32 - Leader and lover

"I want us to be free to show our love, to be like any ordinary couple. Is that too much to ask for?" he said with a pout.

Ivan opened his eyes wide, he could see the determination in Helena's gaze. He had never thought that a confession of love would shake him as much as an inexperienced teenager facing his first love.

-Are you sure about this? You know well the life I lead and it is something I cannot leave...
-You love Me? Do you want this too? -Asked the young woman with fear in her words.

“What if he doesn't want the same thing as me? "He would have no choice but to leave this world and get as far away from this family as possible so that they could never harm my child."

But her insecurities quickly faded away when he felt her lover's warm hands wrap around his and kiss them lovingly.

-Of course I want princess, it's just that I don't want anyone or anything to hurt you, if something were to happen to you...

-Nothing is going to happen to me if we are together-

The honey-colored eyes of his beloved suddenly seemed golden and sparkled with emotion. At that moment Ivan promised to take care of that woman from all evil and make her happy until the last moments of her life, and if there was more life after her death, he would continue to love her with the same intensity in the afterlife. .

"When we get back I'm going to talk to my father, whether he wants to or not, you're going to be by my side," she promised with flames of passion in her dark eyes.

Helena wanted to tell her, no, rather shout at her with emotion that this was already resolved, but she bit her tongue and nodded with a small smile on her face.

She couldn't stop an untimely yawn from coming out of her mouth, it had been an exhausting day and it was starting to take its toll on her.

"I'm sorry," she said embarrassed, her cheeks flushed.

Ivan smiled amusedly, showing off his beautiful dimples.

"It's time for you to rest, darling, you're still weak," he said softly, raising the soft sheets up to the neck of her beloved.

The raven young man stood up, ready to take a seat in the corner chair and take care of her all night, but when he wanted to get away from her, he felt a tug on her shirt. When he turned around he met Helena's pleading gaze and her hand clinging to his clothes.

He didn't have to say anything else to her.

Helena moved aside on the small bed so that her beloved could lie down.

Ivan walked to the edge of the bed and lay down on top of the sheets. The brunette rested his head on his chest and he closed his eyes while she purred contentedly. He felt a kiss on her forehead and her soft fingers caressing him through her curls.

With his free arm, Ivan turned off the lamp in the room, leaving it in darkness if not for the soft moonlight that entered through the cracks in the window.

"Rest princess, you deserve it, I'm going to take care of you while you sleep," he whispered in the darkness of the room.

---

The next day, early in the morning, Helena was discharged, but not before speaking privately with the doctor who had informed her that she would have to come for a check-up in a few weeks due to her pregnancy. Helena thought about how she would do that without it hurting her to lie to her loved one, but she let that be a problem for the future.

When they arrived at the house, she felt everyone's gaze on her back, no one said anything, but she knew that if it weren't for the power and intimidating gaze of her lover, everyone would blame her for the failure of Grupo Sol.

She knew Ivan was trying to make her not feel guilty about it, but she was sure it was going to be a serious problem for them. Although the young black man seemed calm, he feared that because of him Ivan's life was at risk.

"Ivan..." the young woman exclaimed when they entered her room.

"Yes?" She asked as she opened the curtains of the room.

-About the Italians...-she said, lowering her face and looking at her feet as if it were the most entertaining thing in the world- I know that because of my decompensation you couldn't close the deal and...

She couldn't finish formulating her sentence when she saw her lover's shiny black shoes stop in front of hers. Helena raised her worried face finding a warm, understanding smile that she felt she didn't deserve.

-Don't worry about it princess, just make sure you feel better, okay?

Helena wanted to protest, to tell him that it was also her problem, if they were going to be a couple, they would share even the misfortunes, but she let out a cry of surprise when her lover didn't let her respond because he picked her up in his arms like a princess and took her to the bed, laying her down with her. careful and covering it with a sheet.

"I'm not sleepy," she protested.

-You must rest, the clinic bed is not as good as this one, in a few hours I will wake you up with an abundant meal, remember that you must eat better, said the doctor.

Helena wanted to tell her that she would really need more food because there were two of them now, but she bit the inside of her cheek to shut herself up.

-Will you rest for me? Please…

The brunette could not protest against the sweet and worried look that Ivan gave her, and she was not stupid, she knew that young White needed time to talk to his father not only about his own affairs, but also about the failure of the agreement and what he least wanted. It was getting in the way.

"It's okay," she finally said, settling into the soft pillow.

Ivan smiled even more satisfied and kissed her lips making her blush. Although they had already kissed several times, his body still did not realize that this was really happening, the butterflies were still fluttering in his stomach and his body was heating up in a forbidden way.

"Rest princess," she whispered before leaving the room.

---

"How have your studies gone?" Ivan asked when he showed up in his father's room.

"I appreciate that you make an effort to pretend that you really care about my health, it's very sweet of you," he exclaimed with a sarcasm that poisoned the young man's body. "How is your beloved new hobby?" I imagine it must have been something very serious to throw overboard a business as important as that of the Italians.

-About that, father...

-I don't need you to give me excuses, this shows me how incompetent you are and how disappointed I feel- he sighed without even looking at her, as if he didn't deserve it- So many years teaching you the business and a woman appears and ruins everything, for That's what I told you that love and work cannot walk together.

-I know that I have made a mistake and I am going to take responsibility for this, I am going to stand up for Grupo Sol

"You can't take charge if they kill you first," the man spat.

-That's not going to happen, father...

-I see that you already have everything planned, I don't understand why you came here-

"Well..." he hesitated, looking away.

The father sighed, finally looking at his son. It could have been years of living with that man, but that dark gaze still pierced him like a dagger.

-It's about Helena, right?

-She is important to my father, I know you don't love her...

"I would prefer someone who had power, a marriage agreement would be the right thing to do, son," he lectured. "But I also know that you are just as hard-headed as I am and that that would not be an option for you."

Ivan looked at him surprised, he couldn't remember a time before that his father agreed with him. He even seemed suspicious.

"You're saying you're not going to stop me from being with Helena?" He asked incredulously.

-You are already a grown man, you can dig your own grave without my help, if you think you can handle love and business together, then show me, show me that you are capable, that you are already a man.

Ivan felt his chest swell, for the first time in his life his father was trusting him and could not fail him.

-I'm going to do it father, I'm going to show you that I am worthy of being the leader of Grupo Sol.

-Put it to the test then, I don't want any more disappointments, otherwise you're going to give me no choice but to start introducing your brother to society...

Ivan clenched his fists tightly, his father knew that Nick was his weak point and that she would do anything for him, even selling his soul to the devil.

-I will do it father... -he said bowing respectfully- Thank you...-he said sincerely- Thank you for accepting Helena into the family.

-I didn't say I accepted her, but if she makes you happy...

“That's enough,” the young man thought, that had been the most affectionate display of affection he had given her in years. He swallowed his smile so as not to show weakness and nodded before walking out of there. He wanted to run to Helena's room and tell her the good news about her.

It seemed unreal that everything went so well, he just hopes that it wasn't a dream and that when he woke up everything would return to normal.