POV Jon
I stop in front of the restaurant where Alex asked me to meet him.
He hasn't changed. Always places that are too big, too beautiful, too… Alex.
I turn off the engine, take a deep breath, then step out of the car.
I haven't seen my friend in years.
Not for lack of desire…
But for lack of courage.
The merger.
That project we prepared together.
It's not just a business deal.
It's an attempt to fix the past.
To rebuild what we lost.
I enter the restaurant.
He's there.
Alex.
Alex Besson.
Sitting on the terrace near the window, his eyes absentmindedly scanning the street.
His fingers tap nervously on the table.
An old habit.
He already did that when he hated waiting.
He looks up.
Sees me.
Freezes for a second.
Then his face lights up, as if time itself has moved backward.
I walk toward him, confident… despite a slight hesitation.
He's changed.
More mature.
More grounded.
But it's still him.
A silence.
Then a smile.
Real. Genuine. Almost childlike.
— Jon…
He stands up without thinking.
— Alex.
We don't even shake hands.
We hug each other. Hard. Too hard.
Like two brothers meeting again after a war.
— I missed you, you idiot, he whispers.
— You have no idea how much, I answer.
We laugh.
A real laugh. Full of memories.
For a few seconds, neither of us speaks.
We just look at each other.
As if to make sure the other is real.
— You haven't changed, he says, studying me. Still so serious.
— And you, still so confident, I reply with a smile.
We sit down.
The waiter brings coffee, but neither of us touches it right away.
— So… life treated you well, from what I can see.
— I'm alive. By God's grace. And I could say the same about you.
— I'm surviving too.
A silence settles in.
Comfortable. Familiar.
— I've heard about your success. Import-export, empire, respect…
— And you? People talk about you everywhere, Jon. Even here.
I shake my head.
— Success is nice. But it doesn't replace certain things.
The waiter comes back to take our order.
We speak almost automatically.
Then Alex's phone buzzes.
He looks at the screen.
A tender smile lights up his face.
He looks back at me.
— It's my daughter, he says proudly.
I smile back.
— That girl is going to drive us crazy.
He's still smiling.
— Let me guess… she listens to no one, she's too kind for this world, and she thinks she can save everyone.
His eyes widen.
— Wait… how do you know that?
I smile softly.
— This morning, I met a young girl. She was helping a woman having a severe asthma attack.
A teenage girl was speaking to her badly. Very badly.
He leans back in his chair.
— And?
— She stayed calm. Respectful. Strong without being harsh.
She handled the situation gently, without ever raising her voice.
He closes his eyes for a second, then runs a hand through his hair.
— It's her…
I nod.
— She has your eyes, Alex. Tony's smile.
And your heart too.
— She went out alone this morning. Without telling anyone.
— Seriously?
— Jon… she scares me. Not because she's weak.
Because she's too good.
His face suddenly hardens.
Worry replaces pride.
— Alex… what's going on?
He straightens up.
Sighs.
A heavy sigh, full of unspoken things.
— There have been threats against her. For months now. Someone has been threatening things I can't ignore.
I promised to protect her. Always.
I grow serious.
— I saw her this morning, Alex.
That girl radiates something.
She calms people. She brings them together.
She brings light… even without trying.
He looks at me, deeply moved.
I take a breath.
— At my place, everything is complicated.
Tony has changed.
The family is divided.
Too much anger. Too many unspoken truths.
He looks at me.
— But your daughter…
He smiles softly.
— She could bring order back where everything broke apart.
He stays silent for a few seconds.
— The promise we made to each other, he finally says…
It was never just about business.
— A merger… and a marriage.
— Not a prison, I add. An alliance.
He thinks.
Then slowly nods.
— Then… I'm ready.
I hold out my hand.
— For her.
— No. For them. For our families, he corrects, shaking my hand.
Two fathers.
Two friends.
And a new story
is just beginning.