Novels by Erica Cristine souza cunha

Slow steps, and the sound of shoes hitting the floor, echoed through the empty rooms. Antonella could even hear Benjamin’s breathing as he approached, his eyes locked on hers. The food she had been chewing minutes earlier got stuck in her throat, and she urgently needed water.She stood up hastily and stumbled to the water dispenser. She didn’t see Dante get up to greet Benjamin with a sincere smile.When she returned to the table, Dante was explaining to Benjamin that he had come to say goodbye to Antonella because he was returning to the capital that very afternoon.“May he never set foot in this city again,” Benjamin thought with a serious expression as he looked at Antonella disapprovingly.“Let’s go to my office to talk a little,” Benjamin invited him with the sole intention of keeping Dante away from Antonella. He, too, was good at pretending to be friendly.The governor didn’t notice his intentions and, looking at Antonella, wanted to say goodbye, but the loud sound of the phon

Benjamim entered the office expecting Antonella, but she was taking too long. He grew impatient, and when he turned to go after her, he bumped into Antonella.He was too close. Her face turned red, and he lowered all his guards. Realizing what was happening, Antonella took a step back and moved away from Benjamim, lowering her head afterward.He tried to imagine what she was thinking. He kept watching her without realizing how much time had passed. When Antonella felt embarrassed by the silence, she looked at him and then said:“Are you going to tell me what you want with me?” Her words brought him back to reality, and he dressed himself again in his armor. “You said you had a job for me.”“I want to know why you left yesterday without my permission.”Thinking about everything that had happened the night before, she immediately grew worried. Now, standing in front of him, Antonella was ashamed but pretended to be calm.“I apologize for my mistake.” Benjamim raised his eyebrows and loo

Benjamim held the phone in his hand as his blood boiled in his veins. How dare Antonella hang up without letting him finish speaking? That woman was driving him mad.Without hesitation, he walked quickly as soon as he saw Dante enter through the door, looking carefree as if nothing had happened. He knew he needed to moderate his words since Dante was the governor of the state, and Benjamim was close to sealing a deal with him that would benefit everyone.He approached with a smile, like a viper ready to strike, and asked:“I searched for Antonella everywhere in this house,” he glanced around, “and they told me she left with you. What happened, Dante?”Dante looked at him a little confused; after all, he couldn’t explain the reasons that made Antonella leave suddenly.“She rushed out, saying she needed to go,” he said, and a wrinkle of concern formed on Benjamim’s forehead, “but I don’t know the reasons. I just drove her home and left without demanding any explanation.”Benjamim didn’t

Antonella had no fear of her secrets being revealed. Dante would know everything, even that she had a child, but Antonella only wanted to help Adam, regardless of what happened.She pointed him in the right direction and, before getting out of the car, thanked him, asking him not to tell anyone where she lived, and left. Dante remained standing in the same spot, still admiring Antonella’s beauty and courage.After a few minutes, he left, determined to see that woman again.Antonella ran into the house. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, and fear engulfed her. She was terrified, and the dark hallway didn’t make things easier. She crossed the distance from the front door to the room where Adam was so quickly that she could’ve won a marathon if she had been competing in one.Not only that, but she looked at her son, who seemed so small in that bed, and her eyes filled with tears. Adam’s face was red, and his eyes were closed. Dominique was beside him, measuring his temperature,

Antonella spun on her heels, intending to run away as fast as she could, but realizing what she was about to do, Benjamin grabbed her by the arm and stopped her.“You said it was a business meeting,” she gritted her teeth, completely annoyed with him.“I didn’t lie,” he whispered and smiled, looking around to see that Antonella’s attitude was attracting attention. “You should know that Enrico is part of my business. My company finances him.”It was obvious that he would. Enrico could sell his soul to get what he wanted. Only money was important to him.“You should have warned me that he was coming.” She jerked her arm, preventing him from continuing to hold her. “The impression I get is that you did it on purpose.”She cast a disapproving glance in his direction, but Benjamin didn’t have an opportunity to respond to her defiance. A group of people approached, and she was forced to stay by his side.“We’ve been excited about your arrival.” Antonella knew this man well, and when the sta

