The ambiance’s aroma was still the same. The music playing in the background brought nostalgia with its musical notes, almost knocking Giovana out. Her body was tense, and her heart raced with each step she took towards the table. The blue veins on Giovana’s forehead throbbed. At that moment, she realized she still loved Antony, and worst of all, she missed him.With a bitter smile on her face, Giovana looked at Matteo, who pulled out a chair for her to sit. Soon, the restaurant manager appeared, smiling and happy to see Giovana again.“I’m very happy to see you again, ma’am,” he tried to be discreet, but failed miserably. “I thought I would never see you again after the divorce.”With that, she involuntarily glanced at Matteo’s bright eyes, knowing he could see the terror on her face. Matteo could read every subtle movement she made. Giovana just smiled and looked up in the manager’s direction.“I’m happy to see you too.” she couldn’t remember the man’s name because her mind was a bl
How had Antony found her?Giovana felt this question tormenting her in the few seconds where silence was all that remained between them.“What are you doing here?” With her teeth showing, Giovana felt her blood boil as she looked at Antony again.“As far as I remember, this house has always belonged to my family,” Antony said. “But I realize that Nicolaus betrayed me again when he decided to offer it to you.”“How did you find me?” A tear formed in her eyes, but Giovana managed to hold them back.“I’m the one asking the questions here, Giovana,” he took a step towards her, observing Giovana shrink. “Why don’t you answer my phone calls?”“I am no longer your wife, Antony,” she shouted, feeling ruined. “There’s no reason for me to have friendly conversations with you.”“We have business to take care of,” suddenly his gaze shifted to the male figure standing just behind his ex-wife. “Matteo was more proactive than me, finding her first.”Matteo stared at Antony, wide-eyed. Giovana quickl
Antony hadn’t realized that he was still in the car, looking at her until their gazes met, enveloping him in a great embarrassment. Only then did he start the car engine and drove away.On the way, he called Ricardo and asked him to meet him at the company as quickly as possible. Ricardo was not only his best friend but had also been the CEO of the company during the period when Nicolaus had been seriously ill. He was responsible for turning that business into a genuine success.Antony remembered this fact as if a knife were stuck in his heart. Remembering that his own father preferred to entrust the family business to someone other than him filled him with great resentment towards Nicolaus. It wasn’t Ricardo’s ability that was at stake, but as the sole heir, it should have been Antony who assumed the presidency in his father’s absence.Nicolaus had his reasons for this, and somehow Giovana was always involved in his decisions.He parked the car in the building’s garage, still lost in
Giovana watched the day pass as uncertainties consumed her. Antony’s visit almost caused her to miscarry. She called Xavier as soon as she entered her house, but the lawyer said he couldn’t come to see her that day.The next day, when the sun was already high in the sky, someone knocked on the door. Giovana was still lying down, in a deep sleep, and it took her longer than it should have to go check who it was. Still sleepy, she walked with semi-opened eyes, hoping it wasn’t Matteo, much less Antony, disturbing her early in the morning.She was relieved when she saw Xavier waiting at the door.She served coffee to the lawyer before pouring herself a cup. In the next moment, after the first sip, Giovana revealed her secret, causing Xavier to choke on the hot liquid.“I’m pregnant,” as soon as she realized the man was stunned, she concluded, “The child I’m expecting is Antony’s.”Giovana planned to tell someone soon, but Antony's arrival made her need to tell someone who could help her.
Antony sat in the office armchair, thinking of his childhood. Nothing worried him back then, not even the constant fights between Nicolaus and Amelia because she refused to have another child. Nicolaus wanted a house full of children, but Amelia refused. Antony never understood how a woman like her had conceived him. But Amelia loved him , and he never doubted that love.But the world crumbled when Amelia became pregnant again and died during childbirth. It was a guilt that Nicolaus couldn’t bear for many years. Losing his wife and the baby she carried tormented him and drove him away from the only family he had left: Antony. When Antony turned eighteen, he left home to live in another country, far from Nicolaus’s brutality and the ghosts that haunted him. Nicolaus was no longer the father he loved; he became an obsessive and manipulative man. When Nicolaus decided to take care of Giovana, he saw in her an opportunity for redemption. He offered her what life had taken from him: a fres
When Giovana was married to Antony, her life was monotonous and insignificant. In the sense that nobody cared about her existence or the fact that she was his wife. But things changed after the divorce. Becoming the heiress of Nicolaus’s fortune made her an easy target. The world started to care about her, and everyone seemed to want her attention.On that same afternoon, as the sun was setting behind the mountains, someone knocked on the door. Her heart raced because she thought Antony had come after her to demand explanations. She looked through the side window of the house, which gave a small view of the main entrance. Giovana recognized that face, and it didn’t resemble Antony.When she finally felt safe, she walked to the door and greeted the visitor with a wide smile and a tight hug.“I thought you wouldn’t receive me because I’m Antony’s friend,” he whispered in her ear. “Surprised by the visit?”“Happy that you finally remembered me,” she replied with a smile on her face, step
A few days had passed, and Giovana felt that life was lighter without Antony disturbing her or Matteo pressuring her for another chance. Despite this, she found this calmness very suspicious. Antony seemed to have gotten the message, or at least that’s what she wanted to believe. But deep down, Giovana knew he was planning something diabolical against her.She left home that morning, feeling more determined than in previous days. The market was two blocks away from her house, and she decided to walk there. It was cold that day, despite the cloudless sky and the sun shining.She was attentive to the shopping list she held in one hand. She passed by the hygiene aisle and paused when she saw several packages of diapers. A smile emerged on her lips, but her heart raced when she thought that in a few months, she would have a baby, and no one would be there to help her. It was a frightening vision of her own future. The smile faded, replaced by an immense tightness in her chest. She put the
Xavier took longer than he should have to arrive, or Giovana’s lack of time awareness was making her anxious, causing time to stand still. When he finally arrived, he was faced with a scene of war. Giovana's house was a complete mess. Someone had ransacked it. The man stood in complete silence for long and agonizing minutes.“Oh, this is too much for me to bear,” he whimpered in a corner of the house, away from Xavier.“Do you have any idea who did this?” he asked, analyzing every corner in search of a clue.“I don’t know,” she said with a choked voice, “But I suspect who it might have been.”“Antony wouldn’t have the capability for this.” Xavier could read her thoughts. “Besides, the main door was forced open. Antony still has the spare key.”“Aren’t you being too nice to him? Wiping her tears, she tried to think of a solution. “they’re trying to intimidate me. Look at the message they left in my room and tell me what else I should do?”Xavier walked to the room where Giovana slept a