Those words came from Juliana’s lips like a confession, like a hope, like a question he hadn’t been able to answer. At the time, Leonardo was 37 and had just closed the biggest deal of his career. He was at the peak of his life, single, free, with his whole future ahead of him. Juliana, on the other hand, was… complicated.
She was the daughter of his housekeeper, an intelligent young woman studying education at university while working part-time cleaning offices to help her mother. They had met one day when he came home early and found her organizing his library. She was reading one of his economics books, completely absorbed, with the concentration characteristic of someone with a true thirst for knowledge.
When she noticed his presence, she blushed and apologized profusely. « I’m sorry, Mr. Valente. I shouldn’t have touched your books. » « Do you like economics? » he asked. « It fascinates me. I’m studying to become a professor, but I believe that understanding how money works is essential to everything. » This conversation led to others.
Juliana came twice a week to clean, and little by little, Leonardo found himself looking forward to those days. She was different from the women in her social circle. Her money didn’t impress her. In fact, she seemed almost uncomfortable when he talked about his business. She spoke of her interns as if they were her own children. She had simple, but beautiful dreams.
She wanted to open a school in her neighborhood. She wanted to help her mother buy a small house. She wanted to change the world, in her own way. The attraction had been inevitable, and their story… their story had been the most genuine thing Leonardo had ever felt.
See more on the next page
Advertisement
