Chapter 12
The brilliance of the displayed jewels and the animated voices of the attendees filled the hall, 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 saved his company from the brink of collapse, always hidden behind a mask, and whose relationship with Adrien deeply disturbed him.
From the moment Adrien had entered his life, Lorenzo had noticed the closeness between him and Margaret. The fact that Adrien was such a trusted confidant to her irritated him. What was between them? Lorenzo felt that Adrien was hiding something important from him, and that uncertainty gnawed at him.
Lorenzo watched Margaret from a distance. Her elegant demeanor and the way she moved around the room unsettled him. He felt an inexplicable attraction toward her, one he couldn't ignore, but at the same time, the suspicion and mystery kept him on the edge of distrust. There was something in the way she interacted with Adrien that made him feel excluded, as if they shared secrets he would never know.
Finally, unable to bear the doubt any longer, he decided to confront her. He crossed the hall with determined steps and approached her.
-Margaret -he said, his voice firm but restrained.
She turned toward him gracefully, her eyes gleaming through the mask. Despite the disguise, Lorenzo could feel the intensity of her gaze. For a moment, both remained silent, surrounded by the murmur of the crowd.
-Lorenzo -she replied calmly, maintaining her composure.
-I need answers -he said, his frustration starting 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 for a moment, trying to keep his emotions in check-. What's your relationship with Adrien?
Margaret looked at him with an unsettling calm, but inside, Amelia felt the tension rising. She knew this moment would come, the moment when Lorenzo would start asking questions. But she couldn't allow him to discover the truth, not when there was 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 now.
Lorenzo frowned, his frustration becoming more palpable. He stepped closer, shortening 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 was pounding under the mask. She knew Lorenzo wouldn't stop easily, but she also couldn't let him see beyond the facade she had built. Her entire plan depended on keeping her identity hidden and ensuring Lorenzo didn't uncover the truth.
-You're wrong -she said with a tone that aimed to be definitive-. 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 doesn't even show me their face? -Lorenzo snapped, his tone harsher. He was tired of the secrets, of the half-truths that had surrounded 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 insisted, 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 defuse the situation-. Some secrets are necessary.
Lorenzo stared at her, trying to unravel the layers of mystery that surrounded her. But before he could say more, a group of people approached to admire the jewels on display. The moment was broken, and Margaret took advantage of the distraction to slip 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 intensified, and though Margaret had managed to evade him for now, Lorenzo knew this game of shadows wouldn't last forever.
The hustle and bustle of the hall began to fade as the banquet drew to a close. Mateo, ever curious, had been wandering around the tables laden with sweets and desserts, but his mind was still preoccupied with the incident he had at the beginning of the night. He couldn't stop thinking about the elderly woman he had accidentally bumped into. Although she hadn't shown any anger, something in her gaze had left him with an uneasiness he couldn't shake.
Determined to apologize, Mateo picked up one of the prettiest desserts from the table, a small fruit tart topped with cream that had caught his eye. He held it carefully in his small hands and headed toward the quieter part of the hall, where he remembered seeing the woman last.
Finally, he found her sitting in a chair near a window, away from the crowd of guests. The moonlight illuminated her wrinkled yet serene face as she quietly gazed at the night. Mateo hesitated for a moment, nervous, but then advanced with determination.
-Excuse me -he said timidly, extending the dessert toward her-. I wanted to give you this. I'm really sorry for bumping into you earlier... I didn't mean to be rude.
The elderly woman looked up, her gray eyes sparkling with surprise and tenderness as she saw the boy in front of her. Her smile, slow and warm, deepened the lines on her face but gave her an unexpected air of youth.
-Oh, dear -she replied in a soft voice, like a whisper-. You have nothing to apologize for. It was just a little accident. But I truly appreciate your kindness.
Mateo, somewhat relieved by the woman's response, handed her the dessert, and she took it with trembling yet steady hands.
-It's such a beautiful tart -the woman remarked-. You know, these used to be my favorites when I was young. My mother used to make them for me on special occasions.