It was five in the afternoon when Justin sat in his bedroom, buying a plane ticket online. The anticipation of seeing the love of his life again was intense, and he didn't want to waste another minute.

"Are you really going after Saul, son? You know he's your father's age," his mother said from the doorway.

"I'm sure, Mother. I truly love him—I've loved him for seven years, and I'm not giving up. I'm going to make him fall for me." He finished purchasing the ticket as he spoke.

"Your father doesn't agree with this madness, especially since he and Saul don't get along anymore."

"Dad will understand."

"Fine. You're an adult and you know what you want. If he hurts you and rejects you, come back home to us."

"I will, Mother. I'll confess one more time, and if he rejects me, I won't push it."

"Good. Be careful out there, and call me often."

"I will."

His mother left, and Justin set about packing his suitcase. He wanted to see Saul again and confess his love one more time.

"I hope this time he sees how sincere I am and accepts me."

Justin had confessed his feelings to Saul more than ten times since the age of eighteen, and every time he'd been firmly rejected. He'd promised Saul he would study, make something of himself, and come back to confess again.

His mind drifted to the first time he'd confessed. Back then, Justin and his family had lived next door to Saul. At just eighteen, the boy had declared his love to the older man publicly—in front of his parents and a roomful of guests at a formal gala. Saul, indignant, had rejected him sharply, humiliating him in front of everyone. And yet, even afterward, Saul had continued treating him well—giving him gifts, driving him to school on occasion, letting him sleep over—always maintaining the line that he saw Justin as a nephew.

"Saul, I know I'm younger than you, but I truly love you—with all my heart. I'd like you to give me a chance to be together."

"Justin, I've already made it clear that I'm not interested. You're my friend's son. You're just a pubescent kid who doesn't know what he wants. If you bring this up again, I'll have to speak with your parents and ban you from my house."

"But—"

"Respect me. Don't ever mention this nonsense about being in love with me again. It disgusts me just thinking you have those kinds of feelings for me."

"Fine. But when I've got a degree and a stable career, I'll come back and confess again," Justin said with conviction.

"That's exactly what you should be focused on—studying and becoming someone your parents can be proud of. Not some spoiled kid obsessing over nonsense."

"It's not nonsense. I love you, and nothing will change that."

"Starting today, you're banned from my house. Don't come near me, and don't ever say these things in public again."

Coming out of his thoughts, Justin set his suitcase aside and lay back on the bed. He wanted Saul to accept him—wanted the chance to show him what his love really meant.

"If he rejects me again, I'll find the strength to let go of what I feel for him."

The next morning, Justin woke early, got ready, and went downstairs to have breakfast with his mother, who advised him to be cautious and not let Saul humiliate him publicly again.

"I'll be careful this time, Mother."

"I hope so. As an adult, you need to know when to step aside and give up before it's too late."

"I know. Even though I love him, I'll stop if he rejects me again. I won't give him the chance to see me cry or beg."

"I'll trust you on that."

After breakfast and one last conversation with his mother, Justin said goodbye and headed to the airport to catch the flight that would carry him back to his first love.

Just a couple of hours, and I'll be face to face with him again, he thought, staring out the airplane window.

When the plane landed, Justin went straight to Saul's house. He rang the doorbell twice before the housekeeper answered.

"Mrs. Maria, it's so good to see you again," he said, greeting the older woman eagerly.

"Mr. Justin! I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"I know, but this time I'm back to run the branch office of my father's company here in the city—and to go after Saul."

"Oh, young man! I'm afraid you're in for a disappointment. Mr. Saul has had a girlfriend for two years now."

"Mrs. Maria, are you serious?" He was caught off guard, thrown for a moment.

"It's the truth. They've even talked about marriage."

"I see. I'll wait for him here and talk to him."

"Of course. Please, come in."

Justin stepped inside and sat down in the living room, setting his suitcase beside him as he looked around. On the wall hung a large photograph of Saul with a young woman who looked like a model. The picture frames that had once held photos of the two of them together now displayed images of Saul and this woman.

"Looks like my chance to confess is gone. If I go through with it, I'll only make a fool of myself and pile on more humiliation."

While he sat lost in thought, Mrs. Maria brought him a glass of juice and some appetizers to tide him over while he waited for Saul to arrive.

"I'll ask him to let me stay here for a couple of days while my parents' house is being cleaned."

That night, Saul arrived home with his friend Mark. Both men were surprised to find Justin there—he hadn't let the household staff announce his arrival.

"Justin, what are you doing here?" Saul asked, irritation in his voice.

"He probably came to make good on his promise—confess his love now that he's made something of himself," Mark added, studying the young man.

"Uncles, it's great to see you both again," Justin said with a smile, his eyes on Saul. "Uncle Mark, you've got it wrong. I'm here to take over my father's company, and since the house isn't clean yet, I figured I'd stay at Uncle Saul's place."

