Fern's Perspective
When I got home, I sat at the dining room table, staring down at the newspaper in front of me while my mind wandered far away. Giovanni's face, those deep eyes, and the aura that surrounded him seemed to pull me back to a past I couldn't escape. I had been so happy to see Giovanni, to feel the way he looked at me, and yet now, it felt like a distant memory.
"Mom, how was the interview today?" Daniel suddenly jumped up from the couch beside me, looking at me mischievously.
I froze for a moment, then forced a smile. "It was okay, it might have worked out," I replied, trying to sound as casual as possible.
Daniel didn't seem to notice the shift in my mood. He hopped over to the table, grabbed his dinner, and began eating.
But my mind remained unsettled. I understood that Giovanni might not have recognized me right away, but there was still a sense of familiarity that had crept up on me.
I gently placed the newspaper down, picked up my glass of water, and took a quiet sip. Daniel was beside himself, enjoying his meal, smiling, and chatting away. But I didn't have the heart to respond. He was just a kid, unable to comprehend the complexity of what was going on in my mind. I knew I was bracing myself for an impending storm, and sooner or later, Giovanni would reveal my secret.
"Mom, is something on your mind?" Daniel asked suddenly, looking up at me with a hint of concern in his eyes.
I froze again, then flashed a soft smile. "Nothing's wrong, baby. Just something I'm not sure about yet."
Daniel didn't press the issue further. He grabbed the leftovers on his plate and quickly finished them before running off to play. I watched him go, a wave of guilt washing over me. I knew Daniel could always sense when something was off, but I couldn't explain much to him. After all, he was just a child, and I couldn't let him carry more burdens too soon.
I set my glass down and let out a long sigh. For six years, I had carefully hidden my past with Giovanni, afraid that one day this secret would be exposed and everything would fall apart. But today, the moment I came face-to-face with Giovanni again, I could barely control my emotions.
I didn't want to go back to the past, especially the parting six years ago, which was filled with sadness and pain. I couldn't bear the thought of being misunderstood and hurt again. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, the Giovanni I knew now no longer seemed to be the same man. He had grown stronger, calmer, even radiating a certain untouchability. He no longer needed me, and he no longer even recognized that I had once been the woman he loved most.
A few days later, I still hadn't heard from Giovanni about the interview. I didn't care about the result. Whether I was accepted or not, I knew that with time, my past would eventually be exposed.
Just as I was about to start tidying up the house, the phone suddenly rang. I glanced at the number. It was a call from Giovanni's company. She took a deep breath and answered, "Hello."
A soft female voice came from the other end of the line. "Hello, is this Ms. Diana?"
"It's me," I replied in a quiet voice, doing my best to sound calm.
"Congratulations, Ms. Diana. You've passed our interview, and we'd like to offer you a position as Mr. Giovanni's personal secretary."
Hearing this news stirred a mixture of emotions that were hard to describe. I knew this meant my connection to Giovanni would grow stronger, and I would have to confront everything I had lost.
"Okay, thank you. I'll be ready as soon as possible," I forced myself to respond, trying to keep my inner turmoil in check.
After hanging up, I stood still, staring at the blank space on my desk. My mind kept flashing back to Giovanni—the towering man whose every move had once tugged at my heart. But I knew I was no longer the woman closest to him. Now, I was just another ordinary employee in his company.
I didn't have time to dwell on it further. Daniel had already come rushing down the stairs and tugged at my sleeve. "Mom, what's wrong with you?"
I looked at my son, a mix of emotions crossing my face. I touched Daniel's head and smiled softly. "It's okay, baby. I'm just a little tired. Let's go for a walk, okay?"
Daniel nodded eagerly and grabbed my hand, pulling me outside. I forced myself to hold back my nerves. I knew this was only the beginning, and the real challenge was still ahead.
The next day, I arrived at Giovanni Group on time for orientation.
It was my first day at Giovanni Group. As the morning sun streamed through the office windows, I stood in place and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Though the building felt modern and cold, I could still sense something familiar—the faint scent of a world that had once been mine, as if it had traveled through time and quietly found its way back to me.
Giovanni. The name had echoed in my mind for six years, accompanying me through my pain, struggles, and wounds that would never heal. Once, I had thought I would never see him again.
But fate had other plans, bringing me back to the lobby of this building, facing the man who had once loved me deeply. Only now, he didn't recognize me, and I, too, was trying to sever ties with the past and start anew.