6-10

6

- Good morning, did I find Karina? "Leo asked, standing in front of the house's front door with a huge bouquet of roses

. "Good morning, Karina's gone," Shila said with obvious dislike for Leon, and closed the door

. "I need to talk to her, Shila, don't act like an immature teenager," Leo shouted, but Shila didn't react.

After a moment, Leo began pounding on the door so hard that the woman jumped.

"I'm calling the police, Leon. If you don't leave in a minute, you'll have to spend the night at the station, I promise," Shila commented with some composure, not opening the door

. "I'm repeating for the last time, Karina's gone

. You won't scare me with the police, they've been in my pocket for a long time," the blond replied, not quite understanding what he was saying. "Just tell me, what's wrong with her? Why isn't she answering my calls? I have something for Karina, she asked me herself. Could you at least give her this little something?"

"Do you realize what you're asking of me?" Shila shouted angrily.

"Don't make a scene. If Karina needs anything from you, she'll contact you herself. Is it so hard to understand? Goodbye, Leon, because I'm calling, and this time I'm not joking," Shila continued, clutching the receiver, trying to calm herself. "

She's gone, she's gone, where is she?" Leon's mind was racing with all sorts of speculations: what was this irresponsible brat trying to prove to me this time? He tossed the roses on the doormat, got into the car, drove a few meters away, stopped, picked up the phone, and, without even realizing where, began to call.

What a terrible guy, Shila, sitting on the couch, still holding the phone, tried to recover. "My poor child," she thought, "how will she ever get away from this lunatic? She needs to be protected, it's so good she's with Tamara now. I hope she stays there for a few more weeks until everything calms down. What could have happened between them?" Shila was glad they were no longer together. But she also knew what sparked in Karina's eyes when Leon called. She saw her flying toward him, oblivious to everything around her. That's why a mother's heart broke at the thought that her child might be suffering. After all, she had once been blindly in love herself, and the pain, long forgotten, still occasionally came back to haunt her.

Shila was a good mother; she gave birth to Karina at 20 and devoted her entire life to her. At first, she didn't love her husband; she was grateful for him and respected him for that. She often thought back to the one who had been a solace to her weary heart. But over time, she learned to live with it, trying not to blame Karina's father. She also learned to live with her own husband, and eventually, she couldn't imagine life without him. He and her daughter had so much in common that she loved him as much as a child. Herold, Karina's father, knew how it truly was. But he loved Shila so much that he got through it with admirable calm, always supporting his wife in difficult times.

"Szila, what's wrong with you?" Herold asked, entering the living room with a bouquet of roses.

"Have you been on the phone for so long? Were you talking to anyone? Did I have to enter through the garage because the front door was chained up, or did something happen?

" "No, nothing happened, honey. It's just Leon, I just didn't want to let him in.

" "What Leon? The one our daughter fell head over heels for? Was he knocking on our door? That's where the roses came from. I'll show him, just let him come here, he'll regret ever being born.

" "Stop, my dear, it's nothing serious," Shila soothed. She knew Herold was too impulsive and wouldn't resolve this matter amicably. As much as she hated violence, she decided not to tell the whole truth.

"Don't worry, he just left the roses; it's nothing serious, right? I locked the door because the place has been swarming with thieves lately. A week ago, our neighbor was robbed, so I decided to be careful when you're not home.

" Herold wasn't entirely sure it was as his wife had described it, but his beloved's sweet voice and her sweet gaze made him melt like ice. A moment later, he was sitting calmly on the couch with the remote control in his hand, waiting for dinner.

7

Tired of the aching wonder of Karina's whereabouts, an exhausted Leon tried to find his place in the arms of the changing women, sometimes twice a day. Redheads, brunettes, and blondes all had one thing in common: money. Seeing a well-groomed man in a decent car, they did everything in the hope that he would notice their exposed charms. It couldn't be said that Leo craved a woman's body; he hadn't been in the habit of using the services of expensive girls for a long time. But this time, he tried everything to avoid thinking about her. He suppressed his weakness for this shrew as best he could. A mature man distinguished between love and lust and appreciated the fact that his heart was still capable of love. But he couldn't bear the thought of being addicted to her. As a youngster, he would sometimes sit outside Karina's door, unnoticed by anyone in the household, hoping for a rendezvous. It wasn't proper for a man of his caliber; he was furious with himself

.

