Mag-log inThe morning didnât wait for them.It never did.Light filtered slowly through the tall windows, stretching across the floor, climbing the walls, settling over the quiet aftermath of the night.Ariana woke before him.At leastâshe thought she did.For a moment, she didnât move.Didnât open her eyes fully.Just⊠felt.The steady rise and fall beneath her cheek.His chest.The warmth of his arm still loosely around her.The quiet.Too calm.Too intimate.Too real.Her eyes opened slowly.The city beyond the glass was already awake againâcars moving, people walking, everything continuing like nothing had shifted.But something had.She pushed herself up slightly, careful, controlled, trying not to disturb him.His arm slid away naturally.Not possessive.Not restraining.That should have made it easier.It didnât.Ariana sat at the edge of the bed for a moment.Still.Thinking.Replaying.Last night wasnât a blur.It was too clear.Every decision.Every moment.Every choice.She stood qui
The elevator ride felt longer than it should have.Ariana stood alone inside, her reflection staring back at her from the mirrored wallsâcomposed, controlled, almost untouched.Almost.Her pulse said otherwise.Steady.Too steady.The kind of steady that came before something broke.The numbers climbed.Each floor bringing her closer to a decision she had already made the moment she turned away from home.The doors opened.Quiet.Effortless.Like everything in his world.She stepped out.The hallway was empty.Soft lighting.Muted silence.Controlled.Her heels echoed softly as she walked to his door.She didnât knock immediately.Her hand hovered for a second.One second.That was all the hesitation she allowed herself.ThenâShe knocked.The door opened almost instantly.Like he had been standing there waiting.He probably had.Mateo stepped aside without a word.Letting her in.No greeting.No smile.Just presence.Ariana walked past him into the apartment.The city stretched beyon
The operating room demanded silence.Not the absence of soundâBut the absence of distraction.Ariana stood at her station, gloved hands steady, eyes fixed, movements precise as she assisted.Monitors beeped in consistent rhythm.Metal instruments clinked softly.Orders were given.Followed.Executed.Everything here had structure.Control.Predictability.Unlike everything else in her life right now.âClamp.âShe passed it immediately.No hesitation.Mateo didnât look at her.Not once.Not since he entered the OR.And thatâSomehowâWas worse.Because it was intentional.Every movement he made was flawless.Clean incisions.Measured decisions.A surgeon completely in control of his environment.Of himself.But Ariana could feel it.Beneath the surface.That same tension from his office.Not gone.Just⊠contained.âPressure.âShe adjusted instantly.âGood,â he said.Professional.Neutral.Nothing more.Dr. Diego SĂĄnchez stood across from them, assisting.But unlike MateoâDiego watche
Morning came quietly.Not soft.Not peaceful.Just⊠inevitable.Ariana woke before her alarm.Her eyes opened slowly, staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling of her staff apartment as the early light filtered through thin curtains. The city outside was already aliveâcars moving, distant voices, the low hum of Madrid beginning again.But inside herâNothing felt settled.Her body still carried the memory of last night.The wall.His hands.The way everything had nearly collapsed the moment Cami knocked.Her chest tightened.Too close.They were getting too close.Not emotionally.Not even physically.Carelessly.And that was worse.Her phone buzzed on the nightstand.She reached for it instantly.Mateo: Report to my office before your shift.No greeting.No softness.Back to structure.Back to control.Ariana stared at the message for a second.Then exhaled slowly.Of course.If anything, last night would make him more controlled, not less.She pushed herself out of bed.Cold floor agains
The quiet didnât last. It never did. A sharp knock hit the door. Once. Then again. Ariana froze instantly. Her hands were still gripping Mateoâs shirt, her back still pressed against the wall, his body still too closeâ Too familiar. Too dangerous. The knock came again. More impatient this time. âMateo?â Camiâs voice. Clear. Right outside. Everything inside Ariana dropped. Her hands released him immediately. Her breath caught so sharply it almost hurt. Mateo didnât step back right away. For half a second, he stayed exactly where he wasâeyes locked on hers, expression unreadable. Calculating. Thenâ He moved. Fast. But controlled. Distance returned like it had never been broken. By the time the door handle shifted slightly, he was already a step away. Composed. Untouchable. Ariana pushed herself off the wall, heart racing violently now, trying to steady her breathing. The door opened. Cami stepped in. Bright. Alive. Completely unawareâ Or maybe not. H
The hallway outside the club was quieter.Not silentâbut muted. The bass from inside thudded faintly through the walls, like a distant heartbeat fading with every step they took away from it.Arianaâs heels clicked softly against the floor as she followed him.Not behind.Not beside.Somewhere in between.Close enough to feel his presence.Far enough to pretend this was still normal.It wasnât.The door at the end of the corridor opened into a private loungeâdimly lit, nearly empty, reserved for people who didnât want to be seen.Mateo stepped inside first.Ariana hesitated for half a secondâThen followed.The door closed behind them with a quiet click.And just like that, the world shifted.The music dulled.The crowd disappeared.The space narrowed.It was just them.Mateo didnât turn immediately.He walked a few steps in, setting his glass down on a low table.Then he faced her.Fully.Ariana stayed near the door.Her pulse was too loud now.Too fast.âYou stayed,â he said.Not qu
ââMateo's eyes darkened with primal hunger as Ariana positioned herself on his desk, the sight of her smooth thighs driving him wild with lust. He stepped between her parted legs, one hand coming to rest possessively on her hip while the other traced the curve of her jaw.ââ"You're playing with f
The final days of December had bled into one another in a haze of velvet and iron. Ariana had spent the week following the office incident in a state of hyper-awareness. She was quickly becoming accustomed to the duality of her existence: during the day, she was the sharp-tongued, fashionable Arian
The festive atmosphere that had filled the estate was vanishing as quickly as the winter frost. Staff were moving throughout the house, packing away the holiday decor, and the silence that replaced the music felt heavyâalmost suffocating. At the breakfast table, the clink of silverware against por
The alarm clock on the nightstand didn't just wake Ariana; it felt like a summons. She lay still for a moment, staring up at the ceiling of her own bedroom. The familiar cracks in the plaster and the soft morning light hitting her curtains should have brought her peace, but instead, her chest felt







