Chapter 42
Oliver Ferraz
I arrive in Maceió and head straight to the hotel. I have my bags sent up to my room and go directly to the executive floor.
The hallway is the same as always—the one leading to the conference room.
And then I see her.
I'd recognize that hair anywhere.
And that scent… my God, that scent.
I could catch it from miles away—it's unmistakably hers.
My whole body comes alive.
I can't believe it.
After all this time, I've finally found her.
She's here, so close… and she looks good.
My face lights up, my heart races. Fate really knows how to mess with us.
All this time, she was still working at my company.
I smile, captivated and nervous.
I call out to her, but she pretends not to hear.
That's fine—nothing was ever easy with Alice.
So I walk up and take hold of her arm.
When she turns around, the world simply stops.
No one else exists.
Just me and her.
A man and a woman who love each other—and see it in each other's eyes.
I confess: if the world ended right now, I'd die happy, just to have her attention again.
Her eyes pierce through me, and I feel my chest burn.
I love this woman so much it hurts.
I take in every feature of her delicate face—the upturned nose, the pale eyes that drive me crazy, the pink lips I've always wanted to kiss.
She's beautiful.
And she's there, right in front of me.
But all good things come to an end.
The spell breaks when Denis appears, calls out to her, and kisses her cheek.
My blood boils.
I want to punch him right there, but I hold back.
Not now.
I take a deep breath and ask to speak with her alone.
I have so much to say… I need her to hear me out.
We enter the executive office.
She doesn't seem happy to see me—she won't even turn around when she speaks to me.
That cuts deep.
“What do you mean, what do I want?” I say, keeping my voice steady. “You just disappear without explanation, leave me with a new secretary and a resignation letter like you're some kind of fugitive! And you're asking me what I want, Alice? You must be joking.”
I take her arm, trying to get her to look at me.
She pulls away from my touch as if it burns.
It hurts.
“You're the one who wanted it this way, Oliver. You broke up with me. Or have you forgotten?” she says, her voice cold and sarcastic. “Oh, I think you're having memory problems, dear.”
I'm speechless. This isn't the Alice I knew. This woman is a hurricane about to destroy me.
She continues, her voice firm, her gaze wounded.
Every word out of her mouth wounds me, like a knife being driven into my chest.
My God, how much did I hurt her?
I cut her off before she can say more:
“Hey, sweetheart… you've got it all wrong.
It wasn't like that at all. Those crazy ideas about being a mistress never crossed my mind.
I'm crazy about you, Alice. Crazy. This time apart has been hell. From the day I stopped seeing you at the company, I lost my mind. I tried to find you, but you vanished. I had to lose you to understand what I feel. And there was no wedding. I would never marry anyone but you.”
I speak from the heart, hiding nothing.
She looks at me, stunned, and lets out a dry laugh.
“Wow, you surprised me. But don't call me sweetheart. You don't have that right anymore.”
She takes a step back.
“You can't just show up here and dump all this on me like nothing happened. I've changed, Oliver. I learned to live without you. And as for this 'there was no wedding' talk, don't try to fool me. I went to your house, and the designer answered the door. Don't tell me that was a coincidence.”
She takes a deep breath, and her voice comes out cold as ice:
“And to top it off, I thought I saw Andréa yesterday. Now it all makes sense. That's it, isn't it? You two are still together, and you came here to put on this little act for me.”
My blood boils again.
“What?! What do you mean, Andréa is here?” I ask, incredulous.
But Alice laughs, shaking her head.
“Don't play dumb, Oliver. You've got some nerve. Too much of a coincidence, don't you think?”
She moves toward the door.
“Come on, we have a meeting to run. Enough of this nonsense. I thought you wanted to discuss something else.”
And then the world stops again.
When she turns to the side, I see it.
The curve beneath her dress.
The belly.
“You’re pregnant…?” I ask, breathless.
She nods without looking at me.
“Yes. Now let’s go, please.” And she walks out.
I’m paralyzed.
Could it be mine?
Or am I too late?
Denis… no, it can’t be.
I take a deep breath, try to pull myself together, and head to the meeting.
I enter the room. Everyone is already seated.
Alice is beside me, focused, professional, as if nothing had happened.
She hands out the folders and starts:
“I spoke with Mr. Denis and we decided I would conduct a secret inspection of each department. Here’s the document signed by Mr. Oliver authorizing me.”
I open the file.
Yes, it’s my signature. I remember the conversation with Denis, but I had no idea she’d be the one handling it.
Alice continues firmly:
“When I got to accounting, I noticed something was off. I went through the computers and found suspicious transactions. But I couldn’t accuse anyone without proof.”
Mauricio stands up, agitated:
“And you think it’s right to snoop through everyone’s work? Just because you’re the president’s little girlfriend doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want!”
I’m outraged, but I wait.
Alice keeps her composure.
“What we expect here is loyalty and transparency, Mr. Mauricio. And that was lacking.”
He shouts:
“You must have done this! You’re pinning the blame on us!”
She responds firmly:
“I didn’t accuse anyone. But perhaps you have reasons to worry. Do you want to confess now, or would you prefer I show the evidence?”
He glares at her, furious.
“You’re not going to frame me without proof, you little brat!”
“The evidence is in the folder, Mr. Mauricio. Feel free to look,” she says, calm, firm, beautiful.
When everyone flips through the documents, I see the terror on his face.
Then, without warning, he lunges at her.
“You bitch! You ruined my life, and I’m going to ruin yours!”
Before he gets close, I punch him in the face.
He falls, bleeding.
I look at Alice—she’s pale, exhausted.
Denis runs to her.
“I told you to stay home, Alice!” he says, distressed.
“I’m fine, Denis. Go to the police station and turn everything in.”
He kisses her forehead and leaves.
I approach.
“Let’s get out of here. I’ll help you.”
“I don’t need help,” she says, trying to stand, but she grimaces in pain.
“Alice, you’re not okay, sweetheart. Come on, let me help you.”
“I told you not to call me that,” she protests, but I’m already picking her up.
She complains, but I don’t stop.
I know she needs help, even if she won’t admit it.
I carry her to the car.
“To the hospital, Pedro.” He understands immediately.
During the drive, she moans in pain and asks for my phone.
“I forgot my purse. I need to talk to Karla.”
She calls.
“Karla, I’m on my way. I think it was the stress from the meeting… and some other things. I’m in pain, but I’m okay. I can’t go into premature labor.” She looks at me accusingly, and I feel like the guiltiest person in the world.
At the hospital, the nurses put her in a wheelchair.
Soon a young woman enters—Dr. Karla.
“Don’t tell me you went to that meeting, Alice!” she says, scolding her.
They exchange knowing looks. Clearly, they’re friends.
The doctor turns on the ultrasound, applies the gel, and… the sound fills the room.
Two hearts beating.
My chest explodes.
“They’re twins?” I ask, my voice trembling.
The doctor smiles.
“Yes. Two boys. Beautiful and strong. They’re just in a hurry to be born.”
I’m floored.
Two boys.
Two sons.
And, based on how far along she is, they’re mine.
Regret crushes me.
I was an idiot.
But I swear I’m going to fix everything.
The doctor talks about complete bed rest, medications, and staying calm.
I just nod, determined.
This time, I’m not leaving her side.
Never again.