Chapter 40
Vico
Florian looks up from the two contract versions with a puzzled expression. "Your father signed this?" he asks me in English.
That's obvious. I nod.
"But when we last spoke, there were still some unclear points. Here, for example…" He taps his finger resolutely on one of the contract clauses. "It states that he must vacate the estate immediately after signing the contract. Just a week ago, Camilla insisted vehemently that the same two weeks agreed for the annex building should apply here as well."
Does it even matter? "Well, it seems her opinion has changed." All I wish for is to get through this moment quickly. Once again, I'm the one who has to be strong for the family and take the final step alone. Being in Camilla's kitchen with this Florian and his smug grin is bad enough. My mind can't stop showing me images of him and Hanna.
How he gently brushes her hair from her forehead.
How she lovingly kisses him.
How they laugh together.
Bitter jealousy rises within me, though I have no right to feel it. My last conversation with Hanna was clear.
"Where is Camilla anyway? Why isn't she here herself?" Florian's complaining snaps me out of my thoughts.
"She couldn't make it," I reply curtly. He doesn't need to know that she wouldn't be able to bear watching him seal the end of the estate.
He scrutinizes me with his bright eyes. "And your father?"
"Busy too." I shrug.
For a moment, he squints his eyes. "I'd like to go through the contract again."
I can't suppress a sigh, nor do I want to. "Go ahead. Let me know when you're finished." With a headshake, I gesture toward the dining table, where he takes a seat and begins reviewing the documents.
Feverishly, he compares the texts in the contract he brought and the one my father has already signed. I watch as he ticks off the clauses like an eager student aiming for a top grade. The longer it takes, the greater the conflict inside me becomes.
Hanna wants nothing more than to keep the estate in the family. And for a moment, I even thought it could be possible. If she could be a part of this family. As the woman by my side. And together, we could work to carry on the Olivetta tradition.
But that future doesn't exist. The hurdles are too great, and the burden of the past weighs heavily on my soul. We are who we are. No matter how much I wish I could be someone else. I'm not.
I walk to the window and gaze out at the green hills. Once again, memories of my time together with Hanna flood my thoughts. I see her wonderfully dreamy face, hear her carefree laughter while zip-lining, and experience her boundless imagination that she initially wanted to keep hidden from me. I feel her back against my chest, her hair on my neck, and her breath on my cheek. I smell her floral scent. And I see her vision for the estate before me.
What if it could still come true?
What if I face my fears? Would she be willing to let go of her old life? Do her feelings match mine? We've only spent three weeks together. Can love truly develop in such a short time?
I have only a few seconds to change the course of things. If I turn around now, take the contract from Florian, and tear it into a thousand pieces, there will still be a chance.
I tear my gaze away from the window. Florian flips to the last page. Only one clause remains without a tick.
My heart pounds so forcefully that I'm afraid it might explode. Yet I approach him because this irrational longing inside me is so overpowering that it overshadows all fear.
He draws the last hook and then leans back heavily on his chair, looking up at me with a satisfied nod. "Everything looks good," he confirms before his expression twists into an arrogant smirk. "Has my fiancée told you about our plans for the estate?"
His fiancée? Did he just call Hanna his fiancée? When did that happen?
I gasp for breath, but it feels like I can't get any.
Everything around me seems to darken. It suddenly dawns on me that it doesn't matter if my longing can overcome my fear.
Hanna has made her choice. She said yes. That's all I need to know.
