LOGINA Cracking Boundary, Part 2Fate, however, seemed determined to push the limits of their restraint until those fragile boundaries finally gave way.As Aixa walked toward the small pond tucked into the dim corner of the garden, her steps came to an abrupt halt.There, beneath the soft glow of the garden lights, stood Elio. He was staring silently at the water, his shoulders slumped with quiet exhaustion.Hearing the crunch of gravel beneath her feet, Elio turned.He looked just as surprised to see her.For several long moments, they simply stood there, facing one another in the suffocating silence of the night."I... I just wanted to get some fresh air before going back to my room to pack my things," Elio said first, breaking the awkward silence. His voice carried an unspoken explanation, as if assuring her he had never intended to break his promise to keep his distance.Aixa gave a faint nod."So did I."The words nearly caught in her throat. Hearing him mention packing his things sen
A Cracking Boundary, Part 1"Mom... Mommy," Aixa stammered, struggling to steady the frantic rhythm of her heartbeat.For a moment, no answer came.Sovia simply stood where she was, looking at Aixa in silence. There was no judgment in her eyes, yet neither did they waver. That gentle gaze was far harder to endure than anger ever could have been.Aixa lowered her head first.She couldn't bring herself to hold Sovia's gaze any longer. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her cardigan until the fabric wrinkled beneath her grip.The silence lasted only a few seconds, but it felt endless.Countless possibilities raced through her mind, impossible to stop.Did Mommy notice me looking toward the hallway over and over?Did she realize I was waiting for someone?Or... does she already know something about Elio and me?That last thought sent a chill creeping up the back of her neck.No.It couldn't be.Nothing had happened between them. There had been no touch that crossed the line. No wor
A Restlessness She Had No Right to Feel"Take care of it now," Fernando ordered Marco in a cold voice.Fernando rose from his chair without touching his coffee again. He grabbed the suit jacket that had been draped over the backrest. Without sparing Aixa another glance, he strode out of the dining room while Marco hurried after him.Within seconds, silence settled over the room once more.Aixa stared at the empty chair across from her. Fernando's untouched breakfast still gave off thin wisps of steam, but its owner was already gone, leaving behind far more questions than answers.She drew a slow breath and reached for her spoon again.But her appetite had disappeared.She wasn't sure if it was because of the unfinished conversation or because Fernando's gaze from a few moments ago still lingered in her mind.For the first time, she had felt that her husband genuinely wanted to hear her answer.And for the first time, that chance had slipped away.That afternoon, the Castello mansion
Awkwardness at the Breakfast Table The footsteps stopped right outside her bedroom door. Aixa held her breath. Without realizing it, her fingers tightened around the armrest of the wicker chair until her knuckles turned white. For several long seconds, she could do nothing but stare at the closed door, waiting to hear the doorknob turn. Every second felt endless. She could almost picture Fernando standing on the other side. Maybe he was considering something. Maybe he wanted to make sure she was all right. Or maybe... he had simply stopped in the hallway by coincidence. Her heartbeat quickened. But the sound she was waiting for never came. There was no knock. No greeting. No simple question like, *Are you asleep already?* A few moments later, the footsteps resumed. They slowly faded away toward the east wing of the mansion. Not long after, she heard the soft click of Fernando's study door closing. Aixa lowered her head. The faint smile that had almost appeared on her lips
A Place of RefugeThe sharp knocking nearly made Aixa and Elio forget how to breathe.Their bodies froze. Their hearts pounded so violently that the sound seemed to fill the entire greenhouse. For several seconds that felt like an eternity, neither of them dared to move. Their eyes remained fixed on the fogged glass door, waiting for the figure they feared most to emerge from the shadows.But no one was there.Only the wind howled louder through the night.A moment later, a broken tree branch slammed against the glass once more before falling to the ground. The brief echo explained the source of the knocking that had nearly driven them out of their minds.Aixa let out the long breath she had been holding. Her knees felt weak.Elio slowly ran a hand over his face, as though he had just escaped something far more terrifying than simply being caught talking alone with her.Even though the threat had turned out to be nothing more than the wind, the panic they had experienced was enough t
Confession in the GreenhouseThe greenhouse on the eastern side of the garden had become the only place that still felt safe enough for them to talk.Ironically, that very sense of safety was what frightened Aixa the most. Ever since the mysterious flash of light on the balcony a few days ago, paranoia had begun to eat away at her mind. She could no longer believe they had escaped everyone's notice. Maybe no one had been out there. Or maybe someone had been hiding in the shadows, holding their breath, simply waiting for them to make the same mistake again.That was why Aixa had come today, not to meet Elio as she usually did, but to put an end to the madness that was slowly slipping beyond all control."I don't think we should keep meeting like this."The words finally left Aixa's lips, shattering the suffocating silence. She had held them back for days until they had turned bitter on the tip of her tongue, but now they drifted into the damp air of the small greenhouse. Around them, r
The morning sunlight of Madrid streamed through the glass walls of the Castello Group skyscraper. At exactly 8:55 a.m., Aixa Morales Vega stepped through the revolving doors of the main lobby. Faint dark circles shadowed her clear eyes. She had not slept a single minute all night. She had skipp
The hawk-eyed man stepped one pace closer, cutting the distance between them until Aixa could smell the expensive cologne lingering on his body. The black umbrella Sebastian held now shielded her head from the pounding rain, yet the cold surrounding them seemed to grow even heavier. “How much do
Suddenly, a blinding white beam of light cut through the darkness of the night, illuminating Aixa's kneeling figure. The deep, smooth, yet powerful roar of engines shattered the silence of the deserted street outside the bar.It was not just one vehicle, but a convoy of more than a dozen gleaming b
“So, that scholarship village girl really thinks you're in love with her, Elio?”The shrill laughter sliced through the soft jazz music filling the private lounge of Velvet Bar, one of the most exclusive bars in downtown Madrid.Aixa Morales Vega froze outside the slightly ajar teakwood door. The m







