In the early morning, Egil's door resounds loudly. He gets up, dazed by the persistence. He takes a deep breath to calm himself. He had barely been able to fall asleep a few minutes ago and now he's awake again. "Come in," he says, struggling to put on his robe. Ester opens the door, nervous."Mrs. Adelaide is already in labor, sir.""What? How long has she been like this?""She's been in a lot of pain since last night. Her aunt's doctor is examining her right now and getting her ready to leave.""And why didn't you tell me before?!" grumbles Egil, annoyed as he changes his robe for a jacket and puts on shoes. "I made it clear last time that you should tell me everything about her and my child, no matter the hour.""I'm sorry, sir. I found out just now when the maid, Mercedes, came to tell me. Mrs. Adelaide asked that no one bother you unless her condition worsens and she needs to go to the clinic, that's why I'm here. Besides, after what happened this afternoon, she...""Is there n
Peace has been reigning among the clans for exactly one year, when all the other landowners gathered and requested a truce from Egil. A truce that was granted at Adelaide's request.Although free trade was reopened between them, Egil decided to take precautions as he had planned from the beginning and at his wife's request. He also does not fully trust this supposed peace after living in enmity for so long.This is a peculiar morning, there is a lot of movement in the hacienda since early on, just like in the office. The partners and members of the clan are already gathered in the boardroom, waiting for Egil to start the session."Is my brother already in the room?" Benedict asks the same young secretary who was with Egil in his room the other time. The young woman blushes instantly."Not yet, sir," she replies hesitantly.Benedict nods and walks to the large window of the building, from where the entire facade of the city can be seen. The secretaries in that area follow his every mov
The meeting ends a few hours later. Martín leaves the office accompanied by his private secretary."Is that man already waiting for us at the agreed location?" he asks quietly as he enters the van."Yes, sir. He is already at the meeting point. I received a message from him a few minutes ago," the secretary responds.Martín nods and they head towards Hacienda Arrabal where a man is waiting for them. It is not strange for him to go there. With the celebration of Gaspar Arrabal's birth, many people visit to spend time with the boss.A few minutes later, they arrive at the main house and, unnoticed by the others present, they walk to a hidden area where the contact is waiting. Martín stands beside the man and without speaking, takes two stacks of bills out of his pocket and places them in his hand. The man briefly examines them with his gaze and then nods."It must be done right away," Martín says before returning to the house.The man goes directly to the deep basement with a bag in his
Three days have passed since Petra escaped from the dungeon of the Arrabal estate with Martín's help; however, everyone believes she died in the fire, as human bones were found among the ashes and there was no one else at the scene but her. Although it still couldn't be determined how the fire started.She arrived in Zimbron that same day. The doctors of her brother Fidel Alonso have been taking care of her and he has been informed of the rare and serious illness his sister suffers from. He only saw her for a few minutes and couldn't bear the impression and disgust that her appearance caused him. He had to leave the room immediately to avoid vomiting.Petra's skin is completely rotten, with worms in some parts of her body. Her hair has completely disappeared and most of her teeth have fallen out. She is like a walking skeleton from a horror event.Her pains are so intense at times that she vomits coagulated and foul-smelling blood until she faints. Some say it is a miracle that she is
It's already night when Benedict finally manages to leave the building without being seen. He takes his truck and returns to the hacienda, making sure no one follows him. Once there, he feels very uneasy. A knot in his throat prevents him from breathing normally. He is not convinced about telling Egil what he found out. His brother is a very impulsive man and that could work against him.He looks out the window towards the main house and his heart races. He must find a way to protect them, but how?Something tells him that Petra's sudden death has something to do with all of this. Determined to do something, he takes his gun and goes to the lounge where the guards are gathered. He gestures to Samuel to follow him, the only one he has put all his trust in during this time."Mr. Benedict," says Samuel, startled to see him standing at the door in the middle of the night. "Did something happen to the lady? Do you need me for something?""She doesn't need you right now, but what we must do
At the moment Adelaide puts foot on the first step, a strange woman pulls her hair and takes her hostage. Egil rushes towards them and manages to free her, but a bullet pierces Adelaide's chest as she tries to escape. A loud noise deafens everyone in that moment, there are screams and fires everywhere in the blink of an eye.Egil manages to cover his wife as a shield when she falls to the ground, while Gage takes Eleonor's hand and pulls the nanny to the floor to avoid being hit by a bullet. Irene falls behind some armchairs with Gaspar in her arms and hits her head, causing a bleeding cut on her forehead.A bloody battle breaks out between the attackers and the clan's guards while Adelaide starts to bleed out on the floor. Egil tries with all his strength to protect her, but many men surround them at once.The attack is simultaneous in the three estates belonging to the Arrabal clan and in the club where they were all gathered for dinner. Neither Gage nor Benedict expected an attack
