Face reality
Bruno fell asleep quickly, and she watched him for a while. He was a very attractive man, with perfect features and a muscular body. It was logical to think that she had fallen in love with him.
She left the room and decided to sleep next to Sara that night. When she woke up in the morning, Sara was no longer there. She entered the room she used to share with Bruno, but he wasn’t there either. She quickly took a shower and went downstairs to have breakfast. Sara was preparing chilaquiles for Bruno and pancakes for herself. He was sitting at the table, pressing his head with his hands. Sara gave Nicole a glass with a mixture and asked her to give it to Bruno.
“Take it, sweetheart, and give it to Mr. Bruno. It will help him with his discomfort,” said Sara. Nicole took the glass and placed it in front of Bruno.
“Here, nanny says it will make you feel better.”
“Thank you,” he replied, quickly drinking the contents of the glass.
After breakfast, she headed to the corporate office. At least Sergio hadn’t thought of asking him to hand over his company.
Later, as she tried to focus on reviewing some documents, she heard an argument outside her office. She stepped out to see what was happening. It was Bertha arguing with Lidia.
“What’s going on, Bertha?” she asked in a serious tone.”
“This young lady wants to enter your office without being announced, and she doesn’t have an appointment either.”
“Alright, Bertha, let Lidia in.” The girl looked at Bertha, a look of disdain on her face.
Inside the office, Bruno asked the girl to take a seat.
“What brings you here?” he asked.
“My father asked me to personally invite you. This weekend, the most important equestrian event in the country will take place in Massachusetts. I will be participating in several demonstrations, and we would like you to join us.”
“I’ll discuss it with my wife. If she agrees to accompany me, we’ll be there.”
The girl made a displeased expression that didn’t go unnoticed by Bruno. Who did she think she was to disrespect Nicole like that?
“I’ll talk to my father and see if he can get an extra pass. Since it’s last minute, I’m not sure if it’s possible to get one.”
“Okay, if you manage to get it, give me a call. But, as I said, it depends on my wife. We’ll only go if she agrees.” That pretentious girl deserved a lesson.
“Goodbye, have a nice afternoon.” Lidia left in a fury. No matter how much she flirted with him, Bruno seemed oblivious.
He stared at the door after the girl left, thinking that maybe he was to blame for encouraging her hopes. He shouldn’t have asked her to accompany him to the event, although he made it clear with her when he did.
Later, Bertha announced that Nicole wanted to speak with him.
“Let her in. You know my wife doesn’t need to be announced unless I’m in a meeting.”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
Bertha noticed that Nicole greeted her coldly, as if she didn’t recognize her. What was going on?
Nicole entered the office, and he greeted her with a smile. She blushed, thinking he had a perfect smile. Bruno noticed her embarrassment, and he liked that it indicated she wasn’t indifferent to him.
“Hello, is something the matter?” he asked.
“No, I thought maybe we could have lunch together. I believe that if we’re supposed to be married, we should spend more time together.”
“That sounds good to me. You’re right, we should spend more time together.” He liked that she was determined to get to know him better.
Dante and Sophie lived outside the country. Dante was in charge of a new branch in France, where their little Danna was born. She was about to turn one, and that day they returned to the United States to baptize their little girl. As they had promised, Bruno and Nicole would be the godparents. They knew what was going on with her and imagined they would have to ask her again.
Bruno and Nicole were leaving the office when they suddenly came face to face with Dante, Sophie, and little Danna.
“Brother!” Bruno was delighted to see him.
“Hey, brother, we’ve come so you can meet our little Danna.”
“But what a precious doll I have for a niece,” Nicole immediately extended her small arms towards him, asking to be picked up.
At that moment, Bruno couldn’t help but let sadness invade his mind. His daughter would be a little younger than Danna at that moment.From NôvelDrama.Org.
Nicole was astonished. When did Sophie get married to Bruno’s brother?
“Sweetheart, don’t you want to greet your friend?” Sophie said.
