Prisioner In Your Arms

Nicole felt embarrassed, unable to avoid feeling scared during storms. Her nerves betrayed her, making her see things that were only in her imagination.

On Sunday night, Bruno took Santi. The child had already gotten used to being with his parents together, and the three of them suffered when saying goodbye. But Nicole thought it would be good for Bruno to have time to reflect on his actions.

Bruno left feeling very sad. He needed his family by his side and understood that he had once again made a mistake by blaming her.

Four months later, Nicole had taken over both companies. The merger had been carried out, and now they were the Rossano-Williams Corporation. She decided not to change the names to preserve the identity of the companies.

Bruno hadn’t seen Nicole anymore. She avoided him, and Sara took care of receiving and delivering their child.

That night, Santi stayed with René and Mara. Bruno had to attend a gala where various entrepreneurs would be recognized for their achievements. He didn’t want to go alone, so he invited the daughter of a friend of his mother. Mara disagreed because if his intention was to get back with Nicole, it could be misinterpreted.

Upon arriving at the gala, several photographers stationed at the entrance took pictures of him and the beautiful girl on his arm. They knew that the most important men would be there, so some good news had to come out of it.

Before entering, a loud murmur made him turn around. A stunning woman caught everyone’s attention. She was wearing a sexy red dress, long and tight-fitting, with a high collar and embellished with fine crystals.

The back had a revealing cut that ended right at her hips, showcasing her slim waist. She had an elegant updo, and stilettos accentuated her figure. Amadeus was by her side, and as they got closer, he could see that the woman was Nicole.

Fury consumed him, and he made an effort to contain himself. He knew it wasn’t the time or place to create a scene.

Amadeus greeted him as he arrived, and Nicole observed the girl holding Bruno’s arm. Instinctively, she moved closer to Amadeus.

“Leone, how nice to see you here.”

“Yes, indeed. How nice,” he replied, while trying to pierce Nicole with his gaze. She pretended not to notice.

“And who is this beautiful lady?” Amadeus asked with clear intention to make him uncomfortable.

“Lidia Hanston.”

“Pleased to meet you, miss. Are you related to Leopold Hanston?”

“She’s my father,” the girl replied with a big smile.

“What a small world it is. He was a great friend of my father’s at one point. They met in Russia.”

“My father spent many years there in his youth.”

“I hope you can join us at our table,” Bruno said, still looking at Nicole. She remained silent.

“It will be my pleasure,” Amadeus replied.

Bruno gestured for them to proceed. When he noticed the back cutout of Nicole’s dress, he was stunned. He was tempted to take off his jacket and cover her back. What the hell was she thinking wearing that dress? She looked beautiful, and the cutout didn’t reveal anything indecent, but it was enough to ignite the imagination of men who didn’t bother to hide their lecherous gazes.

His demeanor changed, and he appeared upset. His companion spoke to him, and he replied with half-hearted words.

Amadeus and Lidia engaged in a pleasant conversation about their families. The girl placed her hand on Bruno’s, and he had made it clear to her that he only needed a friend to accompany him to the event, as he didn’t want to arrive alone while everyone else would be in couples.

Nicole fixed her gaze on the girl’s hand holding Bruno’s on the table. Then she looked him in the eyes and bit her lip. She knew it drove him crazy. She took off one stiletto and placed her foot on Bruno’s leg. He widened his eyes significantly. What the hell was Nicole playing at?

Bruno was sweating profusely. After a while, Nicole took her foot off his leg, put on her stiletto, stood up, and headed to the bathroom. Seconds later, Bruno stood up and followed her, while Lidia and Amadeus remained engrossed in their conversation.

Nicole stood in front of the mirror, wetting the back of her neck with some water in her hands. She heard the door opening and immediately sensed his scent. It was Bruno.

He approached her from behind and embraced her.

“So, you don’t want to get back with me, but you enjoy provoking me,” he said.

“Who is that girl?” she asked.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

“She’s a friend.”

“Ah, I wasn’t aware that you had friends.”

“Just like I wasn’t aware of your great friendship with Amadeus.”

