Anton
I was impatient and stressed. My visit to Pietra’s house kept replaying in my mind. I tortured myself over the mistake of going there unannounced, forcing a situation she had already made clear she didn’t want. I was trying to be better, to be responsible, to show Pietra I could be the man she expected. But nothing seemed to work. Going to the company every day, making decisions, learning to manage one of the most important sectors of Baumann Industries—all of it felt pointless if Pietra didn’t give me the chance to show her these changes.
I tried to hold back, waiting for her to reach out, to miss me, but nothing happened. Each day without a sign from her left me more frustrated. I couldn’t control myself anymore. The idea of going to Pietra’s house and surprising her was becoming an obsession.
PietraI was finishing up cleaning the kitchen when the doorbell rang. I placed the dish towel on the hook by the sink and wondered who it could be. Without realizing I should go answer the door—or that one of my brothers could do it—I stood there, staring at my outfit: a lycra workout set I had bought in hopes of starting an exercise routine but had never actually used for that purpose. Time constraints and financial struggles didn’t help.I figured it might be Mirella, though that would be odd since she had mentioned having an important client that Saturday night. When the doorbell didn’t ring again, something stirred inside me. That wasn’t normal. Frowning, I headed toward the living room, already suspecting it was just a neighborhood kid playing a prank.To my surprise, the door was open, and I heard voi
PietraHearing my rejection, the disappointment on Andressa’s face was immediate, and it hit me hard. “Why can’t we go, Pietra?” Andressa asked, her sad eyes fixed on me.Her expression, and the question that followed, made it clear she felt I was taking away a rare opportunity from her. And in a way, I was. It wasn’t just about Anton’s invitation; it was about something much bigger. I knew opportunities like this—a morning at a wealthy family’s house, with a pool and no worries—were rare. And with Andressa’s surgery approaching, who knew when she’d get another chance to experience something like this? Recovery would be long, and even simple activities like swim
AntonI heard Pietra’s resigned sigh but didn’t let that small detail dampen the moment. The happiness I felt was too overwhelming to be overshadowed. Finally, Pietra was by my side—at least for the day—and that was all I needed right now.As I helped her out of the car and observed her siblings, Isaque and Andressa, with excitement radiating from their faces, it felt like a long-cherished dream was coming true. I had envisioned a Sunday like this so many times: Pietra and her family enjoying a peaceful, fun day together. Now that it was happening, I could barely believe it."Come on, I want to show you the pool area," I said, trying to contain my own excitement.Pietra nodded, still looking slightly uneasy, but she didn’t resi
PietraThe Sunday at the Baumann house was turning out to be a completely different experience from anything I could have imagined. Anton’s grandparents, Berenice and Leonel, had surprised me from the start. They were kind, and welcoming, and treated both me and my siblings as if we had always been part of the family, without any distinction. It was something I hadn’t expected. I grew up attending expensive private schools on scholarships, surrounded by the elite. I knew all too well how snobbish and cruel these people could be. I had suffered quite a bit from prejudice over the years, but I learned to deal with it because I never expected anything different. I was prepared for disdain and condescension, but what I found at the Baumanns' house was the opposite. For years, I had formed a mental image of Berenice and Leonel, and they were completely shattering those impressions.After lunch, around one in the afternoon, I was surprised by the appearance of Anneliese. She was known to b
PietraMonday morning, the tension in the house was palpable, and my nerves felt almost unbearable. I tried to keep calm and project strength for my sister, but inside, I was on the verge of breaking. Every movement felt heavier, as though the weight of what lay ahead had settled squarely on my shoulders.Even with my chaotic thoughts, I stuck to my daily routine. I dropped Isaque off at school, where he would stay until the afternoon. The thought that I might not be back in time to pick him up haunted me, but thankfully, Mirella, always ready to lend a hand, had offered to pick him up and stay at my house until I returned. Her generosity left me speechless. I didn’t know how to thank her for this support in such a challenging moment.Although I wouldn’t be able to stay with Andressa during her postoperative recovery, I was determined to be by her side until the very last moment before her surgery and to wait until the procedure was over. I needed to be there, to feel like I was doing
AntonI sat down next to Pietra and held her hand tightly. She tried to pull away at first, perhaps to avoid any gesture of comfort, but I didn't let go. I felt terrible. In the last few hours, all the pieces had started to fall into place, and the guilt hit me hard.I remembered the day I found out that Pietra was working as a luxury escort. At the time, I had been petty and superficial, making judgments that I was now ashamed of. I never imagined that she was facing something as serious as her sister's surgery. I had no idea how serious the situation was.I looked at Anneliese, who was standing a little further away, watching everything in silence. She was the one who had opened my eyes earlier. She had gone to the Baumann Industries headquarters, demanding to know why I wasn't by Pietra's side at such a crucial moment.
