Angel or demon?

She was sure that knowing it would help her recover what belonged to her daughter, the inheritance that Sergio stole from her. It had been left to her by her parents, who never agreed with her marriage to Noah. She had no other choice. 

Gío had abandoned her, forced by his parents. He didn't find out about her pregnancy and made Noah believe he was the father. After the baby was born, she made him believe that the baby was premature. The doctor she hired helped her with that.

On his part, Gío had returned to the United States. Doing so brought back so many memories. He had to leave the love of his life to please his parents and marry his goddaughter. His father was in poor health, and that was his final wish.

Alessandra had not been a bad wife, but he never managed to love her. She passed away while giving birth to their son, who died days later. He was left completely alone as his mother also passed away just a few months later. He returned to find Rina, but he learned that she was already married. He decided to remain alone because he still loved her.

The loneliness was tough, not a pleasant companion. This time, he had returned to revive his company, which had been neglected for so many years in Australia and was on the brink of bankruptcy. He planned to inject capital to boost it and then return to Australia. Being there filled him with nostalgia, every place they had visited together filled his mind with memories.

Rina had learned from old friends that Gío was in town. She planned to look for him, unsure if he would believe her words, but she was willing to take the risk. She had no one else to turn to and hoped not to cause problems with his wife.

Gío had a difficult week, with too many meetings with new partners. Soon, the Rossano Corporation would be one of the best in the home automation industry. He had a lot of work to do, as the company was large and the responsibilities were greater.

He was distracted when he heard someone knock on his door. Annoyed, he called his secretary through the intercom.

"Laura, I specifically asked not to be disturbed. I'm reviewing contracts and can't afford any distractions."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Rossano. I tried to stop the lady, but I couldn't."

He heard the persistent knocking on his door again. Furious, he got up to open it. To his surprise, something he never thought would happen unfolded before him. Standing in front of him was Rina, time seeming to have not touched her. She was still beautiful, with her long black hair, full lips, and those mesmerizing blue eyes. He felt the impulse to embrace her but managed to restrain himself; it wouldn't be right.

Rina had arrived at the corporate office and decided to go directly to his office. She feared that if she announced herself, he wouldn't see her. The secretary tried to stop her, but she couldn't. She persistently knocked on the door, and when it opened, she saw him standing there. He was still very attractive, tall, with brown hair and captivating honey-colored eyes. Age had definitely treated him well.

"Hello, Gío. It's been a long time," she said, looking directly into his eyes.

Gío politely welcomed her, trying to conceal the emotions he was feeling. He took a breath before responding.

"Hello, Rina. Nice to see you. Please have a seat. I heard you married Noah Williams," he said, thinking it was best to be straightforward.

"That's correct," she replied.

"Now, tell me, what brings you here?" he asked, attempting to hide any disappointment in his tone of voice.

"We need to talk. What I have to tell you is very serious. I need your help," she said.

"Does your husband agree with you seeking my help?" he questioned, not understanding why she was reaching out to him when Noah Williams was a man with certain power in the business world.

"I don't live with Noah anymore. Many things have happened. After you left, I found out that I was pregnant," she revealed.

Gío thought he hadn't heard correctly. What was she trying to say? He stared at her, completely taken aback.

"We have a daughter," she finally blurted out, deciding it was time to be straightforward and not beat around the bush.

"What? It seems like I didn't hear correctly," he responded, now feeling extremely nervous.

"When I found out, you were already married. If my parents had found out, they wouldn't have forgiven me. They wouldn't have allowed the child to be born. I knew Noah was in love with me, so I approached him, and we got married shortly after. Regardless, my parents turned their backs on me. They never accepted Noah, or any man for that matter, as an ideal partner for me.

We left California and moved here, searching for new opportunities. When our daughter was born, I made Noah believe she was premature. He thinks she is his daughter. Eventually, my parents reached out to us and returned my fortune. I helped Noah establish his company, and not long after, my parents died in a plane accident. They named my daughter as the heir and appointed me as her guardian until she came of age.

When my daughter was only eight months old, Sergio De Santis kidnapped me. He forced me to live with him, kept me locked up all the time. When he realized I didn't reciprocate his feelings, he forced me to hand over my daughter's inheritance to him. He and his lover, Déborah, confined me in a psychiatric hospital."

Gío was left frozen, trying to absorb everything he had just heard. It was simply difficult to comprehend.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that," he said sincerely.

Rina stared at him, studying his reaction, trying to guess how he was taking it all in.

"If you don't believe she is your daughter, we can do a DNA test," she said, wanting to remove any doubt that Nicole was his child.

Gío observed her intently, which made her very nervous.

"It's not necessary. I believe you. What is her name?" A great curiosity had awakened within him.

"Nicole, like your mother. Although your parents didn't approve of me, I thought you would like her to be named that way."

Gío stared at her with an expression she couldn't decipher. Suddenly, she noticed thick tears rolling down his cheeks.

"What's wrong, Gío?"

"Thank you," he said, while looking at her.

"I don't understand," she said, feeling very confused.

"Thank you for giving me a daughter. I thought I was alone in this world, and today you give me the best gift—a daughter, a daughter with the woman I have loved all my life." He couldn't hold back his feelings any longer.

He stood up and approached her, passionately kissing her. Rina reciprocated the kiss, a kiss in which they wanted to reclaim everything that was taken from them, all the time and experiences they couldn't share. Finally, after so many years, they could be together.

Reluctantly, Rina interrupted the moment.

"If you want to meet her, there will be a charity gala organized by the Williams every year. I imagine she will be there. It's the only opportunity we'll have to talk to her. Noah has put tight security around her, which is why I haven't been able to approach her. The gala will be masquerade-themed, which works in my favor because they won't be able to recognize me."

"I received an invitation a week ago, so we won't have any trouble getting in."

"I know it will be a tough blow for her. She has spent her whole life believing she was raised by her parents. It will be difficult, but I'm not willing to give up on her."

At Art Bio Corporation, Nicole noticed that Bruno was calmer. He no longer attacked her constantly like before, although his treatment towards her remained condescending. Bertha informed her that Bruno had requested her presence in his office.

Nicole immediately went there. Upon seeing her enter, Bruno didn't hear what she said. He could only see her red lips and those huge, beautiful eyes. Was she an angel or a demon?

"Bruno, I've asked if you need something," she repeated, annoyed.

"To you, I need you," he answered, unable to resist any longer. He didn't want to hold back his desires.

"I'm not here for your games. You've already hurt me enough, and the last thing I want is to be near you. So if you don't need something work-related, I'm leaving," she said, turning towards the door.

Bruno quickly stood up and positioned himself in front of her. He pushed her onto the desk and began kissing her passionately. She bit his lip, which made him angry. He kissed her desperately, and in response, Nicole delivered a strong blow to his groin.

"Ouch, that hurt. You're definitely a demon," he said.