LOGINShare
A cover
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Paris, present
The parade of guest cars lasted fifteen minutes, so I asked my taxi driver to park in an inconspicuous place near the main façade and decided to walk to the area that I assumed was a service area. Vans arrived unloading goods that were delivered to the employees and everyone, without exception, was searched and questioned about their identity. And as if this was not enough, I still had to deal with security cameras installed at strategic points, which would make an invasion without spilling a single drop of blood, an almost impossible option.
An unforgiving scenario, that even without knowing this Jean, I can bet that he is a shrewd and suspicious man that I should keep well away from.
Unfortunately, my Paris debut couldn't have started better, I rolled my eyes. However, for this night and like all the others in my life, I would not accept defeat.
I keep walking, hoping to find a guard that could be corrupted or a breach in this great "wall". I grew up surrounded by one, so it couldn't be that difficult. But lucky for me, fate is eager to play with our lives and has caused a huge deck to catch my attention. There is a woman crying in the back while a motorcycle runs away.
“ Are you ok?”, I ran to her aid.
“ I am, but I wish I wasn't! “, It wasn't a robbery, I can see it from her eyes. They stole something worse, a dream, probably.
Was it the classic "man runs away after responsibilities arise"?
“Who knows, maybe then it would all be over....”, She sobs and cries, smearing all her makeup. “ I shouldn't be here, I need to get inside to serve at the party. My face must look terrible!”
A party hostess, how perfect...
“ I won't lie! Yes, it is”
In fact, it's not that bad, but she doesn't need to know.
“ I know the party hostess. If you go to work like that, you'll never get a job anywhere”
“ No, not that! I need to work. There will be two of us...- she takes her hands, her belly, and I end up accidentally remembering mine. I try to push these thoughts away and focus on what has to be done”
“ I can help you!”
“ How?”, She asks, confused.
“ How about you not working tonight? You can hand me your badge, I'll talk to Amelia myself. You won't have any problems, we are very close. You need to rest!”, My voice stages a mixture of kindness and friendliness.
“Merci, Madame, but I need the money.”
It's always a question of money. One of the reasons that money matters as much as a gun to a gangster. And that lesson I know by heart...
“ This is not a problem!”, I take from my wallet a bundle of bills stuck together, “ Is that enough?”
His pupils have grown and if it were a cartoon, they would glow.
“That's more than I would earn this evening, ma'am”
“Use the rest to pay for a cab. Where do you live?”
“Somewhere a lady like you would never go. But just ask to be taken to the neighborhood where nobody wants to be found”
- A little mysterious...- I joked, placing the money in one of his hands and taking the badge in his other hand.
- Maybe one day I will go!
- You are very kind. An angel!
So was Lucifer, so it makes some sense.
“ Thank you. Do good to no one!”, I recite a sentence that I read this morning in some blog, without remorse, everyone won, “ Now I have to go, I can't miss the best of the party”
I said goodbye, but waited for her to leave first, warning myself of the chances of her bumping into some other party employee. Then I return to the place where I left the car.
“ Madam, after all this time, this ride will cost you dearly”
“ Stop being funny, Luigi!”, I pull off his wig with my hands, allowing his red locks to show, giving a Jovial look to the face of a muscular thirty year old man.
“Hey! You don't unmask a man like that, He protests, snatching the wig from my hands again, “Do you think Amelia recognized me?
“ No, she doesn't notice those who are in a lower social position than her. Be calm!”
“ I'm not afraid!”, He affirms, “I was secretly your father's trusted man, when he died, I knew I should be yours. Anthony never earned my loyalty”
“ I appreciate it! But I need you there, with him, so that I know his steps. He can't suspect anything. “
He consents and hands me the backpack with a dozen clothes and shoes for the different situations I anticipated facing that night. I prepare to change and immediately he turns his face forward. I know he will ask a question next, his fingers are anxiously tapping against the steering wheel.
“ If this Amelia is lying, what do you intend to do?”
