The Former BOPE Police Oficcer

Chapter 5 - Focus of the Lenses and Gossip

The morning after the coffee shop encounter, Gigi Hadid woke up to the insistent sound of notifications on her phone. Rubbing her eyes, she picked up the device and saw a flood of messages, alerts and tags on social media.

Her first thought was confusion, but when she opened Instagram, it became clear why: someone had taken photos of her and Rafael leaving the coffee shop in Tribeca.

The images captured the two of them together on the sidewalk. Rafael, with his impeccable posture and mysterious aura, stood out next to Gigi. He seemed completely oblivious to the cameras, which only increased the allure. The tabloids and gossip sites were in a frenzy.

"Gigi Hadid with a new fling?"

"Who is the mystery man with the supermodel?"

"Gigi appears with an unknown man – but he is HOT!"

Gigi sighed, tossing her phone aside. She knew that going out in public meant running the risk of being photographed, but she hoped that moment with Rafael had gone unnoticed.

The phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. It was her sister, Bella Hadid.

"You're in the Daily Mail!" Bella began, without even saying hello.

"Good morning to you too, Bella."

"Gigi, who's the guy? He's gorgeous! Tall, strong, unfriendly... He almost looks like a character from a movie."

"He's just a friend."

"Just a friend?" Bella laughed. "The photos don't say that. You two seem so... connected."

Gigi sighed.

"Seriously, Bella. He's not like the people we know. I don't want him to be dragged into this circus."

"Well, the circus is already set up, little sister. The internet wants to know who he is."

That same day, Gigi had a lunch date with her friends: Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner and Lauren Perez.

The restaurant they had chosen was discreet, but Gigi knew the conversation would inevitably turn to the photos. When she arrived, everyone was already seated at a private table in the corner. As soon as Gigi approached, Kendall greeted her with a mischievous smile.

"Finally! We have so many questions."

"And I already know what they are," Gigi replied, sitting down and placing her sunglasses on the table.

"Who is the guy?" Kylie asked, getting straight to the point.

"That's what we all want to know," Hailey added, leaning forward.

"You guys are terrible." Gigi laughed, but she knew she wouldn't get away with it that easily.

"Terrible or curious?" Lauren joked.

"Okay. His name is Rafael. He's Brazilian and… that's all I'm going to say."

"That's it?" Kendall arched an eyebrow. "For God's sake, Gigi, the photos are everywhere. He looks so… intense."

"And so handsome." — Hailey added with a smile.

"I know he's handsome, but that doesn't mean anything. He's a private person, and I want to respect that."

Kylie, who was fiddling with her phone, looked at Gigi with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Look at this! They're saying he looks like a secret agent or something. And some people are speculating that he's ex-military."

Gigi was silent for a moment, remembering Rafael's words at the café and the tattoo on his back.

"Has he mentioned anything about that?" Kendall asked, noticing Gigi's expression.

"Not directly. He just said he had an 'interesting career.'"

"That just adds to the mystery," Lauren said, resting her chin on her hand.

"Look, I just want to get to know him better. But I need you guys to promise not to spread anything or make a big deal out of it. He didn't ask to be involved in this kind of thing."

The friends exchanged knowing looks, but nodded.

— Okay, Gigi. — Hailey said, raising her hands. — We'll respect his space… but we want updates.

Meanwhile, Rafael, completely oblivious to the media frenzy, was at his local gym, focused on his workout. When he finished, he picked up his phone and saw a message from Gigi:

Hi, Rafael. I need to let you know: someone took pictures of us yesterday, and they're all over the internet. I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm sorry.

He frowned, reading the message again before replying:

Don't worry, Gigi. I figured something like this would happen. Does this change anything for you?

A few minutes later, another message arrived:

I just want to make sure you're okay with this. I don't care what people say, but I know it can be uncomfortable.

Rafael smiled slightly. He was used to situations that required more discretion, but he could tell that Gigi was genuinely concerned.

I'm fine. I just don't know if I'm ready for strangers to call me a 'secret agent'.

Gigi laughed when she read the response. She felt an immediate sense of relief, but she knew she would have to be careful to protect him from the kind of exposure she faced every day.

In the days that followed, photos of Gigi and Rafael continued to make headlines, but no further details about him were revealed. The media speculated, but Gigi's silence and the mystery surrounding Rafael only fueled the curious.

Meanwhile, Gigi kept thinking about him. The more she got to know him, the more she wanted to find out. And deep down, she knew that Rafael had something to discover in her too something beyond fame, the cameras, and the headlines. The challenge now was to find a balance between these two worlds.

