“Pretend You Love Me, Please…” — Powerful CEO Begged Single Dad Right In Front Of His Ex.
I think you’re the clever one here. The girl laughed. Miguel looked at them silently, tenderly. That simple, everyday scene gave him back something he thought was lost: the feeling of belonging. After dinner, while Sofía slept, Lucía and Miguel stayed chatting on the small balcony. The scent of jasmine filled the night.
“Have you ever thought about falling in love again?” she asked, not looking directly at him. Miguel shrugged. “Sometimes I think about it, but you don’t seek love, you find it. And when you’ve experienced loss, the heart learns to be afraid. I’m afraid too,” she admitted quietly.
But the other kind, where no one sees me as I truly am. Miguel looked at her intently. I see you, Lucía, even if you don’t want me to. That phrase sank into her chest. For the first time in years, someone had looked at her without labels, without power, without fame, without money. Just her. The encounters became more frequent. Lucía began to participate in small activities with Sofía, taking her to the park, reading her stories, helping her with her homework.
She discovered the tenderness she’d buried beneath her business suits. One afternoon, Miguel took her to a viewpoint where all of Valencia could be bathed in orange. When my wife was alive, we came here every Sunday. He said that the sunset reminded us that everything ends, but also that everything begins again. Lucía listened without speaking.
Her throat tightened. “Maybe, maybe now it’s your turn to start over,” she whispered. Miguel looked at her with a mixture of gratitude and sadness. “Maybe so.” The silence between them wasn’t awkward; it was warm, full of respect and something that was beginning to resemble love. That night, upon returning home, Lucía found an email from her assistant. “Tomorrow Derek Salvatierra will attend the business event.”
“Do you RSVP?” Her heart sank. Part of her wanted to avoid it. Another part felt she should face her past. She thought of Miguel, of Sofía, of that simple, honest life she had known, and realized she didn’t want to keep pretending. For the first time, Lucía wished she were simply a woman capable of loving without fear.
I don’t know, or untouchable, that everyone admired. She looked out the window. The lights of Valencia flickered over the river. She smiled, thinking that perhaps destiny wasn’t a straight line, but a spiral. It makes you return to the same place, but with a different heart. And in that moment, without realizing it, Lucía had fallen in love not with a rich man or an ideal, but with the simple kindness of the man who had pretended to love her for five minutes and had ended up teaching her what true love was.
That night, the Valencia Conference Center shone like a jewel. It was the business event of the year, the European innovation award. Lucía Ortega, as always, was one of the main guests, but this time her mind wasn’t on the numbers, the cameras, or the speeches.
She was thinking about Miguel and Sofía, who would be having dinner with her in Tejas at that hour, in front of the television. Several weeks had passed since that afternoon at the Alameda bar. Her relationship with Miguel had grown naturally, without pretensions or empty promises. She found in him a serenity that her hectic world had never given her. And Miguel, for his part, saw in Lucía a tenderness hidden beneath her iron armor. But that night everything was different.
Derek Salvatierra, her ex, was one of the guest speakers. Just hearing his name on the attendee list made her stomach churn. Still, she decided to go. She wasn’t going to run away from the past any longer. Before leaving, she received a message. It was from Miguel. Good luck tonight, boss. Don’t forget to smile, but above all, don’t forget who you really are. Lucía smiled.
He always knew exactly what she needed to hear. The palace hall was filled with expensive suits and fake smiles. Lucía greeted the associates, trying to maintain her composure. Derek appeared shortly after, wearing his tailored suit and his usual air of superiority. When he saw her, he approached her with that smile she hated so much. Lucía, you’re still the same, impeccable.
Her voice was as sweet as poison. “And you’re still just as arrogant,” she replied calmly. “I don’t blame you; you’ve learned from the best.” He leaned toward her. “By the way, how’s your romance with that janitor going?” Lucía felt a knot in her stomach. The rumor had spread faster than she imagined.
He tried to downplay the situation. “It’s going well, thanks for asking.” Derek burst out laughing. “Honestly, I didn’t know you liked men with mops. How ironic. A woman who controls millions and sleeps with the person who cleans her floors.” Several heads turned. The murmur began to grow. Lucía felt the floor shift beneath her feet, but before she could answer, she heard a voice behind her. “Careful, Mr. Landsaver, you’re dirtying the air with your words.”
It was Miguel. He was wearing a white shirt and a simple jacket, nervous but determined. He didn’t know exactly what he was doing there, only that he couldn’t allow anyone to humiliate her. “You again,” Derek laughed scornfully. “Wow, she’s the one with the trash can prince. At least I clean up after other people,” Miguel retorted.