Page 68 of Please, Forgive Me

“What if the baby really is yours?” Alexandre pressed, ignoring my attempt to change the subject. “And even if it’s not, she could still be pregnant. Treating a woman like that—especially with that uncertainty—” He shook his head, clearly disappointed. “You think that’s going to make anything better?”

“And what do you want me to do?” I shot back, my voice louder than I intended. “Pretend nothing happened? Pretend everything’s fine? Because it’s not! She says she’s pregnant, but there’s no way that child’s mine. I made sure to take every precaution, Alexandre!”

He uncrossed his arms and took a step closer. There wasn’t anger in his eyes—just that damn calm patience of his, the kind that irritated me more than any argument ever could.

“Listen. I’m not saying you should act like nothing happened. But maybe stop for a second and think. You might’ve been careful, but nothing’s one hundred percent guaranteed. And if it’s true? How are you going to deal with that later?”

I knew Alexandre was trying to talk sense into me, but the anger was still too strong—burning in me like embers that refused to die.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice dropping as the weight on my shoulders started to sink in.

“Then take it easy, Diego.” His tone softened, his gaze steady. “She might’ve crossed a line, but you’re not dealing with a number on a spreadsheet. You’re dealing with a person.” He paused, letting that sink in. “All of this is going to have consequences—and I’m not just talking about work.”

I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair before finally turning to face him.

Part of me had felt that tightness in my chest ever since the words left my mouth earlier, when I lashed out at Maria Gabriela.

The anger, the jealousy—they were eating me alive. I had no idea how to control any of it.

“I’ll think about it,” I said at last, though my voice was still thick with frustration.

“Good.” Alexandre nodded, and for a moment, the tension in the room eased. “I know your head’s a mess right now, but sometimes letting your guard down does more good than staying in defense mode all the time. And you know I’ll always be here to back you up—even when you don’t ask.”

He gave me a quick pat on the back before walking out of the room.

I dropped into my chair and leaned back, closing my eyes for a few seconds.

Alexandre was right.

And I hated admitting it.

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 promisingopportunities. 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.