MasukMELANIE
I paused.
My name, spoken in that tone, steady and deliberate, stopped me before I could take another step. I turned back slowly, my fingers curling slightly at my sides.
“Yes?”
“Stay for a moment.”
Something in his expression made my chest tighten.
Careful.
Measured.
It made my guard rise instin
RAFAELI woke before the sun rose.It had become a habit over the years, one that no longer required effort or intention. My body simply responded to the quiet shift of the early hours, pulling me from sleep long before the rest of the house stirred. For a moment, I remained still, staring at the ceiling as the remnants of the previous night settled back into place.Melanie.The thought came uninvited.It had followed me into sleep, lingering at the edges of my mind, and now it returned with the same quiet persistence. I exhaled slowly, pushing myself upright and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The floor was cool beneath my feet, grounding in a way that helped me focus.I moved through the motions without hesitation, pulling on a fitted shirt and track pants before stepping out into the crisp morning air. The world was still half-asleep, the sky just beginning to lighten at the edges, casting a faint glow over the landscape.I started jogging.The rhythm came easily, each s
MELANIEI did not remember how I got back to my room.One moment, I had been standing in that study, my entire world unraveling piece by piece under the weight of truths I never asked for, and the next, I was inside my room with the door shut behind me, my back pressed against it as though I needed something solid to keep me upright. My chest rose too fast, too uneven, and when I tried to take a proper breath, it caught halfway, like my lungs had forgotten how to do something as simple as breathing.What went wrong?The question circled in my mind over and over again, refusing to settle, refusing to let me rest.What did I do?I pushed myself away from the door slowly, my legs unsteady as I moved further into the room. The soft lighting should have felt comforting. The neatly arranged bed, the quiet hum of the space, all of it should have made me feel safe.It did not.Nothing felt safe anymore.My fingers tightened around the documents still in my hand, the edges pressing into my ski
RAFAELI had not planned this.The thought lingered long after the words left my mouth, settling somewhere between irritation and quiet acceptance as I watched her process what I had just offered. A position at my firm had not been part of any calculated decision. It had not been something I considered when I first asked Matteo to look into her background. At most, I intended to confirm whether she posed a risk to my household, to my daughter.That should have been the end of it.Instead, I was sitting across from her, offering structure to a situation that had nothing to do with me.Eight hundred thousand dollars.The number itself meant very little in practical terms. It was a figure I could erase with a single transaction, something that would not even register as a dent in my accounts. But to her, it was catastrophic. Life-altering in a way that would fol
MELANIEI paused.My name, spoken in that tone, steady and deliberate, stopped me before I could take another step. I turned back slowly, my fingers curling slightly at my sides.“Yes?”“Stay for a moment.”Something in his expression made my chest tighten.Careful.Measured.It made my guard rise instinctively, even though I could not immediately explain why.I nodded slowly and stepped closer, stopping a few feet from the table.“Is everything alright?” I asked, my voice quieter now.He studied me briefly before speaking.“How are you feeling?”The question caught me off guard.“I’m fine,” I replied automatically, then hesitate
MELANIEDinner should have been simple.There was nothing unfamiliar about sitting at a table, sharing a meal, exchanging small conversations that did not require too much thought. I had done it countless times before, in different settings, with different people. It was ordinary.And yet, nothing about this felt ordinary.I became aware of it the moment I took my seat.The chair felt too firm beneath me, my posture too stiff, my hands too aware of where they rested. The soft clink of cutlery against porcelain sounded louder than it should have, each movement deliberate in a way that made me feel as though I was performing rather than simply existing.I kept my gaze on my plate at first.It was safer that way.The food looked incredible, carefully prepared, the kind of meal that belonged in a magazine spread rather th
RAFAELI did not need to be standing this close to the hallway to hear them.Their voices carried easily, light and unguarded, drifting through the open space as they made their way toward the front door. My daughter Allison’s excitement came first, bright and animated in a way that filled the house with life.“I’m telling you, we are not leaving Madrid without going to Serrano Street. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen those boutiques. And don’t even get me started on the shoes.”A quieter voice followed, softer but steady.“I don’t think I need anything that expensive. Something simple is fine. I just need a couple of things, not a full wardrobe.”Allison groaned, the sound exaggerated enough to carry. “You are impossible. This is not the time to be sensible. This is the time to look like yo
MELANIEI did not realize I was still holding it until I tried to move.The soft fabric rested in my fingers, slightly crumpled from how tightly I had been clutching it. Rafael’s handkerchief. The faint scent on it lingered, subtle and clean, and th







