The next morning, Carlos made good on his “promise” to change the woman’s clothes again.
Micaela struggled against the blankets, turning against him, her whole little face buried under the blankets, her voice muffled:
-No, my belly is so big and my body is so ugly…..
Carlos froze a little before wrapping his arms around her from behind and grabbing her earlobe with his thin lips.
-Do girls think it’s ugly?
-Mmm!
-Oh…
Carlos’ lack of denial startled Micaela, who let go of the blankets and turned around, a little annoyed.
-Do you think it’s ugly too?
Carlos’ thin lips lifted silently, with a glint of amusement in his eyes.
Micaela waited a good while and pulled up the quilt to cover her face, she just knew that her body with the belly she had now must be ugly….
The woman became furious and slandered in her mind: Carlos is a bad man, even if he is really ugly, let him tell me a little lie!
The man lost his smile and took her hand in his, rescuing the little head from the nest and looking at it with deep eyes.
-I haven’t seen a prettier one.
Micaela froze…
-Silly, I’ve only looked at you and I’ve only seen your body, and you’re the most beautiful pregnant woman in the world, huh?
The woman’s heart suddenly lost its rhythm, after being teased so early in the morning, she let him get away with it once again….
She perched on the edge of the bed and let him zipper her up. She immediately tried to escape, but Carlos grabbed her hand and shoved the prepared tie into her hand, looking at her with smiling eyes.
-Girl, do you understand courtesy and reciprocity?
He liked her very much, liked the way she was overwhelmed by her own amusement….
The woman had long since blushed and was glaring at him, straightening her tie and raising her hand, Carlos crouched down in the same way, observing the girl’s deft movements, and knew that, in the past, she must have often knotted his tie too.
Without thinking, Carlos immediately asked:
-Do you want to come to the office with me today?
Micaela looked out the window; it was a beautiful, sunny day.
-Today I want to sit on the swing in the backyard and take the baby’s clothes out to dry.
Carlos didn’t object.
-Let the maids take things away, no heavy lifting, ok?
The woman nods good-naturedly.
Carlos’ thin lips lifted slightly.
-I’ll come back and eat with you at noon.
Micaela raised her eyes to his.
-Would it be too much trouble?
Carlos bent his head and kissed her on the lips.
-What does it matter if it’s a little troublesome as long as I can eat with you.
Micaela blushed a little, knotted her tie and went downstairs with him.
After breakfast, Carlos went out and Micaela escorted him to his car, the man pressing the woman against the door to kiss her goodbye, the house maids leaning out the window, each lamenting:
-Wowser, Mr. and Mrs. are so in love!
-Yes! The vibe, it’s so sweet!
-I want to fall in love too!
After seeing Carlos off, Micaela went inside and, with the help of the maid, washed and dried the baby’s clothes in the sun, and ordered the kitchen staff to add some of Carlos’ favorite dishes for lunch, before grabbing a book and sitting on the patio swing.
The sun pokes through the gaps between the leaves, dappling the body of Micaela, who is wearing a white maternity dress, long hair pulled back, quietly flipping through a book, like a fallen angel in the mortal world, beautiful as a painting, from which golden leaves fall from time to time, making the picture more spiritual….
Carlos returned at noon with this marvelous image….
His heart was beating faster and, in fact, he felt a slight nervousness at the thought of what he was about to do….
Micaela felt a familiar smell and raised her head to see Carlos standing in front of her, and was about to speak when suddenly he bent down on one knee, opened the brocade box in his hand and handed it to her, looking at her with love in his deep eyes.
-Girl, marry me.
Micaela was too surprised for words, she looked at him in amazement, her heart beating faster….
Carlos had forgotten that he had proposed to her long ago and she had said yes….
Her eyes filled with tears and she was on the verge of bursting with emotion….
Carlos’ heart beat faster when he saw that she didn’t move, and he took the ring off at once, put the box on the swing, then took the book out of her hand, put it in his left hand and slipped it on his slender ring finger.
