ROMEO TRISTAIN'S PAYBACK

Romeo Tristan's AURA

“Romeo!”

“Romeo!”

“Romeo, wake up!”

The voice, soft but urgent, pulled Romeo Tristan from a restless sleep. Miss Valerie, a wiry woman in her mid-30s with kind eyes shadowed by fatigue, stood over his narrow bed. 

The room was dim, the only light sneaking through a cracked windowpane, illuminating the peeling wallpaper of the Alexander mansion’s smallest bedroom.

Romeo blinked, his amber eyes heavy as he dragged himself upright.

 “Is it morning already?” 

He asked, his voice rough, trembling with the weight of too little sleep.

“Yes, it is.” 

Miss Valerie said, her tone serious, edged with worry. She was gathering his clothes,worn jeans, a faded t-shirt,stuffing them into a battered laundry basket. 

“You gotta get up, Romeo. You know how Madam Tracey gets when you wake up late.”

Romeo’s stomach twisted at the mention of Madam Tracey Alexander, his uncle’s wife, whose cruelty was as sharp as the heels she wore. He glanced at Miss Valerie, her hands quick but careful, and hesitated, the warmth of his bed tempting him to stay. 

With a heavy sigh, he swung his legs over the side and stood, the cold floor biting his bare feet as he shuffled to the bathroom.

The door had barely clicked shut when the room’s entrance burst open. Madam Tracey swept in, her fair skin glowing under the harsh light, her blue eyes cold and predatory.

 “Where’s that smelling little rascal?” 

She snapped, her voice laced with venom as she scanned the cramped space, her silk dress shimmering like a warning.

Miss Valerie jumped, nearly dropping the basket. 

“Oh, Madam Tracey, good morning.” 

She stammered, her voice shaking. 

“Sorry, I didn’t see you come in.”

Tracey’s lips curled into a scornful sneer. 

“That’s not what I asked, Valerie. Where the hell is that little rat?”

 Her words were heavier now, each one a deliberate cut.

“He’s in the bathroom, Madam Tracey.” 

Miss Valerie replied, bowing her head, her hands gripping the basket tightly, as if it could shield her from Tracey’s wrath.

“What? Is he just waking up now?” 

Madam Tracey’s eyes flicked to the bathroom door, her perfectly manicured nails tapping her crossed arms.

“No, Madam.”

Miss Valerie said quickly, her head still lowered, her voice a nervous whisper.

 Madam Tracey’s gaze lingered, sharp and unyielding, before she turned toward the open door, her heels clicking like a metronome of menace. Halfway out, she stopped, spinning back to Valerie with a scowl. 

“When he comes out, tell him to put on that servant’s outfit I gave him yesterday. He needs to wear it and get to the ballroom. The event’s starting, and the drinks won’t serve themselves.” 

Her face twisted into a cruel smirk, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction at the thought of Romeo’s humiliation.

“I’ll tell him, Madam Tracey.” 

Miss Valerie said, her voice trembling but steady.

“And you.” 

Madam Tracey added, pointing a finger. 

“Hurry up with your work. I told you my friend is staying over after the event. The guest room is a mess, and it won’t clean itself.”

“I’ll do it, Madam.”

Miss Valerie replied, eyes fixed on the floor.

With a final huff, Madam Tracey swept out, leaving a cloud of her cloying perfume. Miss Valerie exhaled, her shoulders slumping as she bent to pick up a sock that had slipped from the basket.

Romeo stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, his fair skin still damp. 

“Was that…?” 

He started, his voice low, already knowing the answer.

“Yup, the Goddess of the Mansion.” 

Miss Valerie said with a wry smile, trying to lighten the heavy air as she straightened up, clutching the laundry.

“I heard you two.” 

Romeo said, walking to his wardrobe. He pulled out the servant’s outfit, a stiff, black-and-white waiter’s uniform Madam Tracey had tossed at him like garbage. His jaw tightened as he held it, the fabric rough under his fingers.

“You did?” 

Miss Valerie asked, turning to him, her brown eyes soft with concern.

“Yeah.” 

