Arthur
When the manager of my nightclub entered my office on the second floor to inform me that someone was insisting on speaking with me, she didn't need to tell me who it was. I could already perfectly imagine who it was.
After asking Lucy to let this person in without even asking who it was, the woman I saw walking through the door of my office was exactly who I had imagined, confirming that my assumption was correct.
Even though I anticipated the inconvenient visitor, I had to take a deep breath and summon all the patience within me to not shout at her for doing exactly what I asked her not to do: follow me. What's worse, she came to my workplace uninvited and definitely unwelcome.
"What are you doing here, Bruna?" I asked rudely and without a preamble. "I made it abundantly
MarianaAfter we told Joshua about the story involving Murilo and Ethan, he seemed genuinely shocked. According to what he told us, he could never have imagined that his friend would find a scapegoat and pursue that person to the point of becoming someone unscrupulous and vengeful."We left the country after what happened to my sister," Joshua recounted. "My parents were always completely focused on work and felt guilty for not having enough time for their children, catering to all our desires. And as you can imagine, that's completely wrong.""But you don't seem to have been affected by it much," Virgínia pointed out assertively.I also agreed with my friend, as the more we talked to him, the more he showed himself to be someone with many qualities, and the biggest one s
EthanIt's been a few days since I had any news from Mariana, and it was eating away at me. I miss her, and even miss sleeping on the small and narrow mattress that was too cramped for the both of us.Recognizing this made me reflect on the irony of the situation because I was now lying in my big and comfortable bed, extremely spacious, surrounded by luxury and all the things money can buy, but I wasn't... happy.I could claim that since I lost Beatriz, I could never be happy again, but I would be lying in a shameful way. I loved Beatriz, and when she was with me, I felt fulfilled and happy, but as soon as she distanced herself, I questioned why I accepted all her flaws and tantrums.The truth is, her loss seems to have blinded me, making me only remember the good times and how happy I felt when we were together.But the big problem is that we spent very little time together because we were always in crisis, with Beatriz complaining about me working too much, not having enough time fo
MarianaEven though I felt well enough to work, I still spent a few days at home, resting. I didn't want any of my clients to see me with my face like that, and I certainly didn't want to have to explain to everyone why I had that bruise around my eye.Even worse, I didn't want anyone to assume it was due to violence and without knowing the truth, spread lies about it. Only when the bruise had completely disappeared from my face, did I return to work, where I was already missing a lot. And when I found Virginia much earlier than we used to do our shift change, because I couldn't stand being cooped up at home anymore, thinking nonsense.But the first thing my friend asked was something completely different from what I expected. "I thought you'd ask if I was better," I protested, annoyed. "And you're asking me about that jerk?"Virginia doesn't care at all that I'm irritated and even laughs at my angry face. "Calm down, friend," she asks, smiling. "I'm just curious if Ethan looked for y
EthanI left Mariana's store feeling terrible. She had rejected me without even hearing what I had to say about anything, but I could never blame her for anything. I had truly been a jerk to Mariana, and now I was just reaping what I had sown, as cliché as it may sound.But I hadn't lost all hope yet, and I would fight tooth and nail to win over that incredibly audacious woman who effortlessly captured my heart. The truth is, ever since I saw her coming down the stairs of Murilo's mansion at the beach house, Mariana had managed to shake me and knock down all my resolutions and plans for my life.I remembered my decision to visit my parents in Campo Limpo, but I couldn't leave São Paulo without first resolving some pending issues, the most important of which was having a very serious conversation with Murilo Fe
MuriloThe normal work shift was coming to an end at the company, and I couldn't wait to go back home to my wife, something I always eagerly looked forward to throughout the day.Sometimes, I wished to stay at home and simply enjoy Virginia and her pregnancy, but she, being the stubborn person she is, doesn't agree with my wonderful plans and practically forces me to come to FERZ.But coming is one thing, and staying in the company for as long as necessary is an entirely different matter, and I didn't intend to remain indefinitely at FERZ until I could catch up with all the work.Times had changed, and now I have important things and people waiting for me at home, so I called Arlete to let her know I was leaving and that all important matters would be addressed the next day."There's something you might prefer to resolve today," Arlete spoke with a tone of apprehension in her voice."There's nothing that can hold me here any longer. I definitely wouldn't stay, and as I made clear, wha
EthanHearing the truth about Beatriz was something that left me extremely... disappointed. Even though I was aware that our relationship was never perfect and that Beatriz herself had her flaws, I still didn't expect to have been made a fool of the entire time, especially by the guy I always considered my best friend."I know what you're thinking, Ethan," Joshua said objectively, standing by my side. "But I want to make it clear, regardless of what you may think of me, that I have always loved my sister, flaws and all, and out of love, I did everything she wanted me to do. Now I know I made many mistakes, but time doesn't go back for me to fix them. Still, I want to apologize, my friend."I looked at Joshua's extended hand, a gesture of peace, wishing to say so many things, to shout that he was a lying jerk and that he betrayed my trust. But at the same time, the memories of Joshua by his sister's side, always supporting her and catering to her every whim, just like their parents did
MarianaWhen I left home determined to go to Ethan's company and give that arrogant jerk a piece of my mind, I couldn't have imagined that once again I would catch him in terrible company. Once again, I was witnessing with my own eyes just how much of a despicable person he truly is.Still, the look of genuine horror on Ethan's face might be considered hilarious by some, but not by me. I was consumed by anger, faced with his complete lack of scruples."I have no idea what you're talking about, Mariana," he said, circling around the desk and walking towards me. "Tell me, what happened?"Ethan seemed genuinely confused, but I wouldn't fall for that act or his ridiculous attempt to play innocent in this situation."Don't play dumb, Ethan!" I shouted uncontrollably. "And don't you dare try to make me look like one. You leaked the whole auction story to the press, you damn bastard!"Ethan appeared genuinely surprised by the information, but before I could say everything I intended to, Brun
EthanAs Mariana opened the door to leave my office, ready to not only leave my office but also my life, I couldn't think of anything else but to tell her how I felt. She urgently needed to hear me, and I didn't care at all about declaring my love for the woman of my life in front of other people, regardless of who they were. In fact, if everyone in that building were there at that moment, I would still have declared my love for Mariana in the same way.Seeing that she seemed completely stunned, still standing by the door, the doorknob in her hand, I walked towards her. The need to touch her at that moment was stronger than anything else. I couldn't postpone it any longer, so I gently held her face, urging her to look directly at me, eye to eye, so she could feel the sincerity of my words.That simple gesture seemed to snap her out of the stupor she was in. With her eyes looking like two beautiful pools, she stared at me with a faint smile."What did you say?" Mariana asked."That I l