Blair got out of the car in one swift movement, without even looking at her father. She ignored any attempts to say goodbye and headed toward the building, the weight of an exhausting day stamped on every dragging step she took.The doors to the building closed behind her, and the silence of the hall enveloped her for a moment. Stepping into the elevator, she let out a weary sigh, taking off her high-heeled shoes that felt like they weighed tons and leaving them on the floor beside her.Finally feeling a little freer, she unbuttoned the first few buttons of her dress, allowing the cool air to soothe her hot, tired skin. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, trying to gather the strength to climb the rest of the way.“Ethan…” she sighed.Blair picked up her phone with trembling hands and, without hesitation, looked up Spencer's contact information. She pressed the call button, but the call did not even beep once before it dropped.She stared at the blank screen for a few seconds, feel
One after another, the tears became a steady stream, growing more intense, until the first sobs escaped, shaking her shoulders uncontrollably.She opened her mouth to try to speak, but it was as if the words had become trapped somewhere between her throat and her chest, crushed by the weight of guilt and fear. Sobs choked her voice, breaking it into inaudible fragments as she desperately searched for a way to explain, to justify everything she had done.But nothing came out but small, broken sounds, her breathing ragged as her pleading eyes searched for some reaction from Drake, something that could soothe the storm of emotions raging inside her.Blair felt her face wet and the tears continued, relentless, making every attempt to speak a failure. She knew she needed to say something, or at least ease the hurt she saw in his eyes. But regret, sadness, and despair were all mixed together in such a mess that words seemed impossible to form."Yes," she whispered, the word barely audible,
"Ethan did not seem that dangerous, did he?" Carter asked with a cold smile as he walked over to the couch to pick up his briefcase. With the same disturbing calm, he walked toward the door, as if the whole threat was a routine formality. "But he is."Blair looked at Drake, who stood in the corner of the room, his posture defeated, his shoulders hunched, like a cornered animal."Or what?" The question escaped Blair's mouth before she could stop it, an impulse of desperation and defiant curiosity.Carter stopped, a few steps from the elevator, where the doors were already open. He turned, his gaze curious and cold. "What?""Ethan is going to destroy my life," Blair whispered, letting out a deep sigh, filled with resignation and a hint of uncertain hope. "And what's the other option? What can I do to stop it?"Carter stared at her for a moment, weighing every word, every expression. Slowly, the elevator doors closed, and he took a step back into the apartment, his face lit with a calcul
“Every day will be bad for you,” he murmured, his voice a whisper laden with menace. “It’s a one-sided negotiation. But you can deny it and see what happens.”He leaned closer, his lips almost touching her ear. “And if you must know, I’d like you to deny it, just so I can watch Ethan raise hell to Earth.”Blair closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the gravity of the situation. What Carter was saying was true, and the thought of denying his marriage proposal paralyzed her. What she was about to make was a choice that could bring everything around her crashing down. But at the same time, the sight of Drake, the pain and desperation in his eyes, reminded her of what was at stake.What would become of her if she couldn't protect the ones she loved?Carter’s voice rang out again, sharp as a blade. “Think, Blair. Think about what you really want. The choice is in your hands.”The conflict inside her intensified, Carter's every word sounding like a synonym for doom. She was about to be th
“do not look at that, Blair,” he says, his voice firm but gentle.“You were the one who was looking,” I accuse him, frustration dripping from my voice, as if that could dispel the feeling of helplessness that washes over me.“I was expecting it by watching the news and… well, he’s always news,” Drake stammers, visibly uncomfortable. “It was a mistake.”“Do you always do this?” I ask, my voice firm. “Do you always see things about him?”“Whenever you are not around,” he replies, and the guilt-ridden tone makes me feel a mix of anger and sadness.“Why?” the question escapes, filled with desperation.The answer I want doesn't seem to come, and that frustrates me even more.“Blair, leave it,” he says, looking away, as if trying to escape the conversation. He walks around the room and into the kitchen, looking for a breather and a way to avoid the confrontation. “Juice? Cookies? Fruit?” he tries to divert attention.“I do not want food, I want answers!” I reply, the intensity of the situat
“She won’t know if you do not tell her,” Miguel replies, a mischievous smile lighting up his face.“Little genius,” I mutter to myself, admiring his wit.He is very smart for his age, and the way he already understands the nuances of adults is impressive.I leave the kitchen and go to the living room, where the little one is still in front of the television, completely absorbed. “What are you watching?” I ask, curiosity taking over me.He turns around, his eyes wide with excitement. “Formula One Championship!” he says, the joy in his voice almost infectious.“Formula 1, huh?” I say, trying to get involved. “Are you rooting for anyone?”Miguel nods, enthusiasm brimming over. “Yes! The blue car! It’s the fastest!”“Oh, so we’re going to run like him, right?” I joke, and he laughs, the innocence of childhood radiating from him.With every passing second, I feel a growing connection to Miguel. He's not just Blair's son, he's a part of me now, a little piece of joy and responsibility that
