The Assistant

Magdalena Rosario

Magdalena's head buzzed with excitement, and her heart fluttered with joy after her conversation with the man for whom she had fallen head over heels, Roman. She wasn't the type of woman to squeal, even as a young girl, but Magdalena couldn't help the one that reverberated in her throat and past her teeth. The conversation with the man she pictured as her future husband had on her cloud nine, and she rebuffed the idea of ever falling from it. Her eyes stared out of the massive window from her office; Magdalena swayed gently, delicately rubbing circles on her protruding belly as her line of sight trailed the dazzling lights of the buildings until they fell upon the only one that mattered. Roman Industries is owned by one of the wealthiest, most powerful, and most gorgeous men she has ever met-the man who had stolen her breath and then her heart.

Of course, when she first met Roman, she didn't know who he was. He had lied about his name and occupation. When she found out it was all a lie, she was angry-for a second. After that, she understood. Magdalena couldn't blame him for wanting privacy, and the more she thought about it, the more she believed it to be a test. Only a woman who truly loved him would ever put in the time it took to find out who he really was, and that's precisely what she had done. If that wasn't an act of true love, then she didn't want to know what was. Magdalena had spent tireless hours trying to find her beloved Alejandro until her goons learned that not only was there no one by that name working at Roman Industries, but there was no one by that name in the entire state of Texas.

Distraught and confused didn't even begin to describe what she felt. Magdalena spent a few days in bed, heartbroken. Then, she remembered she had taken a photo of him as he slept so peacefully on their last night together. Magdalena gave those same dolts the picture and told them to stalk Roman Industries around the clock until they found the man that looked like the one in the photo. Something inside her told her that even though he had lied about who he was, he was still somehow connected to the company, and she was right. It had taken a few weeks as it seemed the man in the photo might not have existed at all, and just as she was going to give up, he appeared outside in gym attire, ready for a run around the block.

When her lackeys returned to her with the evidence in hand, Magdalena's face lit up like a Christmas tree, her eyes sparkled with excitement, and a rush of energy burst through her body. It was her first time squealing and jumping-beaming with happiness. Upon further investigation, there was no doubt in her mind that the man she thought was named Alejandro was, in fact, the one and only Roman Ortiz. Things couldn't have gone better, and after months of forethought and planning, everything was set in motion. Her future was within reach; all she had to do was grab it and never let go.

Tired of standing, Magdalena sat in her chair behind her black ebony desk. She leaned back, relishing in its plushness, and closed her eyes. As always, her mind took her back to the moment she locked eyes with Roman the night of the New Year's Eve party. That was the moment she knew they were made for each other. Roman knew it, too; he was just playing hard to get. After today, though, he couldn't deny his love for her.

Knowing that she was with child-his child-he would no longer be able to ignore his feelings. Magdalena smiled as she pictured Roman at her home, waiting for her car to appear, his face lighting up when she finally did, running toward her with his arms wide open and tears of joy in his eyes. He'd wrap his arms around her, twirl her in the air, then gently set her on her feet as he dropped to his knees to give her belly sweet and tender kisses.

Magdalena understood that before today, Roman was merely afraid that he had found the woman he would spend the rest of his life with, as any man would. He didn't mean all those nasty words. Roman didn't really want to end their relationship. He was just afraid. It's as simple as that. Luckily, he agreed to see her once more, and that was the night Magdelna made sure she conceived their tiny miracle child. Her smile grew, and she hummed in delight as she continued to draw small, tender circles on her womb.