SERENDIPITY

~40~ The Big Decision And Back Together ✔️

"I can't marry Paloma," he said, his lips pressing into a thin line as he held Leonardo's gaze unwaveringly.

Leonardo exhaled audibly, as if he had anticipated this very moment. "You're putting me in a rather uncomfortable position, Daniel," he responded, his voice carrying a certain resignation after a brief pause.

"If this concerns the business merger, I assure you..."

"No, Daniel. It's not about that. It's about my daughters being entangled in the wake of your decision," Leonardo's voice carried a weight of paternal concern that resonated in the room.

Daughters. My heart skipped a beat as those words settled in my ears.

"Forgive me, Leonardo," Daniel walked further into the room, his lips pressed in a thoughtful line. "I never intended to lead Paloma on. If anything, she was fully aware of where my heart truly belonged. She knew it wasn't with her," he added, his jaw clenching momentarily.

"Then why did you reconcile with her after the initial breakup, especially if you met someone else – someone who also happens to be my daughter – and believed that your heart was elsewhere?" Leonardo posed the question, his hands finding their way into his side pockets.

"Paloma has a way of getting what she wants, Leonardo. I don't need to elaborate on her methods, you of all people know," Daniel replied, his frustration palpable.

"True," Leonardo nodded, shifting his gaze between Daniel and me. "I won't stand in your way, Daniel. Not because you're calling off the marriage with one daughter and pursuing another, but because I would have agreed to this if the woman in question were anyone else. Love and nature have a way of defying us, and that's a lesson I've learned," he said, moving to retrieve his jacket from the chair. "One thing I do take issue with is the time it took you to arrive at your decision. If I had been present earlier, would you have left her waiting at the altar?"

"No," Daniel replied with unwavering firmness. "I would never have put her through that."

"Good to hear," Leonardo said, his tone tinged with a mixture of relief and resolve. He approached me, planting a gentle kiss on my forehead. A blush crept onto my cheeks in response to this unexpected display of affection. "You two need to have a conversation," he said, looking at Daniel and then at me before sighing. "I'll go check on how things are at home. Pardon me," he directed his steps toward the door and left the room, his presence fading.

As the door clicked shut, the room seemed to expand, the echoes of the poignant dialogue still lingering in the air. It was as if the space had been a crucible, emotions simmering and relationships evolving. The gravity of the moment settled upon us, a new chapter unfolding with both uncertainty and promise.

Daniel stood at the center of the room, his hands hanging limply by his sides as his gaze remained locked onto mine. I met his intense gaze, the silence between us growing increasingly stifling. Slowly, he began to move towards me, his eyes never wavering from mine. He paused at the edge of the bed, his movements deliberate and measured, before he knelt down beside me, his fingers gently enveloping my left hand.

"You know," he started, his voice tinged with a mix of dry amusement and sincerity, "I was right about you all along."

My throat tightened, and I managed to mumble, "I'm sorry for deceiving all of you."

"Don't carry that burden, Raquel," he replied softly, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand. "You had your reasons, right?"

A mixture of guilt and regret washed over me. "Yeah, but now those reasons don't feel as valid."

He nodded in understanding, and once again, a heavy silence descended upon us. It was a discomforting silence, filled with unspoken emotions that seemed to swirl in the space between us.