26 The father's punishment.Braston talked to Lizi after the slap that stung his face, showing a slight redness from each finger."That's messed up! Why didn't you ask before?""It doesn't matter, you did this to her, how could you force her to come to this house? How could you force her to live with the man...""Don't finish that!" he ordered, interrupting. "Did she tell you everything or just her side?""Is there any justification for something so absurd?""Do you want to know? Sit down and I'll be brief," he said, even though she was reluctant, she sat down. "Did she tell you she pretended to be a prostitute? Did she tell you she went there voluntarily? I only received one woman in that room, just one, and she dressed up as a whore and fooled me. I won't carry this guilt alone!""But why would she do that?""She went there to steal the ring, she voluntarily surrendered... Sure, there was a moment when she gave up, I thought it was a damn stupid act Eloah, damn it... I thought it wa
Chapter 27: Confusion Among BrothersAs soon as Lizi finally managed to explain, Jeff began to calm down, but the urge to hit his eldest son still hadn't completely disappeared."Breando!" Jeff called out firmly, and the younger man approached, seemingly indifferent. "Go upstairs and bring the girl here," he ordered harshly."No, he won't touch her!" Braston stood up from the couch, his muscles tense like guitar strings, as Breando stomped upstairs, the creaking wood echoing. Braston was determined to stop his brother, but Jeff, his father, pushed him back onto the couch."Your brother is just bringing her here! Unlike you, who have already caused enough trouble," Jeff accused, making Braston fall silent and sit back on the couch, his nose still bleeding. Lizi handed him a handkerchief to clean the excess while holding the little baby in her arms."Can I?" Braston asked, extending his arms in hopes of taking the child from Lizi's hands."No! Give me little Brady!" Jeff ordered, taking
Chapter 28: Colder than Ice“We have to understand that he suffered the loss of two loved ones.” Jeff pondered.” I blame myself daily for all three, after all, I dragged you all into this mess. Matheus will never forgive me, but you can still join forces with him and form an alliance that no one can break.“His interest in Molly has already done that.” Braston observed.“But he can still understand that you're with her now and that you can marry.” Jeff argued.” You can patch things up with Matheus.“I know I can, but I'm not in a hurry.” Braston replied.” Now I have a family to worry about. I don't want to play cat and mouse with Matheus anymore.“Alright, take all the time you need here.” he agreed.” Mustafa is taking care of everything for now. I hope you don't object.“What else could I expect from the man who is my father's right-hand, above even me, his own son?” Braston questioned, resentment in his voice.“Don't be rebellious. You don't listen to anyone and because of that ende
**Chapter 29: By Your Side Seems Better**"Isn't Fabrizio coming for lunch?" Lizi asked as soon as Molly entered the kitchen with the baby."I don't know, he left the room, and I don't know where he could be.""Uh-huh... did you two fight again?""No, I was just honest with him, I only told him the truth.""I see. I hope you can give him a chance, miss," she commented apprehensively as she began setting the table with the prepared dishes."I can't give a chance to someone I don't love, Mama Lizi. I really don't see anything good in him.""But there is something good in him that only you bring out. It wouldn't be a crime to love him, especially since he feels the same way.""That man can't love anything, Lizi, isn't it obvious? He has something similar to Matheus. I'm sure all they see in a woman is sex. I won't be an object for any man. I saw how my brother was with women; he only treated them as objects.""Braston is obsessive about cleanliness, and he has issues with smells.""Why?
**Chapter 30 - Repressed Desire**Braston woke up lying on his stomach, burying his face in the soft padding, wishing he could go back to sleep. But he quickly realized that getting up was impossible. Half of Molly's body rested on his back; he could feel her body pressing against his skin while her arms were also curled up over him, with one warm palm on his waist, transmitting a comforting heat. Beside him, Levy slept peacefully, his little head resting on Braston's shoulder. The child's legs, close to Braston's face, brought a smile to his lips as he realized the child was lying in the opposite direction.Molly was using him as a human pillow, or perhaps a giant teddy bear. One of her legs trapped Braston's, immobilizing him completely, and he wondered how that was even possible. He didn’t mind; in fact, he preferred that she didn’t wake up so soon. Molly’s steady breathing on his back made him reflective, his senses sharpening as he recalled her boldness in coming to his office in
"Whether it is or not, it’s none of your business," she muttered, curling up in the bathtub."You went to my private office, dressed like that, and now you're embarrassed to see me without clothes? You weren’t even wearing a bra. Do you know how disturbing it was to have you like that in my hands and not be able to do anything? And now you think I’m going to take advantage of you? If I wanted to, I would have done it a long time ago," he asserted, showing slight frustration as he let the water cascade over his face. She watched him again, from head to toe, as he stood with his back turned.“Okay, if he can... I can at least get up to grab the towel,” she thought, breathing heavily. She stood up, stepping out of the bathtub subtly, with a wave of indignation filling her chest at how he had ignored her.“You just had to grab the damn towel!” she snapped, irritated, causing him to turn around suddenly, admiring her from top to bottom.“Don’t look!” she quickly grumbled, grabbing the towe
**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,
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
Cap. 37: Misunderstanding ResolvedUpon leaving the hospital, Braston directed his gaze towards the car. There was Molly, sitting in the back seat, still crying. She was leaning against the closed window. A wave of guilt and remorse hit him hard."Did she try anything?" Braston asked the security guard, his voice heavy with tension."No, sir, she went straight to the car and stayed there without protesting.""Then you didn’t need to touch her, right?" Braston growled, jealousy burning in his eyes, leaving the man confused and scared."No, sir! She went to the car and stayed there just like you’re seeing." The security guard trembled, his soul nearly leaving his body. He knew he could die right there."Transfer the prostitute." Braston said, his eyes still fixed on the car, watching Molly under his sunglasses. "You know where to send her. Make it quick and clean, I don’t want to hear her name." He ordered and walked towards Molly, who, upon seeing him, moved to the other seat, distanci
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