"They are alive, Mr. Benedict!" The shouts of one of the guards break the painful silence of what was once a ballroom, but now only remains a battlefield. "Mr. Egil and Mrs. Adelaide are still alive!"Benedict immediately gets up and, despite the pain from his bleeding wounds, walks step by step to the position indicated by the man.He checks their vital signs, first of his brother, then of Adelaide."Get some men to help us transport them to the hospital," Benedict orders the man, also injured but not seriously, who quickly goes in search of help.Benedict moves Egil's body away from Adelaide and places it upright, waiting for someone who can help with his wounds. As long as he is alive, there is hope, and he will fight for it.He then takes Adelaide's body and brings her into his lap. Despite feeling weak, he holds her tightly against his chest and kisses her forehead several times.A soft sob escapes from his chest as he caresses her pale face with his fingers. She is badly injured
Inside the Arrabal estate, after a few minutes of travel, Samuel arrives and can see all the damage that has been caused. Although the security personnel managed to subdue the attackers, there are too many dead and destruction in their wake.Nora is seated in a chair when Samuel arrives. She looks at him as if she had been expecting him, and she already has several bags with jars prepared and ready on the table to attend to the wounded."Is Mr. Benedict alive?" The woman's question leaves Samuel puzzled for a few seconds, but he is not surprised, as he has seen them speak on several occasions and it is clear that they get along well."He is in the hospital with Mrs. Adelaide and the boss. Both of them are badly injured. Mr. Benedict also received several graze wounds, but he will survive."Nora nods more calmly. Together, they tour the estate to analyze the situation. Apparently, everything is already calm, but he finds it hard to trust. He gathers all the surviving men and makes sure
Two weeks later, in Rome... "What does this mean, Benedict?! Is this why you wanted to come to Italy? Because of her? To look for her?" Pamela throws the folder on the table as she cries bitterly. She can no longer bear this situation, she is tired of fighting with the ghost of Adelaide and Gaspar. Benedict takes a napkin and wipes the coffee stains on his jacket caused by the folder hitting his cup, without the mood to respond to his wife's complaint. "I can't bear it anymore, you will never forget her. This obsession of yours with her has gone too far, I want to go home." Pamela walks over to the couch where she sits to alleviate the pain in her back. When she found the folder this morning among her husband's things, she couldn't believe what it said. "You can leave whenever you want," he says dryly but in a low tone. "No one forced you to come with me, or to get involved in things that are none of your business." "Does she matter to you more than me and your daughter?" Pamel
Emma looks at her husband with fiery eyes as he carefully salivates that object. Then she positions herself with her back to him, bending down enough to offer him a unique, delicious, and incredibly sexy view of her behind.Her husband's breath triples as his mouth comes into contact with her body. He inhales deeply, shamelessly, savoring the distinct aroma of woman that drives him crazy. Without any further preamble and on the verge of collapse, he assaults her intimate part.Adriano's tongue is having a party tonight. It eagerly explores every nook and cranny, savoring it like the nectar of the gods."Love, like this," Emma moans desperately. "Please, keep going."Adriano continues his work, now more diligently, moving a bit higher and applying more pressure to the right spot to sufficiently lubricate that orifice from which he will later delight himself.Slowly, he directs the plug to where it should be, doing it gently and with just the right coercion so that in a couple of moveme
"My love," Emma calls Adriano's attention, barely peeking through the bathroom door as she walks slowly towards where he is."For all the angels!" Adriano whispers as he takes in every detail of her from head to toe. "Emma, my love...""Do you like it?" she asks, advancing in her high heels that resonate throughout the room, until she's just a step away from him.Adriano swallows hard a couple of times and still can't manage to untie his throat. Damn it! He knew nothing would be normal with her on their honeymoon, but this exceeds all his expectations. Emma is so beautiful she looks like a seductive angel.Immediately and without any preamble, he falls to his knees at her feet, placing his hands on her thighs and fixing his gaze on the smooth and kissable skin of that part of her body."I'm very excited, my husband," she says, running her fingers through Adriano's hair. He closes his eyes for a second and lets out a heavy sigh. "What are you going to do about it?""I will give you all