“Sophie,” Nicole approached her for a hug, “your baby is beautiful.”
“I know, sister-in-law. She takes after me,” Dante jokingly replied, as always.
Nicole smiled, but she truly didn’t remember that guy.
“I’m sorry, little sister. I know you may not remember me, but believe me, I’m one of your favorite guys,” he said, still smiling.
Nicole approached the little one; she was beautiful, with blond hair and big green eyes. Both Sophie and Dante were blond, but he was the one with green eyes, while hers were honey-colored.
“Hello, cutie,” the baby immediately started to smile.
“We were about to go out for lunch. Would you like to join us?”
“Sure, I’m starving,” Dante replied.
“As always, my love,” Sophie said. Her comment made Nicole and Bruno laugh.
They walked to a nearby restaurant. While Nicole held the baby, she couldn’t understand why she felt a tightness in her chest and an overwhelming urge to cry.
“Is something wrong? Are you okay?” Bruno asked.
“I don’t know. I feel a strong tightness in my chest. It started right after I held the baby.”
Sophie noticed and approached to take her daughter. Everyone knew what was happening. On an unconscious level, Nicole remembered what had happened with her baby.
When they entered the restaurant, they saw that Máx and Amadeus were already there. They didn’t know everything that had happened and tried to stay out of the country. Máx hadn’t reached out to Nicole or Sophie because he didn’t feel capable of looking them in the eyes. It was still difficult for him to come to terms with his feelings.
Dante was the first to see them and went over to greet them, followed by the others.
“Friends, how nice to see you.”
“Hello, good to bump into you here,” Amadeus replied, while Máx felt like hiding under the table, especially because Bruno knew what was happening between them. He hoped he would keep his promise to keep it quiet.
“Hello, little Dragonfly.”
“Hi, Máx.” Nicole approached him for a hug.
“But please, have a seat. We’re just about to order.”
The group sat down next to them, and Nicole didn’t remember Amadeus. He was surprised that she hadn’t addressed him at any point.
“How have you been, Nicole? We haven’t seen each other since the awards ceremony.”
“Do we know each other? I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”
“Friend, what’s happened?” Máx realized that something wasn’t right with her and blamed himself for distancing himself.
Bruno told them everything that had happened, and Amadeus and Máx couldn’t believe it.
“It can’t be true. How could that monster kidnap my little one? Something must be done to set him free.”
“Sergio keeps us under surveillance. If we attempt a rescue, he threatened to kill him, and believe me, we’ve learned that he doesn’t make empty threats,” Bruno replied, distressed.
“The worst part is that I can’t even remember my own son.”
“I’m sorry, Nicole. I should have been by your side. I’ve selfishly focused on living my own life, even though your parents and you accepted me into your family,” Máx was genuinely distraught. Amadeus took his hand under the table as a sign of support.
At that moment, a foul smell filled the table, and everyone turned to find its source.
“What’s that smell? God, I think we need to ask to change tables,” Máx said.
“Hahaha,” Dante and Sophie couldn’t help but laugh.
“Sorry, guys. It’s time to change Danna’s diaper,” Sophie said as she took her bag and headed towards the restroom.
The others couldn’t help but laugh. They never imagined that the little one would be the cause of such a smell.
“I’m sorry, Dante, for my comment. I didn’t think the baby was the culprit.”
“Hahaha, don’t worry. Even I sometimes want to run away, especially when it’s my turn to change the diaper.”
The group of friends ate peacefully, preferring to change the subject. They knew how terrible the situation was for Bruno and Nicole, but a moment of tranquility was good for them.
Later, they said their goodbyes. Dante and Sophie would be staying with Bruno and Nicole, while Máx returned to talk to the girls.
“I’d like to talk to you tomorrow if you have some time.”
“For you, always, my friend.”
Máx smiled, although deep down he felt overwhelmed with nerves. It was time to face reality and tell the girls what was happening between him and Amadeus. He sighed deeply before getting into the car and driving away with the Russian.