Never, never have I

Max felt the gaze of everyone fixed on him and hurried to answer. He instinctively turned to look at Amadeus, who was also looking at him. Fortunately, the other guys didn't notice this interaction.

Max spun the bottle, and this time it landed on Alizza. He took the note and handed it to Sophie.

"Of this group, who would you take to a deserted island?" Alizza felt her cheeks burn, considering taking the shot, but she didn't. She took a deep breath before answering.

"Bruno," she said, pointing at him.

Nicole felt uncomfortable. She didn't understand why, considering she had insisted on getting divorced. Bruno looked annoyed, and Nicole thought Alizza was quite audacious. The rest of the group fell silent, their gazes shifting from Alizza to Bruno and then to Nicole.

Alizza spun the bottle, and this time it landed on Nicole.

"What's the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you in life?" Nicole blushed as she remembered it.

"I think the most embarrassing thing was the other day in Bruno's office. I tripped and fell on all fours right in front of him, and my face ended up very close to his pants. At that moment, Dante walked in, took one look at us, turned around, and ran out. I think he imagined something that wasn't true. Haha!"

"Haha! I remember that. I thought I had interrupted something," Bruno chuckled.

"The expressions on both of your faces were priceless. I really had a good laugh that day. Haha!" Bruno laughed, reminiscing about that moment.

"Ha, ha, ha." Everyone else laughed, except for Alizza.

"Well, guys, I'm saying goodbye. I'm exhausted." Nicole said.

"I feel the same, so see you tomorrow, guys," Sophie bid farewell. Dante followed suit.

Amadeus and Max did the same, leaving only Alizza and Bruno, who was sipping on a drink.

"You shouldn't drink so much," Alizza told him.

Bruno looked at her, furrowing his brow. He was so lost in his thoughts that he forgot the girl was there.

"See you tomorrow," he said, taking his drink and leaving, leaving Alizza alone.

The girl picked up her phone and dialed a number. After a few seconds, a man's voice answered on the other side.

"Hello."

"I'm at the Leone's house."

"Good, very good. You know what you have to do. I expect a report on how things are going."

"I think things between them are over. If something were to happen between her and me, I doubt he would even care."

"Magnificent."

The man hung up the call, and Alizza retired to her room in the designated guest house.

Bruno had chosen the room next to Nicole's. He stepped out onto the balcony, and there she was, gazing out towards the sea. The roar of the waves crashing against the rocks was loud, and he observed her intently. She had already changed into a long dark silk robe, her long hair flowing in the wind.

Bruno jumped over the small railing separating them, stood behind her, and embraced her. She felt the warmth of his arms and that unmistakable scent that she remembered so well.

She turned her body, facing him, and their eyes met.

"This isn't right," she tried to pull away from him, but he tightened his embrace, not allowing her to distance herself.

"Just this once, let's forget about everything in the past."

He kissed her intensely, wanting his taste, his scent to be imprinted on her so she could never forget it.

He took her to the bedroom, luckily Santi was with his grandparents. He laid her down on the bed, still kissing her. Nicole didn't resist anymore, she didn't have the strength to.

After all these years, she was in Bruno's arms again. She closed her eyes and let herself be carried away by all the sensations he awakened in her.

Bruno felt like he was in heaven, finally having her in his arms again. He had dreamt so many nights about the softness of her skin, about running his hands over the perfect curves of her body.

He didn't know if she reciprocated because she wanted to or because of the effect alcohol had on her, but he wasn't going to waste the opportunity to possess her again.

"Damn! You're so tight," he whispered in her ear. She covered her mouth with her hand, not wanting anything to interrupt that moment.

The soft moans that escaped her mouth drove him crazy. Since that first night they were together, there hadn't been another woman. He had tried several times, but hadn't succeeded.

They made love all night, because that's what it felt like, love. It wasn't just simple attraction, it wasn't just pleasure. What he felt being inside her was almost divine.

In the house where the guests were staying, Máx couldn't sleep. He decided to take a walk on the beach. The starry sky looked amazing at that hour.

As he returned from his nocturnal walk, Máx noticed someone leaning against the door, smoking.

