Arabella knew she was falling in love, and there was no point in going against the feeling. After many years, her heart had finally found the place where she wanted to stay. After three years of a failed marriage, she had finally found… love.But, despite the feeling that warmed her, a whispering voice told Arabella that that happiness was fleeting. That passion had an expiration date; it would all end when Damon discovered the truth.Mason's manipulation.Spencer's investigation.Arabella's lies."That doesn't change much" Arabella tried to get up, but the man did not make room for it. The truth was that he wasn't ready to stop feeling the heat of that body, which seemed to be more intense than the flames in the fireplace."What needs to change?" Damon asked, and his tone betrayed emotions the man wasn't used to feeling."Everything, Damon. How can I believe in you when you still have several slaughterhouses spread across the country?""The apartments? Okay. Give me five minutes and
"So, you know that Arabella killed my mother," Mason murmured quietly."Was that what you used to keep her under your control?" Carter turned to face Mason. "Did you make her believe that you had evidence of her committing a crime? A murder?" He raised an eyebrow. "I hacked into your company's system, accessed your computer, and saw these images. I was intrigued, because a good girl like Arabella would never do such a thing. So, I began to dig deeper, to search more thoroughly..." The lawyer approached Mason. "I hacked into the cameras in your house, saw the real footage."Mason swallowed hard."Arabella did not kill Eleonor. Eleonor attacked her, and she fell on her own. But there's something else... Eleonor arrived alive at the hospital," Carter continued, getting closer. "You killed your mother," he whispered."You can't prove that," Mason's voice was barely above a whisper.Carter's hand trembled slightly as he retrieved his cellphone from his pocket. With deliberate movements, he
"Do not get your hopes up, Collins. I am a good liar" Damon joked. Deep down, maybe it wasn't a complete joke."Do not worry. I will buy a polygraph" Arabella decided to keep playing."Do not try to buy me with your quackery," the man said, subtly raising an eyebrow."Of course I try""Devil" Damon said, making the woman on his lap smile widely.The sound of laughter reverberated in the man's chest. He felt different, as if his entire existence had been created to hear that smile, to touch that skin, to kiss those lips. If Damon's life had a meaning, he would bet all his chips that it was Arabella Collins.The trance the man was in was broken when he heard knocking on the door. The real world continued to exist, however easily they could ignore it."Come in" Banks allowed, and the door was opened by Alex in the next second."The aircraft is ready, sir" the security guard announced."Okay," Damon replied, dismissing his employee with a wave.He looked back at Arabella and felt her mood
The huge glass door of the house was opened by the man as soon as they reached it. The first room was a living room, and a specific decorative item caught Arabella's attention. It was a racing car parked in the middle of the room, as if it were a common piece of furniture among the others.The car said a lot about its owner; It had grayish bodywork, the number ten written on the side and vivid red details. The chrome wheels gleamed when the lights were turned on."It's amazing" she commented.The rest of the room was so incredibly beautiful that it left Arabella speechless. All the walls were made of glass, and showed the coconut trees outside. She was sure it would be an even more contemplative sight in the daytime.Arabella walked towards the sports car when Damon let go of her hand, and gently slid his fingers along the hood. "Your house is a paradise" she murmured, turning to face the man who admired her from afar."Now that you are here, I can agree"Arabella looked away at the o
"What is the year of wine?" Damon questioned, noticing and ignoring the attention the waiter was paying to Arabella."Ah… 1940, sir""Good. This is the order then"And after a subtle wave, the waiter walked away from the table. He was accustomed to all types of beauty, as he welcomed the most beautiful women to the restaurant. However, a woman like Arabella was new anywhere in the world."He wasn't looking at your face," Banks muttered, still looking at the departing waiter."It's just the pretty dress"Damon smiled at Arabella's response. It wasn't a smile she knew, as it contained more malice than any other. He leaned back and waited until the waiter returned with his order, which took no more than three minutes.The waiter returned with an incredibly balanced tray in the palm of his hand, with port wine and four glasses; two with water and two empty. He placed the bucket of ice on the couple's table, not noticing Damon's gaze on him. The waiter positioned the glasses and, as he pla
However, things happened so quickly that I did not pay attention to the details. There are many things we do not know about each other."Jesus Christ died and I am supposed to put a glowing pine tree in the middle of the room?" he scoffs “It doesn’t make much sense to me."It's the Christian tradition" I shrug. Nobody questions. We just decorated the tree and ate turkey "Are you an atheist?""No."He turns his back to me again, but not before I can see the smile on his lips. I am sure he's remembering our church meetings.Cynical."Can you get the shampoo for me?" Banks asks, suddenly.I look at the holder, where the shampoo is even open, as he has just used it. I furrow my eyebrows. “It’s in front of you.”"It is?" he asks, and then I know he's not making a request of me, he's calling me to come there.I take a deep breath. I used to be a girl who attended church religiously, almost every day. I barely recognize the libertine I have become.I reach for the zipper on the back of the d