The racetrack is packed to the rafters, a bustling, vibrant tide of people, and I feel a little overwhelmed by the noise and energy. People all around us are shouting, cheering on their favorite drivers as the machines roar down the track.In the midst of all this confusion, I hold Miguel's hand, and his little heart beats with contagious excitement.“Look there, uncle!” Miguel shouts, his eyes shining as if he were in front of one of his miniature toy races, but on a monumental scale.Unfortunately, all the good seats have already been taken.Then, with an eager smile, I decide to put him on my shoulders. “There you go, champ! Now you can see everything!”Miguel bursts into euphoric joy, his cries of excitement echoing through the crowd. The feel of his small body settling on my shoulders brings me unexpected joy. I look up to where his radiant face shines in the sunlight, and wonder if perhaps I did the right thing in bringing him here.“See? It’s all amazing, isn’t it?” I say, tryi
My heart is racing, and I can feel the pounding in my ears. The crowd that once seemed so vibrant is now a sea of strange faces, and each passing second feels like an eternity. I move faster, looking desperately at every corner, every face, as the pressure in my chest intensifies.“Miguel! Where are you?” I shout, my voice almost breaking.The celebrations fade into a distant noise, and the joy of the people seems to mock my despair. It's a horrible feeling, being so close to something everyone loves and at the same time feeling like I am about to lose the most precious thing I have. The only thing I want is to find it before it's too late.**BLAIR'S POV“Miss Collins, I just need to ask you a few more questions,” the officer says, but his voice echoes as if it’s coming from far away. It’s like a distorted dream, a nightmare I can’t wake up from.I lost my son.Reality slowly unfolds, and each word he utters becomes a crushing weight on my chest. Panic and pain intertwine, and the id
There’s a pause, and in the silence I feel the weight of everything he’s not saying. The desperation of searching for someone the whole world said was lost. The crushing hope, followed by the crumbling, each time he thought he’d found me only to discover it was someone else. The pain of living between belief and resignation, over and over again.His fingers, still hovering in the air, finally move. They touch my face, light and hesitant, as if he fears I might disappear at any moment. The touch is warm, but his fingers tremble, and it breaks something inside me.He's trying to be strong, but he can't hide the vulnerability that pulsates beneath the surface."It's you now," he says, and the certainty in his voice is almost palpable. As if, after so long, he can finally breathe.He smiles, but the smile isn’t what I remember. It’s not confident or charming. It’s small, fragile, and so full of sadness that it stings my eyes.There's something devastating about seeing him like this. That
My head moves slowly, against my will, as if an invisible thread were pulling me towards him. I don't want to look. I don't want to see. But fear and curiosity push me towards the inevitable realization that he is there, real, so close that even the air seems charged with his presence.My gaze first drops to the floor, to his shoes. A pair of casual sneakers, simple but they bring back memories that refuse to stay buried. Then my eyes move up to his legs. Black jeans, fitted, worn at the knees as if they’ve survived more than just time.My heart races, but I keep going. I glance down at his torso, noticing the dark sweater he’s wearing, elegant but in a casual way that only Ethan can pull off. He never had to try so hard to look… dangerous and attractive at the same time. He just was.It takes me longer than it should to look up at his face. As if my subconscious knew that this would be the point of no return. When I finally allow myself to look, I feel my heart almost stop.His beard
BLAIR'S POVI walk quickly through the parking lot of the building, rummaging through my bag for my car keys. The dim light from the overhead lights creates shadows that dance on the floor, but my attention is completely focused on finding the keychain.If the traffic is okay today (a miracle, considering the time of day) I can still make it to school in time to pick up Miguel and take him home. He hates it when I'm late, and he doesn't spare me the frustrated look, but maybe I can make up for it with a pizza for dinner. That usually works.Finally, my fingers touch the cold metal of the key, and a relieved sigh escapes my lips. I continue walking, my thoughts already moving on to what Miguel might choose as a topping for the pizza this time… pepperoni, perhaps?But as I turn the corner where my car is parked, something makes the world around me slow down.There’s my car, exactly where it should be. But next to it, taking up my parking space, is a black SUV that immediately catches my
