Chapter 48

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The after-party was in full swing, and the venue, while elegant, was less crowded than the ceremony. It provided a more intimate atmosphere for the attendees. Isa and Santiago arrived together, their hands intertwined as they made their way through the crowd.

"Les guardamos un lugar," Diego called out, pointing to the free seats at their table.

"Gracias," Isa and Santiago replied in unison, taking their seats. Santiago rested his hand on Isa's thigh, causing her to glance at him nervously. He responded with a reassuring smile, which made her relax a bit.

Their closest friends surrounded them: Chucky, Luis, Gerardo, Kevin, Diego, Sebastian, and Edson. It felt like a tight-knit family gathering amidst the grandeur of the party.

As they settled in, a waiter approached to take their orders. Santiago kept his hand on Isa's thigh the entire time, offering silent support. Once the orders were placed, the conversation flowed naturally, touching on various topics.

"¿Qué piensas de la comida aquí?" Sebastián asked, taking a bite of his appetizer.

"Es bastante buena," Edson replied. "Pero, honestamente, estoy aquí más por la compañía."

Everyone chuckled at Edson's comment, and the mood lightened. However, Chucky, sitting across the rounded table, couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as he watched Isa. He wished he could be the one holding her hand, the one making her laugh.

Isa, unaware of Chucky's inner turmoil, engaged in the lively conversation. "¿Alguno de ustedes ha probado el postre aquí? He oído que es increíble."

"Yo lo probé la última vez que estuvimos aquí," Kevin dijo. "Te va a encantar, Isa."

As they continued eating, Santiago leaned over and whispered in Isa's ear, "¿Estás disfrutando la noche?"

"Sí, mucho," Isa respondió, sonriendo. "Gracias por estar conmigo."

Chucky looked away, trying to focus on his food. The conversation continued around him, but he felt a bit disconnected, lost in his thoughts about what could have been.

"¿Todo bien, Chucky?" Gerardo preguntó, notando su silencio.

"Sí, solo estoy pensando en el juego de la próxima semana," Chucky mintió, forzando una sonrisa.

"Vamos a hacerlo genial, como siempre," Santiago intervino, dándole una palmada en la espalda a Chucky.

The table fell into a comfortable rhythm again, filled with laughter and friendly banter. Santiago and Isa exchanged loving glances, and their friends couldn't help but tease them.

"Ya parecen una pareja de viejos casados," Diego bromeó.

"Mejor eso que estar solo como tú," Santiago respondió, riendo.

Everyone burst into laughter, and even Chucky couldn't help but smile at the joke. Despite his feelings, he was glad to see Isa happy.
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Isabella was enjoying her drink when many people started to come by and greet everyone. She saw Messi approaching and couldn't help but smile. He greeted everyone and then kissed Isabella's cheek.

"Buenas noches, soy Lionel Messi," he introduced himself.

Isa smiled and introduced herself as well. "Un placer, soy Isabella."

Messi complimented her. "Encantado, Isabella. Te ves muy bien esta noche."

"Muchas gracias," she replied, blushing slightly.

As she continued talking to Messi, she noticed two guys sitting on a table staring at her and whispering to each other. She smiled at them, which caused them to flutter, realizing they had been caught. The guys quickly looked away, embarrassed but pleased by her acknowledgment.
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As the night continued, Kevin noticed how Isa was getting bored, so he invited her to take a walk in the garden with him.

"¿Quieres dar un paseo en el jardín?" he asked.

She agreed, and Santi told her, "Con cuidado, Isa."

She smiled at Santi and took Kevin's hand, walking towards the door. They strolled around for a while, talking about various things. After a while, they found a bench and sat down, continuing their conversation. Kevin really enjoyed spending time with his best friend. Ever since he met Isa, he knew they would always be together. He admired her like the sister he never had.

He got lost in her green eyes and smiled at her. "Siempre me alegra pasar tiempo contigo, Isa."

"Lo mismo digo, Kevin," she replied, smiling warmly.
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It started raining, so they went back inside. Kevin was being really nice to Isa today. They went to the snack table, grabbed a couple of candies, and sat in some chairs next to the bar. The people who grabbed drinks passed by and greeted them. Many of them were Argentinians, while others were European or American.

Christian saw Kevin and Isa sitting at the bar table and decided to join them. He greeted them and invited them both for some drinks. They talked, laughing and smiling together, until someone tapped Isabella's shoulder. She turned around and saw Santi standing there, looking curious and slightly concerned.

"¿Todo bien aquí?" Santi asked, glancing between Isa and Christian.

"Sí, todo bien," Isa replied with a smile, trying to ease the tension.

Christian nodded, raising his glass. "Just catching up."

Kevin noticed the change in atmosphere and decided to lighten the mood. "Oye, Santi, ¿quieres unirte a nosotros?"

Santi nodded, pulling up a chair next to Isa and placing a reassuring hand on her back. "Claro, me encantaría."

The four of them continued to chat, the tension slowly easing as they laughed and shared stories.
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After a while of talking, someone came looking for Christian, so he excused himself. "Goodnight, guys," he said, patting them on their backs. "Goodnight, beautiful. See you around," he added, grabbing Isabella's hand and placing a kiss on it.

Santi tensed up, wrapping his arm around Isa's waist and pulling her closer to him. He whispered in her ear, "¿Por qué te mira tanto?" he complained a bit.

Isa laughed and turned around to tell him, "No te preocupes, Santi. Solo está siendo amable. Yo solo tengo ojos para ti." She gave him a reassuring smile and kissed his cheek.

Santi's expression softened, but he still seemed a bit wary. "Es que no me gusta cómo te mira," he muttered.

Isa gently cupped his face, looking into his eyes. "Confía en mí, Santi. Tú eres el único que me importa."

Santi sighed, finally relaxing a bit. "Está bien, confío en ti, Isa." He kissed her softly, feeling more at ease.

Kevin, who had been observing the exchange, decided to break the tension with a joke. "Oye, Santi, no te pongas celoso. Isa está aquí contigo, no con él."

Isa laughed, and Santi finally smiled, shaking his head. "Tienes razón, Kevin. Solo es que... la quiero mucho."

Isa beamed at Santi's words and hugged him tightly. "Y yo a ti, Santi."


Hiii everyone, I'm sorry for not updating like I said I would. This app wasn't really working and whatever I wrote would get deleted. Thank you for all of y'all's support. Luv y'all lots💗

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