“Although accidents are impossible to control, you still need to be more careful.” Vanessa scolded her affectionately, concerned like a true friend.
“Don't worry, I'm fine.” Vivian looked away from Jackson and flashed a docile smile, hiding the fire that burned inside her.
Jackson closed his laptop and stood up with his impeccable posture. “Ms. Campbell, there's no need to accompany us to the meeting point. Go to the hospital first.”
“Mr. Carson, I'm fine. I want to attend the meeting.” Vivian bit her lip, feigning fragility and anticipation.
“Vivi, listen to Mr. Carson.” Vanessa insisted, fearful of the burn infection.
“Enough. Vanessa will go with you.” Jackson's voice was firm, ending any discussion. He turned and left with Jase, without looking back.
Vivian stood still, staring at his broad, imposing back. A smile played on her lips.
No matter how much he
Ellijah's gaze was murderous, but his feverish body was no match for her strength. Defeated, he drank. His fists clenched at his sides, impotent rage consuming him. Vanessa had ruined everything.“It's no big deal, Victoria. Don't worry,” said Vanessa, turning to her friend with a reassuring smile.“Okay. Can you... help him up?” Victoria asked, trusting her completely.Vanessa laughed, flexing her biceps.“Look at these muscles. I was in the army, remember?”“Do you need my help?”“Don't worry. I've carried men twice his weight,” said Vanessa, and before Ellijah could protest, she hoisted him over her shoulders with impressive ease.He struggled weakly, a pathetic attempt at resistance against the woman who had just dismantled his master plan.With the strength of a vise, Vanessa immobilized his arms. Ellijah's struggle was pathetic, useless. Gritting his teeth, humiliation mixed wit
“She'll come.”The certainty in Elijah's voice was absolute, chilling. Without another word, he began to take off his wet pants and disappeared into the small room attached to the office.Erike stood frozen, the words dying in his throat. There was nothing to be said. He was just a pawn in his boss's sick game. Resigned, he turned and went to the darkroom.Half an hour later, with the photos developed in an envelope, Erike made the call.As Ellijah had predicted, the news hit him hard. A wave of guilt washed over Victoria's voice when she heard about the fever. It was because of her. For protecting her from the rain.“Don't worry about sending them. I'll pick them up myself,” she said, her mind already made up.She hung up, grabbed her purse, and headed for the elevator.The doors had barely opened when a familiar figure appeared. Vanessa. Quickly, she stepped into the elevator before the doors could close.
His words reassured her, and she leaned back in her seat, letting silence fill the space between them.The car cut through the storm. The hypnotic rhythm of the windshield wipers was the only sound, sweeping the rain back and forth. The atmosphere inside the car became heavy, laden with unspoken words.As they approached the imposing Carson Group Tower, Elijah turned his face, his gaze resting on the quiet woman beside him. Her bangs were damp, a few strands stuck to her temple. She didn't look disheveled as he had imagined; on the contrary, the rain seemed to have added a wild and enchanting glow to her beauty.An involuntary smile formed on his lips as he traced the perfect curve of her face with his eyes.We are the perfect match, he thought, a fervent conviction burning inside him. In appearance. In soul.What can Jackson give her? Money. A gilded cage.But I... I can give her the universe of design. I can give her herself.I am h
In the JB skyscraper in São Paulo, the air crackled with an energy that hadn't been seen in years. Ellijah had arrived.The news spread like wildfire, and the company's single female designers were in an uproar. His name was legendary, a whisper in the corridors of global fashion. Having him there, in the flesh, was an event. Eyes followed him, admiring, hungry. He was even more handsome than the legends said.But amid a sea of admiring faces, Ellijah's eyes saw only one. Victoria.He knew Jackson was out of town. The board was in his favor.A slow, predatory smile curved his lips.“Ms. Carson. The design contest is just a few days away. Do you have anything in mind yet?”“Not much, for now,” she admitted, honesty tinging her voice. “I was thinking of visiting some art exhibitions for inspiration.”The truth was that her mind was blank, a consequence of the exhaustion of recent motherhood.“I ha
“Miss, do you know if anyone has ever managed to visit her?” Maison insisted, needing any shred of hope.She let out a mocking laugh.“Of course they've tried. Many have. But from what I've heard, they all came back empty-handed. Honestly, I don't understand why so many come to see an old woman every year.” Just because they call her a ‘national treasure’?Maison ignored the ignorant mockery.“Do you know any of her preferences? Anything she likes?”“How should I know?” she snorted, finding the question ridiculous. But then, a fragment of an old rumor came to mind. "Wait. There is one thing. They say she loves fish.“Okay, thanks,” was the only useful information he could get out of her. Maison turned around, with no time to waste, and went upstairs to report to Jackson what she had discovered.Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Ellijah entered his studio.
At three thousand feet, the world seemed small, insignificant. But for Jackson, the weight of his mission crushed him against the leather seat of the private jet. After three hours of flight, Mont-Tonnerre appeared on the horizon, a stone titan piercing the clouds. The final destination.It was there, in that isolated sanctuary, that a legend lived. The greatest designer of her generation, reclusive, indifferent to the world that once revered her.Jackson didn't know if he could convince her to come down from the mountain, to return to a world she had abandoned. But he had to try. Anything to free his wife from the lingering shadow of another man.As soon as his feet touched the ground, his phone vibrated. Sofia.“Jackson, have you arrived?” His mother's voice was a mixture of hope and concern. She knew he had come in search of the impossible: to convince the great Camila Ayres to come out of retirement for Victoria.“I just lande