Alexandra knew that sooner or later it would come to light. It was impossible that such great information would remain hidden for so long. Opening a hesitant smile, Joshua's sister tried to disguise it:"What do you mean?""I know about the horrible story that haunted Joshua all these years, and haunted you too. But when he was arrested, you were taken away to be adopted. Why did you give up that new life? Why did you want your last name back?"Emanuele didn't care if she was being too harsh. After having proven her innocence, the girl simply felt that she had the right to know the whole truth, even if it didn't affect her directly. What are the chances that this knowledge would one day be useful if her innocence was put to the test?The woman with ebony skin and braids sighed."I will tell. But first, please do as I ask. Think about the proposition I am offering you.""I can't make you do anything.""Evidently not. And that's not what I want. My brother is too proud, but somehow you
Johnny knew that sooner or later he and his ex would need to talk. But the guy didn't expect it would be there, at that moment, especially with all their friends around.The girl didn't seem nervous, angry, or annoyed. She also didn't seem about to make a scene and accuse him of being a coward, although if she did, it wouldn't be entirely unreasonable.She takes him to a more secluded corner of the huge building. Of course, the guy notices that, although discreet, their other friends noticed their separation. Joshua stares at the guy, and the cold judgment hits him like a punch in the face, but Johnny accepts the silent insult.If he could go back in time, he would probably do everything differently. He wouldn't yell at Emanuele inside a burning building, and of all moments, he certainly wouldn't choose that one to let his insecurity speak louder than common sense.Insecure or not, it was clear that that battle had already been lost. Emanuele accepted his request for a relationship, g
"I'm going to leave this apartment vacant, one way or another," Alexandra explains as she serves two cups of tea to Emanuele and Joshua. "But I know you urgently need a home, so I think it's best to leave it with you."Before either of them can argue, she makes a small gesture with her hand to indicate that she's not finished speaking."I'm going to our father's old house, Joshua, and I'll be staying there," Alexandra informs them. "I know you don't even want to hear about the inheritance, so I took the liberty of assuming that you're giving up any kind of negotiation, and that you refuse to want any percentage of the money or the land.""You did well. I really don't want it.""And that's why I believe I've done the best thing. You've both lived here for a few months, as well as Emanuele. Now that all this turmoil over the accusation has passed, I know that neither of you will have any problems. I want to leave all the paperwork in your name, and from today on, you'll be the owner."E
Sarah already knew the consequences of her actions before they were even taken.She knew that her sister, Emanuele, would be the prime suspect in the crime for a while, but that soon the charges would be dropped. Why? Because she had been careless and left several fingerprints on her mother's hateful body.Sarah knew that it was only a matter of time before the scandal involving not only politicians and bourgeoisie, but also the very policemen who should have been on the front line fighting these lowlifes, would be taken public and shock thousands of people in the country.At that very moment, while in the cell at the city police station, she was playing with her own handcuff chain, distracted by the rhythmic shaking. Crimson had been straight with her: the trial would happen quickly, since the crime was practically solved. Yes, she would have a lawyer. No, this would not help her at all.Sarah, or rather Adriele, had no regrets. She would do it all over again, perhaps with more crue
Alexandra zipped up the last suitcase, huffing immediately afterwards from the effort of putting it down. It was less than an hour before she was to leave, catch her flight, and leave for the old place she had inherited.Leaning against the door of what would be her new room, Joshua crossed his arms and asked:"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you to the airport?""Yes, I am, but thank you for your kindness," she replied formally. "You have to leave in a little while anyway, don't you?""I can't leave Emanuele alone in that matter.""I know you can't." Alexandra fastens her hair in a tight bun above her head and stares at him. "How is she?""Worried. Distressed. Quiet and nervous, pacing in corners.""Do you think she likes her sister? Even though she knows she's the one who murdered her own mother?"Joshua shrugs."It's not for me to judge.""It was just a question. I'm not judging.""Well, even after I tried to kill our father, you still like me. I guess."Silence."I have no
Emanuele covers her own mouth with her hand as she hears Alexandra's confession. Joshua's sister made no mention of telling the redhead anything after the trial, and the redhead herself didn't want to press the issue either. After all, although it was a curiosity, it wasn't exactly vital information.Inside the room, Alexandra herself takes a deep breath and controls her tone of voice."It was hell leaving my house, thinking that things would be okay now, only to stop at another one. And so I worked hard to get my rightful place back. I gave up that name and that last name, and my only regret was that I didn't run out of that house as soon as I arrived."Wiping away tears with the back of her hand, the woman continues:"And make no mistake, Joshua. I wanted you to forgive our father, but I never could myself. You can call me a hypocrite, but I wanted at least one of us to be able to have a damn normal life.""Alexandra-""Don't try to console me. You talked about the inheritance like
