Chapter 40
Vico
Florian looks up from the two contract versions with a puzzled expression. "Your father signed this?" he asks me in English.
That's obvious. I nod.
"But when we last spoke, there were still some unclear points. Here, for example…" He taps his finger resolutely on one of the contract clauses. "It states that he must vacate the estate immediately after signing the contract. Just a week ago, Camilla insisted vehemently that the same two weeks agreed for the annex building should apply here as well."
Does it even matter? "Well, it seems her opinion has changed." All I wish for is to get through this moment quickly. Once again, I'm the one who has to be strong for the family and take the final step alone. Being in Camilla's kitchen with this Florian and his smug grin is bad enough. My mind can't stop showing me images of him and Hanna.
How he gently brushes her hair from her forehead.
How she lovingly kisses him.
How they laugh together.
Bitter jealousy rises within me, though I have no right to feel it. My last conversation with Hanna was clear.
"Where is Camilla anyway? Why isn't she here herself?" Florian's complaining snaps me out of my thoughts.
"She couldn't make it," I reply curtly. He doesn't need to know that she wouldn't be able to bear watching him seal the end of the estate.
He scrutinizes me with his bright eyes. "And your father?"
"Busy too." I shrug.
For a moment, he squints his eyes. "I'd like to go through the contract again."
I can't suppress a sigh, nor do I want to. "Go ahead. Let me know when you're finished." With a headshake, I gesture toward the dining table, where he takes a seat and begins reviewing the documents.
Feverishly, he compares the texts in the contract he brought and the one my father has already signed. I watch as he ticks off the clauses like an eager student aiming for a top grade. The longer it takes, the greater the conflict inside me becomes.
Hanna wants nothing more than to keep the estate in the family. And for a moment, I even thought it could be possible. If she could be a part of this family. As the woman by my side. And together, we could work to carry on the Olivetta tradition.
But that future doesn't exist. The hurdles are too great, and the burden of the past weighs heavily on my soul. We are who we are. No matter how much I wish I could be someone else. I'm not.
I walk to the window and gaze out at the green hills. Once again, memories of my time together with Hanna flood my thoughts. I see her wonderfully dreamy face, hear her carefree laughter while zip-lining, and experience her boundless imagination that she initially wanted to keep hidden from me. I feel her back against my chest, her hair on my neck, and her breath on my cheek. I smell her floral scent. And I see her vision for the estate before me.
What if it could still come true?
What if I face my fears? Would she be willing to let go of her old life? Do her feelings match mine? We've only spent three weeks together. Can love truly develop in such a short time?
I have only a few seconds to change the course of things. If I turn around now, take the contract from Florian, and tear it into a thousand pieces, there will still be a chance.
I tear my gaze away from the window. Florian flips to the last page. Only one clause remains without a tick.
My heart pounds so forcefully that I'm afraid it might explode. Yet I approach him because this irrational longing inside me is so overpowering that it overshadows all fear.
He draws the last hook and then leans back heavily on his chair, looking up at me with a satisfied nod. "Everything looks good," he confirms before his expression twists into an arrogant smirk. "Has my fiancée told you about our plans for the estate?"
His fiancée? Did he just call Hanna his fiancée? When did that happen?
I gasp for breath, but it feels like I can't get any.
Everything around me seems to darken. It suddenly dawns on me that it doesn't matter if my longing can overcome my fear.
Hanna has made her choice. She said yes. That's all I need to know.
Arrogantly grinning, he raises an eyebrow. "Well, it seems I beat you to it."
I stare at him in disbelief. What does he mean?
Now he springs up, the chair rattling loudly on the tiled floor. "Do you think I'm stupid?" he asks, agitated. "Do you think I didn't notice you trying to put ideas in her head? Her daydreaming is even worse than it already is." He glares at me with malice. "And the way you looked at her during my visit the other day. Do you think I didn't notice that either?"
I haven't done anything. I never wanted Hanna to get hurt or for feelings to develop between us. That was never the plan!
"I have no idea what you're talking about," I reply in a tone so neutral that even I am surprised. Emptiness spreads inside me. "Are you going to sign now?"
He takes a step toward me, puffing out his chest. "With pleasure."
Then he should just do it. Swallowing hard, I walk around him and go to the table to retrieve the two contracts. "What are you waiting for?"
He can spare me the smug look. We both know he's won. He takes the papers from me and dates and signs the dotted line on the last page of each.
"This will be a wonderful surprise for Hanna," he mutters absentmindedly. Then he fixes a smirk on me. "I'll tell her at our engagement party in two weeks that I made our shared dream come true for her. That's my gift to my bride."
I clench my fists. He's only saying that to torment me.
What an asshole.
"We'll start the work tomorrow. Make sure your father is out of the main house by then," he adds as I struggle to maintain my composure.
"Understood," I force out, then take one of the contracts from his hand and gesture toward the hallway. "I'm sure you can find your way out on your own."
With an amused smirk, he starts making his way out. "It was a pleasure doing business with you," he calls out from a distance before finally disappearing from my sight.
I'm left with the painful ache in my chest. And there's only one thought I'm allowed to entertain now.
Life must go on.
Matteo is still waiting for my confirmation for the sponsorship. He'll get it now. I've neglected my training for far too long. That ends today.
I have a life, and I have a goal. Both will help me forget what happened in the past few weeks and finally feel free again.
Because it simply has to be that way.