze.

Mateo stood by the edge of his bed, halfway dressed.

His black trousers were fitted, sharp as always. But his shirt was still unbuttoned, hanging open over his chest. Her eyes dropped before she could stop them.

There, inked boldly across his chest, was a tattoo.

One word. One glimpse.

"Mad..."

That was all she saw before he buttoned his shirt up quickly

"Are you done checking me out, Sunshine?" Mateo's voice was smooth, amused, and just slightly cocky.

Lia's face flushed as she snapped her eyes upward.

"I..i came to get you for breakfast," she stammered.

"Mama Lulu says you always give excuses about being busy and end up skipping meals."

Mateo chuckled, finishing with the last button.

"I'll be down in a minute."

She nodded quickly, already turning to leave.

As she headed back down the hallway, her mind was racing

She kept thinking about the tattoo.

it looked like it was a female's name

Mad...? Was it Madeline? Madison? Maddie? Madonna?

What other name start with Mad...again?

She shook her head sharply.

What are you doing, Lia?

It's none of your business.

Still, she couldn't help the way her curiosity settled in her chest, soft and stubborn like the start of a question that refused to leave.

Later that morning, Mateo finally came downstairs for breakfast.

He sat at the head of the table, sipping coffee and occasionally glancing over at Romeo and Lia.

"Eat your eggs, buddy," Lia whispered gently, guiding Romeo's hand.

He gave her a sleepy grin and obeyed, stuffing a forkful in his mouth.

Mateo watched silently, a small tug of amusement at the corner of his lips.

After breakfast, Lia took Romeo out to the garden to play.

The sun was warm, and the grass smelled freshly cut. Peanut's cage sat open beside Lia as she watched Romeo run back and forth across the yard, chasing the tiny hamster carefully.

"Peanut is faster today," Romeo giggled.

Lia laughed, shading her eyes with her hand.

"She's getting her morning workout."

But then...

Romeo suddenly paused, turned toward the gates... and his eyes lit up.

"Mommyyy!" he screamed.

Before Lia could process it, Romeo took off in a sprint across the grass.

Lia stood up quickly, confused, grabbing Peanut's cage as her eyes followed him.

There, standing just at the entrance to the garden, was a woman tall, stunning, dressed in effortless cream-colored silk and oversized sunglasses.

She bent down and caught Romeo in her arms, spinning him around as he laughed loudly.

Lia froze.

As the woman lowered Romeo, her sunglasses slipped slightly just enough for Lia to recognize her.

Her heart skipped.

Madea Tennyson.

The supermodel.

The woman on every billboard. Every magazine. Every headline.

That's... Romeo's mom?

Lia took a deep breath and stepped forward, clutching Peanut's cage to her chest.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," she said politely, stopping a few steps away.

Madea looked up slowly, removing her sunglasses. Her eyes swept over Lia from her worn sneakers to her oversized sweatshirt to the tired bags under her eyes with something colder than judgment.

Almost irritation.

Madea turned her attention back to Romeo, her tone sweet again.

"Let's go see Daddy," she said, taking Romeo's hand and walking off toward the house.

They didn't look back.

Lia stood there for a moment, lips slightly parted, unsure what just happened unsure what she felt.

Embarrassment?

Insecurity?

Or just... the sudden reminder that she was out of place here.

Still holding Peanut's cage, she blinked quickly and followed behind them.

---

Mateo was seated in his study, eyes focused on the open file in front of him, pen in hand, when the door suddenly creaked open.

No knock. No warning.

He looked up sharply and his entire expression shifted.

"Hi, Daddy," Madea said sweetly, standing in the doorway with Romeo still in her arms.

He tensed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked flatly, voice like stone.

The smile dropped from Madea's lips.

She set Romeo down gently.

"You haven't seen me in years, and that's the first thing you say to me?"

"Yeah," he said, standing up slowly.

"Because I want to know exactly what the hell you're doing here."

Madea walked forward, hips swaying, until she was behind his desk until she was leaning on the edge, far too close.

"I miss you," she said softly, fingers trailing lightly along his chest.

"I've thought about you every day, Mateo."

He stepped back immediately.

"You miss me?" His voice was rising now, sharp and bitter.

"You can't be serious."

He stared at her like she was something out of a nightmare.

"You abandoned me. You abandoned your son. You ran off with a man who wasn't just anyone he was my rival. And now you show up here acting like nothing happened? Like this is your home?"

His voice cracked through the room like thunder, and he caught himself just in time to look down.

Romeo was staring up at him, confused, his tiny brows furrowed.

Mateo exhaled sharply, closing his eyes for a beat.

Then he turned toward the door.

"Lia?" he called out.

The door opened almost instantly. She was there, standing with Peanut's cage still in her hands.

Her eyes scanned the room, catching the tension in the air and the tight lines of Mateo's shoulders.

"Can you take Romeo downstairs, please?" he asked, his voice quieter now.

Lia nodded, gently reaching for Romeo's hand.

The little boy hesitated, looking between his mom and dad, but then let Lia lead him out of the room back into the calm.