Giovana pursed her lips in a smile when she heard this. The request made with such affection softened her heart. It seemed like a dream, seeing her husband in love. Or was it a delirium? For a moment, she wanted to pull back, but Antony’s eyes wouldn’t allow it.“All right,” she whispered.When Antony raised his hand to caress her cheek and kissed her again, she remembered his words. Being her husband for the last time seemed like a hasty and unfair sentence, and Giovana didn’t want that to happen.The touch of his lips awakened her desire for him. He was in no hurry. This time differed from all the others. His breath was hot like fire against her skin. She was finally breathless when she pulled away to look at him once more.“It won’t be the last time,” Antony grabbed her chin and lifted it, biting his lips as if he was still unsatisfied. “I’m not leaving.”“I’m not leaving either,” he kissed her cheek, creeping down her neck.When she heard this, she closed her eyes, sighing deeply
Xavier ran after the police before they left the mansion with Antony in handcuffs.“Take off his handcuffs,” he requested, although the police officer escorting Antony didn’t appreciate the tone he used. “Please.”“No,” he replied in an authoritative and irritated tone, continuing to lead Antony out of the house, completely ignoring the lawyer.Antony looked at him before being placed in the car, signaling to Xavier not to insist. Beyond the mansion gates, journalists surrounded the house. Antony became extremely irritated when he saw the detective responsible for his arrest giving an interview with a smile on his face, as if Antony were a prize he had won.The journey to the police station was the longest of Antony’s life. It was like a movie playing before his eyes, and everything he had achieved was slowly slipping away. Soon his face would be on every media outlet, and he would be the headline for several months as the billionaire who tried to murder his wife. His chest burned wit
Giovana continued to sit on the last step of the staircase, hands on her face, eyes closed, while tears streamed down her cheeks. Tania had offered her a cup of coffee, which she promptly declined. The maid insisted that Giovana needed to eat for the sake of the baby, but Giovana felt that nothing could go down her throat.The pain was unbearable, both in her heart and in her head, throbbing incessantly.“I know this is not the time to talk about it,” Ricardo touched her knees gently, “but Antony asked me to take you away from this city.”Although she had agreed with Antony, Giovana still resisted the idea of having to leave everything behind. Her heart twisted in agony, and Ricardo wished he could suffer in her place.“Do you also agree with him about me selling my shares?” she asked with a trembling voice.“Yes, I agree,” Ricardo said, looking down, “the company has started facing serious problems after the accusations against Antony. In less than twenty-four hours, we lost almost a
The sky on that autumn morning was cloudy, covering the entire sun. Antony looked through the bars above his head, where he could see the dark clouds. Last night, he had plenty of time to think about what had actually become of his life. He was aware of what would come after his arrest and the consequences he would have to face. Despite his wounded heart, he did not despair. He was innocent, and he would certainly prove it to the world.He still wore the same clothes as when he was arrested. Not only that, but he was dirty and hungry, and no one, except Xavier, had come to visit him. Certainly, Giovana would have visited him if he hadn’t stopped her. He remembered her, and his heart bled even more. For the first time, he hated having to disappoint her and imagined her sad eyes hearing that he no longer wanted to see her.Footsteps approaching broke his thoughts. When Antony turned around, he saw two guards staring at him sternly. He assumed they had come to take him to the prison, but
When Giovana arrived at the house surrounded by mountains and trees, she realized that Antony had put a lot of thought into where he would hide her from Irma’s malice. No one would find her there.As she stepped into the house, the caretaker’s wife greeted her. However, her words caused Giovana immense pain.“Welcome, Giovana,” the woman embraced her, acting as if she had known her for a long time. “We’ve prepared everything, as Mr. Antony requested, for your arrival.”What was this feeling that came with the pain? Giovana wondered, unable to distinguish what was actually happening.“When did you talk to Antony?”Giovana had no intention of being rude and not greeting the woman, thanking her for all the effort in welcoming her. However, her curiosity about her husband’s actions overwhelmed her.“Two days ago, ma’am,” she replied. “But Mr. Antony always dealt with that matter with my husband. I was only tasked with preparing the house for you.”Giovana looked at Tania, a bit confused.
Antony felt like he was living in hell on earth. They took his fingerprints and recorded a photo before he walked down those corridors and they threw him into an individual cell. The place stank, but it wasn’t as gloomy as the cell at the police station. The worn, unlined mattress revealed the hard days he would spend there. Now dressed like a prisoner, Antony looked at the yellowed, dirty walls and wondered at what point he would go mad for good. Time was slow to pass. When he went out to have his first meal with the other inmates, he realized how difficult his life would be from then on. He sat isolated from the others and tried not to make eye contact with any of them. Antony had no intention of making new friends in prison, and it was only when he arrived that he realized how quickly he needed to be cleared. Just as it was getting dark, the guards came for him and took him to the visiting room. Antony never imagined that he would be so happy to see Xavier and Ricardo. He gave
Two days had already passed, and it felt like an eternity for Antony. He spent most of his time in the cell, even avoiding outdoor activities. There was time to reflect on everything that had happened in his life, even to mourn Nicolau’s death.If he were alive, Antony would be his disappointment. Nicolau wouldn’t bear the idea of seeing his son in prison. Antony missed his father, and guilt almost consumed him. Nicolau died carrying the feeling that Antony hated him. In the last months of his life, their fights intensified. Antony couldn’t handle the idea of Nicolau controlling his life, even his relationships. He forced him to marry a woman he didn’t love, just to secure the inheritance Antony had coveted his whole life.Only now did he understand that Giovana had been the best gift Nicolau had given him. He wished he had realized it earlier. Antony felt it was too late to try to fix things between them, and even if he got out of prison the next day, he needed to stay away from her.
Giovana had her fingers intertwined as she walked back and forth in the room, waiting for Ricardo to give her news about Antony. She uncrossed her fingers, realizing that her hands were sweaty. She had to wipe them on her skirt and then grab her cellphone.There was nothing. No sign.Since the day Antony had been arrested, Giovana had been avoiding checking her social media, but curiosity got the better of her. A bombardment of messages flooded her notifications. When she scrolled through the feed, Antony’s face appeared, and the caption revealed what she so desperately wanted to know. Antony was free.She called him. Giovana remembered the promise she had made to herself not to talk to him anymore, but she ignored all her instincts and called Antony, feeling her hands getting sweatier with each passing moment.On the other side of town, Antony was still trying to understand why Andreas did those strange things. As soon as he stepped into the old house, his phone vibrated. His heart s