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 93: Closing.Molly and Braston continued their journey to New Orleans. They had their moments of peace, and during their stay, Braston showed her his favorite place, where he creates perfumes, with the master perfumer who taught him how to craft fragrances."So, he’s the one who taught you how to create fragrances?" Molly asked, surprised, as they walked through the luxurious boutique, a truly charming place."Yes, when I arrived here, I couldn’t handle people, not even those I liked, except you. When I met you, I think it was because you were the most innocent and pure thing my hands had ever touched," Braston said nostalgically. "But Chief Pierre taught me how to look at people and imagine what scent would be perfect for them, and then refine it. You were my peach, but it’s been a while since you entered my life, and everything has taken on a different scent. You changed everything. I’m happy to be by your side," he confessed, looking around. Molly, on the other hand, felt u
Chapter 92: Cave‘No…’ he muttered with a grunt, wanting to curse loudly but holding himself back. ‘What the hell do you want? Weren’t you sleeping?’ he asked, clearly annoyed. ‘I was, but I saw you leaving… Everyone left with their partners and it’s just the two of us. Let’s go out together?’ she asked, as he unceremoniously removed her from his back. ‘Go back home!’ he stated, not even looking her in the eyes. ‘And what about what happened at the hotel?’ she insisted, quickening her pace to stay by his side. ‘Nothing happened! I was drunk, woke up the same way I fell asleep, except without my shirt and with my car vomited in. That’s because this little thing, who doesn’t know how to drink, ruined everything.’ He spoke with irritation, but without raising his tone. ‘When are you going to stop treating me like a child? Are you blind?’ Laysa asked indignantly. ‘I treat women like women. I treat children like children. And you need to stop thinking you’re a woman,’ he grumbled, ir
Cap.91: What Happened to Matheus"Matheus had moved in with Mariana, returning to his old house in Russia. He didn’t understand why she chose this destination, the same city where his mother had lived."Why are we here?" he asked, confused."My family lives here, and this is our country. Besides, it's been a long time since you visited your mother's grave, right?" she replied, her tone apprehensive.Matheus had only visited that place once after becoming an adult. His last memory of being there was when he was nine. Now, being back made his heart tighten. Life seemed so unfair, and all of this because of the greed of a cruel man."To think my mother was his woman... And that, in the end, he traded her, reduced her to a mistress. I always judged her, thought she was greedy for wanting a rich man. I remember well... One time, I even yelled at her, just days before she was murdered," he said, his voice choking, as his knees touched the snow-covered ground in front of his mother’s grave.
Cap.90: Beware of him, not me.Cassius hadn't realized that he had held Laysa in his arms the entire night. She had completely passed out, and both of them were drunk. In the morning, no one remembered anything. Cassius was the first to wake up and, to his surprise, found Laysa’s arms wrapped around him, resting peacefully on his chest. For a moment, a faint smile appeared on his face as he gazed at her serene, smiling expression.However, as his eyes traveled down her body, he noticed her shirt was lifted, revealing part of her backside. His conscience weighed heavily on him, and his expression shifted to concern. Discreetly, he pulled her shirt down to cover her better. He sighed in relief when he saw that she was still wearing her underwear. "Thank God nothing happened," he thought. Then, he checked his own clothes and felt even more relieved to see he still had his pants on."Supposedly, she doesn't remember sleeping on top of me. If I move her slowly, she won't notice. Damn it...
“To think that I love you,” she muttered, crying.“Cut the crap! I already told you, stop saying that bullshit,” he snapped, annoyed.“Look!” Laysa said, pointing at where they were.“I see it, a hotel. So what?” he replied with disdain.Laysa stared at him in disbelief while he laughed incredulously.“No way. The last time I went into a hotel with you, and mind you, it was an apartment, I got arrested. You’re trouble.”“But I’m a woman now, there’s no problem with that. Look at me! I need a shower; this smell is making me sick.”“The mix of booze and vomit is hell, baby girl. That’s your punishment. And I don’t know who put it in your head that you’re a woman.”“What the hell? What do you think I am, then?” she asked, unable to believe what she had just heard.“Look, I’ll take you there, you’ll clean yourself up, and we’ll leave before the cops show up,” he said seriously.Laysa almost jumped with joy, but Cassius kept his distance from her, clearly uncomfortable.He rented a room an
Chap. 89: Your View of MeCassius stayed on the party floor, not far from the stage where the dancers performed. Francine and the girls were going wild, while he, with a stern expression, kept disapproving of the situation. He was close to his limit, thinking about ending the party with gunfire, but he suppressed the urge with alcohol even though he was responsible for taking the group home.Laysa remained near Francine but didn’t blend in. The poor thing only watched Cassius from afar. After three failed attempts to approach him, she drowned her shame in mixed drinks, even after so many rejections.“Lay, stop staring at that brute! Look at how many hot, handsome guys are around!” Francine shouted, trying to compete with the loud music as she pulled her friend to dance.But Laysa had no enthusiasm for anything.“You don’t understand… I love him… I’m crazy about him!” she confessed, her voice thick with alcohol and emotion.“Look, girl, I’ll be honest,” Francine said, already slurring.
"He pushed me?" Laysa murmured to herself, confused. "But there's only one man who would do that..." she said, while Molly fought Braston and Layane practically assaulted Frederick's chest.Laysa didn't waste time."I knew it! Cassius!" she exclaimed, ripping off his mask and throwing herself at him in a hug.Annoyed, Cassius pushed her away and left the stage without saying a word."What?!" Layane reacted, her heart racing. When she took off Frederick’s mask, he stood up furiously and dragged her off the stage without giving her a chance to react."Layla... what is going on?" Molly asked, her face pale and eyes brimming with tears.Layla just stared at her, full of remorse."Oh, Molly... You were advised not to come." That was all she said before turning her back and jumping off the stage straight into Caio’s arms.Molly looked at Braston, hesitant. Summoning her courage, she removed his mask, and as soon as she saw her husband's face, she nearly fainted."Is this a party?" Braston g
88: The Sisters’ Punishment"Oh, so Layane went to see naked men?" Frederick asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm and anger."But there's still time for you to catch them before the party starts!" Layla assured, anxious about her friends' fate."What do you mean?" Frederick frowned, intrigued."It's only seven o'clock; the dancers don't arrive until eight. You can go now and catch them by surprise!" Layla suggested, clearly uncomfortable."Right now!" Frederick declared, already preparing to leave, but Braston grabbed his arm, thoughtful."Wait, I have a much better idea," Braston said, a malicious smile sparking everyone's curiosity."My wife will have to explain this nonsense to me. A married woman, really? Does she think I'll forgive this? What’s your idea, Braston? Because time is running out." Frederick crossed his arms, impatient."Layla, you're going to take us there. From what I understand, there will only be three men on stage at this party. We'll catch them off guard.""Ge
87: The Final Judgment"Everything is ready. All the suitcases are already downstairs," Cassius announced, carrying his own luggage. The living room was already packed with the belongings of the four men. That night would be the trial, and in the morning, they would leave for Europe.Braston was on the brink of emotional exhaustion, his anxiety eating away at his patience. As a result, he spent most of his time with a closed expression and a distant gaze, almost oblivious to his brothers' conversations."Married life. Ugh!" Cassius spat the words out, noticing Braston’s distracted state and immediately understanding the reason.Braston’s mind seemed dark and turbulent, but he wasn’t the only one in a bad mood."Today is going to be a tense day for the youngest. Let’s get everything organized since he’s convinced that tomorrow he’ll reunite with his beloved. But, honestly, I don’t even want to go. Damn it! Not even with the best investigators can I find my damn wife. If she’s cheating