His scent still lingered on my skin, like warm incense, quiet yet persistent. Sunlight spilled gently across the marble floor, and the coffee cup in my hands did little to warm the fingers that were still trembling. Not from the cold, but from everything I felt inside.I glanced at Nicky’s message once more.“Has it begun? Then be prepared. There’s no turning back now.”I let out a long breath and tucked my phone into the deepest drawer. This morning, I didn’t want to be the Ana consumed by vengeance. I just wanted to be me. The woman who had just surrendered a piece of her heart to the man who had always stood at the center of the storm in her life. But in the end, it was all part of perfecting the character I was building. The role of a good wife, played to perfection.Soft footsteps echoed from the hallway. I turned around.Hugo stood in the doorway, wearing nothing but fitted boxers and a sleepy smile. His hair was tousled, but his face... his face was like a canvas of peace I nev
His hand lifted my chin, and this time, his kiss did not attack. It did not demand. It pleaded. As if he knew that what he was touching tonight was not just lips, but a heart that had been locked away for so long.His kiss traced a path from my lips to my cheek, then down to my neck and collarbone, leaving behind gentle marks like a painting that only the skin could understand. His fingers glided down my back, slowly untying the satin knot, as if uncovering a secret buried deep for years.“You can still say stop,” he whispered again.I looked at him. “Don’t stop.”“Don’t regret it, because I won’t be able to hold myself back,” he murmured hoarsely.His hands, lips, and body moved in rhythm, dancing along every curve of mine. And when he began to touch the most vulnerable part of me, I winced. But he didn’t stop. He continued with tenderness until he reached the depths.Hugo went still. He looked into my teary eyes, and in them, I saw surprise.“You’ve never been touched?” he asked. I
“You’ve already decided to ignite the spark. If you want to burn it all down, you’ll have to play with the fire. Or, step back and extinguish it.”Nicky said the words without looking at me. This time, he was more serious than ever.“I suggest you walk away. Leave that bastard behind, and I’ll find you a man far better than him.”I fell silent, weighing every word.“But if you’re still committed to the scenario you’ve crafted,” he continued, “then you shouldn’t just be a good wife to him. You need to be irresistible. Let yourself drown in the role. Let him savor every part of the performance. And then destroy him, right at the peak of his devotion.”Exactly. That’s what I wanted.But to give myself to him completely...“Total commitment or retreat. Both are equally risky.”I remained motionless in front of the large glass window, framing the golden-orange sky of Lyon’s dusk. The colors spilled across the clouds and cast soft reflections on the wooden floor. Nicky stood behind me, hand
I stirred my tea, now lukewarm. I wasn’t even sure since when. My gaze was blank. Hugo’s words echoed in my mind.Was that how it should be? To stop resisting the feelings that arise, to simply accept and savor them?Wouldn’t that mean allowing myself to become weak? Accepting these feelings meant letting myself drown in a lullaby I couldn’t control. I didn’t know whether I’d resurface, or be pulled deeper and deeper.“Were you planning to drink the tea?” Hugo’s voice cut through my reverie.“Yes,” I replied, sipping the cold tea without even glancing at him. The man was still strutting around this apartment with nothing but tight boxers, as if his confidence had no boundaries. Even though it was just the two of us here, he could at least feel a hint of modesty. Just the tip of a fingernail.“In romantic dramas, the husband usually takes care of his sick wife. And then he gets a hug, a kiss, and…”“And?” I raised a brow, finally looking at him. Well played. He always knew how to get m
The towel I was wearing fell to my feet."You!"I shrieked in frustration. But he only pressed our bodies closer."Hugo, are you going to break your promise?" I snapped and struggled to free myself."I only promised not to touch you with my hands. I said nothing about hugging you or seeing what is rightfully mine," he whispered, then left another love mark on the other side of my neck.Damn it. He really didn’t touch me with his hands, but with his lips, and that alone was enough to drive me mad."Hugo..." I moaned, breathless. My heart begged to be released, but all I could do was whisper his name in a broken sigh.He smiled, then finally let go. The look in his eyes, filled with admiration, made me want to gouge them out."Bastard," I growled and shoved him away. I quickly picked up the towel at my feet and wrapped it back around my body."I like it when you call me like that, Honey."I kept cursing as he walked to the bathroom, his face glowing with satisfaction and that damn smile
The night sky darkened more deeply than usual, as if it, too, absorbed the weight of our unfinished conversation. I leaned against the balcony wall, allowing my body a moment of pause after a battle of words sharper than any blade. Hugo was still standing nearby, but neither of us made an effort to bridge the frozen space between us."You will never be able to defend my wounds, Hugo," I murmured, my voice nearly lost to the wind."I can, Ana. The sincerity of love can do anything."I shook my head and turned my gaze away, staring out at the endless flicker of the city that never sleeps. My eyes were distant."I never wanted to be the wife of a man I have to doubt every time he gives me something," I whispered softly. "Because in our world, nothing is truly free. Not even love."Hugo said nothing. He just looked at me with an expression I couldn’t quite interpret. Was it sympathy, or resignation?"And I don't want to be a man whose love you see as a strategy," he finally said. "But if