Siblings?

Bruno stormed out of there in a fury, and Nicole was sure that he would keep them under surveillance. She didn't want to go back to him, but she also didn't want him to take her son away.

He was capable of that and more, with his immense power and connections. It would be very difficult for her and her son to stay away from Leandro. Her son didn't see him as his father, but Leandro embraced her, asking her not to be afraid.

"I will protect you, don't be afraid."

"Thank you, it's just that Bruno has too much power, and he's a man who lacks feelings. He doesn't hesitate to hurt others."

Four days passed, and Nicole was in her room, trying to figure out what to say to Bruno. She was restless and couldn't find peace of mind. She heard a knock on her door, and when she opened it, it was Leandro, as he did every day, bringing her a bouquet of roses.

He handed her the bouquet and gave her that beautiful smile that she loved, and she couldn't bear the thought of never seeing him again.

The house was heavily guarded, with men in the garden and around the entire block. It was practically impossible for Bruno to enter.

Santi had stopped going to school, and Nicole believed that this was not a life worth living. Living in fear was simply not living.

Leandro approached and kissed her, he began to caress her slowly, his lips went down to her neck, he took off her blouse and started to caress her breasts with his hands, she helped him take off his shirt, she observed his perfect body, his muscles very defined, she ran her hands over his back, Leandro had definitely decided not to wait any longer, maybe this was their goodbye, when he was about to take off her skirt, there was a knock on the door, a growl came out of his throat, he let go of her to approach the door, when he looked out, the maid said something to him that Nicole couldn't hear, he closed the door, turned around and looked at her very seriously.

“Is something wrong?” She asked, confused.

“Get dressed, your parents came, I asked them to be let into the living room.”

“My parents? Bruno must have called them, I'll ask the nanny not to bring Santi down, it's better if they don't see him yet.”

They got dressed and went downstairs holding hands, Rina and Gio were already in the living room, but Noah and Emma were there too, their four parents gathered, Nicole felt that it was strange, they were all looking at them very seriously, it was clear that they were upset.

“Dad, mom, Rina, Gio, what are you doing here?”

“That's exactly what we're asking, Nicole. What are you doing here with Leandro?

When you disappeared, Gio and I were on the verge of going crazy with desperation, what you have done is not fair.”

“Leandro sent them a letter asking them not to look for me, saying that I was fine.”

“Really, Nicole? Do you think that was enough? Rina was really upset with them.”

“I'm so sorry, I was scared for myself and my son. I didn't want Bruno to find me. I found out that he knew I was with you all.”

“You were very unfair, Nicole. Noah and I were really worried about you when we found out about the kidnapping. At first, we didn't look for you because your sister told us that you had gone with an ex-boyfriend.”

“Sondra lied to you. I think Rina and Gío must have told you what actually happened. I'm not responsible for what happened afterward. My only fault is that I chose to stay by Leandro's side, even though he brought me against my will. These years, he has proven to be better than Bruno. He's a good man who loves and respects me, but above all, he loves my son as if he were his own.”

“No, daughter, that can't be, not now or ever.”

Rina exclaimed, completely distressed.

“Why are you saying that, Rina? Speak up. If it's about Bruno, I am determined to get a divorce.”

“I'm sorry, I'm really sorry for both of you” she said as she cried uncontrollably.

“Mrs. Rina, you're scaring us. Nicole, please try to calm her down. You're trembling.”

“I don't know how to say this” Rina couldn't believe this was happening, she was about to hurt the two people she loved the most.”

“Stop crying and just say it.” Leandro said, totally desperate.

“A long time ago, when I was twenty, I fell deeply in love with a man. I was living with my parents in California, and I went on an exchange program to New York. That's where I met him. I got pregnant, but his parents never accepted me, even though my parents were well-off, they thought I wasn't suitable to be their son's wife. So when my baby was born, he took him away and disappeared with him. My parents never found out about his existence. The family I was living with helped me cover up my pregnancy, and during that time, I made excuses not to see my parents.

Later on, I met Gío, who was forced to fulfill his father's last wish to marry someone else. I got pregnant again, but he didn't know about it. I married Noah, making him believe he was Nicole's father. Shortly after, when my daughter was eight months old, Sergio kidnapped me, forcing me to live with him. His parents had lost all their fortune, and when he realized I didn't love him, he took away the inheritance that my parents left for my daughter and locked me up in a psychiatric hospital. During all this time, he didn't allow me to see my son.”

