Divorce

In the morning, Nicole woke up early. She wanted to prepare her son's favorite breakfast, pancakes with honey and apple. She hurriedly prepared them, and as soon as they were ready, she went upstairs to get Santi, who was already dressed. She carried him downstairs, showering his little cheek with kisses. The doorbell rang, and Sara rushed to answer it. It was Bruno. Nicole was surprised to see him there.

"Good morning."

"Dad, it's great that you're here!" Santi ran to hug him.

"Hello, son. I would like to take you to school if your mom allows it."

"Can I go with Dad?" Nicole could see the excitement in her son's eyes.

"That beautiful smile has convinced me. Finish your breakfast and go with Dad. Bruno, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course."

Nicole walked towards the study, and Bruno followed. Once inside, Nicole closed the door.

"I don't want to seem too strict, but I ask that you inform me beforehand before coming to see Santi, please. You can take him out and bring him to school whenever you want, as long as you let me know in advance. That way, we can avoid scheduling conflicts with him."

"It wasn't my intention to bother you. From now on, I'll inform you beforehand."

"Thank you for understanding."

They returned to where the little boy was. Nicole grabbed his school supplies and handed them to Bruno. Then she gave Santi a small bag.

"This time, you'll eat your entire breakfast."

"Yes, Mommy. I have to grow big and strong to take care of you."

Those words melted Nicole's heart, and she embraced him.

"My little love, I love you beyond the stars."

"And I love you, Mommy."

Bruno felt a warmth in his heart as he witnessed that scene. They said their goodbyes to Nicole and got into the car to go to school.

Later in the office, Nicole was deeply focused on her work. The door was open, and Bruno walked in, placing a folder on her desk in front of her. She looked at him, puzzled.

"These are the divorce papers. I've already signed them; all that's left is your signature to initiate the proceedings." He tried to appear resolute, although deep down, he wished he could ask her to forget about the idea of getting a divorce.

He turned around and quickly walked away. He felt a lump in his throat and didn't want her to see him in that state. Nicole examined the documents. Bruno had included a financial agreement, granting her half of his fortune and assets, including a 50% share of the company's stocks. He had also established a significant monthly amount for the support and education of Santi.

Nicole didn't feel uncomfortable with it. She stood up and headed to Bruno's office, entering without knocking. He was sitting at the desk with his head in his hands. When he heard her come in, he looked up, and she could see that his eyes were completely red, as if he had been crying.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, trying to hide her own emotions.

"I don't agree."

"I don't understand. Wasn't this what you wanted?"

"I'm not referring to the divorce. I'm not satisfied with the financial agreement," she said. For a moment, he had a slight hope that she wouldn't accept the divorce, but her words brought him back to reality.

"If you think it's not enough, I can have my lawyer make it 70% and increase the amount of the monthly alimony. You know I have other businesses; that wouldn't be a problem. Besides, it's clear that everything I have belongs to my son."

"No, absolutely not. Let it be only the stipulated amount for our child monthly; the rest is unnecessary."

"It is necessary for me. Please accept it, considering all this time that I haven't taken care of you and our child."

"I won't sign until you change that agreement, and that's my final word."

"Then we won't get divorced until you accept that agreement, and that's also my final word. It's up to you if you still want us to remain married. I have no problem with it."

"Ugh, you're so, so intolerable."

She desperately stomped her high-heeled shoe on the floor, then turned around and walked away.

Bruno smiled. He found her tantrum amusing and thought that if she didn't accept, he would have more time to win her over and make her forget that foolish idea.

She returned to her office, sat down, and placed her hands on her forehead, trying to breathe slowly. Bruno was driving her crazy, that was for sure. Together, they were like water and oil.

She had an important appointment that day with a new client who had seen the design she had created for a foreign company. The client wanted to meet with her. She glanced at the clock and realized there were only a couple of minutes left before the client arrived.

She stood up and headed to the bathroom, smoothing her clothes with her hands and touching up her light makeup. No one could easily get under her skin like Bruno Leone. As she walked out, Bertha informed her that the new client had arrived. She sat down at her desk and asked to let the client in.

Instinctively, she turned towards the door, and a tall, blond man walked in at that moment. The brightness of his smile dazzled her for a moment, and she shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"Good morning, Miss Williams," said the man politely. Nicole noticed a strange accent in his voice.