Antonella spun on her heels, intending to run away as fast as she could, but realizing what she was about to do, Benjamin grabbed her by the arm and stopped her.“You said it was a business meeting,” she gritted her teeth, completely annoyed with him.“I didn’t lie,” he whispered and smiled, looking around to see that Antonella’s attitude was attracting attention. “You should know that Enrico is part of my business. My company finances him.”It was obvious that he would. Enrico could sell his soul to get what he wanted. Only money was important to him.“You should have warned me that he was coming.” She jerked her arm, preventing him from continuing to hold her. “The impression I get is that you did it on purpose.”She cast a disapproving glance in his direction, but Benjamin didn’t have an opportunity to respond to her defiance. A group of people approached, and she was

Nicolau got discharged a few weeks later. When Antony saw Giovana holding their son for the first time, he felt so many things that he couldn’t decipher the feeling that pulsed the strongest in his heart.As Giovana approached with a genuine smile on her face, she asked him if he wanted to hold their son for the first time. Nicolau was so small that Antony was afraid of hurting him. He looked at the baby, who was sleeping peacefully in his mother’s arms, and with an affectionate look, he replied yes.Holding his son for the first time made Antony understand the true meaning of love. Ricardo himself, took without him noticing, a photo who imagined that photograph hanging on their wall.On the other side of the room, Tania was packing things for Giovana’s departure, her eyes filled with tears.“I think I haven’t forgotten anything,” she quickly scanned the room, looking for anything that might have been left behind, but there was nothing.Tania soon realized it was time to tell Giovana

Antony got into the car next to Xavier and was driven to the company. When he found the memories of that place almost paralyzed him. He barely remembered the last time he had been there. He had aspired to own that empire even when Nicolau was alive. His eyes would sparkle at the thought of owning it all. Now, standing in front of everything he had achieved, none of it made sense anymore. In the end, the greatest wealth he had received was marrying Giovana.He entered the elevator alone. Xavier had left with the mission of buying the shares and returning them to Antony. And to think it was because of those shares that he married Giovana for the second time. Now his life revolved around her. A smile tugged at his lips as Antony came to this realization. At that moment, he found himself completely in love with his wife, despite his promise never to fall in love with another woman besides Roberta.When he stepped out of the elevator, the first face he saw was Valeria’s. The woman looked a

Antony had a fixed idea in his head and thought about it every time he looked at Giovana. He had spent that night by her side, holding her hand while she slept. She was eager to see Nicolau, but the doctors recommended that she wait for the anesthesia to wear off before getting up. The next day, when Antony woke up, she was sitting up, which startled him and made him rush to help her.“What are you doing?” He looked at her, scared that she might do something reckless.“I want to see our son,” she said, already putting on her sandals, indicating that no one would stop her.Antony threw his head back, closing his eyes tightly and sighing in disagreement, but when he looked at her and saw a deep sadness for not having met their son yet, he relented.“All right,” he said, taking her hands and helping her to walk, “let’s go meet Nicolau, and on the way, we’ll talk about something very important.”“What do you want to talk about?” She looked at him, furrowing her brow with concern.“I need

Antony stopped to think about what Andreas was saying. Things in his life were starting to calm down, and he needed to recognize that Andreas had made a considerable effort to help him. On the other hand, Andreas fell silent, embarrassed, as if he had made significant mistakes and was convinced that Antony would never forgive him. Only after a long period of silence, in an attempt to clear up the misunderstanding, did Andreas apologize.“I should have told you that I didn’t find Giovana when I arrived at the farm,” Andreas’ regretful tone was more than enough for Antony to understand that the boy was not at all happy with what had happened. “I promised you that I would take care of Giovana, and I didn’t want to fail again.”Antony laughed with disdain, as if he had heard a very tasteless joke.“Yes, you should have told me,” he replied calmly, looking away at the nursery in front of him, “but you need to stop always trying to please me. Why is my approval so important to you?”Andreas

