The car alarm was still sounding, now muffled, as if it too felt ashamed.The police arrived too quickly. The flashing lights, the uniforms, the questions... everything happened so fast I barely had time to breathe. I wouldn’t even know how to explain it, or how to apologize to Alexandre. He was the one who spoke to the officer, probably understanding that I was submerged in shame, and that any word from me in that state would be shaky, trembling, or worse, incriminating.But what was eating me inside was the thought that this could reach my mother. How could I explain it? How could I justify that Marcelo, the man she shared her life with, had turned into this... someone? Someone who hurt me, grabbed me, treated me like property. All of this could harm her and the baby too. The damage was already too great.Just looking at Marcelo made my stomach turn.“Are you going to be okay?” I heard Alexandre’s soft voice.His touch was gentle, as if not wanting to startle me, his hand on my shou
Maria Vitória had more layers than she appeared to at first. Fleeing an abusive stepfather, caught in a conflicted relationship with her mother, trying to readjust to a new life... During a conversation with Hélio, I learned that she intended to start working. Perhaps that was what brought her to Heitor—not for a simple outing, but as an escape from that suffocating situation.I took a cold shower after Mavi left the bathroom. When I came out, I saw her sitting in the armchair, staring into space. She felt guilty. I grabbed a shirt from my suitcase and gently threw it toward her."Go take a shower. If you prefer, try to rest." But who could sleep?I couldn’t stop thinking about the brutality of that man. He spoke to her as if she were his property, as if she owed him obedience, even in the face of the most absurd and insane orders.She went into the bathroom. In the silence that followed, I tried calling Heitor. I wanted to tell him everything. I dialed his number, but no one answered
The room was still cloaked in shadows, but I could make out the outline of his body beside me. Alexandre breathed deeply, his chest rising and falling slowly. A faint line of sweat shimmered along his neck. He looked... calm. Or maybe he was just a good actor.I, on the other hand, was a mess.My body was still pulsing. Every cell felt invaded, taken over by something I couldn’t name. It was pleasure, yes — but also rage, confusion, relief. I felt alive, yet broken. Whole, yet with all my pieces out of place.I stared at the ceiling, trying to organize my thoughts, but they came in spirals, as if the night had turned me inside out.What had I done?The taste of his skin was still on my lips. His scent clung to my shirt — or rather, his shirt, which now served only as a reminder of how far I’d crossed the line.But… what line, exactly?I had fled from hell. Marcelo screaming, dragging me by the arms, spitting hate as if I were the very embodiment of his failure. My mother, as always, d
The day had turned bright—too bright. Light pierced through the curtains with an insolence I wasn’t prepared to face. The sun, sovereign and indifferent, crushed the darkness of the previous night, bringing with it the weight of what we had done. It trampled the shadows with a harshness that struck me like a blow.I felt the pain first. The bruises still throbbed, as if my body was trying to remind me of everything that had happened. But that wasn’t what truly woke me. It was the emptiness beside me. Her absence filled the room in a way so tangible I could almost reach out and touch it. And then, the memories came, dragging with them the intensity of the night before.Her face beneath mine. Mavi’s half-lidded eyes, caught between pleasure and confusion. Her body arching against me, as if she belonged to me. As if she were mine alone. That night, that moment—it wasn’t just another encounter. Not to me. And no matter how much I tried to escape the thought, the image branded itself in my
I was still waiting for the contempt. The cutting words he might fire, piercing me like a blade, completing my ruin once and for all. The silence seemed ready to explode.Leaning against the recently closed door, I avoided looking at him. I looked at the kitchen counter, the floor, anything but him. Alexandre. The man I desired with every fiber of my body, but whose presence consumed me with fear and contradiction. That passion was a mistake, madness... but it was mine.And where we had reached now there was no limit.He approached without warning. I felt his hand touch the back of my neck, move up with precision until it settled on my neck. He forced me to look. And when I looked at his dark, intense eyes, fixed on mine, everything seemed to go silent."Couldn't you give me the right to decide?"I swallowed hard. The lump in my throat was as tight as the hand holding me. I didn't even know if I would be able to speak. His eyes undressed me, his presence pressed me against the door. T
After having her again, after everything we said we wouldn't do, I just wanted to silence the voice in my head that kept repeating a name that shouldn't have been there: Hector.I sat on the mattress, still naked, gathering up my clothes. My body muscles were tired but satisfied. I could hear the soft sounds of her moving around in the bathroom. I dressed slowly, feeling pain in random parts of my body, reflections of the confusion of the previous night. The water stopped, and a few minutes later she appeared through the door. I turned around, leaving behind the view of other buildings through the window. For a second, I lost my breath.The loose white jean shorts, almost falling off her hips. A black Harry Potter t-shirt, which looked even darker against her damp skin. Her hair tied up on top of her head, with a few unruly strands falling down her neck. White flip-flops on her feet, as if nothing about her screamed danger, and everything about her did.She saw me watching her, my eye
