"Hi, Blair. I know it's a little late to make an invitation, but I don't accept a negative response""Okay. Make the invitation""Me and the girls are going to a club. We rented a limousine and everything. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, you arrived so quickly that I didn't think. Well, anyway, tell me your address and we'll stop by your home""What?" Blair laughed.She liked going out and dancing with friends, but not having commitments for the next day. And, even more so, having commitments to the police."I don't know if beautiful people need to get ready, but do what you have to do and we'll come by your house soon. Don't try to refuse""You're crazy"Despite finding the idea absurd, Blair got up and walked from the living room to her bedroom. She had worn a thin nightgown, which made her look as enviable as a designer dress.Deep down, she wanted some distraction. It was a new city, with a new job, new people, and a totally new reality. Maybe doing something for herself wou
The redhead looked at the blonde one last time, aware that this was a one-night stand. She smiled at Ethan, the devilish smile that would teach hell a lesson. With deliberately sensual steps, just on a whim, she glided across the dance floor, carrying with her longing glances. It was easy to capture attention. The ponytail swaying from side to side was charming as Blair headed up the stairs with the confidence of someone who knew what she wanted.The objective was understood by Ethan. Blair was being such a fatal woman that everyone else seemed to be a disappointment next to her. His sensuality hit those people like a freight train, including him. She knew she wasn't acting the right way, but she didn't care about moral principles. Not a lot.And when the redhead arrived at the stairs, the security guard immediately allowed her passage. I had orders to do so. But despite that, anyone would do anything those red lips asked. Her bloodthirsty heels touched the steps slowly, aware that Et
"You know this guy's story, but you didn't live it like I did. Don't ask me to accept all this shit as if I had no option" she began, feeling her strength leaving with each word. In his heart, the father's approach and the release of forgiveness meant different things."You fucked up my life. You made a point of taking everything from me, even the will to live. There is no forgiveness in the world that can overcome that" Blair looked directly at Jean, shooting the words at him as if they were gunshots.For a split second, she forgot everything. He forgot that he needed to be on good terms with his father for Spencer's investigation to continue. He forgot that Jean paid for his luxurious life. And he forgot that he had agreed to give her a chance. Blair just let her anger spill out."Enjoy the rest of the night" with that said, she walked back to her room.Blair Collins would never allow her father to see her tears, not again. She could hear him sobbing, unable to move from the spot wi
Martins is a mature woman, with some expression marks on her thin face. She's not the type to do cosmetic procedures to feel better, she just takes care of herself. Her dark hair is always tied in a formal bun, it's her trademark."On Friday, my boss called me into his office and asked me to open two buttons on my shirt. Because, according to him, the weather was very hot"I am constantly harassed by the man who pays my salary. I always act like I'm too stupid to understand jokes with double meanings. But deep down, I understand and feel disgusted with them. I'm afraid of being alone with men like him. I'm afraid of the police who look at me with malice. I'm afraid of coming home too late. Josh, my boss, is just another man who came into my life and planted trauma in me. However, it is certainly not the last."I worked late on the weekend. And this guy asked me out. He drives a fancy car, so he thought I would never refuse. But in the end, I refused. He called me a stupid bitch, and i
"Girl, I know I made a mistake with you. I didn't think straight..." Drake paused."I want the best for you, and that's all. I can't see you in fear forever, that ruins me. But I respect you, and I will accept your decision" he stopped again, hoping she would open the door."Tomorrow I'm going to look for other apartments. It's not fair for us to stay here, not when you can't stand the guy"Drake and Blair had been living in the apartment near the Strip for a little over two months. The million-dollar property was paid for by Jean, in an attempt to alleviate the damage to her daughter's life. Blair accepted because he valued his best friend's comfort. And at that moment, she knew she could no longer stay away from her father. Since accepting to work with Spencer, his personal and professional life have become one.However, for Jean, that was the beginning of what needed to be done before the woman considered paternity again, and he was willing to give his life for it. He was an import
The woman would be delighted with the idea of having friends, going out drinking and dancing, living in a nice place with her friend and being able to enjoy a normal life. No negligent and abusive parents, no harassing bosses and misogynistic men, no financial difficulties and, above all, no lies.Blair was in a trance, looking up and imagining thousands of chances. There was no reason to sabotage yourself again.And as she thought about a likely, and perhaps inevitable, future, she felt a hand close around her wrist and pull her back. The woman needed a second to snap out of her thoughts and return to the real world, realizing that a man was pulling her towards him."I just want to talk" he almost shouted. His tone of voice seemed altered, out of character.She didn't know how to react, she was still trying to assimilate the situation. The man, taller and with many more pounds, continued to pull. His eyes were red and his clothes were shabby, like a homeless person.The woman felt pa
The doors opened, and she entered unaccompanied. Her body missed Ethan's presence faster than she thought was right. It was as if he wanted to spend his entire life by his side, when, in reality, he only needed to spend a few seconds.At that moment, it was difficult to keep my mind focused on Spencer's investigation. Ethan was more ingrained in Blair's mind than she thought possible, and she realized the real danger behind his attraction. There was not only the risk of being interested, but also the risk of getting hurt.*That morning, the hours were long and peaceful. Drake attempted a rapprochement based on the one thing they were good at; to talk. But Blair was distant, overwhelmed.The woman's past was a vast sequence of disasters, and it had all started with Jean. She didn't talk about him, or about her mother, as she was struggling with the depressive thoughts that this subject provoked in her.Despite attempts to talk to her friend, Drake decided to give her space. He was alw
"Okay" she murmured, as if she was ending the conversation."I was hoping you would inform me about the meeting with Ethan Banks at the club the other day. But it seems to be personal" Spencer pondered, with a dose of teasing in his voice."You said I should get closer, and that's what I'm doing" Blair was quick to defend herself."I know you are""I'll be waiting for your next contact" the woman murmured, and then hung up.After the call ended, she threw herself back, throwing her body against the soft mattress. Blair didn't know to what extent she was getting involved with Ethan and not helping Spencer, and that worried her.However, overcome by an anxiety she couldn't explain, Blair created an Instagram account and thought about adding a photo. She didn't have many, and the ones she did have didn't seem right.Finally, the redhead decided that she would not post photos. Soon the whole world would be looking at your profile, making assumptions and posts that would hit home.HeyThan
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