\u00cen clipa aceea, timpul p\u0103rea s\u0103 se fi oprit.<\/p>\n
Carlos \u00ee\u0219i sim\u021bea inima b\u0103t\u00e2ndu-i \u00een t\u00e2mple, iar fiecare secund\u0103 devenea mai grea dec\u00e2t cea dinainte. Privirea lui r\u0103t\u0103cea \u00eentre bilet, ochii Isabelei \u0219i siluetele \u00eentunecate ale celor doi b\u0103rba\u021bi.<\/p>\n
Totul era un joc periculos pe care nu-l mai controla.<\/p>\n
Se ridic\u0103 \u00eencet, ca \u0219i cum nimic nu s-ar fi \u00eent\u00e2mplat. \u00ce\u0219i netezi m\u00e2necile c\u0103m\u0103\u0219ii ponosite \u0219i z\u00e2mbi fals c\u0103tre \u0219eful de sal\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Excelent serviciu, spuse el, for\u021b\u00e2ndu-\u0219i vocea s\u0103 nu tremure.<\/p>\n
Dar ochii lui erau deja fixa\u021bi pe Isabela. Ea nu clipea. \u00cen schimb, f\u0103cu un gest subtil, aproape invizibil, ating\u00e2ndu-\u0219i br\u0103\u021bara veche de pe \u00eencheietur\u0103 \u2014 un semn pe care Carlos \u00eel recunoscu imediat. Era acela\u0219i semn pe care \u00eel foloseau c\u00e2nd erau adolescen\u021bi, pe dealurile satului natal, pentru a-\u0219i comunica \u00een secret.<\/p>\n
O amintire \u00eei fulger\u0103 prin minte: nop\u021bile de var\u0103 cu c\u00e2ntecul greierilor, mirosul de f\u00e2n proasp\u0103t cosit \u0219i promisiunile \u0219optite la marginea p\u0103durii.<\/p>\n
Isabela \u00eei d\u0103dea un mesaj.<\/p>\n
\u201eAi \u00eencredere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dar cum putea avea \u00eencredere \u00een femeia pe care o tr\u0103dase?<\/p>\n
Cei doi b\u0103rba\u021bi \u00een costume negre se apropiau, iar aerul din jurul mesei devenea sufocant. Carlos \u0219tia foarte bine cine erau: executan\u021bi pl\u0103ti\u021bi, oameni care nu \u00eentrebau niciodat\u0103 \u201ede ce\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u00ce\u0219i \u00eentinse m\u00e2na spre pahar, dar nu pentru a bea. Ascunse biletul sub \u0219erve\u021bel \u0219i f\u0103cu semn discret unui chelner s\u0103-i aduc\u0103 nota de plat\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u2014 V\u0103 rog s\u0103 m\u0103 scuza\u021bi c\u00e2teva clipe, le spuse el celor trei care-l fixau.<\/p>\n
Se ridic\u0103 \u0219i porni c\u0103tre toalet\u0103, dar pa\u0219ii \u00eei erau grei, ca \u0219i cum purta pe umeri toat\u0103 povara trecutului.<\/p>\n
\u00cen oglinda din marmur\u0103 alb\u0103 \u00ee\u0219i v\u0103zu chipul palid. Controlul absolut pe care-l pre\u021buise at\u00e2\u021bia ani disp\u0103ruse. Pentru prima oar\u0103 dup\u0103 mult timp, nu era miliardarul rece \u0219i calculat, ci b\u0103rbatul care odinioar\u0103 iubise cu disperare.<\/p>\n
Un b\u0103rbat care abia acum \u00een\u021belegea c\u0103 avea o alt\u0103 fiic\u0103, undeva, \u00een ora\u0219, poate chiar \u00een acel moment \u00een pericol de moarte.<\/p>\n
Se \u00eentoarse la mas\u0103 hot\u0103r\u00e2t.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Domnilor, le spuse el, afacerea noastr\u0103 trebuie am\u00e2nat\u0103.<\/p>\n
Dar unul dintre b\u0103rba\u021bi, \u00eenalt, cu maxilarul \u00eencordat, \u00eei r\u0103spunse rece:<\/p>\n
\u2014 Nicio afacere nu se am\u00e2n\u0103. \u0218tii bine asta.<\/p>\n
\u00cen acel moment, Isabela interveni.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Domnilor, poate c\u0103 dori\u021bi s\u0103 discuta\u021bi \u00eentr-un loc mai discret, spuse ea, cu o voce calm\u0103, dar \u00eenc\u0103rcat\u0103 de tensiune.<\/p>\n
