Maria the queen
Chapter 52
Loreanzo
"Jesus!"
"Hey, what the fuck?"
"Where is he?" a sharp, lethal female voice demands from the doorway.
"Where the hell is he?"
I'm deep in a conversation with Alex when half the guys suddenly shout out in anger and surprise.
When I turn around, I instantly see why.
Raising a brow, I stare at a furious-looking Maria.
She obviously doesn't give a single shit that she just marched straight into the boys' varsity locker room.
Her arms are tightly crossed over her chest, the red heel of her shoe tapping aggressively against the damp tiled floor as if she's counting down the seconds until she punches me.
"What is it with girls coming in here?" I snap, glancing around the room.
The guys look just as blindsided as I am. A few of them frantically grab their towels, trying to shield their private areas, but Maria doesn't even blink. Her eyes are locked onto mine with absolute, unadulterated venom.
"Snap out of it, Calloway," she orders, refusing to break eye contact.
A harsh, dry laugh escapes my throat at her sheer audacity. Beside me, Alex lets out a nervous giggle, but his amusement dies instantly when Maria steps right into his personal space.
"And you too," she snaps, jabbing a fierce, manicured finger directly into his chest, forcing him to take a startled step backward. "If I see any of you and I mean any of you..."
She spins on her heel, her glaring eyes sweeping across the entire room. The rest of the team actually shrinks back, though she doesn't even bother to look below their necklines.
"...near her one more time, I swear you will deeply regret it."
I step forward, using my height to tower over her. She's taller than Sophia, though that's mostly due to the ridiculous heels she's wearing. "Are you threatening us.Maria?" I glare.
"No, I'm giving you one last advice ," Maria says, her voice dropping into a lethal, quiet register. "And if that psycho of a girlfriend of yours touches her things again, I swear to God, I'm going to lose my temper. And trust me, Calloway, you don't want to see me lose it."
"Don't tell me you're calm right now?" Ben pipes up from his locker, unable to keep his mouth shut for once in his lifetime as he adjusts the towel around his hips.
"Ben, I swear to..." Maria starts, redirecting her deadly glare right at him.
"What did Vivien do?" I interrupt, the sharp edge in my own voice catching me by surprise.
Maria looks at me, her expression hardening even further. "Oh, you better ask her yourself," she snaps.
Then turns on her heel, her red hair whipping around as she strides toward the exit. Just as the guys in the room collectively exhale, she stops dead in her tracks and spins around.
"Oh, and by the way, don't be such children," she scoffs, casting a dismissive glance at the towels. "You aren't the first naked male bodies I've seen in my life. Grow up."
With that, she slams the heavy metal door shut behind her, leaving the entire room in a stunned, suffocating silence.
"What the hell is wrong with girls lately?" one of my teammates mutters to himself, shaking his head as he turns his shower back on.
My mind remains completely fixed on the image from yesterday. Sophia, broken and sobbing on the floor.
Was Vivien the reason she was crying?
"Hey, Lorenzo," Mateo says, his voice bringing me back to reality as he pulls an expensive, designer black hoodie over his head. "We'll see each other later, right?"
He's referring to the exclusive business meeting later tonight regarding the new luxury golf resort.
My dad wants to publicly present the project at the upcoming 100-year Gala.
He's been losing his mind over it for months, desperately trying to lock in every single billionaire and big-money name in the city to fund the construction.
And after I accidentally cost him one of his major investors last month, the stakes are higher than ever. What other name would fit his empire better than the Romano family? If my dad secures their backing, the resort is a guaranteed goldmine.
"Yes, sir," I say and start changing out of my gear and pulling on my regular clothes.
Looking to my side, I notice Alex is still standing completely still, staring at the closed locker room door like a total idiot.
"And what the hell is wrong with you?" I ask, tossing my empty water bottles into my locker, double-checking the back because I always forget my keys.
"That was... kind of hot," Alex stumbles out, his eyes wide.
A few of the guys burst out laughing, and Ben grins widely from across the bench. "Look who's in love," he jokes, earning a deadly glare from Alex.
"I am not," Alex clarifies quickly.
"That was kind of hot" Ben immediately mocks him, pitching his voice high.
