Page 55 of Entangled With You
“You’re right, Dr. Sosa. As much as we love each other, my relationship with my father hasn’t been easy. He’s always trying to push me to my limits. Since I was little, he’s always expected me to be the best, to be perfect, to not break down in front of others. He has always said that men who express their emotions aren’t real men.” My voice breaks at the end, and I take a deep breath to keep myself calm.
“Let it all out, Matías. Now it’s the time to be vulnerable. Your strength will come from those bottled-up feelings and frustration.
I start nodding my head, assimilating her words and believing them with every single fiber of my being. I’m an adult now, a man with his dream job and his dream girl. What on Earth could I fear now when I have it all?
“You’re right, Dr. Sosa. It’s time for me to let go of my past and embrace my present and future with everything I’ve got,” I say, believing the words with every passing second. “I know my dad had good intentions but his delivery method wasn’t the best. It’s time for me to acknowledge that and let it go. I mean, I’ve made it in life despite my demons. Right?” Dr. Sosa’s smile is blinding.
“That’s the spirit, Matías. I’m so proud of you. That's all the time we have for today, but let's pick this up next week, same time. You got this.”
“Thank you, Dr. Sosa. It means the world to me.” I rise from the chair, and go shake her hand. She hugs me instead, and I sigh in relief.
After Samuel met my boss on Wednesday, I knew my days with this company were numbered. I confirmed it after my appointment with Dr. Sosa; I finally understood that no job is worth sacrificing my mental health. I’m not hurting for money, and with my experience and resume, I can find a job with another firm in a flash. It’s time I move on and face Luciano and all of this bullshit once and for all.
“I made an offer to Luciano, and I made sure he couldn’t refuse,” Samuel said with a pause, letting me know the amount he offered was astronomical. “I wanted to buy the company so I could finish the stadium, but he was adamant he needed to stay in charge of overseeing said project. That was my cue to not follow through with the deal—I’m sure he wanted to keep draining the original funds and make a big buck by selling the company. I’m sorry to say it so bluntly, but your boss is a piece of work,” Samuel told me when he and Claudia came over to see us. They’ve been coming every night to check on Cattleya. They say they just want to spend as much time as possible with her before they have to go back to Colombia, but deep down I know they’re scared shitless of what could happen.
I didn’t want to discuss it with Samuel, but I can no longer be a part of a company that creates profit by stealing. I believe in hard work and doing good in the world to receive good things in return. So, I would rather spend a couple of months unemployed until I find a better fit for me than to literally sell my soul to the devil. After making sure I have all the data I need to expose Luciano—if we come to that—I unplug the USB drive with all the original files and turn off my computer.
Lunch with Cattleya was on my brain. I want to spend time with her before she has to join her team at the hotel tonight. With my helmet on, I am about to head home when Luciano parks his car next to me.
“Matías, the man I was just looking for.” He walks slowly toward me, and I mount my bike, getting ready to go if shit goes south.
“Luciano, hey. I just finished work for today, and I’m heading home now. What do you need?”
A humorless chuckle escapes him, and I can see the anger transforming his face. “It was a nice touch sending your father-in-law to dig dirt for you. Good thing I learned who Samuel Cardona really is before I agreed to his deal.”
I look at him, meeting his gaze. I’ve had time to think things through, and I know who I am. I’m not afraid of Luciano anymore.
“I’ve loved every single project I’ve been able to work on with this company, but no job is worth losing who you are. You’ll have my resignation letter on your desk first thing Monday morning.”
I turn on my bike, and the rumble of the engine calms my nerves down. I can stand up for myself and not feel guilty about leaving a project midway. I need to prioritize myself and my well-being. Plus, I’m not alone anymore. How would this affect Cattleya’s career if word gets out that her boyfriend was part of a money-stealing scheme targeting her own team? Fuck no.
“Not so fast, Matías. I told you if I was going to go down, you’d go down first.” A triumphant smile lets me see his uneven teeth and reminds me of a cartoon villain, finally showing off his true colors.
“That’s where you’re wrong. I have every single document with me that proves I had nothing to do with your scam. If you try to frame me, it won’t work.”
He smiles, thinking he got me. “Who is the police going to believe, the company owner who has an impeccable track record? Or a young man with mental health issues and a bunch of tattoos that make him look like he’s part of a gang?”
This motherfucker didn’t just say what I think he did. I’m about to get off my bike and punch this asshole when I hear a car door opening. I look to where the noise came from and see my security detail making their way to me.
“Is everything okay, Mr. Moreno?” The team leader asks, and I nod at him, too pissed to form words.
“Ah, that’s right. He’s dating a rich girl now. He thinks he’s above all the shit that’s about to go down.”
In an instant, I have Luciano by his neck and pin him against his car.
“Don’t you ever mention her again. You don’t want to know what I am capable of for that woman.” My voice is low and lethal, I can feel a vein popping on my forehead. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for protecting Cattleya, I’m livid at this man’s fucking nerve.
Luciano’s eyes are wide. He’s trying to take my hand off his neck, but I can be lethal if I want; I’m a strong motherfucker.
“I need you to nod your head if you understand me. Leave me and Cattleya out of your fucking scheme.”
I press my fingers harder into his neck, applying more pressure on his Adam’s apple, and his face starts turning blue. The security team leader taps my shoulder.
“Mr. Moreno, I think he got the message. You don’t want to be responsible for his death. That’d be beneath you.”
My jaw tenses two more times before I slowly release a breath. The moment I let Luciano go, he falls to his knees, holding his neck and coughing profusely. Yeah, asshole. That’s what I thought, you’re all bark and no bite.
“Let’s go. I need to see Cattleya before she joins the team,” I tell the security guys, and they all pile back in the SUV. I hope all these threats end tomorrow and we can go back to our regular lives. Having a car full of bodyguards following me around is getting old, and it hasn’t even been a week.