Chapter 104: Proposal

Júlia

When we arrived at a traditional café in downtown São Paulo, I silently congratulated myself for changing out of my shorts and crop top into something more presentable. The place was elegant, filled with the aroma of freshly ground coffee and an atmosphere that was both cozy and sophisticated — definitely not the kind of place I usually went to.

After we ordered and started breakfast, I couldn’t stop thinking about how unusual that situation was. At what point in my life would I have imagined sitting across from Ricardo Alcântara — one of the most successful businessmen in the country — having coffee and waiting for a “personal proposal”?

“You’re frowning,” he observed as he spread butter on his toast. “Something bothering you?”

I took a sip of my cappuccino before answering, trying to disguise my nerves.

“I’m curious,” I admitted. “What’s the second proposal, anyway?”

Ricardo leaned back in his chair, studying my expression before speaking.

“I think I should start by telling you a bit about myself. Like I said, this is something personal.”

“I’m all ears,” I joked, though I was far more tense than I appeared.

He lifted his espresso cup to his lips, took the last sip, and carefully set it back on the saucer. The gesture was so controlled it looked rehearsed.

“I’m twenty-seven,” he began. “And I’ve only ever had one girlfriend. Alicia.”

I blinked a few times, trying to process that. He spoke with an almost dangerous calmness.

“We dated for about three months, when I was twenty-two and she was eighteen,” he continued, staring into his coffee as if searching for something in his memories.

I stayed silent, just watching. I had no idea where he was going with this, but his expression was far too serious for casual conversation.

“This Alicia… would that be Alicia Guimarães, by any chance?” I asked, incredulous.

“Yes,” he confirmed with a faint smile. “I imagine Angel mentioned her to you, didn’t she?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Angel doesn’t need to convince me of anything. I’ve crossed paths with Alicia myself. She’s unbearable — arrogant, cold, and with an ego the size of São Paulo.”

He seemed to stifle a laugh.

“I understand your opinion. But it’s important that you know this before I make my proposal…” He paused, locking his gaze with mine. “I’ve been in love with her for ten years.”

I stared at him, speechless. That was definitely not the kind of revelation I expected to hear — especially over a so-called professional breakfast.

The only thought running through my head was: this just keeps getting weirder.

Ricardo

I wanted to be completely honest with Júlia. She deserved to know exactly what she was getting into before things between us became even more complicated.

“Alicia doesn’t return my feelings,” I began, watching her attentive expression. “And I’ve decided it’s time to let go.”

“Took you long enough,” she said frankly, rolling her eyes. “But… where do I come into this story?”

“I think you’re going to be a little mad at Angel,” I warned, hesitating for a second, “but I’ll tell you anyway.”

I saw her body tense immediately. Júlia was far too transparent to hide her emotions — just mentioning Angel’s name was enough for her to brace herself for something uncomfortable.

“Lucas told me you went through something rough,” I continued carefully. “A heartbreak, according to him. He said it changed you a lot and that since then, you’ve avoided getting involved with anyone. I guess what happened between us in Brotas was an exception.”

She frowned.

“What else did he tell you about me?” she asked, her tone tense.

“Is there something else to tell?” I countered, studying her.

Her eyes dropped from mine, and the silence answered for her. I could have pressed, but I chose not to.

“He didn’t say anything else,” I assured her.

She exhaled in relief, and I could tell whatever that something else was, she had no intention of sharing it. That was fine. I could wait.

“What Lucas said is true,” she said firmly. “I don’t want to get involved with anyone.”

I nodded slowly.

“Even so, I think we could be good for each other,” I said calmly, speaking as someone who had already made up his mind. “I was thinking maybe we could try something serious. A real relationship — based on respect and partnership.”

The look of shock on her face was almost comical. Júlia literally stared at me, mouth open, as if I had just proposed something outrageous.

“Did you even hear what I said?” she shot back, gesturing with her hands. “I don’t want to get involved with anyone! Brotas was… a mistake.”

I smiled slightly at her attempt to convince herself of that. The chemistry between us was undeniable — and she knew it too. The kiss we shared in her apartment was proof enough.

“As I said before,” I replied evenly, “one proposal doesn’t interfere with the other. If you don’t want to date me, the job still stands.”

I signaled the waiter and asked for the check. I wasn’t going to pressure her; she needed space to process everything.

The drive back to her apartment was silent. Júlia stared out the window, her jaw tight, avoiding eye contact. I stayed quiet too, giving her time.

When I parked in front of her building, I simply said,

“I’ll see you tomorrow at eight, at the main office.”

She muttered a brief “I’ll be there” and got out of the car without looking back — no wave, no thank you.

I smiled faintly as I watched her walk away.

Hot-tempered.

I was about to start the engine when my phone buzzed with a call from Nicolas. Seeing his name flash on the screen surprised me.

“What’s up, Nicolas?” I greeted, adopting a relaxed tone as I answered my cousin’s call.

“Hey, Ricardo! Good morning!” he replied cheerfully, and his upbeat tone made it clear this wasn’t anything urgent.

I was so used to quick messages that an actual phone call sometimes felt strange — almost old-fashioned.

“How’s your weekend going?” I asked, genuinely curious about how he and his family were doing.

“Great!” he said enthusiastically. “But I’m calling because I heard something from some of Alicia’s friends. They said they saw her at a mall Friday afternoon — arms full of shopping bags — talking to some guy in the food court. None of them recognized him, though.”

The information hit me hard. So, it seemed Alicia was doing just fine. If she wasn’t answering my calls or replying to my messages, it was because she didn’t want to.

And I could understand that perfectly. If she was living her life as usual — shopping, meeting people — despite the whole scandal with her parents, who had fled Brazil to avoid prison, why would she bother answering the man she’d always despised?

“Thanks a lot for letting me know, Nicolas.” My throat tightened, making it hard to get the words out clearly. “I made a decision last night, and now this just proves it was the right one.”

“I hope it’s what I’m thinking,” Nicolas said, his tone shifting to cautious optimism.

“I’ve decided to give up on Alicia once and for all,” I said, feeling a slow, liberating relief wash over me. “Actually, there’s nothing to give up on. I’m just going to forget she exists and live as if that’s reality. I’m closing that door.”

“Finally, Ricardo!” Nicolas exclaimed, and I could hear the genuine relief in his voice. “I thought this day would never come. You deserve to move on.”