Chapter 6 - Revelations and Connections

The relationship between Gigi Hadid and Rafael Valente grew with an unexpected naturalness. Their conversations, which were initially sporadic, became more frequent, and they both began to share small pieces of their lives.

There was something genuine and comfortable in the way they understood each other, as if the glitter of New York and their pasts had taken a back seat when they were together.

One quiet evening, the two decided to meet again at the same café in Tribeca. The cozy atmosphere, with the warm light of the lamps and the aroma of fresh coffee, seemed ideal for deeper conversations.

"Gigi, you never talk much about your personal life," Rafael commented, while absently stirring the cup of coffee in front of him. "Fame seems to take up a lot of space, but I imagine there's much more to it than that."

She smiled, leaning forward.

"Yes," she said softly. "And maybe it's time I tell you a little more."

Rafael just nodded, showing that he was ready to listen.

— I have a daughter. — Gigi revealed, watching his reaction carefully.

Rafael's eyes narrowed slightly, but there was no judgment, just curiosity.

— Her name is Khai. She's three years old. She's with her father now, spending a few weeks with him.

— Her father... is he someone you know? — Rafael asked carefully.

— Yes. His name is Zayn Malik. He's a famous singer. — Gigi confessed, letting out a sigh.

Rafael noticed the hesitation in her voice, as if she feared being judged.

— It seems like you and he have a good understanding about raising your daughter. That's what matters. — He answered, in a calm tone.

— Yes, we do. But it's still complicated... the exposure, the expectations. — Gigi admitted, looking at the table. — I just want Khai to have a normal life, you know?

Rafael nodded again, understanding her struggle.

— And you? — Gigi asked, determined to change the focus of the conversation. — What is it about your past that makes you so... reserved?

Rafael looked at her for a moment, considering if he was ready to open up about this part of his life. After a long sigh, he finally spoke:

— Before coming to New York, I served in the Brazilian Army Special Forces. I was part of the DCT, the Counter-Terrorism Detachment.

Gigi blinked, surprised.

— That sounds... intense.

— It was. — He said simply. — After that, I became a police officer in the BOPE, in Rio de Janeiro.

— BOPE... I've heard of it. Isn't it that battalion with the knife in the skull as its emblem? — She asked, frowning as she tried to remember.

— That's the one. — Rafael confirmed. — It's a special operations battalion. We did missions that no one else wanted or could do.

— And why did you leave? — Gigi asked, leaning forward.

Rafael was silent for a few seconds, as if he was choosing the right words.

— I saw and did things that started to weigh on me. It wasn't just the danger, but the mental pressure. I decided I needed something different, something more peaceful.

— So you came to New York. — She concluded.

— Yes. And I invested my money over the years. That gave me the freedom to choose where I want to be.

Gigi felt a wave of admiration for him. Rafael wasn't just a strong and reserved man; he had layers of experiences and difficult choices that shaped who he was.

— You're really fascinating, Rafael. — She said, unable to hide her smile.

He laughed lightly, but didn't respond.

After the meeting, each of them went back to their respective apartments. Gigi, however, couldn't get the conversation out of her head. She was curious about what Rafael had told her, especially about the DCT and BOPE.

Grabbing her laptop, she started researching. She typed "DCT Brazilian Army" into Google and pressed Enter. To her surprise, there was very little information available. Most of the articles were superficial, describing the DCT as a highly secretive counterterrorism unit made up of rigorously trained operators. Some images showed soldiers in camouflage uniforms, but their faces were always covered.

"So he was part of this…" Gigi muttered to herself, impressed.

Next, she searched for BOPE. The results were more numerous. Videos, photos, and news reports showed the brutality and danger of the battalion's operations. She saw images of the skull-and-knife emblem and read that it symbolized "victory over death."

The stories were intense: raids on drug-trafficked favelas, operations in extreme situations, and the reputation of being the "men in black" who faced the worst-case scenarios.

"Oh my God…" Gigi whispered, feeling a mix of admiration and concern.

Shutting down her laptop, she leaned back on the couch, trying to process everything. Rafael wasn't just a handsome and mysterious man; he carried a past that seemed to have come straight out of an action movie.

At the same time, Gigi realized how resilient he was. Despite everything he had endured, he still managed to be kind, protective, and above all, human.

Pulling out her phone, she sent him a message:

You are so much more interesting than I ever imagined. Thank you for trusting me enough to share a little bit of your past.

A few minutes later, the reply came:

Thank you for listening without judging. It means more than you know.

As Gigi put her phone away, a smile spread across her face. She felt like she was slowly getting to know the real Rafael Valente. And somehow, that made the world seem a little more exciting.

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