CHAPTER 28
“The heart’s challenges are the ones that teach us the most…”
MARIA GAbrIELA
In a few months, I’d be out of a job—so what better time to start looking for another one?
During my lunch break, I decided to check some job listings, and to my surprise, I managed to find a few promising opportunities. But there was one major problem that kept haunting me: references.
How was I supposed to get a reliable recommendation when my current boss seemed determined to destroy any chance I had? Knowing Diego—and the anger he still held toward me—I was sure he wouldn’t make things easy. Quite the opposite.
I sighed, trying to focus, but my chest felt heavy. As if things weren’t already complicated enough, I couldn’t stop the storm of emotions that hit me every time I thought about him.
The man who, one moment, could set my body on fire, and the next, could freeze every bit of hope I had left with his cruelty.
Nothing made sense anymore.
While I was lost in thought, Diego appeared in the office, snapping me out of it. My body tensed immediately, and I braced myself for the next attack I was sure was coming.
Ever since our last conversation, his attitude had only gotten worse—a toxic mix of sarcasm and indifference that made me want to disappear.
He stopped in front of me, expression serious, though his eyes didn’t seem as sharp as usual. Still, I readied myself for the worst. He crossed his arms, his face hard, and I knew something was coming.
“Starting today,” he said, his voice firm—almost an order—“I want to know everything about the baby.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. That was definitely not what I expected.
“What do you mean?” I asked cautiously, confused by his sudden change in tone.
He stared at me for a moment, like he was carefully choosing his words—which only made me more uneasy. Diego was never one to think before speaking. Quite the opposite—he usually said whatever came to mind, no matter who it hurt.
“Even if the baby isn’t mine,” he said finally, his voice hard and controlled, “I still want to be informed. From now on, you’re going to keep me updated on every detail.”
For a second, I wondered if this was genuine concern.
No. It couldn’t be.
He’d made it clear he didn’t believe me. This felt more like an attempt at control than anything else. And yet… something in his expression—a flicker in his eyes—made me hesitate.
Was he worried?
I almost laughed. Of course not. This was Diego Bittencourt—the coldest man I knew. He just wanted to make sure he wouldn’t be blindsided by some inconvenient surprise.
“And what if I refuse to tell you anything?” I asked, testing the waters.
If he was going to treat me like a pawn in his game, then I wanted to see how far he was willing to go. He tilted his head slightly, studying me for what felt like an eternity. Then his answer came, as cutting and certain as ever.
“You won’t refuse.” His tone was sharp, final. “Because if you do, things can get a lot worse for you around here. And we both know you don’t want that.”
Something in his voice made me flinch.
Even if I wanted to fight back, a part of me knew he meant it. It wasn’t an empty threat. Diego always followed through—whether for good or for bad.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm.
I couldn’t let him intimidate me like this, but I also knew his game was far more dangerous than anything I could play alone.
“Fine,” I said at last, more to avoid another confrontation than out of any real willingness. “I’ll keep you updated.”
“Excellent.”
When he finally left, I exhaled, relieved—but my mind was spinning.
I wanted to believe there was some shred of humanity buried beneath that icy facade, but I couldn’t afford to think that way.
My boss had made it painfully clear that I meant nothing to him—he’d humiliated me, laughed in my face when I told him I was pregnant. And now he wanted to interfere in my life?
I stared at my computer screen, but the job postings I’d been looking at before all of this suddenly seemed meaningless.
I needed to find a way out.