After leaving the airport, Adriano takes everyone to a pizzeria for dinner, where he announces that he and Emma are getting married tomorrow at noon.That night, everyone stays up late planning what they are going to do. Bea takes care of the desserts and food, Emma hires a wedding planner to organize everything needed, while she chooses a dress and clothes for Eleonor and Gaspar. Santos sends invitations to some of the partners and businessmen and calls the judge. Adriano arranges the honeymoon trip. He had wanted to go to Greece for a long time and this is the perfect time to do it. Luckily, he manages to find a hotel and a private flight that will take them there.The movement in the Palumbo mansion begins early in the morning. Nobody is still, and by midday, everything is ready.Adriano adjusts the boutonniere on his jacket lapel in front of the mirror. The smile hasn't left his face since yesterday. He feels that so much happiness can't fit in his chest."È pronto, padre? Il giud
In Rome, five years later..."Is this for real?" Adriano sets his champagne glass aside and approaches Emma, who is leaning on the terrace railing, but looking at him."Of course. I've never been more sure about this," she responds with her usual smile that melts Adriano’s heart with love. He approaches her and takes her face in both hands before planting a soft kiss on her lips. He has patiently waited for this day for all these years. Many times he wanted to give up, to distance himself, to try to forget her, but realizing that he couldn't live without her, he would try again. Today is Adriano's birthday, and Emma organized a lunch for him at a highly renowned hotel in Rome, just the two of them, as Beatriz and Santos are traveling in Morocco, visiting their mother, and will return tonight. In all these years, they have shared unforgettable moments together. Everyone thinks they're a couple, but the truth is they haven't been able to take that step until today when she finally sa
"Isn't it the same thing you plan to do? Aren't you going to claim what you bought?" Pamela asks Benedict in a bitter tone while pointing at herself."Of course I will claim it," he responds dryly. "The difference is that I will be your husband. With me, you will have everything you never dreamed of having. I won't take you by force, but that doesn't guarantee that when you decide to be with me, I won't be hard with you, because that's how I like to fuck. You will be Mrs. Arrabal, the mother of my heirs, my wife."An overwhelming silence envelops them at that moment. Pamela doesn't even know how to respond to that.He extends his hand to her and Pamela takes a few seconds to take it. Benedict puts her on his lap, just like he had hundreds of times with Adelaide. In a way, Pamela reminds him of her, her innocence, her spontaneity, her simplicity.Benedict inhales the scent of her hair before kissing her forehead again. This is something Pamela has never experienced before, she doesn't
Pamela is busy cooking inside the precarious hut she lives in with her aunt since her mother died 20 years ago.Since she arrived yesterday morning, her aunt has not stopped reproaching and calling her every possible name for escaping that night when she wanted to sell her to that disgusting man for a little money.Of course, she is used to her aunt's abuse after so many years living with her, but what she did that night crossed all the limits and she doesn't plan on letting it happen again.She still wears the bandage on her knee, and although the pain is almost nonexistent now, she fears her wounds will get infected.While stewing the meat for lunch, she takes a glass and pours a little water, but when she turns around, a dark and large figure sitting in the only armchair in the small living room startles her, causing the glass to fall from her hands to the floor."Hello, little one," Benedict's hoarse and firm voice shakes her from head to toe.How did he find her? Did he have her
A thick smoke hangs in the horizon, darkening the sky and casting shadows over the Turnnie mansion. It was a devastating surprise attack, they had planned for months to come here so that everything would go perfectly. Chaos reigns as flames devour the house and crops, and the screams of the servants fill the air.In the center of the chaos, Benedict calmly looks at the destruction. This day was supposed to mark the justice he had waited for so long. Adelaide's brother, Calixto, and his father, Bahram Valencia, were finally supposed to receive the punishment they deserved for the attack on the Arrabal clan, which had claimed the lives of many people, including his brother Egil, and for all the times they had plotted to kill her. However, both of them are missing."I'm sorry, sir, but we can't find them anywhere," one of his men informs him. "Everything indicates that they are not in the mansion.""Did you search inside the basements?"Benedict knows that Bahram has been living here wit
"Do you want to try?" Benedict's sudden question makes Pamela blush, imagining he's referring to her very visible attributes now in front of him."He's crazy! Who does he take me for?" She responds immediately, quite offended. "I don't even know him.""I don't see what the problem is; it's just whiskey," Benedict replies, pointing to the glass but at the same time smiling in a way that disturbs Pamela. "What did you think?""Nothing," she responds, realizing she misspoke."Alright, are you leaving or not?" he asks as he searches for something in his drawers. "It's late, and I need to sleep.""So, you don't mind me going alone at this time of night?" she questions as if that's a problem for him."No," Benedict responds as he puts on his boxers. Pamela looks at him indignantly. "But if you want to stay, I can...""Fine," she interrupts him. "I'll stay right here on the couch, still, I won't bother at all."Pamela settles there with every intention of staying to sleep.Benedict, tired of