Crimson knew that the day would be as busy, if not busier, than Emanuele's trial, but even so, she could not contain her surprised expression as she saw the number of people sitting in their seats, anxiously awaiting the start of the session.For security reasons, only those directly involved in Emanuele's case were allowed in, with the exception of the streaming service's employees. However, Sarah's trial was open to more people, mainly important legal members who were actively involved in stopping Laketown's corruption schemes.That was being the crime of the century. Many doctors and policemen were being investigated, and whole families were being discovered to be fraudsters. No one would ever forget the proportions that this veritable wave of terror had caused in that and other cities.The delegate now looked at the defendant, who was standing in the corridor, duly escorted by two agents. Despite her frown and scowl, she did not exhibit violent behavior, but it was better not to r
The first thing Emanuele noticed when she finally arrived at the courthouse was the number of people. She didn't bother to count, but just a quick glance among those present revealed that there were at least fifty people. Most of them wore imposing clothes, such as expensive suits and designer socialwear. Everyone was complacent, serious, and stiff.Joshua and the girl soon sat down. Her hands were cold and trembling, and Joshua intertwined his fingers in hers, doing what he could to give her firmness and assurance."All rise to greet the Honorable Judge Donovan Rincon."The man who entered was almost as old as the judge responsible for Emanuele's trial himself. As soon as he took his customary seat, everyone returned to their seats.And then they brought in the defendant. Sarah.Emanuele's twin was bright eyed with crying, which immediately impacted her. The last time they had spoken was on that brief visit, and the only thing that had implied tears was the mention of their father.
. . . . . . . . FIVE MONTHS LATER . . . . . .Emanuele looked at herself in the huge full-length mirror. The girl hardly knew where to look, which detail to care about first.She didn't know whether to look at the beautiful hairstyle in her now dark brown hair; her natural color.She didn't know whether to look at the impeccable makeup on her face, which made her even more beautiful and radiant than she was feeling.And I also didn't know whether to look at the beautiful white dress, simply cut, adorned with small mother-of-pearl beads. Despite the simplicity of the outfit, it was undeniable to say that the bride looked divine that day.Smiling, she turned around in front of her own reflection. Her heart was pounding with happiness, and she felt the stars in the night sky outside wishing her good luck. The curtain behind the door opened. A short, pudgy girl smiled sympathetically as she entered the room, openly admiring her."Miss Parker, you look beautiful!"Emanuele smiled."Thank
The old man falls to his knees at the same instant. Emanuele runs to him and hugs him tight, but Joseph does not respond. Instead, he seems to be doing his best not to scream as loud as he can."Dad!" The girl says."Adriele died? I had two daughters, and one of them died? Is that it?! Is that what you are telling me?!'Emanuele tries to hold back her sobs, but she can't. Instead, she says:"Yes, Dad. I'm really, really sorry. It all happened so fast! I lost my mother, my sister, and now... Now you are all I have left. You are literally all I have as family!"Joseph can't say anything for a while, only cry. The two of them are shaking very hard. Sarah, when alive, said that Morgan couldn't get the proper reaction, that he was too broken inside. But now he seemed quite emotional. I wonder what had happened.The smell of her father, enveloping Emanuele's nostrils, is soothing and familiar. In a snap, she remembers that the same scent enveloped her when she was in the arms of death, tra
Convincing Crimson to enter the police database to find her father's address was not that difficult.In fact, Emanuele was quite surprised when she had to use only one of the six rehearsed arguments. The old man shrugged and said that at that point it was no longer worth trying to pretend not to act unofficially from time to time.What really took a lot of lip from the redhead was convincing Joshua not to go with her. The girl knew that he only wanted to protect her, but Emanuele was very assertive in her arguments. She needed to do this alone, face that part of her past, and see if there was any possibility of fixing it in her future.Sarah had said that he was in a depressive spiral, and that when he saw her he could not react properly, and that it hurt her.Emanuele then prepared herself emotionally. She would not be disappointed or resentful if, by some chance, the man who at one time taught her a beautiful lullaby did not remember her... or was not touched by the moment.The youn