"Insomnia?" the man asked in a hoarse voice.

Máx widened his eyes and took two steps back when he realized that the man was Amadeus. Then, gathering his courage, without answering the question, he passed by him and headed towards his room.

"This has never happened to me," the Russian said.

Máx stopped and turned to look at him.

"What?" he asked curiously.

"What I feel for you. I'm sure I like women, but you're the devil who turned my world upside down."

Máx felt a shiver run through his body when he saw Amadeus approaching. He turned and practically ran away, panting, entered his room, closed the door, and locked it.

Amadeus smiled, amused by the boy's reaction. That afternoon, when he saw him with Nicole, that's what he wished he could have done—run away.

In the morning, when Bruno woke up, Nicole wasn't beside him. He took the pillow and inhaled her scent. As he turned, he found a note next to him.

"Forget what happened. It shouldn't have happened. Let's continue as we were, please."

"Damn it!" he cursed aloud. "She can't do this to me. I won't allow it. I'm sure she's doing this because of all the times I've done it to her. This is her revenge, making me pay."

He got up and made his way to his room, leaving through the balcony just as he had entered. He did it for her, not because he cared if anyone found out they had spent the night together.

He took a shower, put on shorts and a t-shirt, slipped on some sandals, and then headed downstairs. Everyone was already having breakfast, and Dante greeted him.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. I knocked on your room; you sleep like a rock."

"I couldn't sleep. My night was very restless," he said, glancing at Nicole, who looked away. At that moment, he wished he could give her a kick to make her shut up.

"Dad! Look, Mom made animal-shaped pancakes for me," Santi exclaimed, visibly excited.

"That's great!" he said, lifting him up in his arms.

"Dad, did you know that Grandpa snores? It's funny to hear his snores; they have a lot of rhythm."

Everyone laughed, and René approached and took Santi from Bruno's arms.

"So, it's funny to hear me snore while I sleep," he told the little one, tickling him.

"Yes, Grandpa, you sound like a dinosaur, hahaha," he replied, laughing at the ticklish sensation.

Later, almost noon, Sophie convinced Nicole to go swimming in the sea. The girls took off their small beach dresses, revealing the tiny bikinis they were wearing. Bruno, Amadeus, and Máx, almost instinctively, glanced at Nicole's body. Her figure was perfect, and Bruno noticed with annoyance that he wasn't the only one looking.

"You should cover up a bit," Bruno approached, offering her a sarong. He didn't like others seeing her in so little clothing.

"Come on, it's not like I'm naked. We're not living in the Stone Age," Sophie exclaimed angrily, taking Nicole's hand and leading her to the beach.

Dante, who was sipping a cocktail at the bar, smiled. Sophie didn't usually hold back her thoughts, and he liked that about her.

Bruno thought about joining them, but a small hand stopped him.

"Can we build sand castles?" Santi asked, squinting his little eyes to protect them from the brightness. In his other hand, he held a bucket with shovels and small molds shaped like sea animals.

"Yes, son, let's go," Bruno replied. He couldn't resist his son's pleading face, even though he wanted to join Nicole in the water.

Alizza watched everything attentively. She was sitting next to her father, who was chatting happily with René, unaware of what was going on in his daughter's mind.

The girl stood up and headed towards the beach. She sat in the sand next to Bruno, took a small shovel, and started digging.

Santi furrowed his brow, making the same expression as his father when something bothered him.

"Hello, Santi. Can I build sand castles with you?" she asked, smiling.

The boy stared at her intently before answering. There was something about that girl that he didn't like.

"Alright, but make your own castle. This one is for Dad and me," Bruno said, remaining silent. If it had been anyone else, he would have reprimanded his son, but he understood that the girl didn't appeal to him either.

Alizza felt extremely annoyed, but she concealed it. That boy would see when she managed to win over his dad.

She began building a castle right next to theirs. For now, she was content just being able to see Bruno. She felt that sooner or later, he would notice her.

She just had to calmly follow her plan and control her emotions. Nicole had no idea what awaited her. Thinking about that made Alizza smile.