Chapter 12: Nicolás Beltrán

Valeria arrived at the office that morning with a mix of excitement and curiosity. After days of reviewing the project details, she was finally going to meet the enigmatic Nicolás Beltrán, the man who, according to her team, would be key to LuxeWorld's international expansion. She had heard a lot about him: a magnate, charismatic, and exceptionally skilled in business. However, his identity had remained shrouded in mystery, something Valeria found both intriguing and quite frustrating.

As she entered the hotel meeting room where the encounter would take place, her eyes met a very familiar figure: Fernando. Her brow instantly furrowed.

"Fernando, what are you doing here?" she asked sharply, making it clear she wasn’t in the mood for surprises.

He smiled with a calmness that could disarm anyone.

"I thought I was meeting with Nicolás Beltrán, not you."

Fernando leaned back in his chair, clearly amused by Valeria’s confusion.

"You are," he replied nonchalantly.

Her frown deepened.

"And when is he supposed to arrive?"

Fernando stood with a playful smile and extended his hand.

"He's already here. Nicolás Fernando Beltrán, at your service."

Valeria blinked several times, stunned. For days, she had imagined Nicolás as an older man, perhaps in his fifties, with gray hair and a stiff demeanor—not Fernando, whose relaxed and confident attitude always got on her nerves.

"You're Nicolás Beltrán?" she asked incredulously.

"The one and only," he replied, his grin a clear challenge.

Valeria crossed her arms, feeling a surge of annoyance.

"Why didn’t you say who you were from the start?"

Fernando—or Nicolás—shrugged.

"I like to get to know the people I’ll be working with before introducing myself officially. It’s my way of evaluating who they really are."

"Evaluating me?" Valeria retorted, clearly irritated.

He didn’t answer immediately, instead studying her closely.

"You're exactly as I imagined."

"And what’s that supposed to mean?" Valeria hated enigmas, and Fernando seemed to enjoy them far too much.

"That you’re incredibly brilliant, but also difficult. Working with you will be... interesting."

Valeria exhaled sharply, exasperated.

"This is going to be a complete disaster."

Meanwhile, Roberto...

Roberto sat on his couch, scrolling through Valeria’s Instagram. The recent photos of her in Paris were driving him crazy. In one picture, she was smiling next to an elegant man at an exclusive dinner.

"Who the hell is this guy?" he thought, clenching his jaw. "What is he doing with my Valeria?"

His frustration grew as he saw how happy and radiant she looked. For years, he had tried to convince himself that leaving her at the altar had been the right decision, but now he couldn’t stop questioning it.

Roberto grabbed his phone and called his best friend, Eduardo.

"What’s up, Roberto?" Eduardo asked casually.

"I’m looking at Valeria’s photos on Instagram. I saw her in Paris with some other guy."

"And what about it, Roberto?" Eduardo replied, already knowing where this was going.

"I think I made a mistake leaving her," Roberto admitted, a mix of frustration and longing in his voice.

Eduardo laughed.

"You’re just now realizing that? Dude, you left an incredible woman—beautiful, smart, successful—for someone who was a complete waste of time. She was never on your level."

"I don’t need the reminder," Roberto growled.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"I’m divorcing Carolina. I’m going to win Valeria back. She still loves me."

Eduardo laughed even harder.

"That’s what you think. Roberto, Valeria isn’t the same woman you left years ago. If you think you can waltz back into her life like nothing happened, you’re crazier than I thought."

Roberto didn’t respond immediately. His mind was in chaos, but he was convinced he still had a chance.

Back in the meeting room...

Valeria tried to stay calm and focus on the project, but Nicolás’s presence made it almost impossible. He had an irritating knack for challenging her every decision, questioning every detail with that infuriating smirk on his face.

"Don’t you think your strategy is a bit too aggressive?" Nicolás asked as they reviewed the proposal for international expansion.

"It’s effective," Valeria replied firmly.

"Effective doesn’t always mean sustainable," he said, unfazed.

Valeria pressed her lips together, trying to keep her frustration in check.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Of course. But I’m not going to tell you now. I want you to think about it first."

She glared at him.

"Are you always this insufferable?"

Nicolás smiled, clearly amused.

"Only when I’m working with people who interest me."

The comment caught her off guard, but she refused to let him unnerve her.

"I’m not here to play games, Nicolás. This is serious business."

"And I’m not playing either, Valeria. This will be fun."

She gave him a withering look, though she couldn’t deny there was something about him that intrigued her.

After the meeting, Valeria returned to her apartment, exhausted. She collapsed onto the couch, mentally replaying the day. Nicolás was a challenge in every sense, but she couldn’t deny there was something about him that sparked her interest, no matter how much it annoyed her to admit it.

Her phone buzzed. It was her mother calling. Valeria rolled her eyes and ignored it.

"Why can’t she just leave me alone?" she thought.

Moments later, her phone buzzed again. This time, it was a voicemail from her sister, Lucía.

"Valeria, I need you to send money right now. Dad doesn’t have enough to cover all the wedding expenses, and you know it’s your damn responsibility to help us, especially after what you did at my engagement party."

Valeria turned off her phone, feeling a mix of anger and sadness. No matter how much she tried to distance herself, her family always found a way to pressure her.

That night, as she stared out at the city lights from her window, a thought crossed her mind: perhaps working with Nicolás wouldn’t be so bad after all. At the very least, it would be a distraction from the chaos surrounding her.

One thing was certain, though: she wouldn’t let anyone—not even her intriguing new partner—make her doubt who she was or what she wanted in life.

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