I go to Marta's room, who is clad in very tight black trousers that accentuate her beautiful body. Her hair is tousled and adorned with garments, reminding me of the wild girl I met in France.
"Marta! I almost didn't recognise you!" I exclaim, truly astonished to see her."Why haven't you dressed yet?" she asks, ignoring my exclamation as if it were nothing."I came to see what you were going to wear to match. I've never been to a nightclub, you know," I explain, unable to stop looking at her; she is truly beautiful. "Marta, you've really surprised me. You're very beautiful and you were hiding it.""Stop exaggerating, I just fixed up a bit. What do you mean you don't know what to wear? Bella, we bought you the clothes you should wear, put them on.""Don't you think it's too tight?""No!"At that moment, both she and Christie, who appears dressed almost the same as Marta but in gold trousers, say simultaneously. Mine are dark bluI jump to my feet and we head to the dance floor. He wraps me in his arms and we dance non-stop for over an hour, laughing and completely happy with my husband, who also seems to be enjoying himself. We return to our table to rest for a bit. The girls are lost, but we're not worried, they're well taken care of. I see Christian furrow his brow and follow his gaze, and I can't believe it. Adele is a little further away, with a woman I can't quite identify, but she seems familiar!"Bella, by any chance are you wearing something my parents gave you?" Christian asks suspiciously as he inspects me."No, my love, why do you ask? You know I don't like jewellery, I only have these earrings that are gifts from my mum and the ring you gave me, nothing else.""I'm starting to suspect that one of us has a follower who tells them where we are," he says as he takes another sip of his drink, still looking towards where she is. "You're ruled out, I don't have anyth
I catch Christian's face and kiss him, making him forget about them. I keep doing it for the rest of the night, even when we get into the limousine, I don't let go of him. We are all a bit drunk. But Christian instructs the driver to stop."Christie, take this key and go with David and Marta to the hotel where my company's party will be held.""Why my brother?" she protests. "I'm very tired! Whatever it is can wait until tomorrow.""I want to check something. Please, Chris, do as I ask," he turns when he sees she is really drunk. "Take care of them, David. Let's go, Bella."We get out of the limousine, which drives away, leaving us in the complete darkness of the street. Another car approaches, and we get in; it's one of the security guards' cars."Where to, boss?" the driver asks. I am also a bit drunk, so I just follow my husband without knowing what he wants to do."Take us to the estate," he orders very seriously, and I still don't understand. "I di
Standing before my father, who observes me in silence, I patiently wait for him to speak. What does it mean that Christian is here in his house, and what did the doctor mean by that? He gestures for me to follow him into the study, and I do so quietly. He sits at his desk and switches on the computer."I want you to see this, Bella. Before I tell you anything, and for you to understand why your husband did what he did."I approach slowly, feeling like I'm about to witness something unpleasant, but I need to know. As I arrive, I see a video of a young man stumbling around a house, his gaze vacant as if he doesn't recognise anyone. I focus and realise it's not our house; it's another one. When the man turns, I see that it's my father when he was young. There's another person being taken away whom I can't recognise because their face is blurred."What does this mean, Dad?""That drug they gave your husband yesterday. That day, my girlfriend was supposed to meet me and disappeared; I neve
I don't know what to think or say right now. I told him so many things, shared my fears, talked about him, about Mum. Now I understand why my secret friend knew how I thought and understood perfectly without much explanation of what I told him, and gave me such good advice. I run towards him and hug him again, happy that he shows me in that way how much he loves me."Are you not upset?""No, I'm not.""Can I now be your best friend instead of your secret friend?""Yes, yes, Dad, I would really like that!" "Then answer me honestly all those questions I asked you." I pause, right now I want to tell him the whole truth, but I'm ashamed of what I did, going to the club, not knowing who the father of my children is, and above all, that Christian is not. I promised not to tell anyone, but Dad is no one; he's my dad! I slump into a chair not knowing what to do or say. It's not just my secret; I need to discuss it with Christian and even with Grandpa. For now, I'll tell him only what I can
"Dad, I have to tell you something now that you said that.""What thing?" he asks as we walk towards the room where Chris sleeps."Yesterday afternoon, when we went to the market to buy clothes to go to the club, we ran into his parents, and my father-in-law..., my father-in-law...""What about your father-in-law, Bella? What did that heartless man do to you?"Upon hearing him shout furiously and seeing the terrible expression of hatred on his face, I become frightened and no longer think it's a good idea to tell him. However, I've already started and can't stop now. I will continue to trust my father as I did my secret friend. I won't hide anything from him; he seems to know Mr. Thompson very well."He was looking at me in a strange way, I thought he was comparing me to Adele, but... but... you know I don't have much experience with men, dad. But I think he was looking at me as a woman; I even saw him licking his lips while looking at my breasts.""Heartless womaniser! He hasn't chan
At this moment, they are interrupted by Grandma Tania, who asks them to come for tea. Grandpa follows them immediately, inviting them to the living room. The children's laughter makes them turn their heads to see them running towards them. They arrive and throw themselves into their arms, kissing them happily."Grandpa, you came to see me!" exclaims Lucia excitedly."Yes, my girl, I came to see both of you. We came because your grandma also came to see you.""Does Grandma love us too?" asks Lucas."I have always loved you," replies Grandma as she leans in to kiss him. "You look just like your dad when he was your age.""Really, Grandma? Do I look like my dad?" asks Lucas excitedly."And me, Grandma, who do I look like?" Lucy asks in turn."You look a lot like your aunt, you even have dimples on your cheeks," Mrs. Thompson replies excitedly."Really, Grandma? Why are you crying?" Lucy asks."I'm not crying, I'm just excited and happy to see you.""Mun and Dad aren't here," says Lucas.
