Chapter: 26 - Something important to tellACEI tossed my jacket onto the back of the sofa and collapsed as if I'd run a marathon. The broom marks from my wife were still stinging on my arms. Literally assaulted with household items. And for no reason. Okay... for some reason. But would it have killed her to listen to me before throwing objects?I sighed deeply, staring at the ceiling of my empty house.“Nice work, Montesino...” I muttered, with a crooked smile. “This time it was almost a success, if we disregard the part where you were chased out like a basement rat.”I closed my eyes and rested my arm over my face, trying to ignore the loneliness that now seemed much louder. I was exhausted. More mentally than physically. I tried not to think about Luna’s expression when she called me an obsessive spirit and an emotional burden; I’d been laughing at her creative insults the entire way home. What will she call me next?The living room phone rang.“Lita, I’ve got it!” I yelled, already getting up from the sofa.“Hello?”“Ace,
Last Updated: 2025-10-18
Chapter: 25 - An obsessive spiritLUNAI opened the door without thinking. I thought it was the delivery guy with the pizza I ordered. But as soon as I saw that dark jacket, that arrogant face, and the eyes that haunted me even in my dreams... my blood boiled.“Go to hell, Ace!” it was instinctive.And before he could say anything, I tried to slam the door shut. But apparently, he was expecting it. His hand shot out firmly, grabbing the edge, stopping the movement with the same ease with which one stops a falling leaf.“Let go, Ace,” I growled, pushing harder.He didn’t budge. Not an inch.“I just want to talk.” Talk? Can you believe this man? “That’s all.”I rolled my eyes with a bitter laugh.“You and I have nothing to talk about. The time for talking left along with your concept of boundaries, Ace Montesino.”“I just need a few minutes.”“And I just need peace,” I retorted sarcastically. “So, since we’re being so honest... good night.”I lifted my foot and kicked his shin hard.“Ugh!” I heard the muffled groan and
Last Updated: 2025-10-18
Chapter: 24 - Don't touch what's mineACEThe clock seemed frozen; I was still at the office. The half-empty glass of whiskey, ignored, and the laptop screen reflecting charts and reports that meant nothing anymore. My eyes were stinging, which meant it was time to stop.I picked up my phone and saw a notification from Bob."Call me when you're free, boss. Bad news."I frowned. I dialed the number and stood up, pacing the carpet like a caged beast. He answered quickly.“Hello, boss.”“I’m listening. Go ahead.”There was a brief pause, and I recognized the sound of hesitation that precedes something bad.“That guy Henrique. The painter. He met with Luna today.”My hand clenched around the phone.“Where...?”“At that gallery downtown. The same one your company has a stake in. It seems she ran into him by chance, but...” Bob exhaled. “They left there together. They went to a coffee shop nearby. I kept watch. They talked, they laughed, and they exchanged numbers again.”I didn't say anything. The rage surged straight from my
Last Updated: 2025-10-18
Chapter: 23 - One day breathingLUNA "Hi, Luna."For a second, my legs forgot how to work. But I forced myself to react, to do anything other than simply stare at him as if I were seeing a ghost.“You’re here?” I asked, extending my hand in an almost automatic, overly formal gesture.Henrique shook my hand firmly, his touch warm and matching his equally warm smile.“It’s one of my favorite galleries,” he replied, slowly releasing my hand. “I’m glad you stopped here.”I turned back toward the painting, still feeling the heat of his touch on my fingers.“This canvas...” I said, gesturing with my chin. “Did you paint it?”Henrique nodded, his eyes fixed on the figure of the furious woman within the frame.“I did. My masterpiece, they say,” he gave a half-smile. “I started painting it the night I met you.”I let out a short, incredulous laugh.“Wow. I don’t remember looking that furious that day.”Henrique laughed too.“Maybe I came home a little upset, for, let's say... having lost my cell phone.”My eyebrow went up,
Last Updated: 2025-10-18
Chapter: 22 - Henrique?LUNAThe flowers arrived exactly when I was trying to convince the kettle not to explode. The delivery guy seemed nervous; in fact, I wasn't convinced he was a legitimate delivery person. He was carrying a bouquet of light pink peonies and white flowers, as beautiful as it was ordinary. The card hanging in the middle caught my eye before I even took the arrangement."I had a wonderful night thanks to you. Thank you, darling."The kettle whistled, but I heard nothing but the sound of my own indignation building up.My finger started to tremble. My eye did too. This wasn't a note. It was pure provocation. A psychological attack from a completely unbalanced and irritatingly... effective man."That jerk."I ripped the card off violently, tearing it into pieces so small that even recycling would be ashamed to accept them. Next, I grabbed the bouquet and walked to the trash can like a bride in a fury halfway through the ceremony. Crushing it with both hands and tossing it in the garbage was
Last Updated: 2025-10-17
Chapter: 21 - seu idiota insuportável, ridículo, egocêntrico, presunçoso e de quinta categoriaACEI left the building whistling, hands in my pockets and the taste of her lips still on mine. It was a shame I didn't get a more lingering kiss, and it seemed she hadn't even realized the one I stole while she was sleeping.The morning sun blinded me for a second, but I didn’t care. This was the closest I’d been to happiness in months. And, for some insane reason, I was genuinely smiling at nothing.Bob looked at me from inside the car, with an expression that said he’d seen everything—and, considering how long he’d worked for me, he probably had.“The boss looks a little too cheerful for someone walking out of the house of a woman who hates him,” he grumbled, without looking up from his phone.I got into the passenger seat, still grinning.“That’s because I am cheerful, Bob. I had a wonderful night.”He raised an eyebrow, skeptical.“If I hadn't come by to drop off the clothes, I wouldn't believe it. Do you want me to draw conclusions or are you going to tell me why?”I tilted my h
Last Updated: 2025-10-17
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