“I didn’t want to come alone. He was also invited, so we decided to attend together.”

“Likewise, I didn’t want to come alone, which is why I invited Lidia. Since the woman I love didn’t think of me as her companion, and if I had asked, she would have refused.”

He began to kiss her neck, and she started to breathe heavily.

“You see, I still have the power to affect you like this. I don’t understand why you refuse to be by my side.”

“Because every time I do, you change. I think it will do us good to have some time apart. Think about whether you truly want me by your side, and I will do the same.”

At that moment, a woman entered the bathroom and glared at Bruno. He decided to ignore her, and she left, visibly upset.

“Stay with me tonight,” he whispered, his mouth close to her ear.

“No, Bruno. You have no idea how much it hurt me when you blamed me for the death of our child. How do you think I felt? I was the one carrying him in my womb. I lost a piece of my heart with him.”

“Forgive me, please. I’m such a fool.”

“In that, I agree. We should go back. They must be wondering where we are.”

They returned to the table, where Amadeus and Lidia were dancing on the dance floor. Bruno took Nicole’s hand and led her there, placing his arm around her waist as she placed her arms around his neck.

Amadeus watched them, unsure if those two were foolish or stubborn. They were wasting precious time by not being together. He felt completely lost himself; he couldn’t get Max out of his mind. And he had thought that the boy’s attention was merely due to excessive drinking. Unfortunately, he had realized that it wasn’t the case.

Max remained as lonely as ever, still haunted by the image of the Russian. He tried to understand what had happened to him, terrified that someone might guess his true feelings.

Now he understood that he loved Nicole like a sister. He had mistaken that affection for something else for years, thinking she was the ideal woman, the woman any man would want by his side.

He longed to shout to the world what he was going through, but the fear of rejection was stronger in him, so he preferred to keep it to himself.

At the party, Lidia asked Amadeus to approach Bruno and Nicole to switch partners. Bruno felt annoyed and couldn’t hide it this time. He reluctantly danced with the girl, wishing he could cut off Amadeus’s arm. He couldn’t stand seeing him hold Nicole by the waist; only he had the right to feel the warmth of her body.

Nicole also felt saddened by the absence of his touch. The contact with Amadeus felt so cold to her.

She knew she couldn’t resist being away from him much longer, hoping that this time he had learned his lesson.

She watched him dance with Lidia, feeling irritated. That girl clung to him like a leech, and she wanted to grab her by the hair and pull her away from him.

Lidia felt drawn to Bruno. What woman wouldn’t be? The man seemed like a Greek god.

When the music stopped, they returned to their tables, and the awards ceremony began. Nicole received a special award, as she had quickly gained a significant position in the business world.

Amadeus accompanied her to receive the award, which annoyed Bruno. Not because she outshone him, but because he should have been the one accompanying her, not Amadeus. That position rightfully belonged to him.

“Have you two divorced?” Lidia asked, showing interest.

“No, we’ve just taken some time apart,” Bruno replied curtly.

Lidia saw that response as an opportunity to win him over. During this time they were taking, many things could happen, and she wanted Bruno for herself. She smiled flirtatiously, but Bruno turned away. He had already regretted inviting her and wished he could leave with Nicole.

Later, Nicole and Amadeus said their goodbyes. He would drive her home. Bruno had to take Lidia, as it was his duty as a gentleman since he had asked her to accompany him.

They left at the same time. Nicole had had a few drinks, which worried Bruno. Lidia was scared because he was driving at high speed. He dropped her off at her house, not even bothering to open the car door for her to get out or accompany her to the front door as he should have. He quickly bid her farewell.

Lidia felt like he was trying to get rid of her. Amadeus, who was driving slowly, had just arrived at Nicole’s house. He got out to open the car door, intending to take her hand to help her out, when Bruno arrived. Amadeus turned upon hearing the screech of the brakes, and Bruno swiftly got out of the car like a hurricane.

“Don’t you dare touch her. I’ll help her out of your car,” he said in a warning tone. Things would get very ugly if Amadeus dared to touch her.