“Okay, thank you for being honest.”Just like that, Sonia left his room. Captain Smith didn’t want to look at where she had just left. Loving her would only cause her pain, likely exposing her to danger. It was better this way. He blamed himself for not controlling whatever was going on in his mind. Now isn’t the time to play lovey-dovey. He had to protect her children and make sure the enemy was gone for good. Only then will he come back alive.Tonia’s eyes were full of tears. She was rushing down the stairs and bumped into Camila.“I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking at where I was going,” she said.Camila saw the tears in her eyes, even though she was struggling so hard to hide them. Camila started laughing and said,“Seems there’s trouble in paradise. Let me take a wild guess. Smith dumped your silly ass?”She folded her arms, taking another jab.“Oh, my poor Tonia. What were you even thinking? I told you, you were just a thing of the moment. I know him more than you do. I knew it was onl
Bryan was finally done working. He stood up and stretched his body, then walked over to the window to rest his eyes. That was when he saw her.Outside by the pool, there was a commotion. Olivia was standing close to another man. He was wet, looked like he’d just come out of the pool. But that wasn’t what caught Bryan’s attention. The man was performing CPR on someone, and it wasn’t until he got a closer look that his heart dropped.No way.It was Daniella.He didn’t even think twice. He left the room and rushed down.“What happened to her?” he asked as he knelt beside her.Daniella was awake now, her face pale, her body slightly trembling. She sat up, confused and weak.“Bryan, you’re here,” Olivia’s voice cracked as she reached for his arm, trying to steady herself. “I was so scared, I couldn’t even scream. She... she fell into the pool. I thought she wanted to swim, and then she started drowning. I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. I’m shaking right now.”Bryan ignored her. He was
Hi, Bryan. You two are already having a fun filled moment. Hi, Olivia, we meet again.This was not the reaction Olivia was expecting from Alicia. Now, she looked stupid. Bryan couldn't keep his eyes off Alicia. Seeing her in that short skirt and heels, he had just one thing on his mind: pin her to the wall and kiss her until she begs to catch a breath.Without saying another word, Alicia walked past them, and boom! Lucas, out of nowhere, was standing right in front of her. The least person she wanted to see. She couldn’t still tell if her emotions were under control, but as usual, she had to flash a smile at him, fake as always."Lucas. I must say, you have good taste for good fit. Your jacket is fashionable.""Thank you, Daniella. Can I walk you to your room?""Sure, walk with me."Lucas dragged her luggage and carefully placed it by the wardrobe. This was it for him. He might as well do that which had been on his mind. He went and pinned her to the wall, inhaling her scent, ready to
Sitting down with Ethan in his apartment still felt surreal. Diego had not removed his eyes from him. Now he wished he had his cigarette pack with him. This surprise was just too much to process."Here you go, man," Ethan said, handing over a glass of whiskey.Diego gulped it down at once. He needed something strong."Easy, man. I know you have lots of questions going through your mind. But it's me, Ethan. Where do we start now?... Hmmmm? Let's make it short: We went to a war and lost. Unfortunately, I was held captive by my enemies and became useful to them, but with the help of someone, I managed to escape. So, here I am."Diego was still looking at him, eyes wide. "I’m glad you're alive, man. I thought you died, I mean... that’s what everybody thought. What are you doing here?"Just then, it dawned on Diego that Zoe was living next door. What if they had seen each other? Does he know Alicia? What if Lucas had shown him some pictures, or worse, they had already met?Ethan’s voice sn
The ride was silent. Neither of them said a word. Bryan's eyes stayed on the road, and Alicia looked out the window, pretending to watch the streetlights. But her mind wasn’t there. She felt like she was heading toward a goodbye she wasn’t ready for.They parked in front of her house.It felt final. Like the closing scene of a long movie.Alicia didn’t look at him. She didn’t want to. If she met his eyes, she might change her mind. She might go back on her words, and she couldn’t afford that.She opened the door, stepped out, and walked straight to her door without turning back. She could feel his eyes on her, watching her until she vanished inside.It took Bryan a moment. Then he started the car and drove into the night.Back home, the porch light was on. Bryan parked quietly and walked toward the house.He saw her.Olivia was sitting outside, wrapped in a thin shawl, eyes lifted to the sky. The stars were out in full.He sat beside her."Hey, you. You shouldn't be outside. It's cold
"Hi, Olivia. Can I come in?"Olivia stood at the door. She always knew this day would come, but not today. Not when her head was still reeling from everything else. After all these years, this woman still held some kind of control over her. Olivia wasn’t a child anymore. She had to hide her fear."Your son isn’t around. You might as well go.""I know. I saw him going out with his daughter. I’ve been waiting in my car for the moment he would leave."Did she just say his daughter? She let out a soft chuckle. The boldness, very typical of her. Still, Olivia stepped aside. There was no point blocking the entrance. It was still Bryan's house.Mrs. Judge stepped in, dressed nothing like her usual self, no bold makeup, or flashy jewelry. She was going for the "helpless woman" look. She sat on the couch, careful and gentle."You have every reason to be angry at me," she began. "I wish I could go back in time. Things would have been different. I’m sorry, Olivia. I never knew you were pregnant.