As she speaks, she takes out everything she has. They reach the room where Christian is still asleep, having a very restless sleep. Doctor David immediately begins examining him; he has dealt with many cases like this in the association he works for. Santiago informs him of the type of drug Christian was given. At that Munent, Doctor Alfonso also arrives with the results of all the tests he conducted."We need to start him on a drip right away; we also have to give him all his medications. I managed to find out some but not all," Doctor Alfonso says."I have them here, doctor," Christie shows them again. "These are all the medications my brother takes, along with the dosages and how he takes them.""That's very helpful; pass me the information. I think you should all leave now and let the doctors take care of him."Everyone rushes out of the room, leaving the doctors engrossed in attending to Christian. Isabella is very scared, along with her sister. Marta starts making tea in the kit
I watch him leave and I'm left feeling scared. I keep looking at the news in the newspapers and what they're saying about me is horrible, surely Dad will come when he sees this. What was I thinking? And my father-in-law? Will he be upset because I involved him in this plan? I just asked him to accompany me, I knew he would find them, he had them checked. He must know where Christian is, he has something to locate both of them."I won't stay here waiting for the police to come, I'll go to their room, I have to put on a good show, because if they implicate me in Christian's kidnapping, I'm finished. That must be Dad. I take my phone, and yes, it's him. He must have found out everything by now. What the hell was I thinking when I did that?! I take a deep breath and answer."Hello.""Can you tell me what on earth was going through your head to commit such a stupid act?!""Dad, let me explain, I didn't do anything, I just accompanied my father-in-law. The rest happened on its own.""Do you
Two cars were hidden opposite the Sardino mansion. In another, further away, Eva, in disguise, supervised the operation. They had initially planned to go directly to Christian's house, but after learning that Isabella took the children there every day, they decided to follow her and kidnap all three on the way."I say, Ruan, doesn't this house look familiar from the telly?" asked one of them who had never been to the place before."From the telly? What do you mean by that?""I reckon this house was on the telly. It belongs to the Sardinos.""Which Sardinos? The millionaires?""Yes, those very ones. Are you certain that woman isn't deceiving us? Whose children did she say they were?""Now that you mention it, she's never told us whose children we're nabbing. She just keeps saying the family has enough money to pay a hundred million for them without batting an eyelid. That she'll give us fifty, and the rest will be hers. Are you sure it's the Sardinos'? Haven't they sold it?""I don't k
Everyone was deeply shaken by what was happening. It was something they hadn't expected."Spare no expense," Mr Thompson interjected, embracing Christian. "I'll give my entire fortune if necessary, but they must return them alive, do you understand? All I care about is saving my grandchildren!""Unfortunately," Grandfather Sardino said, "we haven't yet received any news from the kidnappers. We've alerted all our contacts and police agencies. However, no one knows anything, no one saw anything. It happened in a very strategic location near the house, where there are no traffic cameras. It was fortunate that Bella managed to call before she lost consciousness.""Dad, it looks like the doctors are coming out. Let's go," Santiago said, walking to meet the doctor emerging from the operating theatre. "Well, doctor, how are my daughters?""The operations went well," the doctor began to explain. "Marta had some severe fractures in her legs, but we managed to reconstruct them. Fortunately, the
It was Saturday, and Christian sat with his family in the living room, sharing happy stories about the children who often stayed with them. Christian's eyesight had improved slightly; he could now see light and some blurry shapes."Hey Chris," his sister called, "why don't we ask Bella to let Lucas and Lucy stay tonight and pick them up tomorrow? It's quite late now. She said she'd bring them after the supermarket, but they haven't arrived yet. It's dark already; perhaps she changed her mind about bringing them.""No, Marta warned me they might be late, but said they'd come even if it took an hour. The children say they have a surprise for me. It's a good idea, though. I'll ask Lucas—he's the negotiator. I don't know where he gets his intelligence from.""Ha ha ha," Mr Thompson laughed. "Listen, dear, did you hear what your son said about not knowing where Lucas gets it from? Don't our grandchildren remind you of those two when they were little?""That's right, love. Chris, when you w
