CHAPTER 10.

Leandro watched Paula with rage, clenching his hands at his sides. He closed his eyes, then fiercely struck her face, sending her rolling across the floor. A trickle of blood began to seep from her mouth.

"Bitch! Who called you to meddle in what's none of your business?!" he fumed, gritting his teeth, and taking advantage of her position on the floor, he began to kick her without stopping.

"Leandro! Stop it! Have you gone mad?" the girl screamed, horrified by the man's savage behavior.

"Leandro!" she exclaimed again.

When Leandro heard Galata's voice calling him, he snapped out of his reverie. He had imagined it all. He couldn't help but look at Paula, and though he couldn't react as he had imagined, he didn't miss the opportunity to plant the seed of his venom.

"Paula, what a surprise to see you! Surely your words come from personal experience... I just remembered, years ago you were madly in love with Matteo. Are you defending him because you still love him?"

"That's high treason, still dreaming about your best friend's husband," he scoffed, displaying a half-smile.

"Idiot! The same as dreaming about your best friend's wife. But you know what, it's not even worth debating your idiocy. What are you trying to do? Win Galata's sympathy by slandering me? One couldn't expect less from you. You're a groveling, disgusting, scheming traitor—too many flaws together. You don't know how to win people over except by sowing discord against others."

"You know what? Your presence disgusts me, and I don't believe I can breathe the same air as you! Now get out!" she exclaimed, her face slightly flushed from the anger which, despite all her words, she was still trying to control.

Her attitude surprised Galata because Paula was usually kind. She just watched what happened in silence, like a mere witness, detached from it all, not knowing how to react.

Paula grabbed the man by the arm to escort him out of the room. Leandro immediately slapped her hand away to free himself from her grip, but he hadn't accounted for Paula's swiftness. She twisted to release his hold and made him fall backward onto the floor, placing a knee on his chest, while the man suffered the physical discomfort of being hurt and the psychological pain of humiliation. Meanwhile, the rage against the young woman grew within him.

"Don't you dare touch me! You don't know who you're messing with. For your information, my man taught me how to defend myself very well, to be protected from pests like you," Paula said with a mocking smile.

The man got up from the floor with difficulty, feeling pain shoot through his back. His face was red from anger.

"Galata, you shouldn't have a woman like her near you. She can harm you at any moment; she's not trustworthy," the man said with apparent dignity, as he left the house.

Galata's mouth fell open; she couldn't believe what had happened. She couldn't believe her friend had been capable of subduing a man so easily.

"Paula, that was wrong, you shouldn't have treated him that way. He was just trying to help me, he was showing me solidarity," she expressed, wanting to believe that, because in reality, he didn't inspire her trust either.

"Is that sarcasm?" She didn't wait for a response and added, "I want to believe that, because I can't even imagine seeing you fall into the hands of a guy like Leandro."

"I've never trusted him. He's always seemed like a snake to me—cunning, dangerous, and treacherous, ready to strike. I don't believe in his good intentions," the girl expressed. "When he thinks no one is watching, he gives Matteo dirty looks; he envies him... I have the impression he desires to possess everything Matteo has. You must be careful of that man."

"I don't like him 100%, maybe you're right. Nevertheless, his words are true," she sighed in frustration. "Helena is back, and Matteo still loves her; he hasn't forgotten her," Galata pronounced with a mix of rage and sadness.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean she's back?! Didn't she leave when she betrayed Matteo? How shameless! Does she dare show up after that?" Paula spoke with indignation.

Galata sighed, hugging herself as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She felt a lump in her throat, a sensation of drowning. She breathed several times through her mouth to regain control and continued speaking.

"Apparently, she didn't betray him; it was all a misunderstanding." Her friend looked at her, raising her eyebrows in a gesture of disbelief. "Even if it sounds incredible, Paula. I myself heard my husband talking to Leandro, and he confessed that he still believed he loved Helena, feared seeing her, because he wasn't sure what his feelings towards her were."

"I can't believe it! How is it possible that he hasn't been able to forget her all this time? You've been a wonderful woman, devoted, you even stopped living and turned entirely to him to take care of him! It's incredible!"

"I told you many times, you had to keep something for yourself, not give your all to the point of denying yourself. Don't you see me? Gianluca will never dominate me! Never!" she pronounced seriously, earning a roll of the eyes from her friend, as she shrugged indifferently and continued speaking.

"I swear I can't believe it. Is there a possibility you misheard? How could he not love you, Galata? You're the perfect woman! Where would he find a woman like you? My God!" she exclaimed, feeling sadness, because she knew how much her friend had loved Matteo and it hurt her to see her not being valued.

"And that's not all. Last night he made love to me like never before, Paula. I felt complete, happy, important to him. For the first time, I believed I was loved, and a while later, while we were sleeping, he received a call related to that woman and left me to rush after her."