"I don't talk like that "
"Guys, didn't he just said that "
Before the locker room bickering can escalate into a full-blown wrestling match, I grab my duffel bag and head outside. I check my watch, the afternoon air hitting my face as the adrenaline of Maria's warning still thrums in my veins.
I need to find Vivien. Right now.
School is wrapping up in about ten minutes anyway. So i designed towalk up toward the girls' locker room, leaning my back against the rough brick wall as I wait for Vivien to come out.
"Hey, babe!" she grins the moment she spots me, immediately stepping forward to wrap her arms around my neck.
I catch her wrists and step back, deliberately keeping my distance. "We need to talk," I say coldly. Before she can protest, I turn on my heel and head toward the main exit gates.
"Lorenzo, hey! Just talk to me here!" she screams after me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see her quickly wave a dismissive goodbye to her minions before she struts after me, her cheer skirt fluttering.
"Don't do this shit to me," she snaps the second we reach the sidewalk. She aggressively grabs my upper arm, trying to spin me around to face her.
"Not in front of my girls."
When I don't respond, she pulls out her phone, immediately checking her high ponytail in the screen's reflection, pretending she isn't bothered.
"What did you do yesterday?" I ask, my voice completely stripped of emotion.
I watch the exact fraction of a second her perfect facade cracks. Her phone drops a few inches in her hands, her fingers tightening around the case. "What... what do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean, Vivien."
"No, I don't!" She refuses to meet my eyes, stamping her foot angrily against the concrete.
"I'm sick of you looking at other people anyway. I'm your girlfriend, Lorenzo! I don't allow you to even look at other girls!"
she screams hysterically, and I know instantly she is talking about Sophia. She just confirmed everything.
"You and I," I start, leaning down slightly so I am directly in her face. I keep my hands buried firmly in my jacket pockets, a cold, mocking grin spreading across my lips.
"We are done."
"What?!"
I turn around without another word and walk the few steps down to my truck. Vivien follows closely at my heels, screaming a nonstop stream of desperate insults and empty threats at my back.
"I dare you, Lorenzo! You can't just walk away from me! You can't do this!"
But I've learned over the years that Vivien's biggest punishment isn't an argument it's silence.
She absolutely cannot stand it when someone ignores her, refusing to give her the frantic attention she craves to feel important.
So I climb into my truck, slam the heavy door shut, and turn the key. The engine roars to life, completely drowning out her voice. I shift into gear and pull out of the parking lot, leaving her standing on the curb, ignoring her completely as she disappears in my rearview mirror.
When I arrive home, I walk straight into the massive kitchen, noticing our private chef is already preparing the meals for the evening. Only a single plate is set at the marble island because the rest of my family has already eaten.
Before I can even sit down, I hear my mother's voice echoing from the glass sunroom.
"This looks absolutely amazing," she says to another woman.
When I step inside the room, I find Sophia's aunt, Clara, adjusting a stunning designer dress in front of the full-length mirror.
"Oh, Lorenzo, you're early," my mother greets me with a warm smile, and Clara nods toward me in a polite, professional greeting. "Clara was nice enough to leave your tailored suit in the pool house, right on your bed," my mother adds, turning back to inspect her silhouette in the glass.
As I walk across the manicured lawn toward the luxury pool house, something strange happens inside my chest. I don't know why, but a part of me subconsciously expects Sophia to be there. I scan the open terrace, my chest tightening slightly when I find it empty.
It's just logic, I tell myself, forcing my hands into my pockets. The last few times her aunt was working here, Sophia was usually hanging around too. It only makes sense to expect her.
Nothing more.
I kick my sneakers off at the door and stare at the expensive black garment bag lying on my mattress. Inside is the suit.
"Enzooo!"
The tiny, sweet voice of my little sister rings through the open doorway. She bounces into the room with a massive grin, showing off a beautiful, puffy pastel dress.
"Look! I'm a princess!" she squeals, spinning around in a joyful, clumsy circle.
Seeing her smile like that instantly cures the foul mood Vivien left me in earlier. I laugh, picking her up effortlessly and spinning her through the air.
"Oh, my little princess," I grin, tossing us both playfully onto my bed, making her burst into a fit of breathless giggles. "You really do look like a princess," I smile softly, pressing a gentle kiss against the top of her head.
"I'm Mirabella," she announces proudly, smoothing down the tulle of her skirt.
"Who?"