"Good morning, Mr. Richter."

He greeted her with a firm handshake. Nicole noticed that the man's gaze was quite unique, as his eyes were of different colors—one was blue, and the other was gray.

"Heterochromia," he said.

"I'm sorry?" She was taken aback by his statement.

"My eyes. It's heterochromia."

"Apologies. I didn't mean to be so obvious."

"Don't worry, it happens more often than I'd like," he replied, once again flashing that dazzling smile. Nicole couldn't help but notice his perfectly aligned teeth—she mentally scolded herself for focusing on such details.

"Please, have a seat."

"I'll get straight to the point. I don't like beating around the bush."

"That's perfect with me."

"I saw one of your designs, and I would like you to work directly for my company. I own the Richter hotel chain, and we will be building several hotel complexes and completely renovating the ones we already have. If you accept, we will triple your current salary."

Nicole was about to respond when she heard Bruno's voice. His tone indicated annoyance.

"No way. Miss Williams cannot accept your proposal. She has signed a contract with this company and cannot cancel it."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Leone," said the man. He was already familiar with Bruno, having read about him in the news.

"Wish I could say the same, but that's not the case. You can't simply show up here and shamelessly try to poach one of my top talents. Miss Williams is the best designer we have."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Richter, but as you can see, I cannot accept your offer."

"If you cannot resign from your position, then I will hire you through this company," Bruno replied.

"I don't think that would be appropriate," Nicole answered.

"Wait a moment, Mr. Richter, please." She took Bruno by the arm and led him out of the office.

"What's gotten into you? You know it would be an excellent contract. If you don't accept, you'll be missing out on millions."

"I don't need them," he responded, crossing his arms over his chest. He was wary of the man's excessive interest in Nicole.

"Bruno, it's not just an excellent contract for your company, but also a tremendous opportunity for my career. It would put me on the map among the top companies."

"Just answer me this: If you could, would you leave your job here to work alongside him?"

"I don't know, Bruno, but I would like you to consider it. This contract would benefit both of us. I wouldn't want to miss out on such an important opportunity."

"Fine, I will accept that contract," he conceded.

He had no other choice but to keep a close eye on that man whenever he was around Nicole.

Bruno stayed in his office, not in the mood to see that guy's smug face. When Nicole returned, she found Richter standing in front of the large office window, carefully observing the view.

"Wonderful view," he remarked.

"Yes, from here, you can see a magnificent cityscape."

"Your boss must appreciate it a lot to give you an office next to his with such a marvelous view," Nicole chose not to respond.

"So, will your boss agree to sign a contract with my company?" Richter inquired, eager to know if he could have such a magnificent designer in charge of his project.

"You already know that no one would turn down an opportunity like this."

"Perfect. I would like you to take charge of the garden design since I will be signing the agreement with this company. I think it would be fitting for them to also handle the design of the new buildings and the remodeling of the existing ones. I understand that it is an excellent firm, renowned worldwide for its work."

"That's correct. I assure you that you will be more than satisfied with our work. This company has earned several global accolades for the quality of its work."

"I hope so. Could you give me your phone number? I would like to be in direct contact with you to fine-tune the details," he said, while she tried not to show that his intense gaze made her nervous.

They exchanged phone numbers, and the Russian man bid her a polite farewell. As he took her hand, he looked directly into her eyes for a moment. Nicole retreated, feeling deeply nervous, hoping he hadn't noticed.

After the blond man left, Nicole slumped onto her chair.

"What the hell was his problem?" Perhaps years without sex were taking their toll on him. Bruno's voice made her jump.

"Well, it seems like you have a new admirer."

"I don't think so."

"That's how it seems to me." She shrugged, trying to downplay it all.

"Going back to the divorce agreement, will you sign it?"

"I don't agree with that contract, change it."

"I've told you no, you have to sign it." She made a disgusted face. What a stubborn man!

"Did you already know Mr. Richter?" She was curious to know more about the man.

"I had heard about him."

"His hotels are globally known to be among the best."

"That's right, he's a business ace. At least that's what other businessmen who know him say."

"Interesting condition he has in his eyes, with one gray and the other blue."

"Well, you're observant. I didn't notice." It seemed Nicole had paid close attention to the appearance of that man.