Antony stared at Xavier with an apprehensive look. The lawyer was terrified until the call was ended. When he finally hung up the phone, he looked at Antony with a lump in his throat.“What happened?” Antony sweated, anxious to hear good news from Giovana.It was all he could think of. It was about Giovana’s safety, as if nothing else mattered. Before Xavier could think of opening his lips to tell him what was happening, his cell phone rang again. He looked confused at the phone number, realizing it was Andreas.He answered the call, hearing the boy asking to speak to Antony on the other end of the line.Xavier left, leaving Antony apprehensive behind. It took him a long time to make that decision. Would it be more appropriate to inform Antony about his freedom first than to let Andreas take up his time?He came back with the phone in his hands and handed it to Antony. He saw the man’s face slowly transform, and minutes later, he felt drawn to the most important news of his existence.

Irma slowly opened her eyes and heard voices coming from afar, as if in a dream. The trees seemed to be in constant motion, making her head spin faster. The same man she had seen in front of the farm was the one who came to her aid. Although dizzy and disoriented, Irma tried to get up and escape. Her efforts were in vain, as she was weak and injured. The man held her and called the police.When the police cars arrived, she mocked the officers. She laughed uncontrollably.“Do you not know that I am Giovana’s mother?” Her disoriented look frightened some. “I came to visit her. Don’t I have that right?”“She ran away when I called her,” the man accused. “She ran through the woods and fell, hitting her head. Forgive me, but Mr. Andreas asked me to watch over the farm and forbid this woman from approaching.”The police seemed confused by the situation. One of them approached Irma, touching her arm, which greatly irritated her.“You need to come with us.”The order did not sit well with her

EmmaThe nightmare seemed to be ending. I looked at Gregory as he slept beside me in bed, and I thought it was a miracle he was alive. In the end, we are both a miracle, saved by the love we felt for each other.I should never have fallen in love with the man who bought me like merchandise, but I kept thinking about the countless paths and destinies my life would have taken if he hadn’t done it.My mother is dead, and I live with an abusive stepfather. What fate would I have had if Gregory hadn’t chosen me? Some evils come for the good, and in the end, his greed saved me.“Are you awake already?” His voice broke through my dreams. He stretched and wrapped his arms around my legs, resting his head on my lap.“It’s so good, being home, being with you,” he said, his voice sleepy, eyes closed. “There wasn’t a single day while I was in that captivity that I didn’t think of you. It was the will to see you again that saved me.”“And I’m so glad they rescued you,” I said, kissing his head.My

GregoryI went to the hospital. They barely recognized me. Without any ID or contact information, I asked them to call my wife and tell her I was alive.I was malnourished, and the doctor said it was a miracle I was still alive. I asked them to call the police; I had a report to make, and I would only be quiet when Edward paid for all the harm he had done to me.“You need to calm down, Mr. Gregory,” the nurse tried to contain my fury, “the doctor is already on the way.”“I don’t want a doctor; I want my wife,” I shouted at him. “I want the police; don’t you understand I survived an attempt on my life?”It was a race against time. I needed to resolve this as quickly as possible before Edward found out I was alive and so close, and hunted me down to finish the job. I decided I had to escape the hospital and go to the police. Not only that, but I was weak and could barely stand. Everything was chaotic. I ripped the IV from my arm and, pushing the nurse, I ran.Where did I get the strengt

Emma.Three months had passed, and there was no news or clue that could lead me to Gregory’s whereabouts. Now, Edward was once again president of Helena’s companies, and there was no one who could stop him.I couldn’t sleep at night trying to find a solution. I spent sleepless nights searching for any place where Edward could have hidden Gregory and Helena, but I was unable to find even a spark.He had fought so hard for my survival, even when I didn’t believe. Gregory was there to make me believe that I would be cured of cancer and that we would finally live our love story. I had survived cancer; I was the miracle Gregory had believed in so much, but he wasn’t here to live this incredible moment with me.One day before being discharged from the hospital, I heard the doctor say that Gregory’s love had saved me from cancer. I don’t know whether doctors can believe in miracles or in theories like that, but it was certainly the fact that I felt loved by him that helped me overcome all th