"Justin, don't call me uncle. We're not family," Mark said.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Varvein." Justin shifted uncomfortably.

"What I mean is, you can just call me Mark." He offered a smile to put the boy at ease.

"Don't give him too much familiarity, or he'll never leave you alone with his nonsense," Saul said.

"Uncle Saul, the past is the past. Forgive me for my foolishness—I was immature back then."

"I hope that's true and you won't embarrass me. I also hope you'll respect my space and my girlfriend."

"I won't cause any unnecessary trouble." The words stung.

"Since Saul doesn't want to see you, you can stay at my place while your house is being sorted out," Mark offered.

"I didn't say I don't want to see him. I'm just reminding him that he's an adult now and needs to drop the immature behavior and act accordingly."

"Thanks for the offer, Mark, but I think I'll just go to a hotel."

"A hotel won't be as comfortable. Come stay with me."

"Justin, don't be stubborn. It's late—stay in the guest room tonight and figure out where to go tomorrow." Saul turned to Mark. "Mark, let's head to the study. We still have work to deal with."

Before the two men could leave, Saul received a call from his girlfriend.

"Hi, love. How's the trip going? Have you missed me?" he said as he walked toward the study.

Left alone in the living room, Mark looked at Justin closely, noticing his sadness.

"Are you still in love with him?" Mark asked, seeing how pale the young man had gone.

"Not anymore. The last chance I had disappeared the moment I walked through that door."

"Don't get discouraged. You're a very attractive young man, and you've got your whole life ahead of you. You'll find someone who truly loves you—someone you can give your heart to without hesitation."

"Thanks for saying that, Mark," Justin replied with a sad smile.

"Don't mention it. Go get some rest."

Mark headed to the study to join Saul for work. Justin went to the guest room, set his suitcase aside, and texted his mother to let her know he'd arrived safely. Starting the next day, he would dig into everything related to the company so that within a week, he could step into his role as vice president.

"Is he really that in love with his girlfriend? Would he get jealous if I found someone else? Maybe Mark would be perfect to test Saul..."

He shook the idea from his head and changed for bed. Mark had always been good to him—always there with advice, always ready to console him whenever Saul rejected him.

"He's not someone I should be deceiving or dragging into my nonsense. Better to just focus on work."

The next morning, Justin showered and went downstairs for breakfast. Only Saul was in the dining room, making it awkward to sit across from the man he still loved and not be able to say so.

"I hope your house is ready soon. My girlfriend's coming back from her trip, and she'll be staying here," Saul said without looking at him.

"Don't worry. The house will be taken care of today, and I'll move out before the day's over."

"Good. You mentioned you're taking over your father's company. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Tell me something—why do you call me uncle?"

"Before I left, you made it clear you only saw me as a nephew. Your friend's son. So I should respect that line, so I don't make you uncomfortable or bring up that stupid past."

After breakfast, Saul left without another word. Justin finished eating, went back for his suitcase, and said goodbye to Maria before heading to a hotel. He didn't want to see the man anymore, let alone keep enduring the same awkward reminder over and over.

"What matters is the work. I've already wasted enough time chasing a stupid fantasy and unrequited love."

Settled into his hotel room, Justin spent the entire day reviewing everything about the company—the employees, the financial reports, the partners, the projects. He buried himself in it all, determined to stay informed and to keep Saul out of his mind. When evening came, he left the room and went to a nearby restaurant for dinner, ordering a meal and a bottle of wine.

"Starting tomorrow, Saul Villar means nothing to me. His life and his love won't matter to me at all."

A few tables away, Saul and Mark were having a business dinner with some partners. At one point, Saul caught sight of Justin drinking a glass of wine.

"He's allergic to beef, and he's eating it anyway," he muttered, unable to take his eyes off the boy.

Noticing Saul's distraction, Mark followed his gaze and spotted Justin as well.

"He's allergic to beef—aren't you going to stop him from eating that?" Mark said to his friend.

"He's an adult now. He should know what he can and can't eat for his own health."

Mark just nodded and turned back to the conversation with their partners. When the dinner wrapped up, both men glanced over at Justin, who was still eating and drinking.

"Mark, go get him. He can't keep risking his health like that, and he shouldn't be getting drunk with nobody looking after him."

"If you're worried about him, why don't you go over there yourself?"

"I don't want him getting ideas in his head and bothering me. I love my girlfriend, and I won't let him interfere with my relationship," Saul said firmly.

"Fine. I'll go get him."

Mark stood from the table and walked over to Justin.

"Justin, what are you doing here all alone?"

"Oh! Hey, Mark. I'm just having dinner. Want to join me?"