I can't stop now.I do not accept.“Just today” I press my lips to his “I do not want to stop.”"Arabella..." he sighs, scolding me.I push my ass toward him. He hesitates, though he doesn't pull away. I adjust myself until his dick is between my legs, and rub myself against him. His arm traps me, and my back is pressed against his chest."Cum!" he whispers into my hair.Banks lowers her hand, positioning herself behind me, crowning my entrance. My eyelids flutter, and eyes roll back as he buries his cock deep inside me."Damon..." I gasp, clinging to him.Banks groans, squeezing my body as he waits for me to settle around him. We enjoyed, for a brief second, the feeling of our skin together. We sigh, sucking in air with little whistles.Turning my head, I reach his face, placing kisses along the entire length of his jaw. His eyes close, and he remains still for a full minute, just feeling me throb on his dick.“That feels fucking good,” he mutters.I smile widely, feeling the tinglin
"But you did not give up on the marriage. You continued with Arabella. You only signed the divorce because Joseph forced you," Angel insisted, her voice trembling with doubt."No, no, no. Of course not. I stayed married because I needed Arabella to take down Damon. But I never loved her," Mason asserted, kissing Angel's forehead tenderly. "The woman I truly love is right here in front of me, and I need her help.""Mason..." Angel embraced him, her vulnerability laid bare. "Then why did you call out for Arabella when..." She could not bring herself to finish the sentence."Because I felt anger towards her. She was haunting my mind, tormenting me. But I promise it won't happen again," Mason assured her, holding her close.They held each other tightly, Angel driven by love, Mason by ulterior motives."I thought you loved her," she said softly."I never did," Mason replied. "And about my schemes... I won't drag you into anything dangerous. I would never do anything to harm you. Trust me."
The cold rain outside seemed to intensify the warmth emanating from the crackling fireplace. Arabella nestled herself closer to the flickering flames, her mind consumed by the storm of thoughts swirling within her."Here," Damon's voice, soft and soothing, broke through her reverie. He offered her a steaming cup, his eyes reflecting a silent understanding."Thank you," Arabella murmured, accepting the cup with a small, grateful smile. Though she held it in her hands, she seemed more drawn to the comfort of Damon's presence than to the warmth of the drink.As Damon settled beside her, Arabella felt a hesitant longing stirring within her. She turned towards him, their eyes meeting in the flickering firelight, and in that moment, words seemed unnecessary. There was a silent communion between them, an unspoken understanding of shared pain and solace.Without a word, Arabella leaned into Damon's embrace, seeking refuge from the tempest of emotions raging within her. His arms enveloped
ONE YEAR LATERThe atmosphere was as funereal as the situation itself. The sun hadn't visited that part of the city since the previous day, as if it were also in mourning. Heavy clouds and timid splashes of rain were present, which only made the day seem less happy.A white tent chapel had been placed in the mansion's garden. It was a large space, enough to accommodate the thirty people present. The dark wooden coffin was centered in the chapel, open so everyone could see Victor's limp, pale body.White chrysanthemums decorated the coffin. Those were traditional flowers at wakes, and they meant "Golden flower”, from the Greek.Three of Victor's friends were next to the coffin, crying softly and drying their tears with a tissue as they recalled their journey. They were long-time friends. Their suits were as dark as the sky, representing perhaps eternal mourning.That was the garden of the mansion that Arabella had bought months before. She barely had time to get used to the place.Anas
HOURS LATERAs Damon stepped into his city apartment, a heavy silence greeted him, amplified by the absence of any illumination. The darkness enveloped him like a heavy cloak, its weight pressing down on his shoulders as he traversed the familiar space. He made no move to flick on a light switch, preferring instead to let the shadows consume him, mirroring the desolation that gnawed at his insides.Approaching the drinks table, he reached for a decanter, his hand moving with practiced precision as he poured himself a potent measure of whiskey. The liquid glimmered faintly in the dimness, casting fleeting reflections against the polished surface of the glass. With a solemn sigh, he lifted the drink to his lips, the fiery liquid igniting a dull ache in his chest as it slid down his throat.Leaning against the window, he gazed out at the city sprawled before him, its towering buildings reaching up towards the inky sky like silent sentinels. The nocturnal metropolis seemed to pulse w
