Chapter 15

Nina says goodbye to Richard, leaves the company and walks to the bus stop. Upon entering the vehicle, she finds a seat and fixes her gaze on the window, observing the landscape that changes as the vehicle advances. Suddenly, she sneezes and realizes that she is probably getting a cold.

Concerned, as she avoids getting sick at all costs, Nina decides that, upon arriving at the hospital, she will go directly to the nurses' room in search of medication to combat her symptoms. Instead of following her usual bathroom hygiene routine, she prioritizes taking care of her health. After getting the medicine from her mother, she heads to the locker room.

After changing, due to the risk of contamination due to having a cold, Nina decides not to enter her daughter Hannah's room. Knowing that treatments weaken the girl's immune system, she always takes extra precautions regarding hygiene. Therefore, Nina just watches her daughter from afar, through the glass window that separates the room.

While watching, Júlia, who went to the hospital to help take care of the girl, approaches Nina and questions her about her absence throughout the day, mentioning the lack of messages and asking if she managed to resolve the issue of the new job.

Nina sneezed and wiped her nose with a napkin, before replying:

— Friend, I have so many things to tell you, you can't even imagine everything that happened.

She sneezed again and wiped her nose once more.

— I think we'd better get out of here. You don't look very well. — Julia suggests.

— Oh, it's just a silly cold, I'll recover soon. — Nina then shows the medicines she was already taking, demonstrating that she was taking care of herself.

The two decide to leave the hospital and go in Júlia's car, which was a popular model. It didn't take long for them to arrive at Júlia's apartment, which was about 30 minutes from the hospital.

When they enter, they head straight to the kitchen and while Júlia prepares some ginger tea, the two start talking and Nina decides to prepare something for them to eat, so they can enjoy a meal together.

While peeling a carrot, Nina began to tell her friend:

—Julia, you were right. Maybe I didn't pass the interview the first time, but I went to Bright Corporate and stood in the building's lobby hoping to meet the billionaire. I can't give up on getting this job. — Nina feels like sneezing, so she stops handling the food, covers her mouth with the back of her hands and after sneezing, washes her hands and goes back to her tasks, saying — And you don't know what happened, they called security for me, Do you believe it?

— Who called security and why did they do it? — asked Júlia, curious.

—Well, it was the building's receptionist... Anyway, I won't dwell on that. What was strange is that when the security guard was about to kick me out for good, Mrs. Patel approached us.

— Who is this Mrs. Patel? — asked Julia.

— Wow, it's a long story. I'll tell you what I've learned so far. Richard told me that she is some kind of bodyguard for him, I don't know for sure. Richard calls her a general and said everyone is afraid of her. I believe she must be very competent, after all, being chosen as a billionaire's bodyguard isn't for everyone, right? But it's strange for a woman like her to have a job with so many responsibilities.

— Nina, women are extremely capable, you know that, don't you? You yourself are always running around, dealing with so many difficulties to take care of your daughter alone. It's proof that women can achieve anything. — said Júlia, praising Nina's determination.

— No, that's not it. When I talk about Mrs. Patel, it's just that she's already a certain age, you know? I believe she is around 60 years old, with gray hair and some wrinkles on her face. We generally don't imagine a person at this age as capable of protecting others. We always think that she is the one who needs to be protected, you know? That's what surprises me, actually.

— Looking at it that way, you're right. She must be a very strong woman, I won't deny it. — agreed Julia.

— And for Dominic to choose her, she must really be very competent. Because it is full of rules and demands. — added Nina.

Júlia observed her friend, who was only wearing a t-shirt, and then asked about the purple marks on her arm, wondering if the security guard had caused that.

— Oh, I didn't tell you. Yesterday I met Samuel, and he kept making threats, asking me to stay away from Dominic. He tried to accuse me of stealing. It was a very delicate situation… — revealed Nina.

Surprised, Júlia exclaimed:

— Like this? Why didn't you tell me before? That Samuel... If he appears in front of me, I'm sure I won't hold back and I'll slap him in the face!

— Calm down, Julia. You know we can't mess with those people. They are dangerous, and anything we do to them could harm Hannah. If they decide to come after us, they might discover the girl's existence, and God knows what they might try to do to her. — explained Nina, worried about the possible consequences.