He said, slumping onto the bed, the uniform in his lap. His face darkened, sadness creeping in like a shadow. 

“You shouldn’t have lied about me waking up early. She’ll make your life hell if she finds out.”

Miss Valerie stepped closer, her voice firm despite her nerves. 

“I don’t care, Romeo. You don’t deserve how they treat you. It’s wrong, and I’m not okay with it.”

 She paused, her expression softening.

 “You’re more than what they say.”

Romeo looked up, a small smile breaking through his gloom.

 “Thanks, Miss Valerie. You’re a real friend.”

She blushed, waving him off with a laugh.

 “Oh, hush, you’re making me shy!” 

Her smile faded. 

“Now get dressed before she comes back with more trouble.”

As Miss Valerie left, Romeo stood, pulling the uniform off its hanger. His phone buzzed on the nightstand, the screen flashing “Ryan George.”

 A grin flickered across his face. 

“Ryan, my man, why is he calling me this early?” 

He muttered, hitting the answer and setting it to the speaker as he started dressing.

“Hey, Romeo!” 

Ryan’s voice came through, bright but curious.

“What’s good, bro? Why are you hitting me up at this hour?” 

Romeo asked, buttoning the stiff shirt, glancing at his reflection in the chipped wall mirror, his amber eyes catching the dim light.

“Man, where were you last night? Forgot about the party?”

 Ryan asked, his tone tinged with curiosity.

“Nah, I told you I couldn’t make it.”

 Romeo said, wrestling with the tie.

 “What’s up? Did something crazy go down?”

“Yeah, real crazy. Your girl.”

 Ryan said, his voice dropping.

Romeo froze, mid-button, his reflection tensing. 

“What? What happened to Erica? Is she okay?”

 His voice was tight, worry spiking through him.

“She’s fine, not like that.”

 Ryan said quickly.

Romeo exhaled, relief fleeting. 

“Man, don’t scare me like that. So what’s up? She gets wild or…”

“She cheated on you, man.”

 Ryan cut in, blunt and heavy.

Romeo’s smile vanished, his hand stilling. The words hit like a brick.

 “What’d you say, Ryan?”

Before Ryan could repeat it, a sharp knock rattled the door.

 “Romeo, hurry! Madam Tracey’s coming!” 

Miss Valerie’s voice was urgent. Romeo’s heart lurched. He hung up, shoved his feet into the polished shoes, and bolted out, Ryan’s words burning in his chest like a fresh wound.

The ballroom of the Alexander mansion was a glittering cage, its chandeliers casting a golden glow over tables draped in white silk. Gem City’s elite swirled through the space,men in tailored suits, women in sparkling gowns, their laughter sharp and hollow.

 Servants moved like ghosts, trays of champagne flutes and tiny pastries balanced with practiced grace. Romeo, in his stiff waiter’s uniform, wove through the crowd, his face locked in a forced smile that felt like a mask.

 His amber eyes darted around, watching for Tracey’s glare, while Ryan’s words,“She cheated on you”,echoed in his head, twisting with memories of his mother’s bloodied body in the hospital, her baby girl lifeless beside her.

He offered a flute to a guest, his smile tight, when whispers caught his ear. A group of women in shimmering dresses stood nearby, their voices dripping with venom.

 “Isn’t that Madam Tracey’s husband’s brother’s son?” 

One said, her tone mockingly sympathetic.

 “Such a sad little thing.”

“Yeah.” 

Another replied, sipping her champagne.

 “His mother was a fool. Killed herself and her baby, thinking she could sleep her way into this family. Pathetic.”

Romeo’s fist clenched at his side, the tray trembling in his other hand. His jaw locked, anger surging like fire in his veins. 

His mother, Fionna, who’d held him through nightmares, reduced to their cruel lies. He took a ste

p toward them, his smile gone, ready to snap, when a voice cut through like a whip.

“There you are, you brat!” 

Madam Tracey’s voice was venomous, her blue eyes pinning him as she emerged from the crowd, her gown swishing like a predator’s tail. The room seemed to hush, all eyes on Romeo, trapped in her gaze.