Aaron
Rebecca's question hung in the air, and I stood there in silence, waiting with bated breath for Antônio's answer. Something was off, and I needed to know what.
Antônio took a deep breath, as if steeling himself for something difficult. He looked at Rebecca, then at me, and finally spoke, his voice heavy with something I couldn’t quite decipher.
"It was Paolla," he said, the words slow, as if he were still processing what he was about to reveal. "Aaron Baumann's ex-wife. She contacted me."
I felt my body go rigid. Paolla? How had she found Rebecca’s parents? And why? Rebecca’s gaze flickered between me and her parents, and I knew she was just as stunned as I was.
"Paolla reached out to you?" she asked, her voice
RebeccaThe trip back to São Paulo was smooth but exhausting. The last few days had been emotionally draining, and fatigue hit me mercilessly. I was spent, physically and emotionally, and ended up falling asleep in the back seat of the car Aaron had arranged to take us from the airport.The last thing I remembered was the gentle sway of the car as my head rested against Aaron’s shoulder, his fingers laced with mine as if silently promising I was safe, even in sleep.When Aaron woke me, I was momentarily disoriented—until I realized we’d stopped in front of massive iron gates, slowly swinging open to reveal an imposing mansion. My eyes widened, and I sat up quickly, trying to process what I was seeing."Why are we here?"
AntonI walked down the stairs slowly, still recovering from the intense conversation the night before. My head was filled with conflicting thoughts about Pietra, the baby, and all the words we had exchanged. I was pulled out of my reflections when the front door opened with its usual creak.Anneliese walked in, removing her sunglasses with that theatrical flair only she had mastered. Her eyes, still adjusting to the indoor light, landed on me halfway down the stairs, amusement flickering in her gaze.“Wanna grab lunch with me?” I asked—more to start a conversation than out of any real hunger.Anneliese laughed, clearly unconvinced, as she slipped off her light jacket and hung it on the coat rack with a fluid motion. “Lunch? What time is it?&rdq
AaronRebecca's question hung in the air, and I stood there in silence, waiting with bated breath for Antônio's answer. Something was off, and I needed to know what.Antônio took a deep breath, as if steeling himself for something difficult. He looked at Rebecca, then at me, and finally spoke, his voice heavy with something I couldn’t quite decipher."It was Paolla," he said, the words slow, as if he were still processing what he was about to reveal. "Aaron Baumann's ex-wife. She contacted me."I felt my body go rigid. Paolla? How had she found Rebecca’s parents? And why? Rebecca’s gaze flickered between me and her parents, and I knew she was just as stunned as I was."Paolla reached out to you?" she asked, her voice
RebeccaAaron’s declaration of love struck deep within me. His words echoed in my mind, and for a moment, I felt a flicker of hope. But I couldn’t just trust that everything would work out between us now. There were too many obstacles, too many doubts and fears still haunting me. Eric seemed willing to do anything to tear us apart, and I was afraid that Aaron would turn his back on me once again.As Aaron held my hand, his eyes full of sincerity, he asked me to return to São Paulo with him. He spoke of the support I’d have there, of the far better medical care compared to what this small-town hospital could offer. But the way he glanced around the room, as if looking down on the place where I was, irritated me.I pulled my hand away from his, a lump forming in my throat.
AaronEric and I were sitting in the car, a block away from the hospital, when we saw the car carrying Aaron turn around and head back the way it came. Eric smiled, satisfied, and slapped his hands on the steering wheel in celebration.“The plan worked!” he exclaimed, looking at me with a triumphant gleam in his eyes. “I told you he wouldn’t stay.”I, however, didn’t share his immediate enthusiasm. I crossed my arms and frowned.“Don’t celebrate too soon” I warned. “We need to wait for António to confirm if everything went as expected. There’s still a lot that could go wrong.”Eric rolled his eyes but didn&rs
AaronThe road stretched endlessly ahead of me, but my mind was even farther away. I was on my way to the airport, still trying to process everything that had happened in the last few days, when my phone rang."What now, Ettore?" I answered impatiently."Eric is in Castilho."My jaw locked."What is he doing here?" I asked, even though the answer was already forming in my mind."We don't know yet, but this could mean Rebecca really did run away with him."Rage boiled inside me instantly."That's a lie!" I snarled, cut