Era o \u00eencercare disperat\u0103 de a-l salva. Carlos \u00een\u021belese \u0219i decise s\u0103 joace totul pe o singur\u0103 carte.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Are dreptate, spuse el. \u00cen Rom\u00e2nia, adev\u0103ratele negocieri nu se fac la lumina candelabrelor, ci \u00een pivni\u021be reci sau la mesele ascunse din c\u00e2rciumile de la marginea ora\u0219ului. Haide\u021bi acolo, \u0219i atunci vom \u00eencheia socoteala.<\/p>\n
Pentru o clip\u0103, b\u0103rba\u021bii ezitar\u0103. Argumentul lui p\u0103rea logic, dar nu suficient.<\/p>\n
\u0218i atunci Isabela f\u0103cu ceva nea\u0219teptat. L\u0103s\u0103 pe mas\u0103 un bile\u021bel nou, scris rapid: \u201eIe\u0219i prin buc\u0103t\u0103rie. Eu \u00eei opresc.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carlos \u00eei \u00eent\u00e2lni privirea \u0219i, pentru prima dat\u0103 dup\u0103 15 ani, v\u0103zu aceea\u0219i for\u021b\u0103 care \u00eel cucerise c\u00e2ndva.<\/p>\n
Se ridic\u0103 brusc, \u00ee\u0219i l\u0103s\u0103 haina pe sp\u0103tarul scaunului \u0219i p\u0103\u0219i hot\u0103r\u00e2t c\u0103tre u\u0219a lateral\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u00cen timp ce trecea printre mese, auzi glasul Isabelei ridic\u00e2ndu-se peste muzica discret\u0103 a pianului:<\/p>\n
\u2014 Domnilor, v-am adus un vin rar din podgoriile de la Dr\u0103g\u0103\u0219ani. E p\u0103cat s\u0103 nu-l gusta\u021bi!<\/p>\n
Ea le captase aten\u021bia.<\/p>\n
Carlos travers\u0103 buc\u0103t\u0103ria, printre oale clocotind \u0219i mirosuri amestecate, \u0219i ie\u0219i \u00een noaptea rece de noiembrie.<\/p>\n
Bucure\u0219tiul pulsa \u00een jurul lui, cu luminile felinarelor \u0219i agita\u021bia bulevardelor. \u00ce\u0219i scoase telefonul \u0219i form\u0103 un num\u0103r pe care nu-l mai folosise de ani \u00eentregi.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Sorin, spuse el gr\u0103bit. Am nevoie de tine. G\u0103se\u0219te o fat\u0103. E a mea. \u0218i trebuie salvat\u0103.<\/p>\n
La cel\u0103lalt cap\u0103t al firului, t\u0103cerea fu grea, apoi un oftat:<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u0218tiam c\u0103 ziua asta va veni. Spune-mi unde s\u0103 \u00eencep.<\/p>\n
Carlos ridic\u0103 privirea spre cerul tulbure, cu nori grei care anun\u021bau ninsoarea. \u0218tia c\u0103 \u00een seara aceea nu mai era vorba despre bani, putere sau prestigiu.<\/p>\n
Totul se reducea la ceva mult mai simplu.<\/p>\n
Un tat\u0103 trebuia s\u0103-\u0219i salveze fiica.<\/p>\n
\u0218i pentru asta, era preg\u0103tit s\u0103 renun\u021be la tot ce construise vreodat\u0103.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00cen clipa aceea, timpul p\u0103rea s\u0103 se fi oprit. Carlos \u00ee\u0219i sim\u021bea inima b\u0103t\u00e2ndu-i \u00een t\u00e2mple, iar fiecare secund\u0103 devenea mai grea dec\u00e2t cea dinainte. Privirea lui r\u0103t\u0103cea \u00eentre bilet, ochii Isabelei \u0219i siluetele \u00eentunecate ale celor doi b\u0103rba\u021bi. Totul era un joc periculos pe care nu-l mai controla. Se ridic\u0103 \u00eencet, ca \u0219i cum […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5500,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-povesti"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5499"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5501,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5499\/revisions\/5501"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bumzi.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}