8

Hanna closed the door to the presidential office carefully and walked down the hallway, trying to keep a neutral expression. Only when she reached her desk did she let out a small sigh and sit down.

She didn’t even have time to organize the papers.

— Hanna!

Laura appeared almost running down the hallway and stopped beside the desk, her eyes shining with curiosity.

— Did you see who’s here? — she asked, leaning over the desk.

Hanna slowly raised her eyes, trying to look indifferent.

— If you’re talking about Jessi… yes, I saw him.

Laura broke into a huge smile.

— I knew it! I knew it was him!

At that moment, Paula, from reception, also appeared in the hallway and walked over to them.

— So it really was Jessi McCartney! — she said excitedly. — When he walked into the building, I could hardly believe it.

She placed her hands on Hanna’s desk.

— So? How did it go?

Hanna picked up a random folder and began flipping through it, pretending to concentrate.

— It was… normal. He’s in a meeting with Nathan.

Laura let out a little laugh.

— Normal? Hanna, you just ran into the man who used to be in love with you.

Paula immediately agreed.

— Don’t give us that calm face. We know you.

Hanna looked at the two of them, trying to maintain her composure, but a small smile escaped.

— You two are exaggerating.

— We’re not exaggerating at all. — Laura replied, crossing her arms. — You two practically grew up together.

— And we know very well how you used to look at him. — Paula added.

Hanna shook her head, amused and a little embarrassed.

— That was a long time ago.

— Time doesn’t erase certain things. — Laura said, lowering her voice slightly. — And apparently, he hasn’t forgotten either.

Hanna felt her face grow slightly warm.

— Laura…

Paula smiled teasingly.

— Does he still look at you like that?

Hanna avoided answering right away.

— He was just being polite.

Laura laughed.

— Of course. Super polite. Just like when you were teenagers, right?

Hanna gave her a warning look.

— You two love making up stories.

— We’re not making anything up. — Paula said. — We’re just remembering what already happened.

For a moment, Hanna fell silent, moving the papers around on her desk.

Laura watched her with a softer smile.

— You still like him, don’t you?

Hanna quickly raised her eyes.

— Laura…

Paula leaned a little closer.

— You don’t have to lie to us.

Hanna took a deep breath and tried to change the subject.

— He’s here for work. That’s all.

Laura gave a sideways smile.

— Even so…

Paula finished for her:

— You’re not going to tell us you weren’t happy to see him?

Hanna didn’t answer immediately.

But the small smile that appeared on her lips was answer enough.

Laura and Paula exchanged a knowing look.

— I knew it. — Laura said, satisfied.

Hanna simply shook her head, trying to look serious again.

— Now let me work before Nathan decides to show up here again.

The two women laughed.

— Okay, okay… — Paula said, beginning to walk away.

Laura still threw one last teasing remark over her shoulder:

— But you’re telling us everything later.

Hanna sighed, but she couldn’t hide her smile as she looked back at the papers on her desk.

A few minutes later, the door to the presidential office opened.

Jessi came out first, still wearing the calm expression of someone who had just finished an important meeting. When he looked down the hallway, he found Laura leaning against Hanna’s desk, talking to her.

He walked over to the two women.

— Good afternoon. — he greeted politely.

Laura immediately smiled.

— Good afternoon, Mr. McCartney.

— Jessi, please.

Then he turned his attention back to Hanna.

— Could I talk to you for a minute… alone?

Laura discreetly raised her eyebrows and looked at Hanna with a knowing smile that said far more than words ever could.

— Of course. — Hanna replied quickly, already standing up. — I was actually heading back to my desk anyway.

Before leaving, she leaned slightly toward Hanna and whispered:

— You’re telling me everything later.

Hanna gave her a warning look, but Laura was already walking away down the hallway.

Jessi pulled out the chair Laura had been sitting in just moments before and sat across from Hanna’s desk, resting his arms on the back of the chair.

For a moment, he simply watched her.

— So… — he said with a slight smile. — how are things with the new boss?

Hanna immediately rolled her eyes.

— Difficult.

Jessi let out a small laugh.

— I figured.

— But he’s going to have to put up with me being here. — she continued, crossing her arms. — I was at this company long before he showed up wanting to run everything.

Jessi laughed harder.

— That’s the Hanna I know.

She tried to look serious but ended up smiling too.

— You’ve known Nathan since you were kids, haven’t you?

— Forever. — Jessi replied, relaxing in his chair. — Our families have always been in the same circles.

Hanna tilted her head slightly.

— Was he always… like that?

Jessi thought for a moment.

— Rude?

She raised her eyebrows.

— Exactly.

Jessi shrugged.

— No. Actually, he wasn’t.

Hanna watched him curiously.

— Then what happened?

— Nothing you need to worry about. — he said with a calm smile. — Nathan can seem harsh sometimes, but a lot of that is just… camouflage.

She frowned slightly.

— Camouflage?

— Yes. — Jessi replied. — He uses it as armor.

Hanna let out a small sigh.

— Great… so basically, my boss is an emotionally armed man.

Jessi laughed.

— Relax. Everything will be fine.

The silence that followed was different.

More intimate.

More delicate.

Hanna took a deep breath, gathering the courage to ask.

— Jessi…

He immediately looked at her, attentive.

— What about us?

The question hung in the air.

For a moment, Jessi didn’t answer.

His eyes softened as he looked at her.

— I still love you. — he finally said, without hesitation.

Hanna’s heart tightened.

But he continued:

— It’s just that… I need time.

She already knew what was coming.

Even so, hearing it still hurt.

— Time to work some things out.

Hanna lowered her gaze for a second, trying to maintain her composure.

— I understand.

Jessi leaned slightly forward, as if he wanted to say something more.

But he didn’t.

After a few seconds, he stood.

— I have to go.

Hanna simply nodded.

— Of course.

He hesitated for a moment before walking away.

— Take care of yourself, Hanna.

She forced a small smile.

— You too.

Jessi then turned and walked down the hallway until he disappeared.

Hanna remained seated, staring at the papers on her desk without actually seeing them.

Her chest felt heavy.

As if a part of her had been torn away once again.

What she didn’t know…

was that just a few steps away, behind the partially open door of the presidential office, Nathan Albuquerque had heard every word of the conversation.

He remained motionless, his hands in the pockets of his suit jacket.

Thoughtful.

Something about that conversation didn’t add up.

For the first time, a real doubt began to form in his mind.

Maybe… just maybe…

Hanna’s story wasn’t exactly what he had imagined.

Maybe she wasn’t the manipulator.

Maybe…

Jessi was the traitor.