04
This night, a dream, a rarity in my life, came to me. Within that dreamscape, I caught a glimpse of that long–missed figure. Try as I might, the face of the person remained shrouded in a hazy veil, yet an intense feeling of familiarity and warmth coursed through me, making my heart ache with longing. It was not Claudio, and that was for sure. The fleeting moments I had shared with this mysterious someone had etched themselves indelibly onto the canvas of my life, becoming perhaps the most treasured and unforgettable memories I held dear. Once reunited with my parents, I had launched myself headlong into a desperate search for him, scouring every corner, leaving no stone unturned. But it was all in vain. It was as if he had simply vanished, leaving behind not a single clue to suggest he had ever been a part of my world. In the dream, we journeyed through time, morphing from carefree children, our faces aglow with innocence, to awkward adolescents, grappling with the growing pains of puberty. And then, as if by some beautiful magic, our hands found each other, and love blossomed, leading us step by step towards the altar. We stood there, on the brink of sealing our vows with a kiss as we exchanged rings, when suddenly, the cruel hands of reality yanked me back awake, shattering the idyllic vision.
As soon as I was awake, I saw Claudio lying right next to me with his gaze fixed intently on my face. In an instant, I was snapped out of my drowsiness. Reacting on pure instinct, I made a hasty attempt to shift my position, but in my haste, I carelessly tumbled right off the edge of the bed as I stammered, “You… I…”
Picking myself up from the floor, I rubbed my eyes and peered around the room. This was unmistakably my own bedroom. But how in the name of all that was logical had Claudio managed to end up here?
Just at that moment, he parted his lips and spoke, “Who was on your mind?”
I shot him a bewildered look and blurted out, “What?”
He kept on asking, “You were mumbling in your sleep. Sounded like you were calling somebody’s name. So, who was it you were dreaming about?”
Almost without thinking, I lifted my hand and gently touched my cheek, then quickly shook
my head, refusing, “Not really. Did I really say something?”
He pushed himself up, his eyes boring into me, as if intent on unraveling every secret I held.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still as our eyes locked. It was only after what felt like an
eternity that he finally broke the connection, rolling over and swinging his legs off the bed. Then
he spoke, “Until we’re divorced, you’re still my wife. We should live together. It makes it easier for
you to take care of me. Don’t forget who you are and what you’re supposed to do.”
I remained silent, a torrent of thoughts swirling in my head. I wondered, “Is he crazy? He’s
wide awake now, so what on earth does he still need me to take care of? If he has certain ne why not just go to Alessa? It’s not like they haven’t been photographed together at hotels.”
With a resigned nod, I murmured an acknowledgment and then turned on my heel to leave. After freshening up, I made breakfast and waited for Claudio to finish his meal. Then, I
12:41
Tnu, TU Ap
4.含80%面
After freshening up, I made breakfast and waited for Claudio to finish his meal. Then, I
watched him leave.
Lately, he had surely been swamped with work. Nowadays, despite being the president of Falcone Group, he had his fair share of detractors. He managed to ascend to this position when his uncle was ousted and his half–brother, Cristian Falcone, was severely weakened and still reeling from the blow, catching them all off guard. At present, he functioned more like a mediator. In terms of the manpower at his disposal and actual power, he still couldn’t match up to Cristian. After all, during the past seven years, he had truly been absent from the company’s affairs. However, the reason everyone seemed to toe the line and obey his orders was undeniably due to the fact that Alessa and the Gallo family had his back. So, for both of them, this was a crucial juncture.
Shortly after bidding farewell to Claudio, my phone rang, and it was Laura on the line. Right off the bat, she offered her apologies, her voice tinged with regret. Something unexpected cropped up at her home, and she had no choice but to dash off. And she asked about things going on on both my side. I filled her in briefly on what had transpired. As soon as I finished, she flew off the handle once more, her temper flaring up like a lit fuse. Over the phone, she let loose a stream of scathing rebukes aimed squarely at Claudio and Alessa. Once she’d vented her
spleen, she paused for a moment and then turned her attention back to me, asking, “Then what are you gonna do next? Are you really gonna keep wasting your time like this?”