Through tears, wrapped in Alexandre’s embrace, I fell asleep. I wasn’t used to stimulation—let alone such intense emotions coursing through me. I couldn’t even say exactly when I broke down.I brushed the loose strands from my face and looked around. It was already night. The empty bed filled me with sudden fear. Had he left? Abandoned me?I sat up, staring into the emptiness of that luxurious room. But the sound of typing brought immediate relief. My eyes found him, sitting in the armchair, still focused on his work. Alexandre was typing without pause.I watched him silently. So calm. So confident. There was a quiet strength in the way he existed. Guilt washed over me.His life was too perfect—or at least it seemed to be. It must have taken years to build. How much had he had to suppress? How many desires, emotions, detours had he swallowed in silence just to get where he is?I couldn’t just come in and mess everything up. My life was already chaos—but his...His shirt was unbuttoned
I didn’t even know what was happening to me. While Maria Vitória slept in my arms, I realized there was more than desire between us—there was an invisible and dangerous bond. But I knew: by morning, all of it would have to end.She had fallen asleep resting on my chest, her face peaceful, and for a moment, I almost allowed myself to forget the world. But then the phone vibrated somewhere in the room. The silence was so deep that any noise sounded like a scream.I ignored the first calls. The next ones, insistent, sliced through the air and the little peace that remained. I got up slowly and found the phone on the table. I hesitated before touching the screen—if it was Heitor, it would bring a string of questions; any other name would be just a detail.But the name that appeared in blue was no detail. It was Marcelo.Besides the calls, the messages started to arrive:"You’re mine.""Come home now, or you’ll regret it.""Are you gonna make me go around looking for you like a damn dog? P
The digital clock on the meeting room wall read 8:07 AM when Maria Vitória pushed the door open, a folder of reports under one arm and a coffee cup in the other. Her hair tied in a practical bun, a white coat over a navy blue dress. The room was full — nurses, managers, two representatives from the newly opened public wing."Good morning, everyone," she smiled, sitting at the head of the table. "Let’s try to wrap things up before nine. I have to drop off Alana at school by ten."Everyone smiled. Dr. Xavier was known for being firm, objective, and... absolutely passionate about her children. But her husband? Everyone knew she would drop everything, without hesitation, if he called her suddenly.As she reviewed patient care charts and expansion plans for the public wing, her phone vibrated discreetly on the table. A picture appeared: Alexandre, with messy hair, jacket thrown over his shoulder, and a half-smirk, standing in front of the university.His message:"The class today was a dis
"Of course it is! And if it isn't..." I slid my hand between us, inside the robe. The gesture undid the knot with an almost symbolic ease — reckless, different, strange. "I want everything. For you to be my wife, for us to have children, grandchildren... pets, whatever you want. I want to d..."Mavi put her finger to my lips, firmly."Don't you dare say that. I accept being your wife. I'm already your wife. I want to be the mother of your children, your grandchildren... but never talk about dying, Alexandre. Never."I nodded, silent, and led her to the backseat. She lay there, looking at me as if the world were just the two of us."I accept being yours... anywhere," she whispered.I looked at her body, magnificent, natural, in a way that was only hers."You are incredibly perfect... and you can be the mother of my children."She pulled me by the collar of my shirt, urgently."Fuck me first, praise me later," she said quickly, hungrily.I laughed, moving closer to her mouth."You look
After Maria Clara’s arrest, things finally began to settle down. She was transferred to a prison almost immediately. No one explained why, but Dr. Caroline told me—her expression more serious than usual—that Maria Clara had been classified as extremely dangerous, even to other inmates.I was trying to get back to my life: studies, internship. My mother returned to her work. Aunt Lena came to spend the weekend with us, but I knew it wasn’t just a visit. At night, she disappeared, as always. And this time, I didn’t follow.My father was surprisingly focused during those days. He shared the hospital’s management with Alexandre, and they even hired a temporary surgeon to cover some shifts. He seemed determined to keep everything running, as if trying to prove something—maybe to himself.That night, I stepped outside and found them there: my father and Alexandre, sitting under the amber light, drinking whiskey and discussing hospital expenses.I approached slowly. I knew that, between them