For a few seconds, all Emanuele can do is stare at Joshua. The two of them are still naked, and the distance between their bodies is as minimal as possible. "What?" she asks, softly. I wonder if she had heard right. Had her emotions stunned her enough for her to hear such a request?He gives a quiet laugh, then opens a confident, sentimental smile."Will you marry me?"The girl immediately sits up, leaning against the headboard of the bed. She covers her own nakedness with the blanket, still looking at the man, who also sits down."I..."Several things go through her head.The first was that no, she could not get married. Not in that life and not ever. All the misfortunes that had happened to her, all the horrible and unfortunately scarring traumas that were etched into her skin; all that made marriage itself a terrible idea.According to the books that the young woman read, especially during her teenage years, marriage was the union of two people. Total commitment to each other, com
As soon as he closes the door, Joshua gives warm, soft kisses on the sensitive skin of Emanuele's neck. The man sighs, almost intoxicated with passion, and murmurs:"I love the way you smell."With all the delicacy and romance in the world, Joshua props the redhead's torso on the bed, leaving her legs and feet touching the floor. He caresses her over her clothes. Emanuele moans."The last time we were together like this, I gave only a demonstration of what might come next. Remember?"He stimulates her further with the tip of his thumb, in subtle, gentle circular motions. "Those were the words of a man overcome with desire, and even lust, if I am willing to admit it. Today I may again have those feelings in my body, but... there is a difference. Now I am sure that I love you."Still with his thumb on Emanuele's clit, Joshua kisses her eagerly; the movement of his tongue is smooth and warm. Murmurs come out of her throat, as if the teacher is delighting in that moment.Emanuele's hands
The winter dawn is cold.A month has passed since Emanuele saw her sister die. One month, and even then, the memory was still latent and terrible.The girl had already been to therapy, but the nightmares continued to torment her. Joshua didn't know what to do anymore, since every night at two o'clock in the morning the girl's terrified screams woke him up.The teacher got out of his own bed in the dim light. The clock on his cell phone said it was one hour and fifty minutes, that is, ten minutes before the nightmares began.Standing up, taking care not to make any excessive noise, Joshua opened the door to his room, going towards Emanuele's door.But the door was open.Frowning, the man approaches the room. Her bed is empty.Still not making hasty decisions, Joshua goes to the living room, equally empty. His heart only slows down when he sees the girl sitting at the table, drinking a glass of water. She watches him without saying anything, then goes back to sipping the liquid.Slowly
Joshua immediately embraces Emanuele as soon as she, still very tearful and emotional, leaves the room where Sarah is being held. She clings to the man's clothes, sobbing terribly. Her eyes are swollen and red. "I am here," he murmurs. "I'm right here, my love." The girl can barely respond or say anything. A man wearing religious robes appears. He is middle-aged and wears thick-rimmed glasses. In his hand is a Bible. The man's voice is patient and docile, and he uses all his politeness as he approaches Emanuele. "May God's infinite mercy soothe your heart, child. I am so sorry for your loss." Apparently, the priest was already very well informed of the situation. The girl does not respond, only sinks even deeper into the chest of Joshua, who makes no mention of letting go. The policeman in charge of Sarah's surveillance accompanies the religious man. That was the protocol. Before being formally executed, Sarah would have the right to console herself and at least try to ensure a se
The next day dawned gray, cold and absolutely silent.Of course, cars were still passing by, people were leaving their homes to go to work, and children were going to school. But the noise present, that typical sound that Emanuele's ears were used to, could not penetrate the enormous bubble of silence that surrounded her.The call from the delegate the day before was an answer she had been begging to receive, but now that she knew that her sister's last wish was to see her, an unbearable weight had taken over her heart. Sarah was going to die. And all they had together were brief, monitored, timed conversations.Emanuele looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a black overcoat and pants of the same color, as well as dark boots. Her dyed red hair was tied up in a tight bun, and no matter how hard she tried to disguise her swollen face, red from crying with makeup, it was still obvious to anyone paying a little more attention. Joshua appeared in the doorway, wearing dark soci
Emanuele could neither sleep nor eat properly in the days that followed.All the girl could do, and at the massive insistence of Joshua who took care of her whenever he could, was to take a few naps and, very begrudgingly, put food in her stomach. He always tried to be as close as possible, even though he needed to work.With the insurance money, Joshua was able to recover almost nothing from the old apartment, so he opted to buy new furniture and decorate Alexandra's apartment, or rather his apartment. Doing this, however, seemed pointless and even disrespectful, since the present moment was one of mourning, not of celebration.When the man apologized for his attitude, Emanuele just shrugged and continued to stare at some fixed point on the wall.They did not sleep together. Each stayed in his own room most of the time. Joshua tried to get close to her physically, but he was content to give her a respectful cuddle and caress to comfort her. It was not the time for them to get close l