11

Dinner continued, but the atmosphere in the room was far from light.

The conversations began to revolve around business, just as Nathan had planned. Mr. Gusmão talked about the details of the project, Mr. McCartney responded with the same seriousness as always, and Guilherme occasionally added a comment in the middle of the discussion.

But despite all the words exchanged about contracts and investments, something else was happening at that table.

Jessi was clearly uncomfortable.

He took part in the conversation when necessary and responded to the important points, but his eyes rarely lifted in Hanna’s direction. Whenever it happened by accident, he quickly looked away.

Beside him, Evelyn didn’t seem to notice the weight of the situation. She listened to the conversation attentively, occasionally smiling or asking a polite question, trying to keep up with the businessmen.

On the other side of the table, Hanna was doing exactly what she had come there to do.

Work.

Her notepad was open in front of her, and her pen moved precisely as she recorded the main points of the meeting. Her posture was impeccable, professional as always.

But there was something different.

She barely spoke.

She barely looked up.

Her silence was too deep to go unnoticed.

Nathan noticed everything.

From time to time, he discreetly looked in her direction. The way Hanna kept her attention on her notes, as if they were the only thing keeping her steady at that moment.

But he also saw the glimmer in her eyes.

A glimmer that didn’t come from the light in the room.

Held-back tears.

It was at that moment that Nathan became certain.

The story he had imagined about Hanna… was wrong.

Completely wrong.

She didn’t have the demeanor of someone who manipulated people or played with their feelings. There was no arrogance, no guilt, no indifference.

There was pain.

A silent pain he knew far too well.

Nathan leaned back slightly in his chair, watching the table.

For a moment, the face of his ex-fiancée appeared in his memory — the day he discovered her betrayal, the emptiness that came afterward, the feeling of having been deceived.

He knew exactly how Hanna was feeling at that moment.

And for the first time since taking over the company, Nathan Albuquerque came to a very clear conclusion.

If there was a traitor in that story… it wasn’t Hanna.

It was Jessi.

And as much as Nathan still didn’t understand the whole situation, one thing had become impossible to ignore:

He felt sorry for her.

Because he knew exactly how much pain she was trying to hide behind that professional composure.

When dinner finally came to an end, the atmosphere in the room was already lighter for the other guests. Business had been discussed, some initial agreements had been worked out, and the final goodbyes were beginning.

But for Hanna, the night seemed endless.

As soon as the conversations began to break apart, she discreetly closed her notepad, politely excused herself, and left the room.

She walked down the restaurant hallway, trying to maintain her composure, until she found the sign indicating the women’s restroom.

Only after she entered and the door closed behind her did it feel as though the air returned to her lungs.

She leaned against the sink for a few seconds, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

Her makeup was still flawless.

The dress was perfect.

Everything was in place.

Except her heart.

Hanna took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that insisted on rising.

Outside, Jessi had also left the room. He had watched Hanna leave and, after spending a few minutes trying to maintain his composure in front of the others, quickly found an excuse to step away.

He walked down the hallway until he stopped near the women’s restroom door.

He waited.

When Hanna finally came out, still trying to regain her composure, she almost bumped into him.

She stopped immediately.

Their eyes met.

For a moment, the silence between them was too heavy.

— Hanna… — Jessi began, his voice low and filled with tension. — I need to explain.

She didn’t answer.

She simply stared at him.

He took a step closer.

— Things aren’t the way you think they are.

Hanna felt her chest tighten even more.

— I tried to protect you… — he continued. — I needed time to work some things out.

Tears finally filled her eyes.

For a few seconds, it seemed as though she was going to say something.

But when she opened her mouth, the only word that came out was strong, firm, and filled with pain.

— No.

The sound echoed through the hallway.

Jessi stood motionless.

She shook her head slightly, her eyes shining with tears.

— No.

There was no hysterical screaming.

It was a definitive no.

A boundary.

A clear message.

Jessi understood immediately.

Any explanation at that moment would only hurt her even more.

He remained where he was, without trying to stop her.

Hanna then turned her face away, took one last deep breath, and walked past him.

Without looking back.

Her footsteps echoed through the hallway as she walked away, leaving Jessi standing there alone — carrying the weight of the words he hadn’t been able to say and the certainty that he had just broken the heart of the only woman he had ever truly loved.

Hanna left the restaurant with quick steps, trying to hold on to a control she no longer felt.

The night air was cool, but it wasn’t enough to calm the turmoil inside her. The streetlights looked blurred as she walked toward the curb, looking for a taxi.

She raised her hand, and a car quickly pulled over.

As she opened the door to get in, she heard a voice behind her.

— Hanna.

She stopped for a moment.

Nathan was approaching from the restaurant with firm steps, his jacket open and his expression serious, but different from his usual coldness.

— Wait. — he said as he reached her.

Hanna was still holding the taxi door.

— I can take you home.

For a moment, she didn’t answer. She simply looked down at the ground, trying to gather her strength.

Nathan immediately noticed that her eyes were red.

She took a deep breath before speaking.

— You don’t have to.

Nathan kept his eyes on her.

— It’s not a problem. I’m going the same way.

Hanna shook her head slightly.

— Thank you… but no.

She tried to smile, but the gesture came out weak.

— I’m not feeling very well.

Nathan hesitated for a second.

There was something about that moment that made him want to insist. Something in her eyes, in the way she was clearly trying to hold back her emotions.

But he also recognized that kind of pain.

He knew that sometimes, all a person wanted was to be alone.

Hanna then got into the taxi.

Nathan remained on the sidewalk for a few moments, watching the car drive away until it disappeared completely from view.

And for the first time since meeting Hanna Roshe, he no longer saw her simply as his secretary.

Now he saw something more.

Someone who was hurting.