As much as I was worried about Maria Vitória, even knowing she was represented by highly competent lawyers, there was a deeper unease gnawing at me.Maria Clara was still out there.There were checkpoints on the roads. Increased surveillance at the bus station.All access points were being monitored.But nothing. No trace of her.When I was informed that Maria Vitória had claimed self-defense, the case flipped completely.The eyes of Justice shifted.So did public attention.She was no longer seen as a reckless criminal—but as someone who had survived.From that moment on, I stopped worrying about her, at least from a legal standpoint.Caroline had prepared her masterfully. Even more so with the investigation now open against Marcelo for the brutal attack on Laura.He was officially a fugitive. A dangerous man.And Maria Vitória… a victim.But my own torment had not ended.When we reviewed the building’s security footage, I felt my blood run cold.Maria Clara was clearly seen entering
My heartbeat was erratic.Marcelo and I pulled the trigger almost at the same time — his finger pressing down on mine, trying to force me to shoot.But the bullet… it wasn’t meant for me.When his body trembled beneath mine, a lump rose in my throat.His hand weakened over mine.“Maria Vitória… Maria…” I heard Alexandre behind me, voice choked, arms trying to pull me away.But it was too late. Far too late.I pulled the trigger again.Once. Twice. Three. Four times.On the fifth, the gun jammed.It wouldn’t fire anymore.Still, I stayed there. Shaking.I didn’t want to see my mother afraid anymore. Always scared.I didn’t want to change cities again.I didn’t want to live in fear.“Maria Vitória?” his voice echoed in my ear.The sound of the door opening hit me like a distant wave. But I didn’t turn around.I was frozen. In shock.Silently confessing everything I had done.“Give me that!” Alexandre tried to pull the gun from my hand.“No!” I shouted, gripping it fiercely.“I won’t let
It had been a wonderful night. We didn’t make love like we did the other times—this time there was no rush, no urgency—because we knew it wasn’t the last time anymore. We intertwined our bodies in a slow, delicious act with no set end.I fell asleep with Maria Vitória in my arms as she talked about the harsh cuts her new advisor had made to her thesis. I told her she should publish the research after her defense—with my review.Seeing her eyes shine in the darkness of the room gave me a certainty: we were starting over. I didn’t know how long it would last, but I wanted it to be good while it did.She left early. She had an internship. And even though it was hard to let her leave the bed, she was... admirably responsible as she reached the door.The morning light crept shyly through the curtains. The sun hadn’t warmed enough to take the chill from my chest. I sat on the edge of the bed, shirtless, phone in hand.Mavi’s message still glowed on the screen:“He called me. Said he’s going
I spent another night at Alexandre’s apartment. Maybe my mother had gotten used to the idea. I arrived in the morning, and she was still asleep in her room. I entered quietly, changed my clothes, and packed my bag.My phone started ringing.When I saw the name on the screen, I hesitated.It was my father.The day before, he had only sent a brief message:"Tell Alexandre to answer me. It’s urgent."Nothing more.It was as if he knew I was with Alexandre — though I wasn’t. Not yet.I stared at the screen for a few seconds before I answered. But I didn’t say anything."Maria? Are you listening?" he asked from the other end.I didn’t know how to respond. Maybe I had been too harsh in our last conversation."I’m here," I replied, seriously."I’m stepping away. Tell Alexandre to go back to the hospital. I can’t continue leading anymore. I took out a loan, there’s money in the account. He should take over the management. Do whatever you want with that mess..."His voice was firm, but hollow.
Maria Vitória didn’t return to my apartment.It was getting dark when Heitor's car left the building. I waited for her, but I didn’t want to suffocate her. That outcome was between two people: father and daughter.On Monday, it was strange not following my routine. After the gym, I stayed home, bored. No reading flowed. No thoughts made sense. And she... didn’t show up either.On Tuesday, nothing changed.On Wednesday, Heitor called me several times. I ignored all of them. Later, I saw Maria Vitória arriving with her mother. She still seemed shaken. When she lifted her eyes toward my window, I hesitated: was she avoiding me or did she want to talk?Had she decided to distance herself from me?It seemed like it.I started evaluating job offers I had been receiving... but none of them made sense. None had her in them.It was night when the doorbell rang.I looked through the peephole. Seeing her there, I opened the door in a hurry. My heart raced as if I were a nervous kid, about to be
I didn’t know what to say, but I knew that without Alexandre at the hospital, everything would soon collapse.“What are you planning to do? You can’t just…” I tried to say, but he shook his head, still shirtless, wearing only shorts, and turned his back to me, heading toward the kitchen.“I’ve turned down countless job offers. I never left the hospital out of respect for your father. Besides, I can afford to stay away for a while. Years dealing with blood, saving the lives of strangers… Deep down, maybe Maria Clara is right: I don’t have a life beyond an operating room.”Just hearing her name made the discomfort return. I wished he wouldn’t refer to his ex-wife, but I’d never have the courage to say that.“I understand. I won’t take up any more of your time. Either way, this conversation has to happen,” I said, watching as he placed the empty glass on the white island counter.“Hey, wait…” he rushed toward me, grabbing me by the waist. I looked into his eyes, trying to read his reason