Prisioner In Your Arms

Bruno entered the room at that moment.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” he greeted.

“Hello, my silver-armored prince,” Nicole replied.

Bruno bowed and then approached her, kneeling on one knee while taking her hand.

“Beautiful lady, before you stands your humble servant,” he said.

“Haha, get up already, you clown. I saw that you packed our bags,” Nicole said.

“Yes, that’s right. We’re heading to Lake George. Santi is excited to go fishing in the lake. I have a house in that area,” Bruno explained.

“Perfect, then, my beloved prince, let’s go to our next destination,” Nicole said.

A couple of hours later, they arrived at Lake George and made their way to a house on the outskirts of town, right in front of the lake. Nicole really liked the house; it was Victorian-style, just like many houses in the area.

“Dad, the house has a part built over the lake,” Santi exclaimed.

“Yes, son. In that part, there are boats stored that go directly onto the lake,” Bruno replied.

Later on, they went for breakfast and took a walk through the picturesque town, surrounded by nature. The trees stood out with their colorful leaves.

When they returned, while Santi took a nap, Nicole thought it was time to talk to Bruno. She decided to follow Sophie’s advice and not let herself be swayed by assumptions.

“Bruno, I need to talk to you,” she said.

It was a difficult topic to address.

“Is something wrong?” Bruno became concerned by the seriousness he noticed on her face.

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been acting strange for the past couple of days, and doubts have been filling my mind. I’ve even started to think that maybe you’re interested in someone else. If that’s the case, tell me, and I’ll step aside immediately.”

Bruno opened his eyes wide. After everything they had been through to be together, this woman still thought he would dare to cheat on her.

“Are you serious, Nicole?” he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was very upset.

“Absolutely,” she replied.

“So, it would be easier for you to step aside for another woman rather than fight for me? Do you love me so little?”

“If you were interested in someone else, I wouldn’t try to hold you back with me. Even if it hurt me, I would have to understand. I couldn’t force you to stay where you don’t want to be.”

“We’re so different, Nicole. If I were to realize that you were starting to be interested in someone else, I would fight for you, and I would dismantle that guy with my own hands. Loving you as much as I do, I wouldn’t let you go so easily. I wouldn’t make the same mistakes of the past.”

“I think I don’t need to hear more. That answers all my questions.”

By his words, she realized he was sincere.

He was sitting in a single armchair, and Nicole approached, opening her legs and sitting on his lap.

“Are you angry with me?” she held Bruno’s face in her hands.

“Your lack of trust hurts me. After all these years of waiting for you, you still doubt me. I swear, sometimes I don’t understand you.”

She didn’t let him continue speaking. She kissed him, and he began caressing her. They were so absorbed in each other that they didn’t notice Santi’s presence.

“Mom, Dad, can I play with you?” Santi interrupted them.

The couple immediately separated, embarrassed by their carelessness. They tried to explain to their son.

“Oh no, son, this game is only for adults. Kids can’t play it,” Bruno said.

“Let’s go sit on the dock instead,” Nicole took her son’s hand and quickly led him away. Bruno composed himself and followed them immediately.

“Tomorrow morning, we’ll go fishing. This lake is of glacial origin, so the water is clean. We can eat whatever we catch,” Bruno announced.

“That’s great, Daddy,” Santi exclaimed.

It was the first time Santi called him that, and Bruno felt a pleasant warmth in his chest.

Nicole and he were doing everything in their power to be a family. They knew they might make mistakes along the way, but they were determined to give it their all.

They returned to the house to have a meal. The two of them prepared delicious dishes, and Santi took care of setting the table. Afterwards, they cleaned up together and went back to the dock to watch the sunset.

The colors of the sun blended in the sky, reflecting onto the lake’s surface, painting the water with beautiful shades.

“I love this place. There’s so much tranquility that it’s almost possible to hear our thoughts,” Nicole said.

Santi played with his feet in the water, while Nicole rested her head on Bruno’s shoulder.

“We should go inside; the insects will start appearing soon,” Santi said, running towards the house. His parents quickly followed him.

Sergio was back in New York. Leandro had staged an emergency, and one of his friends had helped him plan it quickly.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“Damn, son! It’s unbelievable that I’m gone for a couple of days and this happens,” Sergio exclaimed.

“I’m not in charge of cybersecurity. It was impossible to know. Besides, it could have happened even if you were here,” Leandro replied.