It is a serious question, however, I cannot afford to give it all the attention it deserves. Car seats are not the best place to change.
“ I haven't thought about it. All I know is that if she plays with the only thing that matters to me, which is getting my daughter back, I will take away everything she wants most. I need to discover all her weak points, then I will be in a position to confront her. For now, I am in your hands…”
━━━━━━✧♛✧━━━━━━
“ Identification, s'il vous plaît!”
Tonight, neither Francisca nor Chloé. Suzy is my ID right now and I am hoping that I don't get lost in so many papers. I give the badge to the security guard and he confirms Amelia's stamp and signature. The entrance is cleared and as soon as I set foot in a small room for meals and the usual staff gossip, I am handed a black and white uniform.
“ Hurry up, missy! The boss lady is not to be trifled with”
Minutes ago I was mistaken for a madam and now for a girl. Such is the power of wearing jeans, sneakers and a T-shirt, unlike the uniform that will inevitably take me back to formality.
“ She's like this because Jean told her that her man won't be coming to the party. Did you see that dress? It's dressed up for nothing," Comments one lady, and another burst out laughing.
Both are two middle-aged ladies who work in the house full time.
I don't mind changing in front of them, not when the subject is more than my interest.
“ From what I hear, he traveled on business, accompanied by beautiful models”
So it is true! She is having an affair with a man connected to fashion. However, it doesn't seem to be going well. And this Jean must be a very close friend, so that she can boss and boss the servants around as she pleases.
“ I am ready!”, I speak after running my hand through the last ties of my blouse.
“ Take these glasses to the main kitchen. Just go straight ahead and turn right.”
“ Yes, ma'am!”
She places in my hands a tray filled with glasses of the purest crystal. I feel like a juggler with an invisible audience that is rooting for me to lose my balance. However, the etiquette lessons on posture were not only useful for walking in heels and being elegant, they are also useful in these moments.
When I arrive in the kitchen, I place the tray on the counter and it is impossible not to notice the details, from the orange-toned furniture, all the imported appliances, lights that turn on with motion sensors. This Jean is as rich as I suppose Amelia's lover is and perhaps more appeased. If the other is nothing but an uncertain affair as whispered about by the maids, what would be her reason for preferring him?
“ Girl! The waiters are waiting for the cups, come!”
It's Amelia's voice, who didn't recognize my back and facing her becomes a tremendous revelation.
“ Francisca?”, She swallows dryly, blinking her eyes a few times.
“ Surprised to see me, dear Amelia?”, I offer the same sarcasm as she disappointed me when I arrived at the party. And I feel that while my fun has just begun, yours is about to end...
Related chapters
The sweet smell of seduction The emerald dress
“Chloé? How did you do it?”Amelia's face looks a mixture of surprise and terror denoted by her hands instinctively reaching for her neck.“ How did I do it?”, My smile remains sarcastic.“You know, dear Amelia, sometimes I get the impression, or almost always, that I'm not fighting on your side, but against you”“What's that now, Francisca?”, She protests as she closes the door behind her with her heel, a pure fear that someone would overhear our conversation, “We are friends!