"I've already eaten. Weren't you allergic to beef? Why are you eating it?"

"I'm not allergic to beef. I'm allergic to one of the seasonings they use—nutmeg."

"Got it. Finish your dinner, then."

"What are you doing here? Just dinner, or were you working?"

"Business dinner."

As they talked, Justin sliced his steak with precision, Mark watching from across the table. Once a piece was cut, Justin speared it with his fork and brought it to Mark's mouth. Mark, slightly taken aback, opened up and let the younger man feed him.

"Thanks. That's delicious."

"Right? If you ever invite me out to eat, now you know how I like my steak."

"I won't forget."

Saul had seen the whole exchange and frowned, then texted Mark telling him he was leaving and to take Justin home. After reading the message, Mark pocketed his phone and stayed to talk with Justin, who kept offering him bites from the same fork he was eating with.

"Justin, did you drink this entire bottle by yourself?"

"It's not that strong."

A few minutes later, Justin paid the bill and said goodnight to Mark, who refused to let him walk back alone and followed him to his hotel room.

"I thought you were still staying at Saul's," Mark said as Justin opened the door.

"He told me to move out as soon as possible. His beloved girlfriend's coming to live with him."

"I see. Get some rest."

"You too, Mark. Handsome men shouldn't have dark circles."

"Noted," Mark replied with a smile.

Justin stepped into the room and closed the door. Mark headed home, thinking about how badly Justin was taking Saul's rejection.

"He should be honest about his feelings. He rejects Justin outright, but his behavior keeps giving the kid hope."

Days passed, and Justin finally moved into his family's house. He threw himself into work, researching and organizing key projects for the company. During this time, he didn't contact Saul—didn't seek him out, didn't reach out at all. Saul, naturally, assumed the boy was plotting something—some scheme to get close and declare his love in public all over again.

"Stop thinking the worst of him. He already told you he's not here to confess or chase after you. His priority is work," Mark said, watching Saul mutter about Justin.

"I don't trust him. He's pulled this distant, indifferent act before, and then comes out with something idiotic in front of partners and important people."

"You're the one who said he's a man now and needs to act like it. So maybe he's matured and finally understands that you don't want him around—especially not the way he used to want."

"I hope so. But just to be safe, you keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't come near me, and definitely not near my girlfriend. I don't want his nonsense affecting my relationship."

"Fine. If I ever see or hear that he's going to come after you or do something stupid, I'll stop him."

"I trust you to keep him away from me."

Meanwhile, Justin was meeting with some of the company's partners to discuss projects that were bleeding money and doing nothing for the business.

"Those projects need to be shut down immediately. The losses they're generating are staggering, while the projects with real potential are being shelved."

"Mr. Belalcazar, all of those projects were chosen by the company's president. As your father's appointee, he has full authority."

"No, he doesn't have full authority—he's just a placeholder. You're the partners. So I'm asking you to back my decision, or you'll need to sell your shares to someone who actually cares about results and is willing to get involved in running this company."

The meeting lasted a couple of hours. Afterward, Justin went home to call his father and report everything he'd uncovered—how the losses far exceeded the profits.

"The man you left in charge isn't doing his job. He's only generating losses, and the profits are going straight into his pocket."

"I see. I'll wrap up some things here, and your mother and I will come back to deal with this mess."

"Thank you, Father. While you're on your way, I'll keep working without going into the office."

"Fine. In the meantime, I'll call the investors and have them explain this situation—and why they haven't put a stop to it."

"I've already spoken with them, Father. Their excuse was that you appointed this man as president, which gave him absolute power and left them with no say."

"Something's off, and I'm going to find out what. If they're involved in this too, they'll go to prison."

"I'll dig deeper, though they may already be on alert."

Father and son talked a while longer about the company. Then his father asked whether Justin was truly still set on pursuing Saul.

"No, Father. I've changed my mind. Besides, he has a girlfriend, and before I could even say anything, he told me to stay away."

"Then stop bothering him. You've spent nearly eight years being embarrassed and humiliated over this love."

"I know, and I apologize for dragging our family name through all that nonsense."

"What matters is that you recognize your mistakes."

After hanging up, Justin started looking for an apartment. He didn't want to live with his parents when they returned to the city.

"An apartment near the office would be pretty convenient."

His train of thought was interrupted by the doorbell.

"Who could that be at this hour?"

He walked to the door and opened it to find Mark standing there.

"Hey, Justin."

"Hey, Mark. Good evening. Do you need something?"

"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to check on you—it's been days since I've heard from you."

"I'm fine. I've been swamped with work."

"I figured. Want to have dinner with me?" He held up a couple of shopping bags.

"I'd like to, but I can't cook."

"Don't worry—I'll cook."

"Then yes, absolutely. Thanks," Justin said with a smile.