Gregory.I had no idea what time of day it was anymore, or even what day of the week I was in—much less how many days I had spent in this damp and dark place. I saw flashes of sunlight coming through the hole in the worn-out roof tile. Not only that, but I heard the birds singing, the frogs, and the crickets at night, but time no longer seemed to exist for me.I was weak, with a horrible odor emanating from my body, and I was hungry. Food was only offered once, and only when they didn’t leave me there all day, locked up in that place without eating anything at all.I knew Masson’s true intentions. He was going to weaken me to take away any chance of escape, but I needed to find strength somewhere to escape and find Emma again.I heard, when the men returned, the car tire rolling over the dirt road. Then, voices invaded the old cabin. They laughed and joked around, but I didn’t hear Masson’s voice.He wasn’t with his companions.One of them opened the door and looked inside when he saw

Emma.Tears streamed down my face. It was contradictory that I wanted Gregory gone yet cried because he had supposedly left. I was planning to ask for a divorce, but now it felt like a hole had been opened in my chest, one no one could fix.I didn’t see when Edward approached and placed his hand on my shoulder, but I flinched as soon as I felt his touch. Not only that, but I still had doubts about him because of everything Edward had done. For trying to kidnap me when I was in the hospital, for trying to murder Gregory in Spain, and now for being the bearer of this letter I didn’t even know was real.“I’m so sorry, Emma,” he lamented, but I couldn’t believe the act. “I attempted to warn you that Gregory wouldn’t change, but you didn’t listen to me.”A shiver ran down my spine, and I pulled away. Edward’s expression suddenly changed. I wanted to stress that not even with all the effort in the world, would he ever earn my trust back? I didn’t want that man near me—I was afraid of what h

EmmaWhen I woke up, Gregory was no longer by my side. Lia was dozing, her mouth open, and I found it funny the way she slept, but the smile disappeared as soon as I looked around and didn’t see him.I had asked him in the past few days to leave, to disappear from my life. I had ardently wished for that to happen, but when I didn’t see him, a wave of despair took over my chest.Waking up without him by my side scared me. I shook Lia, and she woke up startled. She looked at me and, after a while, realized where she was. I gave her a moment to recover and to ask where Gregory was.“He went home,” she got up, stretching, “and he said he needed to get back to work. He’s the president of the company now. Isn’t that amazing?”Lia reminded me of the reasons that drove me away from Gregory. The lies he told me, the truth he refused and hid from me, the way he used me for the second time. My heart started to ache again, and I began to feel angry at him once more.Why should I miss a man who, e

FinalPOV: LukeToday is the thirty-seventh day since Aurora was shot and nearly perished. Every day I come here and spend most of the time with her, telling her about how things in her life have changed, even if she is not awake, they are happening. I read books; I convert. The most important fact was when Rebeca was arrested, still in the hospital. She finally got the punishment she deserved. He spent the rest of his life in severe pain, even though he was free. We know Brazilian laws well.It was already late at night. I should have gone to Luke’s house to rest, but for some reason I couldn’t explain, I decided to sleep there, in the hospital with her. Sitting in the armchair, I read a book and ended up falling asleep. That’s when I heard a cry of “Mom” and when I opened my eyes, Aurora was sitting wide-eyed, panting. My eyes widened too, in surprise, but most of all, happiness. Aurora is back. I got up in a hurry and sat next to her. I don’t remember what I said or if I said anythi

