So close yet so far.Braston personally went to the Amazon organization, obviously not allowed to enter, yet he requested a legal meeting so he could talk to the leader."To what do I owe your personal visit?" asked Brígida, the city's chief, with a tone of suspicion in her voice."Do you still maintain this strict and idiotic policy of keeping men out of the city?" Braston inquired almost shouting, his eyes fixed on Brígida's guards who had their weapons drawn towards him."Of course, I don't accept men of questionable character in my premises," she announced arrogantly, raising her chin challengingly, the muscles of her face tense."That's not what I saw..." Braston retorted, his voice laden with irony, his eyebrows raised in a gesture of disdain. "After all, the beastly assassin is in here, you know the war he can cause, don't you?" he asked calmly, but his eyes gleamed with a veiled threat."Are you angry because I was able to recruit him and you couldn't even get the girl from th
Getting Closer"Have you received the new identity I asked Lisa to make?" Matheus inquired, watching Molly explore the new apartment. The place was simple but cozy, with a fresh jasmine scent in the air indicating recent cleaning."She handed it to me, but I didn't need to use it," Molly replied indifferently, grabbing a suitcase and opening it. A sealed envelope lay at the bottom."Where exactly?" Matheus asked, consulting a map on his notebook."Here in the suitcase," she said, showing him the envelope."You'll need it to go to the doctor," he warned sternly, his face serious."What are you doing?" Molly questioned, approaching. She didn't understand the incessantly flashing red dot on the map."It's Lisaura's phone," Matheus explained, making Molly even more anxious."My God! Are you going after her?" she asked, incredulous."Of course not. But I know this location well. I need to keep my allies under surveillance, even if it's just a woman of the night," he replied, with an indiff
Molly hurried down the corridor as Braston, with impressive agility, had already obtained her data under the new name she used. He had paid the doctor to provide him with all the information in real-time through his email. With discreet steps, he closely followed her, even though the girl was completely distracted. Upon leaving the clinic, Molly found her brother parking the motorcycle right in front of her, startling her. Braston watched the scene a few meters away as Matheus gave him a cold, implacable look, indicating that he was already expecting him. Braston merely responded with a wicked smile, though he didn't intend to provoke a conflict. "What are you doing here?" Matheus questioned, his voice tense. "I told you it wasn't safe to walk alone. I followed you after you left, and you didn't even notice," he explained, trying to justify himself. "Why do you keep doing this? I need privacy, you know?" Molly grumbled, annoyed by her brother's intrusion. "Unfortunately, you won't h
Molly's heart pounded irregularly."I need to go to the clinic to get some documents. My baby is about to be born, and I can't be late," she closed her eyes for a moment, silently pleading for the woman to let her pass."Wait for someone to accompany you," the woman ordered coldly, before turning around and returning to the base, her firm steps echoing on the concrete floor. She headed for the landline phone, ready to call the security of the private city.As soon as the woman disappeared into the building, a car coming from the city appeared as Molly's salvation. When the gate opened for the vehicle to pass, she seized the opportunity and dashed out, almost being run over by a passing taxi."Help!" she shouted in panic, waving to the driver who, without hesitation, opened the car door."Quickly, follow this address!" Molly ordered, getting into the vehicle with urgency written all over her face. The man, without questioning, stepped hard on the accelerator, propelling the car at a fr
Molly lay unconscious on the bed, her purse torn and a damp trail staining the white fabric. The scene was shocking, something the man had never witnessed before. He watched the trail left by the girl, a mixture of disgust and helplessness overcoming him.His thoughts swirled in a whirlwind. What to do? Lack of experience left him stunned, unable to make a rational decision.Molly breathed slowly, her pale lips slightly parted. Despite her unconsciousness, the fragility in which she found herself was evident. The situation was critical."What are you waiting for?" shouted one of the men as he entered abruptly, encountering Braston in serene composure."Waiting for the child to be born, of course! Water broken, baby on the way?" Braston retorted, perplexed. His henchmen, even more confused, stared at the man who apparently held the second position in command after Braston."It depends, sir!" replied Mustafa firmly, advisor and friend of Braston and his father."Depends?" Braston inquir
A cold-hearted mafioso subdued by a baby.Protected by a hospital gown, Braston followed the doctor to the nursery. Upon entering that warmly cozy environment, a shiver ran down his spine. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. The incessant crying of the infants echoed like torture in his ears. He wanted to flee, but forced himself to stay.The nurse guided him to an incubator, where a tiny, pale being struggled to breathe with the help of a machine. Braston averted his gaze from the other children, unable to bear the fragility of that miniature life."He's doing fine," the doctor said with a tender smile, noticing Braston's discomfort. "He'll need this machine for 24 hours, after that, you can hold him in your arms.""I prefer not to touch him," Braston replied coldly, surprising everyone. His aversion to that environment was evident."In that case, I'll let him talk to the baby. He's small, but he recognizes his father's voice," suggested the doctor, frowning in disbelief. Brasto