Micaela looked at him in this sigh and said unconsciously:
-I… haven’t said yes yet?
Carlos stood up, still holding her small hand in his, the other gripping the back of the swing behind her, his deep-set eyes looking at her with a faint menacing glint in them.
-Do you still want to refuse?
Thin lips pecked at her, his voice muffled.
-The ring does not come off, you are mine and there is no room for refusal.
This intimidating virtue…
Micaela wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted the corners of her lips.
-I mean, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want, I want…..
Hearing her touching voice, Carlos’ hanging heart collapsed, full of joy and happiness, and he kissed her strongly….
After a long while, Carlos let her go and sat down beside her, his arm around her shoulders, gently swinging the swing….
Micaela raises her left hand, fingers spread, and looks at the extra ring on her finger, the corner of her lips lifts….
So what if Natalia took off her ring, so what if she took off her wedding dress, Carlos can’t take it off!
Carlos’ deep voice resounded in her ears:
-Mrs. Aguayo.
-Hmm?
After a while, Micaela reacted when she saw that he answered too naturally, that she was not married yet, and shyly hid her face between his arms, protesting:
-Carlos, you are so bossy!
That tender and shy look made Carlos’ heart melt, he reached out and took her chin, lifting it so she would look at him, and her thin lips parted slightly.
-You don’t like it?
The woman blushed even more and, with her hand pressed against his chest, admitted:
-I like it, very, very much.
Carlos was satisfied and rubbed her head.
-Have the wedding here, or come back and have it again?
The wedding, he remembered with a jolt, the wedding at which Alba and she had agreed to marry together, and unconsciously asked:
-Did Alba and Ernesto have their wedding?
answered Carlos with a slight frown.
-No. Ernesto said his wife didn’t want a wedding.
Micaela’s heart fluttered and her eyes reddened instantly, it must be because of the pact with his….
Alba thought he was dead, but he was stubborn to keep his promise to marry together and didn’t even have a wedding when she was obviously about to give birth too….
Micaela was touched and missed her even more.
-I want it all.
Carlos gave her a light kiss on the forehead in agreement.
-Yes, all of them.
Carlos had to go to the office in the afternoon, there were many preparations and, after a short lunch break, he would return to the office.
Micaela was still asleep when she was awakened by the ringing of her cell phone.
I picked up the phone and saw it was my grandmother.
She picked up in a hurry.
-Hello, grandma.
-Moya, do you feel like going to lunch?
-Well, get up.
-Then come and have a chat with grandma, will you? I’ll send a car to pick you up.
Micaela agreed without thinking much about it.
-Okay, I’ll change.
She hung up the phone and wondered if they were talking to her about the Lord of the City or if they were simply asking her to come and keep him company.
Micaela washed, changed and came down just as the maid was about to go upstairs to call her.
-Madam, a car has been sent for you from Villa Echave.
Micaela nodded and went out to the other side of the lawn, where there was a black car parked in front of the iron gates; the driver was standing on the back seat, saw Micaela get out and pulled out the back seat.
-Miss Moya, please.
Micaela nods and sits down.
The driver closed the door, sat in the driver’s seat and started the car, but did not move forward. She was about to ask when the door on the right was yanked open from the outside and a tall figure sat inside.
I can’t believe it’s Nilson!
Micaela was startled and her mind jolted with alarms as she made a conscious effort to open the left door, which was already closed and the car sped off.
-Nilson, what do you want?
How did Nilson suddenly get into this car?
Micaela’s mind raced and she reacted with a jolt; it was Grandma, who had tricked her into getting out?
Why did she do it?
Nilson’s expression was mute, his eyes rested on his jacket pocket, revealing a corner of the pink phone, which he pushed aside with a very quick movement.
Micaela hurried to reach out to grab it, but pounced in vain when he threw the phone at her through the open window.