Mag-log inStevanSuffocating was the word that best defined the atmosphere in Eric’s apartment. Everything seemed to oppress me—from the excessive luxury of the place to his words, which subtly implied that I could ask for more.Had he still not understood the real reason I had called him and gone against everything I believe in? Apparently not.When I left the apartment, I felt a certain relief knowing I wouldn’t be staying there and that, at least for today, I wouldn’t begin my obligations. “Obligation.” That was exactly how I saw my situation with Eric Winter.It would be ridiculous to deny that he still affected me, but after everything—after the entire circumstance of our involvement—I felt that something inside me had hardened a little. Maybe because I knew none of it was real. That the kiss just moments ago had been nothing more than another clause being fulfilled.I wanted to go back to the hospital and stay by my mother’s side, but the driver was already taking me to the apartment that
EricA few hours later, I arrived at Winter Corp. I hadn’t slept almost at all, but the adrenaline was still running through my veins. I walked into my office and called the general director of the Omaha branch directly.“Mr. Winter? Good morning. Is there a problem with the report?” the man asked, sounding apprehensive.“No,” I answered immediately. “I want you to arrange the immediate transfer of employee Stevan Navarro to the main headquarters in New York. Handle all the bureaucracy, moving costs, and position transition. As of today, he is no longer part of your branch.”“Yes, sir. It will be done immediately.”I hung up without waiting for any unnecessary questions, leaned back in the leather chair, and called my secretary on the intercom.“Yes, Mr. Winter?”“I want you to prepare the office adjoining mine today,” I ordered, tapping my fingers on the desk in a steady rhythm. “Provide new computers, organizers, and everything necessary. That office will be occupied by my new perso
EricThe anxiety was consuming me. The hours refused to pass since I last spoke with Stevan. It was almost ridiculous how nervous I felt.“You’d think this was your first contract, Eric,” I muttered, staring at the city lights.It wasn’t my first contract. I had long lost count of how many I’d signed since adopting this arrangement, but this time everything felt different—even if I didn’t want to admit it. I took another sip of whiskey, trying to calm myself and keep control. I knew he had already landed; the pilot had informed me the moment the private jet touched down. I hadn’t slept at all that night, but I needed to see him standing in front of me, as if that would give me the certainty that I hadn’t hallucinated that phone call.The soft sound of the private elevator opening made me draw a deep breath. He had arrived.That same frightened, nervous expression was there, as always, and it was already enough to shake my foundation. His cold skin, contrasting with the heat of my hand
StevanWhen I entered the room, she was already being monitored by equipment far more modern than anything in Omaha. She looked at me with a mixture of confusion and astonishment.“Son… what’s going on? These doctors said we’re going to New York. That the president of your company demanded my immediate transfer to their excellence hospital. Is that true?”I approached the bed, swallowing the knot in my throat, and held her cold hand. I forced the most convincing smile I could pull from my soul.“It’s true, Mom. Remember I told you Mr. Winter liked my report? The board decided to transfer me as a trial to the Manhattan headquarters. They have an executive medical assistance program for high-performance transferred employees. They cover everything, Mom. The treatment, the housing, the transplant… everything.”Her eyes filled with tears, but for the first time in months, they weren’t tears of pain. They were of relief.“Oh, my dear… God heard my prayers. I knew your competence would be r
StevanWhile I packed my bags and my mother’s, I tried to convince myself that I had done the right thing. And even if it wasn’t, I had already said yes.I was fully aware that my life would never be the same after that phone call. Nothing I had planned for my future was happening the way I wanted; the idealized script of falling in love, being loved back, and building something beautiful had been torn to pieces. But at least my hope of seeing my mother get better was guaranteed. That was the price. And I would pay it on my knees if necessary.I glanced at the clock on the living room wall. The minutes were flying by far too quickly, as if time itself were running against me. I had less than an hour to pack everything and get back to the hospital in Omaha before the medical team from New York landed. I wasn’t taking much, and that had also been one of Eric’s explicit orders.After that desperate call, he had sent me a short, surgical message letting me know that once I was in New York
Stevan’s voice came next, trembling, choked by tears. The surprise in my own voice was impossible to hide, making Julian raise an eyebrow from the sofa.The moment he said he accepted, I held my breath without realizing it. There was a second of silence where I only heard his uneven breathing. His panic crossed the phone line and began seeping into my chest, awakening a violent concern I had never felt for anyone. He was crying in a way that sounded like he couldn’t get enough air.When I noticed his crying, I asked, my voice dropping in tone, completely forgetting Julian’s presence in the room. He didn’t answer my question, as if he found it unnecessary.He started speaking, his voice failing, interrupted by another painful sob. His desperate plea, using my first name like a cry for help, shattered the last barrier of ice I had been trying to maintain. His anguish infected me in an overwhelming way. He was cornered by life, destroyed by his mother’s illness, and he had swallowed ever
We pulled up in front of a private club.The place instantly set off every warning bell I had.Diego greeted the bouncers at the door like old friends—too comfortable, too familiar—and we walked straight in. The club wasn’t open yet. A few staff members moved around the main floor, adjusting lights
I grabbed my things and got up.I needed to clear my head, and somehow Diego always helped with that.When I stepped outside, I spotted him leaning against a brand-new BMW. I’d never understood how he managed things like this. He wasn’t rich. At least not officially. But somehow, luxury always seem
I grabbed my things and stood up. I needed to clear my head, and Diego, as always, had a way of making that easier.I headed downstairs and spotted him leaning against a shiny new BMW. I never understood how he pulled it off. He wasn’t rich—at least, not on paper—but he’d always lived surrounded by
Stevan“Your mother is going to need additional dialysis sessions.”The doctor said it with the same detached tone someone might use to confirm an appointment time, not like he’d just split my life open. He kept talking after that. Kidney function. Test results. Percentages. Numbers.None of it rea







