Page 65 of Please, Forgive Me

“Uncle Alex told me to wait here. He’s coming to get me so we can go to the park,” he said, his voice bright with excitement.

Of course my brother had brought him to the office. That wasn’t unusual. Alexandre had always been more relaxed when it came to balancing work and family. He’d show up with Arthur and Theo now and then, especially when he had a meeting or just wanted some time with his son.

I didn’t mind, honestly. Having Arthur around was a welcome distraction amid the chaos of running the company—especially when my thoughts were already too crowded with a certain woman’s name.

A moment later, the door opened and Alexandre stepped in, looking as carefree as ever.

“Thought I lost this little explorer somewhere in here,” he joked, giving Arthur’s shoulder a light tap. Arthur giggled and jumped up to hug him.

“He was exploring,” I said, keeping my eyes off my brother. My mind was still spinning from Arthur’s confession, and I wasn’t sure what to do with it.

I watched as Alexandre crouched down to whisper something in his nephew’s ear. They laughed together, and I just sat there, watching—but my thoughts were miles away, stuck on the image of Maria Gabriela.

I’d tried to ignore it these past few weeks, but there was no denying it anymore—she occupied too much space in my head. And it was becoming unbearable.

I was trapped in a vicious loop—anger, desire, frustration—a mess of emotions I didn’t want to deal with.

Deep down, though, in the part of me I didn’t want to acknowledge, I knew Maria Gabriela wasn’t the kind of woman who’d do something out of manipulation or gain. I knew her—maybe better than I should—and that was exactly what made this internal war so damn hard.

I realized then that what truly enraged me wasn’t her. It was the fact that I couldn’t control her. I couldn’t predict her. I couldn’t understand what was happening—to her, or to me.

“You okay?” Alexandre’s voice broke through my thoughts.

There was no point in explaining. Not when I barely understood it myself. I simply nodded.

“Yeah. Everything’s under control.”

But Alexandre didn’t look convinced. He glanced from me to Arthur, then back again, as if he could see something I didn’t want him to.

“If you need anything, you know where to find me,” he said quietly.

I gave another nod, trying to shut the mental door on the chaos spinning inside me.

Everything was under control.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

Now, I just had to stay calm, face Maria Gabriela, and somehow find a way out of this mess—without losing the control I valued so much.

CHAPTER 27

“Pain can be the bridge that leads us to a new beginning…”

MARIA GABRIELA

I’d managed to stay free of Diego for two weeks—but that ended today.

It was almost strange how much lighter the office had felt while he was gone. He’d been away on a business trip—one he’dchosen to take alone—and the whole company had seemed to breathe easier in his absence.

Even I’d managed to keep my head on straight for once. But I knew that peace had an expiration date, and, of course, today was the day everything would go back to normal.

Or… almost.

When Diego walked into the office after lunch, the change in the air was immediate.

He always had a way of making the atmosphere feel heavier, but today, there was something darker about him. His stride was sharp, his gaze fixed straight ahead. He didn’t greet anyone, didn’t smile—just threw me a brief, unreadable look before disappearing into his office.

Be professional, Maria Gabriela. Just go with the flow, and everything will be fine.