The sweet smell of seduction A man of the law
I turn the knob and push the door made of cherry wood, hard and heavy enough to need a little more effort to open. A kind of warning or a second chance for me to rethink my choice. However, once again, it is fate dictating the rules of the game. First, I hear the sound of someone walking in this direction and then a familiar voice. Amélia! So, indecision is overcome by the need for me to go inside and hide. I place myself listening with my ears glued to the door while my eyes peek through the lock. “ Marie, come to the main corridor, I need a favor and I can't go to the salon2, She uses her free hand to hold her cell phone and talk, as the other tries to hold the top of her dress so that she doesn't get half naked again. Her face is with an unfriendly expression and her pacing from side to side is commanded by her impatience and nervousness. She also lurks on all sides and uses her cell phone to call again, only this time, it would be a secret call. Her voice is low and I have
The sweet smell of seduction The CEO's arrival
I was supposed to go back to the kitchen, call it a night, and not give in to the temptation to pull this thread further and further. But, danger fascinates me and it remains to be seen to what extent this Adam Arnault would be my triumph against Amelia. With a bit of luck, he would go from being the target to my new toy that I would use to torture Amelia, or perhaps, in the end, both. It will all depend on how much she used my weakness as a mother to climb a miserable rung in life. So, nothing fairer than for me to use hers to get back on my feet in Paris with new schemes. And best of all, I would make my own rules. My intuition tells me that this was Amelia's plan with this man. However, it cannot be denied that there is some feeling on her part, still trapped in a possible youthful love that has never been reciprocated and has even become a laughingstock among the house maids. Poor my dear friend Amelia, better vanity than Love. An evil that should be uprooted with all the st
The sweet smell of seduction Spying
Leaving the Laurent mansion was as difficult as entering. I was searched and confronted with a gaze reserved especially for the poor. Because, to the security guards, all the mere mortals who set foot here tonight must have been born with a born tendency to steal and that one could never be indifferent to any object worth anything, when those who really move the world of crime wear a suit and tie or luxurious dresses, and not those who remove a mere candlestick that won't be missed.“ You are free to go, mademoiselle! “, He hands me my backpack and I remain indifferent without uttering a single word.It is not a good idea to exchange impressions with security guards. They have an excellent photographic memory just like the nos
The sweet smell of seduction The Queen's Return
I arrived in time to be welcomed by Winter. It is mild like a father who welcomes a son who arrives after a long journey. Instead of cooling, it warms my heart and awakens memories in me that make a lonely tear roll down my cheek. They are always as scarce as my genuine smiles or sincere gestures of affection. The last time they wet my face was the day my daughter was born. There are no memories beyond her crying that remains just like a song that still manages to lull my demons to the point of weakness. And in my world there is nothing worse than having one so exposed to the eyes of enemies, because becoming a puppet will be inevitable. That's what reminds me of these walls of this hotel. One of the secret family businesses managed by "ghosts" for emergency situations. Here were received friends, men whose lives were on a tightrope, and Lorena, so that her escape would not be discovered until the dark of night and then be thrown into the wheel of fate from which she was never to
The sweet smell of seduction The goodbye
Always before a new life, a death is necessary, not necessarily physical, but deeply existential, either to say goodbye to what is no longer part of our days or to what we once were and can never be again. “ Would you recognize her if you met her?”, Luigi is the first to throw away the silence that has prevailed since we left the Calderone mansion and drove to the cemetery. The normal thing is to bring flowers, but I carry with me a suitcase with my favorite belongings, used when I was Francisca. However, it's not me he's talking about, it's the photograph of Lorena Tatiane Calderone, still at the age of 17, very well preserved next to my father's photograph and both fixed on a cross.
The sweet smell of seduction The CEO's Companion
Paris, present“Is that his house?”We had to blink a few times to believe it. Either Adam Arnault is a man who invites danger into his life or an idiot who denies to himself that nothing can happen to him. Only one of these options would explain the fact that his huge residence does not have cameras or multiple security guards as was the case in Jean's house.The modern architecture alternating in glass, wood and perfectly finished walls that confuse any pair of eyes that it is wallpaper and not paint and cement, accuse it of being his own house and not one he inherited from his family.
