“It is not pretense. Never was. She looked at me in surprise. - Not for me. There is something between us. You are the most special person I have ever met.Rylee studied me silently for a moment, as if probing the veracity of my words.“So special that, at the first opportunity, you treat me with the same judgment that the people of this damned town have treated me my whole life.I tried to take her hand with mine, but Rylee pulled it away, sharply.“I want to apologize to you for that. I shouldn't have thought you'd sleep with that guy. The truth is, I was mad with jealousy when the security guard told me you'd met him at the hotel, hinting at what you were doing there.“And because I am the daughter of a woman like my mother, you did not even give me a chance to doubt it.“This has nothing to do with your being that woman's daughter. You evaded security to go to his hotel, what do you want me to think?She huffed, still irritated but softened.“You should have listened to me when I
- What it was? — answered." There is someone here wanting to see you." Silvana Brandao.I was surprised to hear my half-sister's name. It had been weeks since we last spoke. Obviously, she already knew that we were brothers and my conscience weighed on me for not having sought her out to talk about this matter. I could imagine how she was feeling about all of this."You can let it in." Tell him to wait in the hall. I'll be down shortly.“ Yes, sir.With that, we ended the call.- Who was? Rylee asked lazily, her eyes closed.— Silvana came to talk to me.She opened her eyes."You still haven't talked since she found out you are brothers, have you?"- No. But if she's waited until now, she can wait a little longer. At least while I give my wife a bath. Come here.Rylee gave me the prettiest, most mischievous of smiles as I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the bathroom.**After making me come one more time in the bathroom, under the jets of warm water from the shower, Atho
I took a large suitcase, threw it open on the bed and started to fill it with beach clothes, mine and Athos 's . His options were few, just a few rare shorts and T-shirts that were in the closet, but mine were many, the pieces that Marina and I bought for our trip to Australia. I could not wait to use them, to fulfill my dream of finally discovering the sea. I could bet that Marina would love the idea and would certainly come with us.I was engaged in the task when she came into the room, still drowsy from having just gotten up. Now she occupied one of the guest rooms on the second floor, and it had been weeks since she had done the housework around the house, although she continued to receive the salary that Athos did not mind paying, glad I had her for company."What are the bags for?" Will you run away without me? - she asked, lying casually on the bed, while my face turned red with the memory of everything that Athos and I did in that same bed.“ Shhh …do not mention our escape he
Gently, Athos pulled out one of the chairs for me to sit in and then sat down in the other. As we helped ourselves to the plate, which I was not even sure what it was – it looked like some kind of fish stew, with a few crab legs as a garnish – I wondered how many women he'd already brought there, how much fancier they certainly were. than me, with sophisticated manners, very different from my clumsy country girl way.- You come here often? — I asked, after taking the first mouthful of food, enjoying the almost too spicy taste.“Not as much as I would like."Have I brought many women to this place?"“Not as many as you might imagine.I would bet the receptionist who greeted us was one of the ones who'd already been there with him.— When you went to SaintClair City, did not you have anyone in São Paulo? Like a girlfriend?Athos smiled, as if amused by the question.- No.“It seems impossible to imagine a man like you not having a relationship, or several.I do not believe in this relat
Athos slid his body down and, as he used to do, showered kisses over the bulge in her belly, tenderly, making my heart overflow with a genuine affection, never experienced before. At that moment I was sure what I wanted for my life and that was to be with Athos forever, to be his real wife, to see my son grow up by his side. I loved him with all my heart and it was painful to imagine a lifetime without him.The emotions that washed over me were so intense, my eyes filled with tears. So I grabbed both sides of Athos 's face and brought him to me, pressing my mouth to his, kissing him lazily, allowing the passion to explode in my chest. The hope that we could be together, that this could work, had never been so alive and real inside me.Marina was right, we belonged together and we needed to raise our son together. That was now crystal clear to me.Under the last vestiges of that day's light, I broke the kiss and looked into Athos 's eyes .“I love you,” I whispered. "I want to spend th
When the ambulance arrived, I was still in shock but a little calmer. Hastily, two nurses put Arnaldo on a stretcher and carried him towards the vehicle. For some unknown reason, I wanted to go with him, back there, with the security guards following us in another car. Ryleea also wanted to accompany us, but I asked her to stay at home, as the hospital where her mother had worked for several years was not a safe environment.At the hospital, I waited in a room for several hours until the only doctor in town came to see me.— Are you Arnaldo Brandao's companion? he asked, as if he did not know that I was the man's son and the only relative outside of jail.- Yes. How is he?- Not good. I managed to extract the bullet, but I am not a neurosurgeon. I won't know the extent of the damage done until after he wakes up. That if you wake up.I could put that damned old man in the helicopter and take him to a renowned neurosurgeon in São Paulo, if only to assuage my guilt in the slightest."Is
“No, Rylee . What I want is for you not to run away with my son!”- I do not need it, thank you. I am fine. Just leave me alone.Clearly disappointed, she swept her gaze across the table, as if suspiciously checking to see if I was really involved with the work, or just avoiding her.- Clear. Sorry to bother.With that said, she left the office, head down, while I continued to sit behind the desk, overcome by that myriad of love and hate that burned in my veins, threatening to drive me crazy.I never left the office that night. After a few shots of whiskey, I ended up falling asleep right there, in an armchair, which made me wake up the next morning with a bad backache. Upon realizing that I was awakened by the insistent ringing of the cell phone, I answered the call, still sleepy. It was from the hospital, a nurse calling to say that Arnaldo had woken up, a miracle, according to her. In my opinion it was just the confirmation of that saying that a bad vase does not break.I analyzed
The feeling of being betrayed is one of the most painful experiences one can go through. It's a blow to the heart that shatters trust and leaves deep emotional scars. Betrayal is like a shadow that looms over a relationship, leaving a sense of deceit and helplessness.Betrayal can take various forms, whether in the context of a romantic relationship, friendship, work, or family. Regardless of the context, the feeling of being betrayed is overwhelming. It triggers a whirlwind of emotions, including anger, pain, distrust, and sadness.The sense of betrayal is often accompanied by questioning one's trust in people and their ability to judge the character of others. The victim of betrayal may feel helpless, as if they have been thrown into an abyss of uncertainty and disappointment.Overcoming the feeling of betrayal is a lengthy and arduous process. It requires forgiveness, both for the person who betrayed and for oneself. It also involves rebuilding trust, which is a complex challenge.