Page 110 of Please, Forgive Me
He didn’t need to say anything else. He understood—better than anyone—the depth of what I was going through, and he had my back.
“I don’t know how long I’ll need, but I trust you to keep things running smoothly here. I’ll leave a few notes before I go, but overall, I know you’ll handle it.”
“Don’t worry about that. Focus on yourself and your family. I’ve got it covered.” Alexandre squeezed my shoulder again before stepping back. “And… I’m proud of you.”
The unexpected comment caught me off guard, and a lump rose in my throat. Words like that weren’t common between us, but I knew he meant it.
“Thank you,” I said quietly, feeling the weight of the moment settle over me. “For everything.”
CHAPTER 44
“The mistakes of the past don’t define the future—it’s the lessons we learn that do…”
MARIA GABRIELA
6 MONTHS LATER
I was anxious to get back to work—but this time, for myself.
With the severance money from Amacel, I finally had the chance to pull an old dream off the shelf: start my own consulting firm for small business owners.
Helping other people bring their ideas to life had always fascinated me, and now felt like the right time. I had every detail mapped out, every step planned, and I was about to step into a new phase of my life—a phase where I was in control.
The last six months had been an emotional roller coaster, and Diego… Diego had surprised me.
The man who showed up when he was with Clara wasn’t the same man I’d known at work. He wasn’t the cold, hard-nosed boss anymore; he was a present father and, in some ways, someone I could almost trust.
In the beginning, I kept waiting for him to turn back into that irritating, provoking man I’d worked for—but it never happened. If anything, Diego had become thoughtful and careful, sticking to the schedule we’d set for his time with Clara.
He was always there when I needed something—whether it was a favor or just a simple conversation about nothing.
It was strange, but I caught myself wondering if this was the real Diego, the one who’d been hiding all along behind layers of arrogance and frost.
He gave me space. He never crossed my boundaries or tried to push me into conversations about us. That space gave me room to breathe, to think about the future without the weight of the past on every move I made.
Sometimes I’d watch him from a distance, taking care of our daughter, and I’d see a side of him I’d never imagined existed. He was patient with Clara, played with her so naturally it made me question if I’d ever really known him before.
And when he wasn’t around, I’d find myself replaying our recent talks—the kind words, the quiet ways he tried to make up for his mistakes.
Of course, there was still a part of me that burned with anger, that remembered every humiliation, every harsh word he’d thrown at me. But as the days passed, that anger started to fade, replaced by a growing curiosity about who Diego really was—and who he could become from here.
“You heading out already, honey?” my mom asked, tucking the blanket around Clara’s stroller.
“Yeah. Diego just got here,” I said, giving the mirror one last glance to make sure I was presentable.
Today was his son’s birthday, and Arthur had insisted that Clara and I come.
When I went down to the building’s entrance, I found Diego waiting by the car. He looked more relaxed than usual, a calm smile on his face that almost made me forget our messy past.
He opened the door for me and helped strap Clara into her seat with a gentleness I hadn’t expected.
Every small gesture felt like an attempt to show he’d changed—but at the same time, I couldn’t tell how much I could trust it.
The drive to the mansion was filled with light conversation. We talked about Clara—what she was learning—and even traded a few jokes, though the laughter didn’t come as easily as it once had.
There was a barrier there, something we both felt but neither of us wanted to name. It was like stepping into new territory, trying to navigate it without triggering the landmines of the past.
“I always like to say she’s got your eyes,” Diego said, watching Clara in the rearview mirror, the smile still playing on his lips.