"The princess from my new cartoon! I watched it yesterday with Mommy," she explains, her eyes bright with pure excitement.
"She is a princess, and she helps make her castle a better place."
She keeps rambling on and on about the plot, and honestly, I lose track of the story within seconds, but I just love the sound of her voice.
"Sounds amazing, sweetie."
"Yes, she is awesome! And she looks just like your friend," she smiles, jumping off the mattress to spin around once more.
"Vivien?" I ask, instantly confused.
"No!" She laughs, waving her tiny hands in the air. "The one with the bright, shining eyes. The one I met here."
My heart does a strange, heavy thump against my ribs. "Sophia? "
"Yes! .She looks exactly like Mirabella. Can we watch an episode together, please?"
I smile, checking my watch. I need to be at the business meeting with the Romanos in two hours, and I still have to review the massive investor list my dad gave me. But looking down at my little sister's hopeful, big eyes, the decision is a no-brainer. Of course I have time for her.
"Yes, of course," I agree, glancing over at my suit bag. "Give me ten minutes to change, and then we can watch it."
"Okayyy!" she cheers, skipping back out the door, her tiny footsteps fading down the path.
"Take off your bandage," my father demands the exact second I step into his private dressing room after watching one episode with Mia.
He stands in front of a floor-length mirror, adjusting the lapels of his sharp designer suit, before turning around to point a strict, unforgiving finger at my injured hand.
"I don't need my business partners seeing such unprofessionalism from my son."
With that, he turns on his heel and strides out of the room.
I let out a heavy sigh, a wave of pure frustration hitting my chest as I peel off the bloody wrap.
The raw, split skin of my knuckles throbs in protest.
Moving behind his mahogany desk, I open his executive medical kit, pull out a tight, skin-colored plaster to hide the worst of the redness, and quickly follow him down the grand staircase.
His private driver is already waiting at the front doors, the engine of the sleek limousine purring softly.
"We have a few weeks left," my father starts the conversation, not even looking up from his stack of financial papers as the car pulls out into the city traffic. "After tonight's meeting, the final preparations will be off the plate before we officially present the big news to the public."
I listen, but I say nothing. Building this luxury golf resort and marketing it as a true Calloway surprise is just my dad's way of proving he still owns this city. It's a flex of status, nothing more.
"Fix your collar," he commands right before the driver opens our doors.
We step out into the cool night and walk into the massive, glittering glass entrance of the Calloway Tower.
In the main lobby, Mateo and his father are already waiting, both dressed in sharp corporate attire.
We exchange a brief, silent nod of greeting and ride the private elevator up to the top floor.
"Wonderful," Matteo's father marvels a short while later, staring at the miniature 3D model of my father's vision resting on the massive wooden conference table.
Mateo and I just exchange a quick side-eye. We both know our only job is to look pretty and wait out the rest of this meeting. And if you know anything about my father's endless corporate speeches, you know it takes an eternity.
"This, my dear friend, is the absolute future of our city," my father finally finishes his rehearsed pitch, looking around the boardroom with a deeply satisfied expression.
A long, grueling half-hour later, the presentation is over. Mateo and I escape to the front entrance of the tower, letting the cool evening air hit our faces. It feels incredible after the suffocating air of the boardroom.
"So," Mateo finally breaks the quiet silence between us.
I shift my gaze away from the dark, shimmering water of the river across the street.
"So what?"
"Did you talk to her?"
"Yeah. I broke up with her," I say bluntly, adjusting my cuffs.
"No, idiot. I'm talking about Sophia."
"I don't have the patience for that right now," I snap, instantly annoyed that he's dragging her into this again. My mind flashes back to her and my chest tightens. "I mean, what do you want from me, Mateo? That I go talk to her, and then what? We become best friends?"
Mateo remains quiet for a moment, studying me, before his voice drops to a softer, more serious tone.
"Don't make things harder for yourself than they need to be," he says, placing a heavy, supportive hand on my shoulder.
He gives me one last, meaningful look before stepping back. "Do you want me to give you a ride?"
"Thanks, but Padre should be out any second. After closing a massive deal like tonight, he's going to be unbearably smug,"
I say with a bitter edge.
I open the door of our waiting car and slide back into the leather interior, staring out at the blurred city lights as the door clicks shut.