The sweet smell of seduction A paparazzi
Luigi didn't have much baggage beyond the essentials. Always very practical and objective. He didn't bring his weapons or ammunition. That he could take care of once he arrived in the United States. So all that was left was a backpack with a modest amount limited by the legal restrictions governing the amount to be carried on trips.“ It's not goodbye!”, I speak excitedly, spicing up my promise to take my future business there.“I hope that in your case you can buy a couple of guys in uniforms”, he refers to the policemen, “Traveling as a good man does not suit an almost Calderone.”“ Not almost, you are a Calderone. M
Latest chapter
The sweet smell of seduction Last chapter: The promise of return
I burst out laughing at the scene. She barely knows how to hold a gun. “ Don't be stupid, Larissa. I'm sure your only mission here is to cause me the displeasure of your company during my return to my home. A home that doesn't belong to Anthony, and certainly not to you. You are a mere pawn in this game that Anthony revels in thinking he can strike me. Now put that fucking gun away that you don't even know how to use and let's get out of here.”, I retrace my steps to meet my luggage. “ Don't move, Chloe! Or I'll shoot.”, she threatens, “You won't come home. You won't see your daughter. I know that if you come back you will convince Anthony to forgive you and everything will be fine for you as always.” I stop, not because I owe her obedience. But, because I need to watch how far she is willing to go: “Hum and what do you intend to do? Murder me?” “Yes, I will murder you. Tell me how it feels to be about to die by the hand of stupid Lari?”, she wants to match a crazy woman in some m
The sweet smell of seduction The Last Night
It wasn't long before my aunt's suspicions were confirmed to be idiotic, so dismissed by my happiness when not even nausea could stop me from feeling so willing, at least emotionally.The CEO revealed himself to have a hidden joking side or just could not see himself missing the opportunity for the first time to be in charge of a situation that in no way would I know how to handle myself. The dispute would only end with both of us accepting rewards, me with his blazer and him holding me in his arms. The silence joined the night that came and we stopped to look at the sky and would have taken our time if it weren't for an icy breeze irritating my skin.“ I'm staying with him!”, I wrap myself even tighter in his blazer.“ Of course you can take it!”, he grants not only the garment but also a kiss.“ I'll be right back!”, he walks away, no need to ask why. I see land in sight, and soon we are on what resembles a beanstalk. I soon find that my vision has betrayed me, and it is only 15
The sweet smell of seduction The Desert Island
The CEO bet even though he knew the game was a farce, he preferred fun to lucidity, the turmoil of the losers, and the vanity of him being the first even though, deep down, it wasn't true. Wouldn't it be the same with our relationship? Are we both lying, I to him and he to himself even though the signs are clear? And that before long, he will reveal that from the beginning it was a game, he knows who I am and he loves my demons just as I love his ocean eyes. No matter how crooked the path to this point has been, but he is willing to take all the risks. Not like a prince saving his beloved, but like a true mobster, a learning that is not born in a week, let alone a day. A day that confuses me with seconds as I watch Adam dress in his usual black, rejecting the simplicity of the disguise we agreed to have here. He easily sets himself up as a target, and running away is definitely not an option. That's what we did by coming here, but distance is only an obstacle for those who need an e
The sweet smell of seduction A Secret Love
California, dawn“Am I still welcome in your house and in your life?”, It's Luigi, who has sneaked in. It's not a surprise to me. In fact, I've been waiting for you since I left the casino and came home. Me, sitting on the porch and him beside me, the dawn spreads in the sky right in front of us and the sea hardly imitates a sound so as not to break the peace that surrounds us all. Luigi, also surrendered, decides to sit down, waiting for me to give him his final sentence. However, my internal judgment is lengthy. My senses do not wish to miss a detail of the spectacle. It is sublime and unbelievably, there is nothing that nature asks in return to give it to us.“ If you fear that I am going to throw you out of my life, should I consider that you have done something wrong?”, my eyes are satisfied and my attention is offered to the man next to me.“ No, you know I haven't. I just don't know to what extent what we have matters more than how you feel about Adam.”“ I recognize how much
The sweet smell of seduction The Tenebrous Reconciliation
