Chapter 10
As the exhibition continued around them, both parents were facing a new and complex reality. Amelia knew she could no longer hide the truth. The path to revelation was in sight, and her world was about to collapse.
At that moment, Adrien appeared on the scene, looking for Mateo. Upon seeing the boy, he knelt down and hugged him.
-Mateo! -Adrien said joyfully as the little boy ran into his arms.
-Dad! -Mateo exclaimed, his voice full of excitement.
Lorenzo felt the air leave his lungs. "Dad?" he thought, feeling the world crumble around him. The idea that this man was Margaret's partner, and that there was also a child calling him "Dad," left him stunned.
Amelia noticed the confusion on Lorenzo's face, but she couldn't stop now. The revelation of her son and his connection to Adrien were intertwined in a moment that would change everything.
Lorenzo looked at Adrien, feeling bewildered. The connection between them grew increasingly complex, and his mind swirled with unanswered questions.
While the event continued around them, both parents faced a new and complicated reality. Amelia knew she could no longer hide the truth. The path to revelation was in sight, and her world was about to collapse.
The sparkle of the exhibited jewelry and the lively voices of the attendees filled the room, but Lorenzo could barely focus on what was happening around him. His mind was trapped in a single thought: Margaret. The enigmatic designer who had rescued his company from the brink of collapse, always hidden behind a mask, and whose relationship with Adrien disturbed him deeply.
From the moment Adrien had become involved in his life, Lorenzo had noticed the closeness between him and Margaret. The fact that Adrien was such a trusted confidant for her irritated him. What was between them? Lorenzo felt that Adrien was hiding something important, and that uncertainty gnawed at him.
Lorenzo watched Margaret from afar, her elegant poise and the way she moved through the room unsettled him. He felt an inexplicable attraction toward her, one he couldn't ignore, but at the same time, suspicion and mystery kept him teetering on the edge of distrust. There was something about the way she interacted with Adrien that made him feel excluded, as if they shared secrets he would never know.
Finally, unable to endure the doubt any longer, he decided to confront her. He crossed the room with determined steps and approached her.
-Margaret -he said, his voice firm but restrained.
She turned to him gracefully, her eyes shining through the mask. Despite the disguise, Lorenzo could feel the intensity of her gaze. For a moment, they both remained silent, surrounded by the murmurs of the crowd.
-Lorenzo -she responded calmly, maintaining her composure.
-I need answers -he said, his frustration beginning to surface-. I don't know who you really are or what you're doing here. You've saved my company, but you remain a mystery. And there's something else... -he paused, trying to keep his emotions in check-. What is your relationship with Adrien?
Margaret looked at him with an unsettling calm, but inside, Amelia felt the tension invade her. She knew this moment would come, the moment Lorenzo began asking questions. But she couldn't let him uncover the truth, not when there was still so much at stake.
-My relationship with Adrien is none of your business, Lorenzo -she replied firmly-. I've helped you, and that's all that matters right now.
Lorenzo frowned, his frustration becoming more palpable. He stepped closer, closing the distance between them.
-No, Margaret -he retorted-. It's not just that. I know there's more; I can feel it. Every time I see Adrien with you, I feel like I'm missing something important. I need to know what's going on between you two.
Amelia's heart pounded beneath the mask. She knew Lorenzo wouldn't give up easily, but she couldn't let him see beyond the façade she had built. Her entire plan depended on keeping her identity hidden and preventing Lorenzo from discovering the truth.
-You're mistaken -she said in a tone meant to be final-. There's nothing you need to know about Adrien and me. What matters now is the work we've done together to save your company.
-And why should I trust someone who won't even show me their face? -Lorenzo snapped, his tone harsher. He was tired of the secrets, of the half-truths surrounding him for so long-. You can't keep hiding behind that mask, Margaret. I want to know who you really are.
Margaret remained silent for a few seconds; the tension between them was palpable. Amelia knew she was on the verge of a dangerous revelation. If Lorenzo persisted, everything she had built could crumble in an instant.
-We don't always have the luxury of revealing who we are -she said softly, trying to use her tone to diffuse the situation-. Some secrets are necessary.
Lorenzo stared at her, trying to unravel the layers of mystery surrounding her. But before he could say more, a group of people approached to admire the jewelry on display. The moment broke, and Margaret took advantage of the distraction to walk away, leaving him with unanswered questions and a sense of emptiness.
As he watched her disappear into the crowd, Lorenzo's frustration only grew. He knew there was something deeper connecting Margaret and Adrien, but without the answers he needed, he was trapped in a web of uncertainty that suffocated him. His determination to uncover the truth only grew, and though Margaret had managed to evade him for now, Lorenzo knew this shadowy game wouldn't last forever.
The bustle of the hall began to fade as the banquet drew to a close. Mateo, always curious, had been wandering around the tables laden with sweets and desserts, but his mind was still on the incident he had had earlier in the night. He couldn't stop thinking about the elderly woman he had accidentally bumped into. Though she hadn't shown any annoyance, something in her gaze left him with an unease he couldn't ignore.
Determined to apologize, Mateo took one of the prettiest desserts from the table, a small fruit tart with cream that had caught his eye. Holding it carefully in his small hands, he headed toward the quieter part of the hall, where he remembered last seeing the elderly woman.