Chapter 87

**Belle.**
My grandfather came from an important family. I always thought he kept many strange stories, and I never believed him… He was a smart man who rarely seemed happy. But now that I knew everything he had gone through, I understood why he had turned to alcohol. He had suffered so much, and I… once again, could do nothing to ease his pain. And if he never remembered me again, I would lose my grandfather forever… I was nothing to him. If he returned to his old life, why would he want to see me? Drying my tears and about to hail a taxi, someone suddenly stopped me.
"Where do you think you’re going?" I turned sharply to face Mr. Cesar. His breathing was rapid, and he seemed frustrated and angry. Lowering my gaze, I freed myself from his grasp and asked:
"What are you doing here, Mr. Cesar?"
"Are you seriously asking me that? Why did you leave without saying a word? And when I find you, you’re beside my brother, crying and sharing your sorrows with him." I frowned faintly, not understanding why it mattered so much to him.
"What happened with your grandfather?"
"Nothing that concerns you…" He grabbed my face firmly, forcing me to look at him.
"Do you even know who you’re talking to? Have you forgotten, or do I need to remind you?" Frightened, I shook my head, and then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said:
"Get in the car, dry those tears, and tell me what happened." He let go of me, trying to calm himself, and headed to the car, casting me a serious look as he waited for me to get in. Without resistance, I climbed in, uneasy. As the car started, Cesar spoke.
"Tell me."
"What do you want me to say? There’s nothing to talk about… I think it’s best if we each mind our own business. This closeness between us doesn’t make sense… And from what I see, you have plenty to deal with concerning Miss Belladonna. I think it was very reckless of you to declare in front of all your workers that I was your woman…"
"And that’s what’s bothering you."
"What bothers me is that you don’t think before you act! Like… why did you say I was your woman in front of Miss Belladonna? That only makes it seem like my plan to seduce you worked."
"Isn’t that the case?" I turned to look at him driving, bewildered.
"What are you talking about? I didn’t seduce you… how could I even do such a thing? A woman like me… and you, I… I’m not in your league." He stopped the car and looked at me intensely.
"Then why can’t I stop thinking about you? If you didn’t seduce me… what did you do to make me constantly want to have you in my hands?" My face grew warm, leaving me speechless.
"But… what about Miss Belladonna? She still has feelings for you… maybe it would be best to try again with her."
"Do you know why I left her?" He resumed driving, and I shook my head.
"She cheated on me, and now you understand why, to me, women were only obstacles in my path—why I’m so cautious about who gets close to me. I didn’t even realize when you entered my life."
"Is… that true?"
"Have you thought about how I feel?"
"No… because maybe I don’t want your eyes on me. It hurts to know I’m so far from you. I’m not fit for you."
"Stay and find out." I looked at him again, and when the car slowed at a traffic light, he unfastened his seatbelt, leaned toward me, and took my face in his hands to give me a passionate kiss. I clung to his neck, deepening that sweetness that felt like a gentle drizzle. The sound of a horn separated us, our breaths rapid and heated. Adjusting in his seat, he restarted the car.
"Do you still want to leave?"
"No… But I’m not what you’re looking for, and you’ll discover that eventually."
"No, you’re not what I was looking for…" I looked at him again, and he continued, "You’re what I needed…" The tension in the car was palpable, and when we arrived at the Montenegro mansion, everything ignited like a blazing fuse.
۩
"Miss Belladonna, we need to talk about the investigation I’m conducting," I demanded angrily as I left the company. Wiping a few tears from my face, I said:
"Tell me you’ve found something of value, Jarry."
"I investigated the men your mother was involved with at the time, and there are two possible fathers."
"Who are they? Speak quickly." I got into the car, and my driver started driving.
"One is a man from a small, penniless family, and the other is Julian Santorini, the eldest son of a family brought down by misfortune." My eyes widened as uncontrollable laughter escaped my lips.
"She… belongs to a rich family? This has to be some ironic joke from life."
"We haven’t done the DNA test with these potential candidates yet, but it’s a lead to follow."
"Clearly, my mother had an affair with one of these men. No test is needed. And if that little girl turns out to have such a family, there will be no difference between her and me. She’ll just be another one in my world…" I muttered quickly, my gaze lost.
"Miss Belladonna? Are you okay? Did you hear me…?"
"I want her father’s name by tomorrow—no more, no less."
"Do you realize this could cast doubt on whether you’re truly a Zambrano?"
"I am a Zambrano. Focus on doing your job, or I’ll decide you’re useless."