𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲.
I never thought my world would crumble at the hands of a man like Alessandro Rossi-a 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 draped in silk suits and ruthlessness. One moment, I was Yasenia Fraga, daughter of the...
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I'd been looking for Alessandro when I spotted Helena sitting alone in the gazebo, looking lost in thought and sad. She rarely let her guard down, always the quiet and private one, even after all these months. But now, seeing her like this, I couldn't just walk by. If something was weighing her down, she'd bury it deep if I didn't step in.
I approached slowly, stepping into the gazebo and quietly taking a seat beside her on the wooden bench. The cool, sweet spring breeze drifted around us, and for a moment, I let it fill my lungs, feeling unexpectedly free. Maybe it was just the night air, or maybe it was something else. For the first time in months, it felt like I could breathe a little easier.
Helena was trying to gather herself, wiping away stray tears with the tips of her fingers, hiding her face behind her short blonde hair. But I could see right through it. "Pensavo fossimo amiche, Helena, (I thought we were friends, Helena)" I murmured softly.
She took a shaky breath, still not looking at me. "Non ho mai avuto amici, Yasenia, (I've never had friends, Yasenia)" she admitted, her voice so quiet I barely caught it. "Quindi non so come funzioni. (So I don't know how this works.)
I reached out, gently turning her face so she'd meet my eyes. "Tutto inizia con te che vieni da me ogni volta che hai bisogno di qualcuno con cui parlare, (It starts with you coming to me whenever you need someone to talk to)" I told her softly. "Ci sediamo, ti prendo il tuo drink preferito e poi ti lasci andare. Io sono lì, ad ascoltare, senza giudizio—solo lì. (We sit down, I get you your favorite drink, and then you just let it all out. I'm there, listening, no judgment—just there.)" I paused, letting my words sink in. "E spero che alla fine ti sentirai un po' meglio sapendo che ti sostengo. Sono il tuo amico, ed è questo che fanno gli amici. (And hopefully, by the end, you feel a little better knowing I've got your back. I'm your friend, and that's what friends do.)
Helena looked at me, her eyes filling with tears again. "Stavamo parlando di noi, e quando ha menzionato il matrimonio, mi sono sentita così felice, Yasenia. Ho potuto vedere quanto fosse serio nei nostri confronti, quanto mi amasse. (We were talking about us, and when he mentioned marriage, I felt so happy, Yasenia. I could see how serious he is about us, how much he loves me.)" She paused, her voice dropping. "Ma poi ho detto che mi sarebbe piaciuto che il nostro primo figlio fosse un maschio, che gli somigliasse proprio... e tutto è cambiato. Si è chiuso completamente, come se avessi detto qualcosa di sbagliato. (But then I said I'd like our first child to be a boy, to look just like him... and everything changed. He shut down completely, like I'd said something wrong.)" She took a shaky breath. "Ho provato a fargli dire cosa lo preoccupava, ma si è semplicemente alzato e se n'è andato. L'ho visto entrare nel vialetto poco fa, e quando ho provato a parlargli, mi ha ignorato ed è andato dritto nella stanza del giardino... dove si trova Alessandro. (I tried to get him to tell me what was bothering him, but he just got up and left. I saw him pull into the driveway just now, and when I tried to talk to him, he ignored me and went straight to the garden room... where Alessandro is.)"
