LOGINThrowback: Three Years Ago The changing room at P-Valley smelled of vanilla body spray, cheap perfume, and the faint metallic tang of hairspray. Bright vanity lights ringed the long mirrors, casting harsh glows on scattered makeup palettes, glitter-dusted counters, and half-open lockers. Bass from the main floor vibrated through the walls like a distant heartbeat, muffled laughter and catcalls leaking in whenever the door swung open. sequins and fishnets hung from hooks, and stilettos lined the floor. Red stood in front of her locker, zipping up a small duffel bag with sharp, irritated movements. Her signature red wig was still on for the night. She wore a simple black tank top and leggings, the glitter from her last set still clinging to her skin like stubborn stardust. Around her, a handful of other girls chatted and laughed while packing up after their shifts—adjusting bras, counting tips, swapping stories about difficult customers.Luz lounged on the bench across from her, long
Throwback: Three Years Ago The late afternoon sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Miguel’s executive office, casting long golden rectangles across the sleek desk. Two half-empty glasses of scotch sat on coasters beside a thick folder of contracts. Carlos leaned back in the leather visitor chair, one leg crossed over the other, flipping through the latest quarterly reports. His dark suit jacket hung neatly on the back of the chair, shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Miguel sat behind the desk, pen in hand, signing the final pages with sharp, decisive strokes. The silence between them was uncomfortable. Miguel capped the pen and pushed the signed documents toward Carlos. “These should lock in the merger. The board will be pleased.” Carlos nodded, scanning the last few lines before sliding the folder into his briefcase. “Yeah, I agree. Clean work. No loose ends.”Miguel’s gaze drifted to the large framed photo on the wall: a family portrait from years ago, just
Throwback: Three Years Ago The air in the club smelled of stale smoke, expensive cologne, and the faint sweetness of spilled champagne from the floor outside.Uncle Clifford leaned back in his leather chair, fingers drumming on the armrest. His sharp eyes, framed by perfectly groomed silver hair, fixed on Carlos with a mix of concern and impatience. “Red hasn’t shown up for work in two weeks, Carlos. Not a single shift. The girls are starting to whisper, and Miguel... damn that man... he’s been coming in almost every night looking for her. He won’t touch anyone else. Not even Luz.”Carlos sat across from him, legs crossed, one ankle resting on his knee. His tailored black shirt was open at the collar, sleeves rolled up to reveal toned forearms. He swirled the amber liquid in his glass but hadn’t taken a sip yet. “He’s persistent. I’ll give him that.”Uncle Clifford snorted, leaning forward. “It’s turning into an obsession, and that’s bad for business. Let's not forget he paid fifty
Throwback: Three Years Ago Soft jazz mingled with the low hum of conversation in the private lounge of the Alvarez family home. It was a small, intimate gathering to honor the life of Santiago Alvarez. Candles flickered on low tables beside framed photos of Santiago smiling in his younger days, on the golf course, at board meetings, with a glass of whiskey raised in toast.Miguel stood near the open French doors leading to the garden, nursing a glass of red wine. His black shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up. He looked every bit the composed CEO, but his eyes kept drifting across the room.Inés sat on a cream-colored sofa, legs crossed, wearing a simple navy dress that skimmed her knees. Carlos was beside her, one arm casually draped along the back of the sofa, his fingers occasionally brushing her shoulder in what looked like affectionate support. Carmen, Inés’s mother, could not contain herself. She had sandwiched herself firmly between Inés and Carlos on the sof
Throwback: Three Years Ago Carlos slammed the door of Maria’s apartment behind him with enough force to rattle the frames on the wall. The evening light filtering through the half-drawn curtains painted long golden stripes across the living room floor, but the atmosphere inside was anything but warm. Maria stood by the kitchen counter, barefoot in a loose white tank top and black shorts, a glass of red wine dangling from her fingers. She didn’t flinch at the sound. Instead, she lifted an eyebrow and took a slow sip, watching him like a cat that had already knocked the vase off the shelf and was waiting to see what he’d do about it. “You broke every single rule I gave you,” Carlos said, voice low and edged with steel. He crossed the room in three strides, stopping just short of her. “I trusted you with those images of Miguel and Inés. I told you explicitly to wait for my instructions. Instead, you ran straight to that trash gossip blog and handed them over." Maria set the glas
Throwback: Three Years Ago The heavy oak doors of the boardroom swung shut behind them with a final, echoing thud that seemed to seal the chapter on the nightmare. Inés stepped into the wide, marble-tiled corridor of the company headquarters, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. She exhaled slowly, shoulders dropping for the first time in hours. It was over. The board had accepted the narrative: the leaked photos were a vicious smear campaign, and the budding “relationship” between Inés and Carlos had provided the perfect counter-story. Miguel’s position as CEO was safe. No resignation demanded. No public disgrace. The scandal had been neatly repackaged as tabloid lies targeting a powerful family. Miguel walked beside her, his custom-tailored suit still impeccable despite the stress of the day. His hand brushed the small of her back lightly as they moved toward the private elevator bank reserved for executives. But Inés knew better. She quickened her pace, pu
Inés didn't realize how long she'd been standing at the window until her mother's voice cut through her thoughts."For someone who was so horrified to discover I was sleeping with José, you certainly seem to have your own dirt to hide."Inés jumped, spinning around so fast she nearly lost her balan
Inés had been avoiding the luxury shopping district for weeks, specifically because she knew it was the kind of place where she might run into people from Miguel's world.But she'd needed to get out of the house, needed space to breathe after her mother's brutal honesty that morning, and somehow he
The hallway was quiet as Inés made her way to Miguel's home office.She'd noticed it the moment she'd come downstairs that evening. The absence of footsteps, of clinking dishes, of Martha's gentle humming in the kitchen. The house felt empty.She'd tried not to think about what that meant.Now, sta
Inés couldn't speak. Her eyes traveled over him, over the body she'd seen in fragments, in shadows, in dim club lighting. But never like this. Never fully exposed and illuminated, every inch of him on display.He was huge. Impressively, intimidatingly so. Hard already, pressed against his stomach,