Traces of the PastThe men's echoing footsteps thundered as they rushed down the stairs, the child safely nestled in their padded bag."Are you having fun?" the man questioned upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, just before the exit, holding a bag with baby items. The three stopped abruptly. Immediately, the henchmen aimed their guns at Matheus."You know you can't kill me, right?" Matheus asked confidently, a smirk playing on his lips. Braston just caught his breath and descended the rest of the stairs, signaling for the men to lower their weapons. "But if you want some trouble..." Matheus commented, reaching for the knife at his waist."This isn't the time for conflict, especially with a child in the middle," Braston warned impartially, stopping in front of Matheus without flinching."Not yet," Matheus retorted, his voice laced with threat. "But know that you three will die by my hands." However, it wasn't the henchmen he was threatening with this conversation, and Braston knew
Braston stood up abruptly, anger taking hold of him. "Never!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the office.Jeff stared at him coldly. "Let her go and we'll get the ring," he suggested again, his voice firm and authoritative.But Braston wasn't intimidated, even in front of the underboss. "Are you crazy?" He questioned, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I've waited for so long! Obviously, I'm not giving up!""It's her, only her that I want now," he continued, the obsession evident in his eyes. "Ever since I made the deal with her family, that girl is my property."Jeff stood up, anger consuming him. "Stop this madness!" Jeff shouted. "There are no more advantages in this marriage! Teodoro is dead, and his entire empire has been burned down!"He punched the table, making the objects tremble. "We couldn't even bring Matheus, and now we've lost the emblem of the most powerful family in the city!"Jeff took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "What position do you think we're in?"
Chapter 36: Meeting Lisaura and Eloah"Lisaura!" Molly exclaimed from the doorway as she caught sight of her agitated friend. But before she could run to embrace her, Braston tightened his grip on her hand, stopping her."What is it?" she asked, confused, glancing at Lisaura's state. "What happened? Did you torture her?" she questioned discreetly, almost accusing him."Not this time," he replied calmly, unfazed by her tone. "How could I bring her here for you to see after torturing her with my own hands?""But... she was in your domain, wasn’t she?" Molly stammered."It wasn’t me!" he whispered harshly, leaning closer to her ear. Realizing he didn’t want more questions like that, Molly pressed her lips together, uneasy. Braston kept her still by his side, preventing her from getting closer to Lisaura, who hesitated to approach them."Can I go talk to her?" Molly finally asked, lifting her eyes to meet his. Braston pulled her closer, holding her head against his chest."Should I trust
"Chapter 35: First Insecurity" Molly, cautious, chose to wait. Acting impulsively would be a mistake. Observing Braston and his actions in the women’s organization was crucial. A skeptical smile formed on her lips as she thought about how much she cared for that man she once hated so much. The fear of what he might be doing, especially if it involved her family, still consumed her. She knew Braston’s ruthlessness. Two days passed without any contact—not even a phone call. With each passing day, Molly's anguish grew. Meanwhile, Braston was focused on finding Matheus. The man had escaped the mafia and gone into hiding, gathering the surviving assassins of Teodoro. Matheus, on the other hand, was monitoring Braston. He had discovered the location of his rival’s house and was planning to invade it to reclaim Molly and the baby. For that, he needed to gather enough men to face the heavily guarded property. “Do you have any idea where he might be?” Braston asked Mustafá, his ten
"Chapter 34: Your Care Is Better""How did this happen?" she asked, trying to lift his feet to examine Braston's wound. "Normal. It’s nothing to worry about. I just ended up tearing the stitches, but also, those Amazons are too useless!" he muttered, tilting his head back and letting out a groan of pain. "So, if this happened, I assume no deal was made, right?" "Not yet. It’ll be a business alliance..." he admitted, groaning. "I really thought..." she started to say, embarrassed. "Thought what?" he asked, looking down at her, noticing her blushing cheeks. "That you... It’s just that... Matheus... I believe he started a relationship with the boss over there." "You’re right. He has an unfulfilled marriage agreement there, which I arranged myself," he declared, smirking slightly. "I also thought..." "So, you thought I was starting something with one of those women?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She looked away as he pulled her into the water, staring at her intently. "Are you k