“Your father has the ability to anticipate events. None of this would have happened with him,” Deborah said with deep disdain.

Leandro glared at Deborah. That woman exasperated him. In all those years, they hadn’t been able to peacefully coexist for a single day.

Rina was leaving Gío’s company. She was standing, waiting for the chauffeur to bring the car. A speeding van approached, and Rina tried to avoid it but failed.

The van fled the scene, and the people around tried to revive the woman but to no avail. The chauffeur notified Gío, who rushed down.

The sight before him left him frozen. Rina lay on the asphalt in a pool of blood, her eyes closed.

“No, it can’t be, Rina, no,” he said, approaching her for a hug. She didn’t move. He turned to the sky as he pleaded.

“I know you’re up there, I know you can hear me. I haven’t been a good man, I’ve failed you a thousand times, but in the humblest way, I ask you not to take her away, not yet. Let us be happy after all we’ve been through.”

The people listening to him were shocked by his words. The ambulance arrived to take her away, and he climbed in with her. Later, while the doctors were attending to her, he decided to call Bruno.

“Hello.”

“Bruno.”

He immediately sensed from Bruno’s tone of voice that something had happened.

“What’s wrong?” Bruno asked.

“It’s Rina. I don’t know how you’ll break this news to Nicole, but she’s been hit by a car. She’s in critical condition. You have to come back immediately.”

“Oh my God! We’ll leave for there right away.”

He hung up but stood there, not knowing how to deliver that news. Nicole approached at that moment, smiling at a joke their son had made.

“Your son has taken up magic tricks now. You should see what he told me,” Nicole said, but when she noticed Bruno’s expression, she became worried, and her smile vanished. “Is something wrong?”

“Please sit down, Nicole. I need to talk to you. Take a deep breath, please.”

“Speak up! You’re scaring me.”

“It’s Rina…”

“What about my mother? For God’s sake, speak!”

“Gío just called me. She… well, she has been hit by a car. Her condition is critical. We need to go back right away.”

“What? No, that can’t be. No, no!”

“Nicole, I know it’s difficult, but you need to calm down.”

Tears flowed uncontrollably. Nicole stood up and began packing everything back into the suitcases, with Bruno’s help.

“Everything is ready. Let’s go, please,” Bruno said.

They got into the car, and Bruno’s concern grew. He was sure it had been Sergio.

Upon arriving in New York, they left Santi with the nanny and headed to the hospital. Nicole was extremely nervous, unsure of what she would find.

Gío greeted them, and after Nicole hugged him, they went to see Rina.

Nicole felt her soul slipping away as she saw her mother through the glass, connected to various cables.

“Mom,” she whispered, placing her hand on the glass.

“Her condition is critical, daughter. She suffered a severe head injury and is in a coma. The doctor doesn’t know if she will ever wake up,” Gío explained.

Nicole felt everything spinning, and she woke up a while later. Bruno and her father were by her side, and shortly after, Noah and Emma arrived. Sophie, Dante, and Máx arrived later.

They were concerned because Nicole remained silent, staring at the ceiling. A nurse came in, took some blood samples, and left.

Máx approached Nicole, took her hand, and planted a kiss on it, causing Bruno to feel uncomfortable.

“Hello, little dragonfly. How are you feeling?”

“Nicole, her name is Nicole, not little dragonfly,” Bruno interjected.

“Bruno, it’s not the right time, brother. Come, let’s go outside,” Dante took him by the arm and led him out.

“It bothers me that he calls her that,” Bruno said.

“I understand, but you chose the worst moment to say it. Nicole is going through a tough time; don’t give her more problems,” Dante advised.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. Let’s go back inside. I want to be with her,” Bruno agreed.

They returned inside, and when Máx saw Bruno enter, he stepped aside to give him space next to Nicole.

“The doctor will bring the results of the tests later. I’ll administer this intravenous drip to keep her hydrated,” the nurse said upon reentering.

“Thank you,” Bruno replied.

“Are you all family?” she asked.

“Yes, we are.”

Later, a concerned Leandro arrived at the hospital. After greeting Nicole, he stepped out of the room with Bruno, followed by Noah and Gío.

“We’re certain that it was your father,” Gío said.

“I’m not defending him, but he was with me at that time,” Bruno replied.

“Perhaps not directly, but I believe he paid someone. Witnesses say it was a deliberate attack; the van went straight for Rina,” Gío responded.