AaronThe night I slept at Rebecca’s apartment seems to have drastically changed my life. Paolla had become a completely different woman from the one I was used to, and it unsettled me. She was more loving, trying to please me in ways she never had before. Each affectionate gesture, every attempt to get closer, only seemed to widen the gap between us.Rebecca wouldn’t leave my thoughts. Pretending everything was fine with Paolla was becoming increasingly difficult. I started spending even more time at the office—not out of a willingness to work but as a way to avoid my wife and the guilt I felt.I also began visiting my grandparents more often, something I’d rarely done before. Previously, I only had dinner with them once a week, but that week alone, I’d gone to the Baumann mansion three times.On Friday, after the family dinner ended, Ettore, who had also been present, seized the moment as we were leaving the mansion to question me. He was a trusted man, always taking care of the fam
PietraDespite the doctor’s words that the surgery was a success, four days after the procedure, Andressa still hadn’t woken up, and I was on the edge of collapse. With each passing minute, the anguish consumed me more. Anton was trying to stay by my side, offering support, his face reflecting the same worry I felt, even when I pushed him to return to his life and work. He barely knew Andressa, having seen my sister only twice, but his care was genuine. I felt grateful that he and Anneliese were trying to be a part of this, supporting me. Mirella was also by my side whenever she could, and that gave me some strength, even though, inside, I was falling apart.On Friday, after another exhausting day at the hospital, I felt like a rag. I had visited Andressa in the ICU, but nothing seemed to change, and the helplessness was eating me alive. I was exhausted, physically and emotionally. When Anton showed up at the hospital, ready to take me home after work, the last thing I had was the en
PietraThe morning began with a gentle breeze flowing through the house, and even though my mind was occupied with a thousand thoughts, I felt excited. Despite all the ups and downs, things finally seemed to be falling into place.I entered Andressa’s room with a smile, determined to start the day with positive energy. Seeing that she was already awake, I went straight to the window to open the curtains and let the sunlight fill the space. “Good morning, sleepyhead,” I teased, turning to her.Andressa responded with a weak "good morning," and my heart immediately tightened. There was something different in her tone, a lack of enthusiasm that worried me.
AxelWhen Fred walked into the room, I knew she’d be right behind him. My heart raced, and for a moment, I had to mentally prepare myself to finally face the woman who had haunted me since Santorini. It was strange because, even though my memory of that night was hazy, the emotional impact she had on me was painfully clear.But when she stepped through the door and the soft light of the room illuminated her face, I was hit with a shock so strong it nearly took my breath away. The resemblance to Priscila, my ex-wife, was uncanny. For a moment, I was frozen, as if I were seeing a ghost. It didn’t make sense. What was this? How was it possible?I stayed silent, struggling to mask the storm raging inside me. My mind tried to connect the dots, but nothing added up. Fred,
KimberlyMore than a month. A full month since I sent the first email to Axel, which, of course, went unanswered. Then came the messages on social media, the indirect attempts to reach out… but nothing. His fame didn’t make contacting him easy, and yet, a part of me persisted. Maybe it was naivety, maybe a desperate attempt to resolve the situation, but I was following his every move in the media. When they announced his signing with an English team, Kathleen almost exploded with excitement, saying that fate was working in my favor.I hesitated to hold onto any hope, but Kathleen insisted. Through her journalist contacts, she managed to get me into that packed auditorium for the press conference. I wasn’t sure if I’d confront him, but at least I’d see him one more time.The room was full of people, voices, and expectations surrounding him, and the energy was a mix of euphoria and curiosity. I was there, just a few meters away from the father of my child, but deep down, I just wanted t