“Don't you ever lose the habit of asking questions you know the answer to?”, I close the door behind me so tightly that it is enough to hide the rapid beating of my heart. My nostrils need air on behalf of my lungs desperate to bail out, my mind one step away from hitching its anxiety.“Our argument hasn't even started, and already reason has gone your way”, he smiles cynically, keeping the gun pointed at Adam's head, opting for circular motions on his leather to test my lucidity, “ You were raised to have it all, to own it all. The Great Frances! I thought that by taking everything away from you, you would come back to me. But no! You found it!”, he pulls the gun away from the CEO and sits down next to Adam's body lying on a couch, “Is he the one stopping you from loving me, Francisca? The son-in-law of your father's dreams who should be dead?”Anthony again positions the gun in his direction, and I know that his life depends on my answer. It's logical that I need to remain indiff
The sweet smell of seduction The casino
“ I have never seen such a sexy and sophisticated manager.... “, Adam is dazzled, I can see him through his reflection in the mirror, which reminds me of Anthony's presence in scenes like this, although their looks and gestures are incomparable.“ My job is a bit peculiar. I won't be there to serve, just pretend I'm a stupid, silly, rich girl they can pass off as. Then they will be attracted to spend money. A sort of camouflaged manager”, I shrug, swiping my lipstick.“ That's dishonest”, he assesses. “And entering a casino expecting honesty is naïve, Monsieur Arnault…”, I do the final touches, making sure there is not a grain of sand left on my scalp. It was an endless struggle to get rid of them. A sacrifice that left no regrets when it was two hours well spent of the purest pleasure. And I would love to continue it through these white walls and huge glass windows that bring the sea closer even though it is a hundred meters away. The house in no way resembles Arnault's residence
The sweet smell of seduction Arriving in California
California, presentEvery day millions of people travel. For many, just another ordinary day of time saved by one of the greatest inventions of all time; for others, the airplane is not just a machine. It is our genie in the lamp, where we lean back, close our eyes and imagine the dreams we yearn to come true. And if distance is the only obstacle, the dream is one step away from our hands as soon as the plane touches the runway to our point of arrival. But when distance is not the obstacle, how can that lamp help us if the problem lives in us and we simply cannot run away from who we are?“There will be a car waiting for us.”, Adam says, bringing me back to the present.We are waiting to choose our bags among so many others.“ Hopefully without a driver, I'll love to spend some time alone with you…”, my voice is sly, accompanied by a mischievous smile.“ You are so complicated, Chloé! “, he looks at me like I'm a riddle, “ One minute you wish I had security guards and chauffeurs, the
The sweet smell of seduction The Goldmine
One day laterToday the Desiré noire did not open. The tables are empty and the silence is frightening for those who are used to seeing a full house. It is clear that I will lose a lot of money by having the doors closed. But our reunion could not be in a place other than one of CEO Adam Arnault's favorite spots. The atmosphere would stir up memories for him, and to erase the bad ones, you need an extra dose of what makes you feel at home. So tonight, no more pubs or wandering the streets like two inconsequential teenagers.It will be drinking from the best in the bar and loving like the first time.Yet, with every passing minute, it gives me anxiety not to see him walk through that door. I can't believe that Adam would be so proud as to not accept an invitation from me. After all it has been a long time since our fight. And before anyone accuses me that 24 hours is not much time, in my defense, I will say that an eternity can happen in seconds. So there is no point in waiting for hi
The sweet smell of seduction The Unexpected Visit
“ You were really serious about hurting him. That can't have been pretty…”, appreciates Luigi as he finds me picking up the shards of glass from the floor and throwing them into a bag.He arrived ten minutes after Adam left. That was the time for me to put on some clothes, wipe my tears and drink a cup of pure coffee that would make anyone awake from the feeling of still being sleepy.“ I always do what has to be done, Luigi. You gave Anthony your word, I wouldn't make you break it a second time. I have a lot to thank you for, my friend.”, I say it sincerely and I just can't stand up to hug you because our time is short.“ You will always have my loyalty and so will your descendants.”“ What descendants? I have decided to live as if my daughter doesn't exist, and a second child is not in the plans.”, I continue to pick up the shrapnel while trying to keep my attention on her reasoning.“ Francisca, that day Anthony said that having you back is a priority not just out of spite, he nee
