Before Aila could finish, Riana interrupted her, expressing her sadness and frustration.
— I miss my mother so much. It seems like sad stories always happen to me. Why do good people have to go through this? — she murmured, her voice choked with the pain of loss and injustice.
Aila looked at Riana with affection, wishing fervently to ease the pain of that young woman, even knowing that her words could only offer solace.
— My love, don’t feel that way. — she began, her voice soft and comforting. — Some things just happen, and we cannot change them.
Riana nodded, accepting Aila's words with resignation.
— That’s true. — she agreed, her expression shifting quickly. — It would be worse if I found all this out after I got married.
Then, she changed her tone, sharing a deeper thought.
— You know, when Paulo showed up here after my father and Junior died... You told me all those things. I felt like I was acting against myself, that the problem was with me. It was as if I was pushing people away. But when Paulo appeared like that, I thought, "Someone cares about me." All that attention, that affection... I started to smile again, and I saw that fate was giving me a new chance.
A smile tinged with anger appeared on Riana’s lips as she continued.
— But now I know he approached me only out of interest. For the presidency. He wanted my shares. He wanted my father's company. — she declared with fierce determination, her words heavy with disappointment and resentment.
While Riana and Aila were talking, Jully Morak, Riana’s best friend since childhood, called. The soft knock at the door announced the arrival of the call, and Morgan's voice echoed from the other side of the room.
— Miss, it’s your friend Morak on the phone.
Riana smiled broadly and jumped off the bed, excited.
— I’ll take it here, Morgan.
She rushed to the side table, grabbed the phone, and returned to the bed. Aila waved goodbye and left the room, leaving Riana alone. The two friends talked for quite a while and made plans to meet for lunch the following day. Although Jully was three years older, the two had always gotten along well since childhood. However, after Jully went to college, they had been separated for a long time. Now that Jully was back, she brought a lot of news that made Riana happy.
After ending the call, Riana called Aila back into the room and said:
— I’m not working tomorrow. I want you to ask my assistant to come here. I want to talk to her in person. And let Dody know we’re going out tomorrow.
She kissed the housekeeper on the cheek in gratitude and said:
— Goodnight, Aila.
Aila smiled widely in response.
— Goodnight, my beautiful. Sleep well.
Riana closed the door and rushed to the bathroom, where she submerged her naked body in a bubble bath. After her bath, she dressed and lay down on her bed. Despite the bad things that had happened that night, her best friend's call changed everything. With a lighter heart, she fell asleep happily.
The next day, Riana woke up with renewed energy. She got out of bed, feeling revitalized, and began getting ready for the day ahead. After preparing herself, she went downstairs and headed to the breakfast table, where Morgan, the housekeeper, was already waiting for her. Sitting down, Riana began to eat in silence, though happiness radiated from her face. However, something felt out of place. The absence of Aila, the housekeeper who usually accompanied her in the mornings, did not go unnoticed by Riana.
— Where is Aila? — Riana asked as she enjoyed a slice of bread.
Morgan hesitated for a moment before responding, but faced with Riana's insistence, she decided to speak up:
— She’s outside. There’s a man insisting on speaking with you, and Aila went to talk to him personally.
The information made Riana set her fork down on the plate and look directly at Morgan.
— And who is this man? — she inquired, curious.
Morgan seemed reluctant to provide more details, but Riana’s insistence made her relent:
— I’m sorry, Miss, I’ve already said too much. Aila asked me not to tell anything.
A discreet smile appeared on Riana's lips. Getting up from the table, she headed to the window and spotted Willian outside. Recognizing him as the man she met in the subway, Riana instantly knew the reason for his visit. She called over one of the security guards and asked:
— Mr. Gusman, do you know the name of the guy outside?
The guard nodded and replied promptly:
— Yes, Miss. His name is Willian Lamartine, and he said he won’t leave until he speaks with you.
A slight smile lit up Riana's face. She decided to face the situation head-on and take control of the conversation. Addressing the guard, she instructed:
— Please take him to the garden, on the other side of the property, where the angel sculptures are. I’ll meet him there.
The guard nodded and left to fulfill Riana’s orders. Meanwhile, she prepared to confront the conversation that lay ahead.
After the guard's departure, Riana stood still for a moment, watching Willian outside. After a few minutes of hesitation, she decided to approach him. Moving forward with determination, Riana kept her serious expression, while Willian wore a broad smile.
— What are you doing here? — she questioned directly.
Willian, not losing his smile, replied courteously:
— Aren’t you going to invite me to sit down?
Riana was straightforward in her response:
— No! I’m a busy woman, get to the point.
Willian extended the package he was carrying in his hands, offering his apologies. Riana accepted the package and unwrapped it, revealing two white roses. She looked at them for a moment before turning her attention back to Willian.
— It’s fine, forget what happened. — she said, signaling forgiveness.
Willian maintained his smile and continued:
— Well, I didn’t come here just for that. — He pulled her phone from his coat pocket and handed it to her.
— Besides the phone, I wanted to see you one more time. — he explained.
Riana kept her seriousness and replied:
— I’m not a free woman, Mr. Lamartine. Are all you French the same?
Willian laughed and responded:
— What do you have against the French? My mother was French, I’m not.
Riana turned her back to him, ready to end the conversation. However, Willian stopped her with an unexpected proposal:
— Wait, I want to invite you to dinner, what do you think?
Riana redirected her attention to him and replied firmly:
— Don’t be rude.
Without waiting for a response, Riana quickly walked away, heading back to the house. Meanwhile, Willian was politely escorted to the exit and got into his car, leaving with a smile on his lips.