After giving it some thought, I mulled over my words for a second before speaking up and saying, “We are gonna get divorced for sure, sooner or later. We haven’t divorced yet because he doesn’t wanna give people something to gossip about or let them have any dirt on him. So, before he dumps me, I gotta find myself a job to make sure I can support myself down the road.”
On the other side of the line, Laura fell silent for a couple of seconds, and asked, “Hey, I’ve got a place. Wanna come and have a look?”
After that, I ended the call. I swiftly dabbed on a bit of makeup and slipped into a new outfit before making my way out the door.
The job she’d suggested really suited my field of study, yet whether I’d be offered the position remained uncertain. After all, I’d dedicated the past seven years to looking after Claudio, leaving my work experience in the professional realm completely blank.
Once I walked out of the company, Laura immediately asked me how it went. I told her the truth. She comforted me with a smile and said, “It’s all good. You’ll make it. And even if you don’t, we’ll just look for something else. There’s no way we’re gonna starve.”
We were in the middle of a lively chat when, all of a sudden, a silhouette loomed up right in front of us, cutting off our path. It was Alessa.
She turned to me and claimed, “Dora, can I have a chat with you?”
12:41 Thu, 10 Apr
After treshening up, I made breakfast and waited for Claudio to finish his meal. Then, I
watched him leave.
80%
Lately, he had surely been swamped with work. Nowadays, despite being the president. of Falcone Group, he had his fair share of detractors. He managed to ascend to this position when his uncle was ousted and his half–brother, Cristian Falcone, was severely weakened and still reeling from the blow, catching them all off guard. At present, he functioned more like a mediator. In terms of the manpower at his disposal and actual power, he still couldn’t match up to Cristian. After all, during the past seven years, he had truly been absent from the company’s affairs. However, the reason everyone seemed to toe the line and obey his orders was
undeniably due to the fact that Alessa and the Gallo family had his back. So, for both of them,
this was a crucial juncture.
Shortly after bidding farewell to Claudio, my phone rang, and it was Laura on the line. Right off the bat, she offered her apologies, her voice tinged with regret. Something unexpected cropped up at her home, and she had no choice but to dash off. And she asked about things
going on on both my side. I filled her in briefly on what had transpired. As soon as I finished, she
flew off the handle once more, her temper flaring up like a lit fuse. Over the phone, she let loose
a stream of scathing rebukes aimed squarely at Claudio and Alessa. Once she’d vented her
spleen, she paused for a moment and then turned her attention back to me, asking, “Then what are you gonna do next? Are you really gonna keep wasting your time like this?”
After giving it some thought, I mulled over my words for a second before speaking up and saying, “We are gonna get divorced for sure, sooner or later. We haven’t divorced yet because he doesn’t wanna give people something to gossip about or let them have any dirt on him. So, before he dumps me, I gotta find myself a job to make sure I can support myself down the road.”
On the other side of the line, Laura fell silent for a couple of seconds, and asked, “Hey, I’ve got
a place. Wanna come and have a look?”
After that, I ended the call. I swiftly dabbed on a bit of makeup and slipped into a new outfit
before making my way out the door.
The job she’d suggested really suited my field of study, yet whether I’d be offered the position remained uncertain. After all, I’d dedicated the past seven years to looking after Claudio, leaving my work experience in the professional realm completely blank.
Once I walked out of the company, Laura immediately asked me how it went. I told her the truth. She comforted me with a smile and said, “It’s all good. You’ll make it. And even if you don’t, we’ll just look for something else. There’s no way we’re gonna starve.”
We were in the middle of a lively chat when, all of a sudden, a silhouette loomed up right in front of us, cutting off our path. It was Alessa.
She turned to me and claimed, “Dora, can I have a chat with you?”