"You were out of your mind that night." He looks at me now, his gaze a mixture of anger and pity. "And that's what happened. It was your car that hit her, Banks."The revelation hits me like a punch to the chest. “What?” I repeat, louder this time, my disbelief boiling over. “My car? Carter, my car?!” My voice rises, wavering between anger and desperation.“She would never feel safe with you again,” he says, his words cutting like knives. “After this, how could she?”My breathing quickens, and for a moment I feel like the world around me is falling apart. The air seems to escape my lungs, my mind in absolute chaos. Carter takes a step back, but I follow him, staring at him as if he’s the only thing still solid in my reality."What the fuck are you saying, Carter? My car…?" My voice breaks, begging for an answer I don't want to hear.I fall to my knees on the sidewalk, as if my legs can no longer support the weight of this revelation. My fingers tangle in my hair, pulling hard, as if t
When I finally stop, my body is panting, my hands shaking from the impact. I look at Carter, who is on the ground, his face swollen and blood dripping from his lips.He doesn't move.He doesn't say anything.He just stands there, staring at me with a look of sadness, of regret.“I… I knew it,” he says, his voice weak.I don’t answer, I have no words. The anger that consumed me before fades, and in its place comes a deep emptiness, as if the world has lost all meaning. I stand, looking at Carter on the floor. Each breath feels harder, heavier.What do I do now?I feel my body weaken. My legs shake, and the pain in my hand from punching so much spreads through my body. I try to breathe, but the pressure in my chest won't go away. And the only thought that runs through my mind is the emptiness of knowing that Blair is still alive, and I don't know what to do with that.I don't know what to do with the rest of my life.Carter struggles to his feet, running a hand over his jaw with a paine
I saw Blair. Or at least, I think I did. My mind no longer knows how to distinguish what is real from what is not. And while I stand there, lost in my own memories and hallucinations, Carter remains silent, his gaze fixed on me, unable to find words that could bring back what is already lost.He knows what's going on, but he doesn't know how to deal with it.He lowers his head, as if the very idea of saying the words is an unbearable weight. His voice is low, barely audible, but still, it seems to cut through the air between us, making everything around us disappear. "She's alive," he says, so quietly that for a moment I wonder if it's me, in my shattered sanity, who's imagining it all."What?" My voice is hoarse, a reflection of the disbelief that begins to take hold of me.He doesn't look at me, his eyes fixed on the floor, as if the words that just left his mouth were a condemnation. "You're not crazy, brother," he says with the same seriousness, but with a tone of regret. "Blair i
The valet hesitates, looking at the now-gone car, and shakes his head, clearly confused. "I... I'm not sure. No one important, sir."Nobody important?“No,” I breathe deeply, trying to control the rising panic. “No, I know what I saw. She was important.” The emptiness of the street around me seems to grow, to swallow me. I no longer know if I’m speaking to him or to myself."Ethan!" Carter is behind me now, his voice full of concern and something else. He reaches out to me, taking my arm. "What are you doing? What's going on?"I look at him, my face tense, anger and fear mixed together. "She was here. She was here," I hiss, unsure if he'll understand the depth of what I'm saying."Who?" Carter asks, his voice low, full of confusion and concern.He cups my face in his hands, as if trying to check if I'm feverish, if my mind is somewhere far away. His fingers press against my skin, but I barely feel them."Blair," I whisper, almost as if my voice is a distant memory, an attempt to captu
She finishes the glass in a single gulp, her gaze fixed on the horizon, as if she were losing herself in the lights of the city below. I follow her, drinking in her image, still immersed in my own thoughts."Good wines are not wasted," she murmurs with a seductive smile, her red lips almost provocative. The flirtation is clear, and for a moment, I find myself contemplating whether this is what I really want. But soon the answer comes silently: I am no longer the man who fell for this kind of game.When was the last time I was with a woman? The question resurfaces in my mind, and I know the answer. I know Blair was the last. There has never been another after her, despite the attempts, the distractions. No woman has been able to replace the space she left, not even for a moment. It grips me, swallows me, in a way I don't know how to escape."It's not wasted," I confirm, more to myself than to her. The sound of my own voice seems distant.The blonde steps forward, her plunging neckline
“I’m developing a new sparkling wine brand,” says Cortez, a big-time alcoholic entrepreneur, in a tone of voice so enthusiastic that I almost feel guilty for not showing the slightest interest. “You know, I’m not new to the business. I thought we could do a campaign together. Something big.”I feign interest, crossing my arms and smiling, even though my mind has already begun to wander away from the conversation. “What were you thinking about?” I ask, my tone calculated with curiosity, so as not to seem disinterested.“Something you could incorporate into racing, you know?” Cortez continues, his voice growing even more animated. “Like, throwing champagne in the air when you win a race. That classic gesture, but with our own brand.” He smiles, pleased with the idea, as if he’s offering me a golden opportunity.I watch him intently for a few seconds, but soon I start to let his words fade into the background of my mind. He keeps babbling, but his words are like distant noises now. I'm n