— It's not like that, Nina. He is running for an important political position, Senator, and any scandal could harm his career. I don't think he would have the courage to do anything to a child.

Nina pondered for a moment and continued:

— That's exactly why I'm so afraid he might try to do anything to protect his political career. If they find out that he has a child out of wedlock, it will certainly be very harmful for him. Plus, there's his mother, Rosália, and his crazy wife. If they find out about the child, my God, I swear I'll run away to another country.

Júlia understood Nina's concern and agreed, knowing the risks involved.

— I understand, I understand. But keep telling me how your day was. — requested Júlia.

Nina continued with the narrative:

  — Well, as I told you, I ran into Mrs. Patel, and soon after, Dominic appeared out of nowhere. He gave the security guard a threatening look. — Nina furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to imitate Dominic's look at Júlia.

— And as soon as Mrs. Patel took the security guard away, he took me by the arm, pulled me and took me to his elevator. We went up to the top floor. — Nina continued.

— This is really strange. You didn't know each other, did you? In the past, when you were a model, did you ever run into him? — commented Julia.

— I think I would have remembered if I had seen him before... — Nina replies, thoughtfully and then continues — Júlia, things got even stranger when we arrived in his room. He sat me down at his desk, took off my blazer and looked at the purple marks on my arm, he looked like he was very angry. Then he took an ointment and applied it to me… The feeling was very strange, friend.

Júlia was indignant and exclaimed:

— What? And you allowed him to play like that? How audacious of this man!

Nina responded to Júlia, trying to calm her down:

— It was a little uncomfortable, because I just met him, but he was kind and I didn't feel like running away... I just felt a little uncomfortable with the situation.

Júlia crossed her arms and looked seriously at Nina.

— Tell me everything. I'm sure this is harassment.

Nina hesitated for a moment and replied:

— No, not necessarily. He was just looking out for me. At least that was the impression I got. Don't be mad, okay?

Júlia let out a frustrated sigh and asked Nina to continue telling:

— Come on, tell me more. I'm even scared of what I'm going to hear.

Nina continued:

—He didn't do anything else. The next strange thing was that a friend of his, Jared, arrived, smiling and saying it was a pleasure to meet me, saying it ‌as if he already knew who I was. After that, Dominic asked me to leave so they could talk alone.

Júlia found everything very strange and asked:

— What were these men talking about? Was it about you?

Nina shrugged and replied:

— I have no idea, and I don't want to know. All I know is that I made a new friend, Richard, who is the receptionist on Dominic's floor. He's a good person and I think I'll introduce him to you. Who knows, maybe the three of us can go out for a snack and talk? I'm sure you'll like it.

Júlia sighed with relief and said: —Thank God, finally someone good crossed her path. So far, all the people you've been telling me about have been behaving strangely. What about your job, did he hire you?

Nina smiled and replied:

— Yes friend! Now I'm secretary to billionaire Dominic Bright.

Júlia was excited and said:

— Excellent! I'm sure you'll do very well. You are hardworking, intelligent and also very beautiful. Look, be careful with your boss, I'm starting to think maybe he has some interest in you.

Nina replied, trying to reassure her:

— I think it's all in your head. He's just a little weird.

Júlia was worried and reminded Nina about the situation with Samuel:

—Nina, you remember well what it was like with Samuel in the past. Be careful.

Nina looked at Júlia with determination and said:

—Júlia, at this moment, my priority is Hannah. I have no intention of looking at any man in anything other than a professional way. Don't worry.

Júlia sighed again and said:

  — It's okay... I trust you.

— Júlia, there are still some of my clothes here. I think I'll work at the bar tonight to try to earn some tips. I just started my job and I haven't received my salary yet. Also, it looks like I won't be able to work much overtime, as Dominic is very strict with her schedule. Anyway, I'll have to keep working at the bar at night, even though it's tiring.

Júlia looked a little suspicious at Nina and replied:

— You know I don't really like this kind of work, I'm always very worried when you go there. It's very dangerous, Nina. But yes, there are some of your clothes here, and I'll give you a ride there.