Luke— They set Aurora’s house on fire. – I was leaning against a hospital counter, waiting for the receptionist to come back with information about empty ICU beds, when Naldo dropped that bombshell on me.— That’s not possible! – I exclaimed, completely dumbfounded. But I knew it was possible.— I spoke with Claudio, – he continued. – He was desperate on the phone, saying that Rebeca entered the house and set fire to it, until she left with severe burns.— Does that woman have no limits? - really the nightmare that Aurora lived, it seemed to never end – and how is Claudio doing? I asked him to go home.— He said he’s fine - Naldo, he was completely ecstatic, but he forgot to give me more information – I need to go back. Claudio needs my help.I agreed with Naldo and let him go towards Aurora’s house, if there was still a house, without knowing the rest of the story. For a moment, I wished she would die, for all the harm she was causing me and Aurora. The thought of her in a hospital

POV: third person written by the authorClaudioClaudio watched Luke carrying Aurora in his arms, under a heavy rain, still unable to believe that it was actually happening. The tears mixed with the raindrops, and no one could tell if her face was soaked by the weather or the pain.The distant voice, at least he had this impression, that Rebeca was running away, generated a great doubt in him: catch the woman who tried to murder his daughter, or stay at Aurora’s side, begging God not to take her only one. Daughter. It was at that time that the maternal feeling, which had been hidden for a long time, surfaced within him. The police had an obligation to capture Rebeca, so he would stay there, holding Aurora’s hand until the last moment.They took her, unconscious, in the police car. Speeding through the empty city streets, Luke watched his heartbeat every ten seconds. By a miracle, Aurora made it to the hospital alive. They took her straight to the operating room, and Claudio almost col

POV: third person written by the authorNataliaIt’s been more than six hours since Luke had left for Brasília, putting the responsibility of foreseeing the beta gonsales on Natalia’s shoulders. She knew how almost impossible that mission would be, in a company where male command predominated. Gonzalo never considered handing over the management of his company to a woman, much less one so inexperienced.Natalia thought about it a lot, so much so that she even lost her appetite. The problem was that outside; it was already dark and if she wanted to save the family company, she would have less than twelve hours to decide.She got up from the sofa once more, because anxiety was on the point of driving her crazy, when she saw that man enter the mansion. Watched the slow steps walk towards her. Hector Fagundes, her grandfather, Gonzalo’s father, hadn’t been to that house to visit her for many years. When he looked at her, the man gave her a smile and his eyes filled with tears. Despite the

Luke— We should separate, – Naldo suggested, but I didn’t like the idea. – that way they would cover a larger area.— I don’t agree. – Claudio expanded the same thought I had on that subject.— Any suggestion where Rebeca would take Aurora? – I looked at Claudio, and for the first time, he was being clear in the accusation against Rebeca.— I have no idea – he confessed, and a sadness expanded even more on his features – it’s strange to say that, but I lived so long with this woman and I don’t know her favorite places.I looked at Naldo, as if we were talking through signs. We understood, just looking at each other, that silence was the best answer.—I shouldn’t have put that woman in our house,– he whispered, lamenting.What I had also noticed was that he no longer pronounced Rebeca’s name, as if he couldn’t, or it was too difficult for him.— Guilt won’t help you find Aurora, – I said, looking at him. – You need to concentrate now.During that entire afternoon, we walked around the

Aurora.The smell of wet grass, mixed with the wind that hit my exfoliated skin, gave me a feeling of peace and despair. As I slowly opened my eyes, I felt a throbbing pain in my head. I looked up at the sky, which felt really weird. I was tied up in the open air. The shades of gray and black blended together perfectly, and I had this perception because lightning streaked across the sky, indicating an approaching storm.I observed the surrounding environment. Even though it was already getting dark, I realized that I was surrounded by woods. I had no idea where I was. Until I heard footsteps towards me and saw those hideous shoes. She loved to wear so much.Rebeca crouched down to look into my eyes. Sitting on the cold floor, hair disheveled in my face and clothes completely dirty, I looked up at her, panting.— Hi, Aurora, – she said, with an ironic smile on her lips. – Do you know why you’re here?I did not answer.— I heard that you have a relationship with the son of a man who die