The interior of the vehicle was permeated with Banks's scent. He wore an excessively good perfume, not exactly strong, but rather striking. It was the kind of smell that only a person with a lot of money would have.The door was closed, and because she was in a complete trance, Arabella was scared. Christopher wisely remained outside so that he would not hear the conversation.Banks, with her naturally dark charm, twirled the ring on her middle finger while pretentiously ignoring Arabella. His gaze was directed forward, but so far away that it did not even seem like he was in that country.The woman moved closer to the door, as if it were possible to merge with the car. Damon noticed the movement, but did not bother to assure her that she did not need to be afraid. Because maybe she needed it."Everything is fine with you?" Arabella whispered so quietly that she wasn't sure she was heard, even with all the silence that surrounded them.Damon remained silent, and then he sank deeper in
And with that, everyone burst into prolonged applause. Some even stood up, but no one really knew the intention behind the speech. All that was left was for him to say Arabella's name, with each letter."Thank you all for coming. And if it's not too much to ask, be loyal. do not love me, but be loyal" Damon walked away from the pulpit and went down the stairs as he had gone up; ignoring all the eyes on you.In turn, the master of ceremonies returned to say a few words. "I am flattered by the opportunity to hear you, Mr. Banks. Now, for the entertainment of our audience, I would like to call to the stage Mr. Landwy, the evening's violinist."Arabella waited until the first chords of the violin sounded before muttering something to her father and standing up. People did not notice when she walked in long strides to the bathroom, as at this moment wine glasses began to be served throughout the room.Arabella thought that she could take refuge in that luxurious environment for the rest of
TWO DAYS LATER. NEW YORK.The dress shone when the few lights that filtered through the window touched it. The fabric was thin, sliding across the white skin with each subtle movement. The blue silk was a pure, almost innocent tone.Arabella was sitting in the backseat of the Bentley, and, next to her, Victor was also watching the view of the New York streets as the car passed through them. They were silent, as on many other occasions, but they were not uncomfortable. At least not with each other.Victor's treatment was having some effect. The best doctors in the city were taking care of him, at Damon's request, paid for by Damon.The father wore a tuxedo, the daughter wore a beautiful sky blue dress, along with long gloves in the same color. Her brown strands were tied into a high bun, with a few curls perfectly curled and loose.And when the car stopped in front of the Banks Nouveau building, the lady felt her hands sweat inside her gloves. There were countless photographers outside
Banks took a deep breath. Their brief moment of silence was enough to make Colton and Spencer's hearts race."You are up to your neck in this story, but she's not. Arabella's the only good part of this whole shit. Think about that before you backtrack," Spencer muttered, just in case.And to say those words did not reach Banks would be a lie. He felt them as if they were punches to his face, but he knew how to pretend to be careless. Because, deep down, maybe he agreed."I do not usually go back"Damon, seeing that the conversation had come to an end, turned his back to the inspector. He even glanced at Colton. Banks made a subtle sign with her index finger and the security guards returned to the car."But in any case, when you decide to join people in destroying me, find stronger allies" he muttered before entering the door that his driver kept open.The first car made a subtle maneuver inside the warehouse and slid out, followed by the second.And then, just then, Colton approached
TWO DAYS LATERThe lights of New York were known throughout the world. The city awakens, with people bustling around and never, ever stopping. It was a place famous for everything it showed, but few people knew what New York was hiding. Few knew the shadows of the most illuminated city in the world.The shadows were in the suburbs, in isolated areas that not even the sun could reach. Where the streets were muddy, buildings were abandoned and people cried without hope.In a less busy area, where the asphalt ended and the dirt streets began, there was an abandoned warehouse. It was an unfinished building, with exposed bricks and half-shattered pillars.The smell from the warehouse was unsanitary.Dust had dominated the four corners of the room, and everything that was there was abandoned. There were crates at the ends of the warehouse, covered with a dark, dirty tarpaulin.Spencer Davis was in the warehouse, sitting in a chair almost as old as the one he had in his office. Behind the ma
SOME HOURS LATERWith a graceful stride, Arabella entered the conference room, commanding attention in her ensemble — an elegant green dress complemented by sleek heels. Her hair, neatly pinned back, accentuated her sharp features, and as she walked, there was an air of confidence about her."Good afternoon, gentlemen," she greeted, her voice carrying a polite tone subtly infused with determination."Miss Collins," Louis Tompson, the lawyer, rose from his seat upon her arrival, extending his hand in a gesture of sympathy. "My condolences for the divorce?"Arabella's response was swift and resolute. "Not at all," she declared, dismissing any notion of condolence.Seating herself across from Mason, with Tompson positioned at the head of the table, Arabella's eyes met Mason's with a mixture of disdain and relief. Gone was the power he once held over her — she was free now, and she made sure he knew it."Now, the purpose of this meeting is to align the restructuring of the companies," th