CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: "IT'S MY TURN"

Natalie sat behind her sleek mahogany desk, eyes scanning over the documents in front of her, the pen in her hand gliding with precise efficiency. The quiet hum of the office was broken by a soft knock on the door.

“Come in,” she said, without looking up.

Emma stepped in, composed as always. “Rafael is here to see you.”

Natalie’s pen paused mid-stroke. A flicker of surprise crossed her features, quickly masked by her signature poise. “Let him in.” She swallowed, wondering why after so long, she still couldn't handle Rafael's presence.

Rafael entered moments later, a gift box in hand, looking slightly less tense than usual. Natalie resisted back on her chair , eyes scanning him. "Rafael," she called, voice sleek with poise. She stretched out her hand forward on the table—the hand with the bracelet, as Rafael walked in.

Just as she had imagined, his eyes landed first one the bracelet. She watched in utmost satisfaction as he swallowed hard.

"Natalie." He said finally, after getting rid of the lump in his throat.

"What a pleasant surprise." Her smile deepened.

Rafael lowered himself onto the chair in front of Natalie's table. “I brought you something,” he said, carefully setting the gift box on the table.

Natalie raised a brow, intrigued. “What is it?”

He smirked. “A surprise."

Natalie's brow inched higher as she reached for the box. "Can we see what's in here."

Rafael stopped her by slightly raising his hand.

"Open it later.”

She chuckled, fingers brushing the edge of the box. “You didn’t have to, you know." She said, finally.

“I did,” Rafael said, his voice quiet but earnest. “You saved my empire. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

A slow, knowing smile tugged at Natalie’s lips. “I’m glad I could help,” she said smoothly.

That is it. He should be completely dependent on her to the point that he would have no choice than to call on her when he ran into trouble.

Rafael hesitated for a moment, then added, “About Isabella… I’m sorry.”

Natalie waved it off with graceful ease. “We’ve gone past that by now,” she said. Her gaze held his as she added, voice soft but deliberate, “I don’t blame her. I would do anything, too… to protect what’s mine. A company. Or the man I love.”

She smiled—mischievous, magnetic. Rafael’s mouth opened slightly, caught completely off guard, but before he could gather a response, Natalie pivoted.

“Now, about that restructuring proposal,” she said, diving straight into business, leaving Rafael still reeling from her words.

They discussed company matters for a while, until Rafael finally leaned back in his seat.

“Are you free for the rest of the day?” he asked. “I thought we could have a drink. You know, we didn't get to celebrate the last milestone."

Natalie’s eyes twinkled. She pressed her lips together, as she watched Rafael struggle with his words.

"Or we can do it another time if you are busy."

"Oh, no." She cut in. "These can wait, in free."

Rafael's spoke widened.

Natalie smiled as she picked up her phone and typed quickly.

"Have the rest of my meetings rescheduled for tomorrow."

"Shall we?" She asked Rafael as she picked up her bag.

Rafael nodded with a smile. "I'm driving, and I get to pick a spot this time."

He recalled subtly the disturbing sense of déjà vu that accompanied whenever Natalie decides to pick a spot for their outing.

**********

Rafael pulled the car into a quiet spot near the café. The city lights reflected off the windshield as he parked, got out, and circled around to open the door for Natalie.

"Thank you." She said as took his hand with a subtle smile, stepping out with her usual grace.

Inside the café, the atmosphere was warm and intimate. They chose a secluded corner, away from the eyes of the world. As the evening wore on, their conversation shifted away from business—laughter came easier, and so did the lingering glances.

Every hour he spent around Natalie, especially when they weren't discussing business, he couldn't help the disturbing sense of déjà vu that would cloud his memories, this overwhelming feeling that he knew her more than as Natalie De Luca, and she knew him too. Or maybe it was just in his head.

Some times, he would intentionally glance at her for a longer period, hold her gaze, to see if she felt it too. But apparently, she was more concerned about their conversation more than about how she made him feel.

Hours passed unnoticed until the lights outside dimmed further into night.

Noticing the time, Natalie glanced down, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “I didn’t even realize how late it’s gotten.”

Rafael leaned back, slightly dazed by the comfort of her presence. “Neither did I.”

When they stepped outside, a soft breeze swept through the streets. Natalie, realizing she hadn't come in her car, was about to call for her driver when Rafael offered, “Let me take you home.”

She hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Alright.” She beamed at him for a while longer, making sure to maintain eye contact for just the right amount of seconds. Not too long, not too short.

The drive was quiet, laced with a silence that wasn’t uncomfortable. However, Rafael spent the entire journey thinking of how tensed her presence made him. And more than that, she doesn't seem to notice.

When they reached her penthouse, Rafael pulled up and parked. Natalie turned to him with a light smile. “Would you like to come in?”

For a second, he looked like he might say yes. But then he glanced at his wristwatch, shoulders visibly tightening. “I’d love to, but I should probably head home. It’s been a long day.” He didn't trust himself around her. He needed time—time to process all of these emotions, everything her presence did to him.

Natalie nodded, not pushing further. “Next time, then.”

Rafael smiled softly, eyes lingering for a moment longer than necessary before he stepped back into his car. Natalie stood by the curb, arms folded, watching him disappear into the night.

She didn’t notice the soft footsteps behind her until a voice broke through the quiet.

“You seem to have had an enjoyable day,” Lorenzo said as he came to stand beside her, hands tucked into his pockets.

Natalie smirked, her eyes still fixed on the street. “Maybe.”

Lorenzo's scoff stretched further than hers. "And I hope everything is still in check."

"More than you think." She finally said, turning to look at him.