LOGINAraceli.Matvei stepped by my side, walking casually beside me, our bodies barely an inch apart. If I moved just a little closer, I knew I would feel the warmth of his skin—and my heart ached quietly for it.We were silent, and it felt like the tension in the room was heavy, almost pressing against my chest. The air between us felt thick, like words were stuck there, waiting to be said. We both had things to say to each other… but we stayed silent.I knew he wanted to say something to me, I could see it in the way his jaw ticked slightly, tightening and relaxing like he was holding himself back.“Welcome, Mr. Matvei Orlov… let me lead you to your reserved table.”A tall blonde lady, looking like she had just stepped out of a magazine, stood before us. Her voice was smooth, practiced. Her gaze stayed fixed on Matvei, completely ignoring me like I didn’t exist beside him.Matvei nodded once.She smiled—slow and a little too seductive—her eyes finally flickering over me, scanning me from
Araceli.Matvei reached for my hands, warm and strong, and led me toward a black sports car waiting nearby. My head stayed lifted, staring at his beautiful face, and for a moment, the world seemed to vanish. The bustling street, the cars, the men… everything blurred to shadows. The only thing I could see clearly, the only thing that existed, was him.He opened the car door slowly, the soft creak of it breaking through the noise around us, and gently guided me inside. I slid into the seat, the leather smooth and cool against my skin, my body still tingling from his touch.My neck twisted slightly, almost straining, as I watched him walk around the front of the car. His movements were unhurried, controlled, every step carrying that same quiet authority. My eyes followed him without thinking, tracing every detail of his face, the sharp lines, the calm dominance in his expression.He got into the driver’s seat, the door shutting with a firm click that seemed louder than it should have bee
Araceli.I scratched my elbows nervously, my fingers grazing my arms in tiny, restless motions. My eyes kept flicking all over the boutique, scanning the polished floors, the glinting lights, the neatly stacked bags. My mind spun a million different thoughts—how would I ever repay him for this? How could anyone have this much money?“You need to calm down, Araceli,” Sonia murmured softly, her fingers covering my hands and gently pulling them away from my elbows.“I can’t, Sonia,” I whispered under my breath, my voice tight. “I don’t deserve any of this. I need to pay him back somehow… but I never thought I’d ever have this amount of money in my life… Are we even sure Matvei has this much in his account? What—what if it’s all he has?!”“Trust me, this won’t even make a dent in Matvei’s account, and stop saying you don’t deserve it, blablabla,” she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.I wanted to argue, to tell her I really don’t feel like I’m worth any of this and that s
Araceli.My body leaned into his arm wrapped around my shoulder as we strolled to the other section, I could feel goosebumps growing along that side of my skin where he touched me, a soft tingling spreading slowly… but I was more focused on his face—his angelic face.A devil with the face of an angel… “Matvei.”We both halted our steps as we heard his name, the sound cutting through the air sharply, and turned towards the direction. Geal was walking closer, his steps steady and confident, with Sonia trailing beside him, her heels clicking softly against the floor. Matvei’s expression shifted instantly—from that goofy softness to his usual cold, expressionless face, like a mask snapping back into place.He turned fully, his eyes landing on Sonia, sharp and unreadable. “I thought I asked you to be with her.” He asked, his tone calm but heavy.Sonia swallowed the lump in her throat, her fingers twitching slightly at her sides. “Yes, DON Matvei.”“Then why the fuck were you with him?!…”
Araceli.He moved closer again, slower this time, his voice dropping. “Please don’t cry because of what I said, Araceli… I really just want you to have a better life.”“Matvei can give me that, please return my tees and leave me alone,” I murmured… my voice soft, almost unsteady, my fingers tightening slightly around the fabric in my hands. My chest tightened painfully as one part of me argued loudly—he is the devil and I should escape from him… that’s what I have always wanted, but why does it seem so hard to even think of now? It feels heavy… like my brain is refusing to process the thought of leaving him, like something inside me is holding me back.“Hear me out first, then I’ll leave you alone.” He requested, his tone calmer now, handing the bunch of Tees to me. I nodded slowly, my eyes following his movements carefully, watching how he dipped his hand into his pockets like he was about to reveal something important.“The first time I saw you was at your bachelorette party, and ev
Araceli.I closed my eyes briefly. Trying to silence the loud voice in my head. He’s lying.You’re nowhere near beautiful.“Araceli… don’t overthink it. You’re beautiful, and you deserve more, you know.” His voice came again, Closer this time.I froze.My fingers stopped moving against the clothes. Slowly… I turned slightly toward him, my brows pulling together.“How do you know my name?… And what are you talking about?” I said quickly, my voice sharper than I intended, a hint of unease creeping into my chest.“Who doesn’t know the wife of Don Matvei?” he muttered.His voice changed. There was something in it now. It was darker and laced with hate when he said Matvei’s name. My throat went dry instantly.I swallowed hard, the movement slow and heavy, as my heart began to pound harder against my chest.I turned quickly, my eyes scanning the boutique.Left.Right.Behind the racks.Near the entrance.But there were no guards.The soft music playing in the boutique suddenly felt too dist
Araceli.His dark green eyes turned stormy in a second, filling with an anger that felt capable of swallowing me whole.I shifted back, fear crawling up my spine, but my shoulders stayed squared—like I was daring him to do his worst. He tilted his head, then lowered it slowly.“Mind your fucking la
AraceliMy eyes widened at what his mother had just said about her own son. I blinked rapidly as I turned away, my vision blurring. I never knew words alone could make someone feel this dizzy.“H-he… he killed his brother?” I whispered, my voice shaking as I pressed my fingers to my temples.“Yes,
Araceli.He held my hand and began leading me upstairs. I turned to glance back.Grace was glaring at me, her jaw clenched so tightly it looked like she could tear me apart. I intentionally avoided his father’s gaze and faced forward again.We entered our room, and he paused, slowly turning to look
Araceli.“I want to have that too.” I smiled, my eyes glinting at her.Her lips tugged into a smile. “Are you sure?”“Yes, I am,” I answered too quickly. “I just want to experience different things, Sonia.”“I would have let you link up with a friend of mine,” she said, pausing. “But I don’t think