Marta stared at her now-sister for a moment. Bella seemed to go through life without understanding anything, which is why she said, somewhat irritated:"Do you still call her mum? That woman isn't your mum, Bella. Goodness knows who she stole you from!""Look, Marta, even though Dad showed me that paternity test, I don't believe it. And do you know why?""Why?""Because if Eva isn't my mum, then who is? How could Dad not know who my mum is?" Bella asked very seriously and added, "That's why I suspect he wants me on his side against Mum in the divorce mess. That's why he wants me to think I'm not her daughter, so I won't object to him leaving her with nothing.""Bella! How can you believe such a macabre thing about Dad? Listen, and I'm telling you this for Lucas and Lucy's sake! Wake up, because that woman is wicked and capable of doing anything to your children and to us! Dad isn't capable of deceiving you like that. Just look at the way he looks at you and loves you; he wouldn't do s
Christian lay on his bed after emerging from the bathroom, where he had indulged in fantasies about Isabella. He was seriously considering visiting his psychologist, as he believed his current state wasn't normal. Could he truly not live without her? It had all seemed so real-her body in his hands, how he had plunged into her repeatedly. Was Isabella actually visiting him, remaining silent so he wouldn't realise it was her? Did she know he was blind and accept him as he was?At that moment, the bedroom lights switched on as his mother entered. He sat up abruptly."Mum, I think... I think I saw the light when you turned it on. You did turn it on, didn't you?""Yes, son, I just did. Are you regaining your sight as the doctor said? David... David... come and see Chris, David!""What is it, Mother-in-law? I'm here," David said, rushing into Christian's room, followed by his wife Christie and Mr Thomson, who had come in response to Mrs Thomps
After all the commotion surrounding Marta and Rodrigo's relationship, everyone in the house is delighted that they are a couple. They hold the young man in high regard and know he is very responsible. They are particularly pleased that he respected her throughout and that, had Marta not essentially won his heart, he wouldn't have pursued the relationship.The following day, Mrs Tania invited Augusto, her lifelong bodyguard, and his wife Leila for lunch. She wanted to quickly formalise Rodrigo and Marta's relationship, as the couple couldn't stop gazing at each other happily. Since Marta's arrival with Isabella, she had initially remained very quiet, and although everyone loved her and made her feel like family, they could sense that she felt inhibited in many ways.Now she is brimming with happiness, constantly smiling and allowing others to embrace her, something she didn't commonly do before. This is especially true after managing to have Rodrigo assigned as her bo
Santiago and his father stared intently at the girls, who were at a loss for what to do or say. Despite her earlier words, Marta had quickly released Rodrigo's hand, and he too seemed unable to react. Isabella looked at her father and, seeing his reproachful head shake, hugged her grandmother, hiding behind her."Seriously, Bella? Are you going to pass your sister off as Rodrigo's girlfriend?" Santiago asked, trying to coax Isabella out from behind her grandmother."Dad, it's not what you think!" Marta stepped forward, attempting to defend Isabella, who was silently pleading for help. "Dad, it's not Bella who's with Rodrigo... it's me!""This is the limit, Isabella," he said, to the astonishment of all three women. "Now you want to pass Marta off as your lover's girlfriend to deceive me?""Dad!" Isabella exclaimed, emerging from behind her grandmother, who was chuckling at the mess unfolding before her. "Dad, I swear on everything sacred that I have nothing to do
He didn't know that I couldn't cash the check here. Although, about Eva's money, I think you're right. I remember hearing my father saying that Santiago's company is frozen, because it's going bankrupt. If the Sardino patriarch doesn't step in, he'll be left with nothing. So it's true what you're saying. Where's Eva going to get money from? Although, she might have her own stash hidden away."Now I understand why Eva is so agitated, although it seemed she didn't know. She says she has a good plan, it might suit us, what do you think?""Do you trust her, Luis? I don't like Eva one bit. When have you ever heard of a mother plotting to kidnap her own daughter's children? I don't like that woman, I don't. Let's hear what she's planned. But if we don't like it, we're leaving, agreed?""I don't trust her either, but she's still someone we can get money from, and right now I'm going to cash this cheque Santiago gave me to pay for Luisito's hospital bill, we can't get him out
After rescuing Adele, they had decided to leave the country for good, but to their surprise, upon returning to the house that belonged to Luis' maternal grandparents, they found a surprise. Upon opening the door, there was Vivian and her mother with the child."Mum! Vivian! What are you doing here?" Luis asked, genuinely surprised."We're so sorry, son, but the little one didn't take to the climate and had been unwell since we arrived. The doctor advised us to return to a warmer one. As we had no idea where to go, we came to stay here for a few days, so you could help us find another place. And by the way, as we couldn't send money, we collected them to come with us.""Mum, you shouldn't have done that. Dad found out about everything and he's fuming. You should have called me and explained, I would have sorted everything out from here.""Luis, it's just for a few days. Besides, I need to sort something out with my account, it won't let me withdraw the money Santi