Chapter 4

LEANDRO

My phone buzzed in my pocket while I stood beside the ride, watching my son laugh and scream with excitement as the spinning teacup carried him around. Nico looked happier than I had seen him in a long time, and for a moment, I forgot about everything else.

I pulled out my phone and glanced at the screen.

"Let's get divorced."

I stared at the message from Ginevra for several seconds before shaking my head and putting the phone back into my pocket. She was being dramatic again. There was no way she actually meant it. Ginevra had loved me for years, and she had always been afraid of losing me. She probably thought sending a message like this would finally make me stop what I was doing and rush home.

It was not the first time she had done something extreme whenever she felt ignored. Ever since Beatrice returned to my life, Ginevra had been calling and texting constantly, even when I was busy. She questioned where I went, who I spent time with, and how much time Nico spent with Beatrice. Her jealousy was becoming exhausting, and I honestly did not understand why she could not simply trust me.

"Is everything okay? You look worried."

Beatrice's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. She had walked over and slipped her hand into mine, her face glowing in the warm California sunlight despite the injury that had forced her to take a break from tennis.

I looked at her and could not help noticing how beautiful she was. She had always carried herself with confidence, and even when she was struggling with her injury, she rarely complained. Compared to Ginevra, Beatrice seemed calmer and more understanding, and I found myself appreciating that difference more than I wanted to admit.

"It's fine," I said, glancing toward Nico as he waved at us from the ride. "It's just Ginevra being Ginevra, I guess."

Beatrice's expression changed slightly. I could not tell exactly what she was thinking, but she looked concerned as she spoke.

"She's called a lot today, hasn't she? Maybe we should go back and check on her. She might be feeling lonely. I'd hate to think she's upset because of me."

"She's fine," I said, perhaps more sharply than I intended.

I took a breath and tried to calm my voice before continuing. "We're here because you need company while you recover from your injury. You shouldn't have to cut your rest short because Ginevra can't understand that other people have needs too. The world doesn't always revolve around her."

"Leandro..." Beatrice touched my arm gently. "Maybe she's just feeling left out. Nico has been spending a lot of time with me lately, and I can understand why that might hurt her. She's his mother, after all. It must be difficult for her to feel like she's being pushed aside."

"It's normal for a child to admire someone who inspires him," I replied. "That isn't a bad thing. Nico looks up to you because you've accomplished so much, Beatrice. He sees someone he can learn from, and Ginevra should be happy about that instead of getting jealous."

The ride finally came to a stop, and Nico jumped out before running toward us with his face red from excitement. I expected him to tell us how much he had enjoyed the ride, but instead, he immediately started talking about his mother.

"Dad, Mom called again," he said, rolling his eyes in a way that reminded me of my mother.

I frowned. "She did?"

"Yeah, but what she did wasn't cool. She was pretending to be sick because she wanted me to come home."

I stared at him. "What do you mean, pretending?"

"She was coughing and everything, but Aunt Beatrice said people sometimes do that when they want attention. She said some people will do anything to make others feel sorry for them."

Nico looked up at Beatrice with complete trust.

"Right?"

Beatrice's cheeks turned slightly pink, and she quickly shook her head.

"I... I'm sure your mother wasn't pretending to be sick, Nico."

But I was barely listening anymore.

My eyes dropped to my phone, and I thought about Ginevra's message again.

Let's get divorced.

A strange anger began building inside me, stronger than I expected. Ginevra had always been patient with me. She had never complained when I worked late, and she rarely questioned my decisions. For years, she had been the perfect wife in my eyes. She was quiet, supportive, and always willing to stand behind me.

So when had she changed?

When had she become this jealous woman who questioned everything I did and tried to make Nico feel guilty for spending time with Beatrice?

Then another thought came to me.

It had started after Beatrice returned.

Before that, Ginevra had never cared much about where I went or who I spent time with. She had never complained about my late nights or asked too many questions. But the moment Beatrice came back into my life, Ginevra became different.

She started asking where I had been. She wanted to know why Nico was spending time with Beatrice. She complained whenever I stayed out late, and she seemed determined to make me feel guilty for helping an old friend.

I could not help thinking about our wedding.

Ginevra had come from a difficult background, or at least that was what she had told me. She had claimed that she had no family she could rely on, and I had believed that she needed me. I had given her a comfortable life, a beautiful home, and everything I thought a wife could want.

And this was how she repaid me?

By constantly creating problems whenever I tried to help someone who had once been important to me?

"Dad?"

Nico tugged on my sleeve and pulled me out of my thoughts. He pointed toward another ride with his free hand.

"Can we go on Space Mountain next?"

I looked down at my son and then at Beatrice.

She was watching me with those warm, understanding eyes. Even now, she was still worried about Ginevra. She had not once demanded that I ignore my wife, and she had never complained about the tension between us.

That was the difference between them.

Beatrice was patient and mature. She always seemed willing to put other people's feelings before her own.

Ginevra, on the other hand, was acting like a child.

I pulled out my phone and typed a reply.

"Stop this, Ginevra. Why can't you be more understanding? Beatrice is injured and needs time to recover. Stop being so selfish."

I stared at the message for a moment before sending it.

Then I switched off my phone completely.

I was not going to let Ginevra's drama ruin the trip for Nico. He deserved to enjoy himself, and I wanted him to have a good time with someone who genuinely cared about him.

One day away from home was not going to hurt Ginevra.

"Come on," I said, taking Nico's hand. "Space Mountain sounds perfect."

We started walking toward the ride, with Beatrice walking on Nico's other side. A moment later, Nico reached out and took Beatrice's hand without even thinking about it.

The three of us continued walking together.

For a moment, we looked like a family.

I felt something uncomfortable stir inside me, a small voice telling me that something about this situation was wrong. Maybe Ginevra had a reason to be angry. Maybe I should have gone home to check on her instead of ignoring her message.

But I pushed the thought away.

I did not want to listen to it.

It was Ginevra.

She would calm down eventually. She would realize that she had gone too far, apologize to me, and things would return to normal.

They always did.