“I'm very sorry for what my father did to you, but neither Nicole nor I are guilty of what happened. That shouldn't be a barrier for us to be together.”

“Unfortunately, it's true, Leandro. Nicole and you are half-siblings. You're the baby that Sergio took away from me.” She felt like she was destroying her children's lives by revealing this terrible truth.

Nicole felt like the air had been sucked out of her. This couldn't be happening; it had to be a nightmare. Rina must be lying, surely Bruno had coerced her into saying this. Leandro and she couldn't be siblings. She prayed to God for mercy, for it not to be true.

"You're lying. Did Bruno threaten you? That must be it," Nicole said.

"No, daughter, it's true. This hurts me just as much as it hurts you. My two children have been living as a couple." Rina cried inconsolably.

Leandro felt like he was dying. Suddenly, this woman was presenting herself as his mother. If it was true, he had been in love with his sister all this time. He refused to accept it; it must be a deception orchestrated by Bruno. He knew he was winning Nicole's love and wanted to definitively separate them.

"I don't believe a single word. It's all a bunch of lies. We'll get a DNA test today, and I'm sure it'll be negative," Leandro said.

"Whatever you want, son," Rina replied.

"Don't call me son." Leandro clenched his fists tightly.

"Even if you don't accept it, it's the truth."

Rina saw her children suffering and felt like her heart was going to break at any moment.

At that moment, Nicole fainted, and Emma caught her. She thought it was too hard for her to find out that she was in a relationship with her brother. Noah had just learned that he had been deceived, and suddenly everything was turned upside down.

Noah thought that even though Nicole wasn't his daughter, he would continue to love her as if she were. She was not to blame for what had happened. Now, more than ever, he needed to be by her side.

Rina couldn't bear the guilt. She asked God for forgiveness for everything she had caused. Her two children were innocent; they didn't know they were committing a great sin. She should have told her daughter from the beginning that Leandro was her brother.

Nicole woke up in her room, with a doctor and Leandro by her side.

"I'm glad you've woken up, little one. You had me worried; you were unconscious for a long time."

"How long?"

"Almost two hours."

"Are my parents still downstairs?"

"I asked them to leave after the clinic sent a doctor to collect the DNA sample. They are completely trustworthy. We'll receive the results in five to seven days. I love you, and I pray to God that this is just a scheme orchestrated by Bruno to separate us. I can't imagine a life without you by my side."

"I don't want to be separated from you. I don't want to go back to Bruno," she said, crying.

"Don't cry anymore. Let's wait for the test results." He tried to stay calm, not wanting to upset her, but inside, he felt like his chest was about to burst.

Nicole thought that Leandro was very strong, or at least that's what he showed in front of her. She was devastated by the news. Nanny brought Santi to her side, trying to cheer her up. Her son was her whole life. Thank God, Bruno hadn't spoken yet. He was probably waiting to see the results of the scheme he had orchestrated.

They spent the whole afternoon in the room with the child, watching movies and playing. Leandro was very witty and managed to make her forget, even for a moment, what was happening. Amid jokes and movies, the afternoon flew by.

Noah called Bruno to tell him what was going on. Who would have thought that Leandro and Nicole would turn out to be siblings? He felt sorry for them. It couldn't be easy for them. Nicole would have to go back to Bruno if she didn't want him to take her son away. She would also have to live with the guilt of their sinful act. He decided to call her at that moment.

"Nicole, I know it's late, but I need to know if you've made a decision. Your father gave me your number."

"I think you already know what's going on. It's not the right time to give you an answer. I ask you to give me a few more days. I'll contact you when I feel better."

"Alright, I'll give you a few more days. Don't play games with me, Nicole. If you don't call, I won't care if the house is surrounded. I'll come for my son. I don't care what happens, so it all depends on you."

As always, Bruno didn't care about her feelings. He remained the same selfish person, only thinking about himself and what he wanted.

The days passed, and Nicole felt like she was going crazy with anxiety. That day, the doctor called. He was on his way with the results. She held onto the hope that they would be negative. She had imagined a life by Leandro's side. Maybe she didn't love him like she loved Bruno, but she would try to grow to love him. In that moment, Leandro informed her that the doctor had arrived with the results.

"Nicole, the doctor has arrived with the results," he said, hugging her tightly and kissing her forehead.

"Stay calm. I'm sure the results will be negative."

They hurried downstairs. The doctor was already waiting for them in the living room. Leandro kindly asked him to read the results. They held hands, desperately wishing with all their souls for the results to be negative. Their hearts were beating so fast that they thought they would burst out of their chests.