**It was almost 10 PM when Braston called Lizi.**“How is Molly?” he asked without delay. “She’s pretending to be fine, but she’s missing you.” “And Brady?” he asked next. “Both of them. You’re no longer a stray dog without a master; don’t you dare stay away for too long. I told her you were negotiating with the Amazons, but I didn’t mention that it was because Matheus attacked the family.” “Damn it, Mama Lizi!” he barked into the phone. “She might connect the dots and think I went to kill Matheus, even though that wouldn’t be a lie.” “I don’t think she’s focused on Matheus, but on the fact that you’re with a mafia of women,” she replied with irony. “She’s jealous?” he asked, smiling discreetly. “Supposedly. She didn’t eat much today and stayed locked in her room. I’m not sure if you’ll find a wife when you return, so remember that you have a wife and child now.” “What the hell is she doing?” he growled, ending the call.Molly had fallen asleep easily, overcome by bore
**Chapter 33: After a Day Away**Molly watched him change clothes quickly. His attire was casual: a dress shirt, black slim-fit pants, and impeccably clean black dress shoes. "Are you going out?" she asked as he put on a wristwatch. "I’m not sure yet, but I have some problems to solve now," he replied quickly. Approaching her, he kissed her on the cheek and held Brady in his arms for a moment, inhaling the delicate scent of his hair in a gentle embrace. Then, he handed him back to Molly and left. When he arrived at the office, Mustafá was waiting, standing with an air of impartiality. "So?" "Matheus destroyed half of the hideout." When he said this, Braston's expression hardened. "He was willing to kill you. Your office was wrecked, he killed twenty men, planted three bombs, and supposedly placed a mole." "Could that mole be Lisaura?" Braston asked calmly, letting out a heavy sigh as he sat down. "No, she wouldn’t do that," Mustafá concluded without hesitation. "How ca
Molly, still recovering from the shock, felt embarrassed to face Braston after what she had done. But instead of the anger she expected, she heard his deliberate and joyful laugh."What are you laughing at?" she asked, embarrassed."I’ll never take you swimming again!" he said, laughing."How the hell is this man so handsome? Smiling like that?" she thought, staring at him, lost in his body and his cheerful smile as his dark hair fell like a cascade over his forehead, giving him a sensual look."What’s so funny? I almost died; you did that without warning!""You could’ve just asked me to stop instead of trying to kill yourself. I said we were just going to explore, but if you had really…," he compressed his lips, a bit frustrated, then showed tranquility as he approached her, shivering with cold. "What’s wrong?" he asked, seeing her hugging her knees, looking disheartened."I was wrong..." she whispered, embarrassed."What?" he asked again, even though he had heard her."I... I was wr
Chapter 32: "Your Touch Isn't So Bad.""I’m sorry, as I said, I was terrified, I didn’t mean to provoke you.""Ah..." he sighed, raising his eyebrows. "So, you know you're provoking me?"Molly held her breath as she felt her back pressed against the slippery rock, experiencing the sensation of his body pressed against hers. She hesitated, looking into his eyes, and Braston then gave her a carefree smile, his brown eyes lighting up. It was the kind of smile that didn’t need words. It said everything, as one of his hands touched her face, and his thumb gently caressed her flushed cheek."Can’t you feel anything for me, even knowing we were once friends in the past?" he asked, hopeful."I don’t know what I feel now," she replied timidly, lowering her head, feeling his curious gaze studying her face thoughtfully."Hmm..." he smiled, satisfied. "If you didn’t say you don’t love me and that you’ll never like me, it means something has changed, right?" he asked, still hopeful. She just raise
Everything changed when Braston took Molly to the stable to witness the birth of the little horse. She was captivated by the pale little horse that was born; she wanted that horse so much, and even though it had already been sold, Braston stole the horse and had hidden it until today."This is..." Molly murmured, remembering as she looked at the horse."Yes, I stole it for you.""You did that? I never forgot that horse. I spent days crying when I found out I could no longer see it.""But I told you I would give it to you, so you felt better.""Yes! It was our secret, but over time, I didn't see it anymore." Suddenly, she looked at Braston, analyzing him. She could barely remember him in her memories. "You were so young... I was nine years old... You're very different from back then.""Yeah, my father punished me and made me pay 20,000 for it. I worked an entire year being exploited by the old man because of the horse," he said, laughing."You were crazy, really different from other peo
**Chapter 31: The Present I Stole for You**After the midday rest, Lizi had meticulously arranged everything as she had planned with Braston. Molly, despite her reluctance, just changed into one of the light, airy outfits she had there—a comfortable overall—and carefully selected cool clothes for Brady. Meanwhile, Braston patiently waited in the living room, already dressed in a light, airy white linen shirt with rolled-up sleeves that revealed strong forearms. His khaki shorts, made of breathable cotton, were perfect for the warm weather. He was the embodiment of strength and elegance, perfectly suited for a relaxing walk in the countryside.As soon as Molly came down the stairs, Braston handed the baby to Lizi and took the basket from her hand. Molly kept her gaze away from Braston as they walked together. As soon as they passed the mansion’s grounds, Molly occasionally glanced at Lizi, who was following them, until Braston took her hand.“That’s not necessary, I can walk on my own,