One afternoon, sitting in a cozy cafe, Leon savored a properly brewed coffee with a generous amount of milk. His mind was blank, the moment of sipping the hot beverage soothing his nerves. Ignoring the bustle of those sitting next to him, he gazed through a large, thoroughly cleaned window with a pleasant smile on his face at the children playing. Nearby, behind a glass fence, was a playground. A five-year-old girl with funny pigtails and a baseball cap sat on a swing, trying to catch soap bubbles blown by her nanny as she played with a group of children. After a moment, an elegant woman approached the nanny. Although she couldn't be seen clearly, Leon could see she was in her early thirties. A slender, delicate woman dressed in classically cut trousers and a jacket of flowing satin the color of coffee with milk. A similarly colored scarf tied at the nape of her neck gleamed, preventing the smooth, shoulder-length locks of red hair from escaping. The woman handed the nanny a note she'd prepared earlier. She gave her some instructions. Then she approached the girl with the funny pigtails, kissed her on the cheek, and headed in the opposite direction. Looking at the woman, Leon felt compelled to recognize her. A moment later, when he stepped outside to avoid losing sight of her, the elegant woman was gone. Well, she's probably married and happy; I wouldn't have stood a chance anyway, Leo thought, and returned to the café. He ordered a blueberry smoothie, and his thoughts suddenly wandered to the little girl. He couldn't see her clearly enough, focused on the beautiful woman. But he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew this little one from somewhere. After a moment's thought, he decided it was impossible. He pulled out his laptop. He checked what he had to do today and tried sending a few emails. Focused on the information on his laptop, the blond man didn't notice an elegant woman enter the cafe.

"Freshly squeezed fruit juice, please," the woman said in a cold voice, and sat down next to Leon's table so she could see the playground. Sipping the juice, she pulled out a notebook with a beautifully crafted pen inside and began jotting down something.

The aroma of the elegant woman's fresh perfume caused Leon to shift his gaze from the screen to the person sitting next to him. He pressed the "send" button, and within a moment, he was enjoying the sight of the visually familiar woman, wondering simultaneously if it was worth chatting with her. Five minutes later, when the woman stopped writing in her notebook, he approached her.

"Do we know each other?" the woman asked

. "I saw you at the playground," Leon replied coquettishly.

"Then I'm listening, sir. Is something wrong?"

"Hmm, you could say yes, because the moment I saw you, I couldn't think of anything else but you," Leo smiled sweetly and, without waiting for permission, sat down next to her. Allow me to introduce myself:

- Leon Kuc

- Paulina Mayer - the stranger replied

"Can I make a suggestion?" Kuc continued.

"I'm listening," Paulina replied without hesitation.

"I'm a bit busy right now. I have a meeting on the other side of town in 20 minutes, so I'd like to ask if you'd be willing to join me for dinner at Sanset-restaurant?

" "Excuse me, but..." Anticipating the answer, Leon interrupted

. "Please, it's just dinner. My heart would break if I never see such a divinely beautiful and charming woman as you again

." "Do you always pick up girls like this?" Paulina asked, standing up and heading for the exit.

Kuc, without waiting a moment longer, jumped up, grabbed his laptop, and ran after Paulina.

"This is my business card, please. However, if you change your mind, I'll be waiting for you at 7:00 PM at Sanset-restaurant," Kuc said, and without waiting for a reply, walked towards the parked car.

Paulina looked at the business card, "Leon Kuc, director...", and didn't read any further; she wasn't interested in the director; she needed a lawyer. She went to the playground, picked up the five-year-old girl, and drove home in their newly purchased Jaguar.

9

When they arrived, Paulina's husband was just entering the house.

"Nice to have you here, Stiven," she said to her husband

. "Have you liked my gift?

" "Yes, thank you, traveling in a car like this is pure pleasure," Paula said, not hiding her satisfaction. She took the girl in her arms and entered the house.

"Who's that kid?" Stiven asked, surprised

. "If you were home more often, you'd know we had guests. Teresa arrived yesterday afternoon; she had some business in town and had no one to leave her daughter with.

