Second Chances by Delaney Diamond

Author:Delaney Diamond
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Romance, African American, Contemporary, Fiction
ISBN: 9780985283841
Publisher: Delaney Diamond
Published: 2012-10-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Renaldo watched his sisters traipse into his office. Unexpected visits from them were not unusual. They knew he would drop just about anything for them.

“Have the two of you ever heard of knocking?” he asked, unable to resist needling them.

Beatrisa waved away his comment. “Knocking is for strangers. We’re family.”

Both women were attractive and had long black hair, but ever since they were children, Carolina had been called “the pretty one.”

It was both a blessing and a curse. She was seldom taken seriously because of her beauty, but at the same time it afforded her advantages, allowing her to glide through life with very few repercussions for her actions.

She’d done some local modeling for several years, with the hope of becoming the next Gisele Bündchen. Apparently, the world didn’t need another Gisele, because after a time the modeling jobs dried up.

This provided Renaldo with the perfect opportunity to advise her that good looks could only take her so far and convince her to get an education. He’d paid for her to attend Universidade de São Paulo to pursue a degree in International Relations. She had one year left, and after she completed her studies, he had a position waiting for her at SDG.

To Beatrisa’s credit, the attention Carolina received never seemed to bother her. At twenty-seven, she had looked out for her younger sibling in a motherly manner, even though only three years separated them. She did the same to Renaldo, which amused him, since he was the oldest. Her habit of taking care of others and ignoring her own needs had compelled her to keep a terrible secret until a couple of years ago—that her husband had been beating her.

“I didn’t know the rules.” Renaldo rose to his feet. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” They both came around the desk to greet him with a kiss and then settled into chairs on the opposite side.

“We’re here because of the voicemails you left us about your reconciliation with Sabrina.”

“I’ve told you everything you need to know in the voicemail. I’ve never discussed my relationships with you, and I don’t intend to start now. Did the two of you only drop by to question me about my personal life?”

“She dragged me here,” Carolina announced. She flicked her raven mane over one shoulder.

“Kicking and screaming, no doubt.” Renaldo settled into his seat.

“I only brought it up because I was wondering if she’ll be at Leonardo’s party in Rio next weekend,” Beatrisa said.

Leonardo da Silva, their cousin, was combining his birthday party with a farewell party since he was moving back to the United States in a few months with his family after his third child was born.

“Why does it matter?”

“Because she wants to invite Ana Isa to the celebration,” Carolina supplied.

His sister’s answer took him by surprise. He hadn’t seen Ana Isa in a few years. She was a friend of the family and currently resided in Rio de Janeiro. They’d dated briefly, but her lack of goals had been a turn-off, and he’d ended their relationship.

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