AxelAfter the meeting with Antonella on Saturday in my apartment, I spent the next two nights practically wide awake, trying to prepare for what lay ahead. I needed to resolve this once and for all. Antonella was the girl I had been with just once, during my vacation in Brazil, and I knew we had been careful. The possibility that she was pregnant with my child didn’t make sense. Still, I needed her to publicly admit the truth so this whole story could be put to rest.The conversation, however, did not go as I had expected. Antonella seemed to be enjoying every minute of the exposure and fame that the story had brought her. Ever since she leaked the supposed "romance" to a gossip website, her followers had multiplied into the millions. It was obvious that she was relishing being the center of attention and, to my surprise, now considered herself some kind of celebrity. However, the conversation revealed that she had no character whatsoever, and I quickly realized that it was impossibl
AaronI asked for a divorce, and for a brief moment, I saw Paolla’s expression shift. It was as if every conflicting emotion passed across her face—surprise, anger, disbelief. I braced myself for an explosion, but her words shocked me even more."Divorce? You must be out of your mind, Aaron." Her voice was low and cold, almost like a challenge. She took a deep breath, adjusted her purse on her shoulder, and with a calculated movement, lifted her chin and added, "Actually, I’m the one who needs some time alone now—to forget the absurdity that just came out of my own husband’s mouth."I watched, stunned, as she prepared to leave as if this were just a trivial argument."Paolla, wait… we need to talk about this," I insisted, taking a step toward her. "Where a
AaronAxel sat across from me, the envelope containing the test results resting between us like an invisible barrier. Even though he had repeated countless times that the baby wasn’t his, seeing the negative result printed in black and white stirred something strange in my chest.Axel, always confident, studied my expression with a scrutinizing gaze, noticing my restrained reaction.I tried to hide what I was feeling, but it was difficult. Antonella, the girl who claimed to be pregnant with Axel’s child, was someone looking for fame and fortune. She had even admitted as much during the argument at Axel’s apartment on Saturday, as he had told me.But the truth was that, for a moment, while I had been holed up in the old bedroom of our grandparents’ mansion, the possibil
RebeccaI couldn’t stop thinking about Aaron and the intense way he had appeared at the hospital. Still, with all these thoughts swirling inside me, I kept a calm facade. I knew the doctor would only discharge me if I appeared well enough, and being stuck in that place was already making me restless.But my mind kept drifting back to Aaron—and inevitably, to Eric. I was furious with him for the way he treated Aaron, almost as if he was determined to keep him away from me at any cost. At the same time, I knew the two of them were best friends and that, somehow, they had come to an understanding. It was best not to interfere. Deep down, I knew their conflict went far beyond what I could control. Still, it was unsettling to see Eric act that way.When he finally left me alone, promising to return in the morning, I felt a relief
AntonI arrived at Pietra’s house on Sunday afternoon, as we had planned, to finish watching the series we had started a few days earlier. Despite the simplicity of the plan, being with her in moments like these made everything feel easier, more complete. But I quickly noticed that Pietra was restless, uneasy, so unlike herself. Her eyes kept darting to the clock, her phone, anywhere but me. "Is everything okay?" I asked, trying to keep my tone casual. She glanced at me quickly, offering a brief smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "Of course, everything’s fine," she replied, but the hesitation in her voice made it clear that wasn’t entirely true. I tried to figure out what might be bothering her. The first thing that came to mind was her sister. But Andressa was growing stronger every day, which was a relief to me, but even more so to Pietra. Three weeks had passed since the surgery, and her recovery was on track. Andressa still spent most of her time resting, and under strict medi
PaollaRage burned inside me. Eric had just told me about the latest events, and I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Aaron must have lost his mind. He was about to throw away everything we had built, our meticulously crafted plan—all of it because of that dull, insipid girl, Rebecca.I felt a wave of heat rise through my body, exploding into a mixture of frustration and indignation. The image of Rebecca—fragile and plain—dancing in Aaron’s mind was almost unbearable. And now, there was a chance she might lose the baby, the only practical purpose behind this whole mess. Without the baby, everything would fall apart, and I would not allow all our planning to be destroyed just like that. How could Aaron not see the risk of ruining both our futures over some whim?“This is unacceptable!” I shouted, my fury spilling over.“Paolla, I need you to calm down,” he said, his voice low and controlled over the phone. “I just confronted Aaron. He stormed out of the room, furious, but you nee