Chapter 10 Our Little Secret

"What the hell are you doing?" Warren barked.

Lorenzo snapped out of his daze, eyes wide. He fumbled to button up, but the buttons were gone, so he just clutched his shirt and stood up.

"This is the living room, for crying out loud! People come and go here. Do you have any respect for us? Huh? It's bad enough you mess around with women outside," Warren's face was beet red with anger. His voice was so loud it could've shattered the roof. "Now you're doing this at home too? What do you want? Are you trying to turn the world upside down?"

Lorenzo clutched his clothes and hung his head, looking so pathetic that Warren's anger only grew. He gripped his cane tighter.

'Who does this useless idiot take after? Handing the Martinez Group over to Nicholas was the right call. If this reckless fool had it, the Martinez Group's century-old foundation would be in ruins!' Warren thought, getting even more furious. He looked at Lorenzo with disappointment and shook his head as he left.

Lorenzo glared at Sophia, his face darkening. That bitch was nothing but trouble. He thought he could get rid of her today, but she set him up and made him look bad in front of his parents. Warren already thought he was a good-for-nothing. Now, in Warren's eyes, he probably had an even worse reputation. And it was all because of this bitch!

Lorenzo's expression grew more ferocious as he clenched his fists, trying to control his emotions.

"Do whatever you want outside, but you dare act like an animal at home? I'm telling you, if this happens again, don't blame me for dealing with you!" Diana looked at Lorenzo with growing disappointment and glanced at Sophia in her nightgown with a hint of displeasure.

If it weren't for Sophia, would there be so many ridiculous things happening at home? Ever since Sophia came in, there hadn't been a single good day! And she was supposed to help the family get rid of bad luck? Now it seemed she was just a curse, causing unrest in the household!

After scolding Lorenzo, Diana turned to Sophia, "And you, don't forget why you came to the Martinez family! I warn you, don't think you can freeload off us. If Nicholas doesn't wake up within a week, I'll kick you out!"

Sophia helplessly touched her nose and watched Diana's figure disappear. Blaming her for something that wasn't her fault? Just gave her a rest.

"Sophia," Lorenzo's voice came from the side, "I can guarantee that as long as you're in this house, I won't let you have a good time!"

"Lorenzo, this is a society governed by law now." Sophia smiled indifferently. "What are you going to do? Hit me? You don't exactly strike me as much of a threat."

Faced with Sophia's taunting, Lorenzo gritted his teeth but couldn't do anything more. He glared at her hatefully, put on his clothes, and left the Martinez Mansion.

He couldn't stand breathing the same air with that damn bitch; he needed to blow off some steam!

Evening came quickly, Sophia turned off her computer and rubbed her tired eyes. She lay on the sofa to rest for a while when she heard a series of knocks at the door.

She opened the door to find Barry standing there, clutching a big pillow and looking up at her with those big, innocent eyes.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" he asked, his voice trembling a bit. "I feel safe with you. I'm scared to sleep alone."

Sophia's heart melted. She squatted down and rubbed Barry's soft little face. "Sure, buddy. We'll sleep together."

She picked him up and carried him to the bed, tucking him in. Barry fell asleep almost instantly, his breathing becoming steady and calm.

Later that night, a piercing scream jolted Sophia awake once more. She awoke abruptly to see Barry’s panicked face illuminated by moonlight streaming through the window; tears welled up in his frightened eyes.

"Another nightmare?" Sophia asked softly, wiping away his tears and pulling him into her arms. She gently patted his back. "It's okay, it's okay. Nightmares aren't real. Don't be scared."

Barry buried his head in her arms, listening to her soothing voice, and his fear slowly faded.

"Why do I always have nightmares?" he asked, his voice filled with sadness. "Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa don't have them. Neither do Granduncle and Grandaunt. It's just me."

Sophia's heart ached for him. "Barry, do you want to stop having nightmares?"

Nightmares could be a sign of deeper issues. If they continued, Barry might suffer more, both mentally and physically. She didn't want that for him.

Barry nodded eagerly. "Yes, I don't want to have them anymore. They're scary."

Sophia had an idea. She gently patted his back and said, "You have nightmares because you're not feeling well."

"What should I do?" Barry's eyes were wide with worry.

"Don't worry," Sophia reassured him. "I can help you, but you have to work with me."

Barry nodded again, trusting her completely. "I'll do whatever you say. Just make them go away."

Sophia smiled warmly at his earnestness and whispered, "Okay, but this has to be our little secret. You can't tell anyone else."

She knew she had no authority in the Martinez family; if she spoke up about Barry's condition, it would likely fall on deaf ears. But Barry's condition was serious, and she couldn't wait any longer.

"Pinky promise," Barry said, holding out his little finger. Sophia hooked her finger with his and smiled.

"I promise I won't tell anyone," Barry said solemnly. "If I do, I'll never eat shrimp again."

Sophia chuckled and continued to pat his back. "Alright, now go back to sleep."

Morning came. As usual, Sophia treated Nicholas and then got ready to spend time with Barry. She had promised him they would play together.

The Martinez Mansion had a large lawn with a big sandpit in the middle, filled with fine beach sand. Barry touched the sand and looked up at Sophia. "Can you help me build a castle?"

"Of course," she said with a smile.

They started building when suddenly, the sound of running footsteps caught Sophia's attention. She looked up to see a servant rushing towards her, panic written all over her face.

"Mrs. Sophia Martinez, Mr. Warren Martinez and Mrs. Diana Martinez want you to go upstairs immediately!"