Why Lorenzo Protects Reina

Lorenzo was just finishing up when Carly trotted down the stairs and into the kitchen. She stilled when she saw him. She gave him a dazzling smile and made her way to the refrigerator. "Hungry?" he asked. "Starving" she replied. Lorenzo shared out a plate of food for her but Carly just looked at the food. "Something wrong?" he asked. "I eat way more than you give me credit for" Carly told him. He gestured for her to take more which she did. Lorenzo looked at the plate of food in front of Carly as they sat down at the dining table. He liked a woman with a healthy appetite even if he did only hang out with models who would always complain about all the food given to them saying they couldn't finish it. "What?" Carly asked. "Where do you put all this food because it doesn't show" Lorenzo told her. Carly burst out laughing and Lorenzo could have sworn it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

You would end up hurting her- Lorenzo thought to himself. He didn't want a steady girlfriend right now. He was in his sexual prime and he didn't want to be tied down just yet. He would just have to keep pretending to be the ignorant brother until Reina and Carly go off to college. Who are you trying to fool?- His conscience asked him. Reina came downstairs still looking sleepy. When she saw Lorenzo and  Carly at the table eating she smiled. "Were you guys planning to wake me up anytime soon? Or were you waiting until you finished everything to wake me up?" I teased as I went into the kitchen for my own food. "Sorry, we didn't. It was just a precaution just in case I wanted more food and would have ended up finishing everything" Carly joked. "When did Demetrius leave?" Reina heard herself ask. "About an hour ago" Lorenzo replied. "Oh" was all Reina could say as she took her seat. "When are you planning to come see father?" Reina asked. 

When they pulled up in front of the mansion Carly gave her a hug before getting out. "You like her, don't you?" Reina asked. Lorenzo shook his head. "Why not? She is the type of woman you would want as a wife". Lorenzo smiled he remembered when he told Reina the difference between women you had as your wife and women you just slept with. "I don't want a wife as yet, Reina" he replied. "Suit yourself. But when you finally want to settle down, Carly might have already found someone else" Reina said as she got out of the car. 

Lorenzo walked to his father's study not even knocking before he entered. His father was drinking a glass of brandy and smoking a cigar when he entered. "Father" Lorenzo said. "Son" he replied as he set the brandy down. "It's nice to have you back" his father continued. 

Flashback:  "Again with this Mia?!" his father shouted at his eldest sister. "Richard. Leave her be" his mother had pleaded. Richard had slapped his mother across the face to shut her up. Reina who was five at the time started crying. Lorenzo rushed over to the five year old and hugged her hiding her from the abuse their mother and sister were getting. Mia, their eldest sister, was fifteen at the time. "I gave you everything! Anything you wanted I gave it to you! You ungrateful b***h!" Lorenzo hid his face in Reina's hair as he heard the slaps his mother and sister were getting. He looked up into Mia's eyes. Her cheeks were red and her nose was bleeding but she still managed to smile at him. "Take Reina out of this room" she mouthed to him. He nodded and lifted Reina up and left the room. "Lorenzo? Why was daddy hitting mommy and Mia?" Reina had asked. "Because he thinks they were bad" he had replied when he tucked her in. Lorenzo went back to his room and fell asleep. He felt someone waking him in the middle of the night, it was Mia and his mother. "Lorenzo, hijo. We are leaving" his mother had whispered. "I will go get, Reina. We will leave together" Lorenzo told them. They both shook their heads. "Where we are going, sweetheart you cannot come. Your father took care of all the finances so we only have enough money for two. Please forgive me, Lorenzo. Tell Reina we love her" his mother had said when she kissed his head. "We cannot contact you when we reach our destination but Lorenzo I promise you, we will meet again, little brother" Mia told him as she hugged him. "Protect Reina" they both said as they left.

The next morning his father looked fit to kill when he found out his daughter and wife left him. Little Reina had come downstairs while he was angry, he took out his anger on the five year old. Reina was in the hospital for a week! It was then Lorenzo confided in Antonio and Gertrude, their servants. He begged them to protect Reina whenever he was away. His father was one horrible man. He told people that Reina had fallen down the stairs and had threatened to kill her if Lorenzo breathed a word to the police when they had come to investigate the incident. Flashback end. 

"Are you listening to me, Lorenzo?" his father asked him. "I am sorry. What did you say?" Lorenzo asked. "I said I want you to convince your sister that marrying Malik is  GOOD thing" he told Lorenzo. "I am sorry, father but I cannot. I know the sort of man Malik is and I do not approve of the marriage, should there ever be one" Lorenzo told him. "It is not your place to approve the marriage or not and I say there will be a marriage. I just want Reina to see what type of man Demetrius Vassaliadas is so her stupid infatuation towards him will stop" his father told him. "Demetrius is a good man" Lorenzo told him.

"So what time are we going shopping tomorrow?" Carly asked Reina. "I was thinking around noon" I replied. "That's great. I knew some really great boutiques we can go to.  

An hour later

Lorenzo came into Reina's room practically fuming. "What is wrong, Lorenzo?" Reina asked him. "Nothing to worry about, Reinabella. I just came to say goodbye before I left" he told me. "Will you be the one taking us to the Lavender Charity Ball?" Carly asked. Lorenzo nodded. "We will be going with Demetrius and his date" Lorenzo said as he turned to look at Reina. Reina shook her head. "I would rather walk" Reina told him. "Not an option. It's that or father forces you to make Malik be your escort" Lorenzo told her. No point arguing- Reina thought to herself. "Fine" she sighed. Then she had an idea. "Are you going with a date, Lorenzo?" Reina asked. Not good- Lorenzo thought. He knew Reina was up to no good from the way she was smiling. "No. I don't have a date" he replied. "Good! Would you mind taking Carly as your date?" Reina asked. Lorenzo heard Carly gasp. He turned to look at her, her entire face was red. "Would you mind accompanying me to the ball?" Lorenzo asked her. Carly couldn't make words so she nodded. "Great! It's settled! See you tomorrow night, big brother" Reina told him. "Good night, Reinabella. Carly" he said as he left. 

Reina turned to look at her friend who was in a state of utter shock. "Your welcome" Reina smiled as she sat beside her. "I-I don't know if I can do this" Carly stuttered. "You've been on dates before, Carly so what's so different?" I asked her. "None of them were half the man Lorenzo Cortes is" she replied. Reina grinned. They got ready for bed and soon the lights were out.