10

Hanna crossed the restaurant dining room with elegant, calm steps until she reached the small group standing outside the private room. As she approached, she slowed slightly and offered a polite smile.

— Good evening.

Nathan was the first to speak.

— Miss Roshe.

She gave him a slight nod before turning her attention to the other two men.

— Good evening, Mr. Gusmão.

The businessman smiled warmly.

— Good evening, Miss. It’s a pleasure.

Guilherme, who had been openly admiring her since the moment she appeared, took a step forward.

— So you’re the famous Hanna…

His smile was clearly suggestive.

Hanna knew that type of man well. And she also knew Guilherme Gusmão’s reputation.

Even so, she maintained her impeccable composure.

— It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gusmão. — she said politely, completely ignoring the tone of his remark.

Guilherme seemed even more amused by her elegant attempt to avoid him.

— You can call me Guilherme.

— I prefer to keep things formal. — she replied, still smiling.

Nathan watched everything in silence.

Guilherme moved half a step closer.

— I admit I’ve been curious to get to know you better…

Hanna tilted her head slightly, maintaining the same professional tone.

— I hope tonight’s meeting is productive for all of us.

It was the most polite way she could find to end any attempt at getting closer.

For a second, Guilherme seemed to consider her response… and then let out a small laugh.

Before he could say anything else, Mr. Gusmão intervened.

— Well, I think we should go inside. — he said, opening the door to the private room. — The McCartneys should be arriving any moment.

Hanna blinked, surprised.

She automatically turned toward Nathan.

— The McCartneys are coming too?

Nathan met her gaze.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then he answered simply, almost coldly:

— Yes.

His tone carried a naturalness that, at the same time, seemed to make it clear that he saw no reason to explain anything further.

As if the decision were obvious.

Or as if he owed her no explanation.

Hanna held his gaze for a second, taking in the information.

Then she simply nodded.

— I understand.

Mr. Gusmão then made a polite gesture.

— Please.

And they all began entering the room, unaware that the meeting was about to become far more complicated than any business negotiation.

A few minutes after everyone had entered the private room, the sound of the restaurant door opening again caught the attention of some of the guests.

The waiter arranging the glasses on the table discreetly looked toward the entrance and announced:

— Mr. McCartney and family.

Nathan instinctively looked up.

A moment later, the McCartney family entered the room.

Leading them was Mr. McCartney, elegant and confident as always, greeting the guests naturally. Beside him was his wife, impeccably dressed, with the refined posture of someone accustomed to events of this level.

Behind them came Jessi — serious but cordial — and Evelyn, his fiancée, who wore a perfectly practiced smile.

As soon as Mr. McCartney’s eyes found Hanna, his expression immediately changed.

— Hanna!

He broke into a genuine smile as he walked toward her.

— It’s been so long, my dear.

Hanna smiled as well, surprised and happy to see him.

— Mr. McCartney. It’s a pleasure to see you again.

He held her hands affectionately for a moment.

— You look wonderful.

Nathan watched the scene in silence.

There was no way not to notice the genuine affection in the way the businessman spoke to her.

But beside him, Mrs. McCartney had a different expression.

Her eyes quickly traveled over Hanna — from her elegant dress to her delicate sandals — assessing every detail with a cold stare.

To her, Hanna was nothing more than an ambitious secretary who always seemed to be far too close to her son.

— Good evening. — the woman said with calculated politeness.

— Good evening, Mrs. McCartney. — Hanna replied with the same formality.

Behind them, Evelyn watched everything in silence, maintaining her polite smile as she held Jessi’s arm.

And then Jessi’s eyes met Hanna’s.

For a second, the world around them seemed to disappear.

Nathan noticed.

He also noticed when Guilherme Gusmão watched that exchange of glances with interest.

Mr. McCartney then turned his attention to Nathan.

— Nathan, my boy. — he said, shaking his hand. — It’s good to see you taking the reins of the company.

— Mr. McCartney. — Nathan replied respectfully. — Thank you for coming.

As the greetings continued, the silent tension inside the room began to grow.

Guilherme watched Hanna with an amused smile.

Mrs. McCartney scrutinized every gesture she made with suspicion.

And Nathan…

Nathan was beginning to realize that the history between Hanna and Jessi was much deeper than he had imagined.

And that tonight’s business dinner might reveal much more than just contracts.

Shortly after the initial greetings, the atmosphere in the room changed almost imperceptibly.

Jessi remained beside his family, but his posture was no longer the same as when he had entered. His eyes avoided Hanna’s for a few seconds, only to return to her again, as if it were impossible not to look for her there.

Beside him, Evelyn maintained her sweet, polite smile. She greeted everyone graciously, clearly trying to make a good impression. She was a kind, seemingly calm young woman, unaware of the weight her presence carried in that moment.

Hanna was still standing near the table.

Her eyes went to Jessi again… and then to the woman beside him.

Evelyn’s hand rested naturally on his arm.

Something inside Hanna seemed to collapse.

Her eyes slowly returned to Jessi’s face, as if waiting for him to say something.

Anything.

But he remained silent.

Visibly uncomfortable.

Nathan noticed immediately.

He watched everything without interfering, but nothing escaped his attention.

Then he decided to take control of the situation before the silence became even more awkward.

— Let’s sit down. — he said firmly, gesturing toward the table prepared for the meeting.

As everyone began taking their seats, Mrs. McCartney made a small, elegant gesture, gently pulling the young woman beside Jessi slightly forward.

— Before that… — she said, smiling at everyone. — I’d like to formally introduce the young woman accompanying our son.

Her hand rested affectionately on Evelyn’s arm.

— This is Evelyn.

She paused for a moment, clearly proud.

— Jessi’s future wife.

For a moment, no one said anything.

Several people exchanged discreet glances.

Guilherme watched Hanna’s reaction with obvious interest.

Mr. Gusmão noticed the strange atmosphere, although he didn’t understand exactly why.

Nathan, however, was paying far too much attention.

He looked directly at Hanna.

She had become completely still.

Her eyes returned to Jessi, filled with a confusion she clearly hadn’t expected to feel there.

For a second, it seemed as though the ground had disappeared beneath her feet.

Hanna took a deep breath, trying to regain control.

She remembered exactly why she was there.

Work.

She straightened her posture, gripped her notepad more firmly, and forced a polite smile.

— It’s a pleasure to meet you, Evelyn.

Her voice came out calm, but her eyes couldn’t completely hide the pain.

Nathan noticed it immediately.

As everyone finally took their seats at the table, he couldn’t help reaching a silent conclusion:

Hanna clearly hadn’t known about this.

And the way Jessi avoided looking directly at her… only made everything even stranger.