I locked the door to the master suite, which Damien had forced me to occupy, and started walking down the corridor. A few steps later, I heard the sound of music coming from the living room downstairs. It wasn't Gardel, I had sharpened my ears during the walk, but it was certainly characteristic Argentinian beat.I went downstairs slowly, still appreciating the details of the green dress perfectly fitted to my body. It had arrived just after my shower and was one of the most beautiful pieces I had ever seen. It was pleated with gold brooches gathered on the left side of my waist and had thin straps that crossed at the back.- You look beautiful, Ellen. - Damien's voice made me look ahead and I realized that he was wearing formal clothes, but no tie.Once in the room, I could perfectly discern the music and suddenly understood his intention.- No. - I muttered as I entered the room. Damien smiled and held out his hand to me.- You want this.- No. No. - I tried to return to the stairs
- More beautiful than I imagined. I was impressed by the beaches, they're just as beautiful as the Brazilian ones. - I replied authentically.Santiago nodded.- Brazil leads the ranking in this regard, but that's good to hear. - He admitted with a smile. - Have you known Damien for long?The question baffled me for a few seconds, but I realized that there would be no mistake in confessing that I had met him at his reception. It was just a matter of not mentioning how I got into it.- We met at his reception at the Copacabana Palace. - I confessed and smiled at Damien, who smiled back at me.- As you can see, I was very well received. - Damien continued to smile and I felt my face burn. His public displays always made me nervous.- I met Santiago at a traditional beach party at the hotel. He had come to Argentina for a friend's bachelorette party. - Teresa glanced at her husband, who smiled and held her hand across the table.- It was the most opportune night of my life. - He took his
I hesitated before entering my suite, but finally opened the door. Trying not to think about the latest events and Damien's strange words, I undressed and put on the sleeping clothes I had brought from Brazil. But when I looked at my bed, I didn't feel the urgency to lie down. Instead, I went to the mirror to look at myself.What was happening to me? I hadn't looked the same over the last few days. I couldn't recognize myself anymore. Where was my self-control? Damien had undermined it with every kiss, every touch between us. In fact, I knew it was happening every second I spent near him, but I didn't want to stop it. Because deep down it was what I longed to have.Suddenly I realized that I was tired of all those restrictions I had created for myself. I was tired of my routine existence and the nights that always ended lonely. I wanted to break all that. Suddenly I wanted to break through and find out what I was capable of. Did it really matter how Damien saw things? And how I was st
It was dark, very dark. But I knew there was someone else around because I heard a low cry breaking the silence of the room. I suddenly became aware that I was on a bed and stood up, startled. My pupils had become accustomed to the darkness and I realized I was in my own room.The crying became louder and then I recognized Julia's squeaky voice coming through the walls of the room. My heart raced and I pulled back the sheets and jumped out of bed in search of my sister, but when I was halfway down the corridor, the house didn't look the same. The conspicuous brick walls were there again and I felt a shiver run down my spine.- Bitch! - Someone shouted from the room ahead, snapping me out of my momentary trance and making me hurry towards the familiar kitchen.But when I entered the room, I let out a terrified scream. My father had his leather belt in one hand and with the other he was holdingJulia pinned to the floor by her neck, desperately struggling for air.- Let her go! - I shou
It wasn't a good journey to Buenos Aires, but it wasn't a long one either. When we arrived in the Argentine capital, the weather wasn't the best and a storm was approaching. Damien booked us both into a luxury hotel so that we would be sheltered until our flight left in the evening.Santiago and Teresa came to say goodbye just before the helicopter flight and made us promise to come back. We responded cordially, although I knew I wouldn't be seeing them again. Damien would definitely be back. It seemed to me that things had gone well and that he would close the deal he wanted with Santiago. It had been a good weekend for him.I didn't try to talk to Damien and we spoke only when necessary during the drive through Buenos Aires. I was anxious to get home, get to Brazil and get away from him. I wanted to buy ice cream and watch Top Gun in my small, safe room. Then all was just a distant dream that would fade as time went by.When we arrived at the hotel a little after three, Damien helpe
Damien's hands slid down my arms, causing soft goose bumps on my skin with each touch of his agile fingers. His lips returned to my neck and he spread warm kisses across my skin. I reached for him with my hands, molding his perfect biceps with my fingers and moving up his shoulders to reach the hair on the back of his neck. His warm chest was on top of mine and our bodies were wrapped in the thin dark blue blanket. I gasped and moaned as Damien lowered his lips to my collarbone and began to tease me with gentle nibbles around the sensitive spot on my breasts. I gasped for a moment and slid my hands down the mattress, clenching the sheet between my fingers. It seemed to get better each time we started again.Damien pulled away with a smile and leaned on his forearms, but suddenly his eyebrows drew together and he looked worried. But I couldn't concentrate on asking what it was. Not when he was so close and warm on top of me. I seized the moment and lifted myself up too, resting my righ
The clock on the platform ticked ten o'clock when we finally arrived in Rio de Janeiro. Damien was checking our luggage and I was trying to reach Arianna, but the call was going straight to voicemail, making me increasingly worried.- Everything's going to the car, Darling. Tom is already waiting for us. - Damien warned me when he pulled up next to me.I didn't look at him and turned off my cell phone.- I need to get home. - I stared at him, already imagining his reaction.- Now? No. I'm not letting you go home tonight, Ellen. - He seemed offended by my desire.- I didn't want to go, Damien. I'd rather stay with you, but I have to because I have to see my brother...- Your brother? - Damien looked confused.- Yes. - I answered quickly. - I have responsibilities towards them, you know.He looked at me for a few moments. I wasn't lying this time, but I hadn't told the whole truth either. I hadn't talked about the hospital. I was afraid that the news might cause some negative reaction i
Despair spoke for me and my mind was full of the last smiles David had given me before my trip to Argentina. He looked so well. It seemed that all this would soon be nothing more than a bad dream. He didn't deserve it. My little boy didn't deserve any of it. That's when the anguish squeezed my chest so tightly that the pain was physical. I held onto Damien's arms as I felt my body go limp.- Ellen? Ellen? - I heard him call me and pull me close to him. Then his voice sounded like a dream. - Forgive me. It's going to be all right.I felt his fingers on my forehead and that was the last consciousness I had.***It was like waking up after a bad dream, but in a not very welcoming one.I was lying in a pale room and there was a needle in my left arm transferring some liquid into my bloodstream. It took me a few minutes to realize where I was and even less to notice Damien sitting in the armchair opposite me. His blue eyes sparkled as they met mine and he got up to approach my bed.- How a