" "That spoiled feminist has a daughter?" "Stiven said, not hiding his contempt.

"I'm not going to listen to your ridiculous comments about Teresa," his wife said indignantly. Without another word, she took the girl by the hand and went to the guest room.

"When's Mommy coming?" the five-year-old asked

. "Soon, honey, now we'll wash our hands, change, and go to the kitchen to find something tasty to eat. What do you think?

" "Okay," the girl nodded, and obediently went to the bathroom.

Going to her room to change, Paula heard a knock.

"I'll open the door," her husband shouted and approached the door

. "Hi, Stiven, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here," Teresa greeted with a smile.

"Paulina's in her room," Stiven said indifferently

. "Thanks, I see you haven't changed a bit. You're just the same, perpetually dissatisfied as you were 10 years ago. Poor Paula, how can she stand you?

" "I'm the one who's dissatisfied?" Teresa, I beg you, don't embarrass yourself - said Stiven and, wanting to add something, he stopped because Paulina entered the living room with a child.

"Hi Teresa, it's good that you're here...

" "Mom, Mom," the girl interrupted, interrupting and running to Teresa.

"Hi, my sweet little one, I missed you. I hope you didn't tire your aunt out. I know how insufferable you can be," Teresa laughed, picking up her daughter

. "No way, nothing like that," Paula said

. "I've never seen such a calm and polite little lady in my life.

" "That's great. Thank you, darling, I have to go now. There's a taxi waiting for us.

" "Why so quickly? I hope it's not because of you, Stiven," the wife asked angrily, turning to her husband

. "No, Paula, no way, if I had more time, I would have stayed on purpose to tease your smitten hubby a little. Unfortunately, this time, I can't." I have to go, Grandma and Grandpa have been waiting for a long time, and I promised I'd be on time," Teresa said, kissing Paula on the cheek with her daughter in her arms, and running to the taxi without waiting for her friend's reply.

"Bye, it was nice seeing you, call me when you get there," Paulina shouted after the departing taxi, closing the door. Paulina received

the

large house as a wedding gift from her father. Her father, running his business far from the family, was rarely home. There were even times when Paula didn't see him for several years. Over time, as she grew older, she became accustomed to the fact that her father was gone. Her father loved his little daughter and meticulously made sure his beloved lacked nothing. Her mother, on the other hand, didn't spoil Paulina. She herself had been raised severely by her parents, so she tried to raise her daughter to be a true lady who knew how to behave appropriately in various situations. She was well-educated. Without language barriers, she could skillfully discuss various topics from literature, philosophy, history, and politics. She could play the piano, as befits a true lady. This made the girl feel terribly rejected and lonely. Sometimes she would cry for hours, not understanding why she had to study, while all the other kids her age, whom she sometimes met while out for walks with their nanny, were having fun, inventing increasingly fun games.

After turning 12, Paula met Teresa at a private school. The girls immediately bonded, sharing similar problems and upbringings. The parents of the newly met girl became friends with Paulina's mother. Teresa would stay with a friend overnight. During the holidays, the girls would go to the seaside together. They became like sisters, and this cured the loneliness of the well-behaved little ones.

Paulina married at 22. The chosen one was the spoiled son of her father's partner. Because she hadn't yet learned how to behave with men, and Stiven turned out to be the first handsome guy she came across, about whom her father had no reservations. Paula agreed to the wedding. The first five years of their relationship could be called the happiest. Stiven truly fell in love and did everything to please his wife. But then, Paula's father died of a heart attack. A year later, her mother followed suit. And with them, as if on cue, Paulina and Stiven's marital bliss died. Her husband initially tried to save their relationship, but over time, constant travel, casinos, and new models took their toll. Stiven forgot how good it could be to be with his wife, the only woman he hadn't pretended to be with and with whom he was truly in love. Unable to come to terms with the deaths of her loved ones, Paulina didn't try to save or change anything. She pretended she didn't see anything. Besides, she never really cared what her husband did. She didn't have to show her feelings; that's how she was raised. Her mother, in keeping with her experience, taught her daughter how to behave with her husband, so she didn't interfere or oppose Stiven. She simply was. Their married life took on the character of a game they both played.