LOGINDANIEL BLACKWOOD MANSION ~ NEW YORK CITY Marco clawed at Daniel’s wrist, desperately trying to free himself as Daniel held him by the throat.“You put your filthy hands on my wife,” Daniel hissed, his face twisted with rage. “I gave you one simple job, and you betrayed me by sleeping with Ariana.”“Boss… please…” Marco choked, his face turning red as he struggled to breathe.Daniel’s grip tightened. “How dare you?”Marco shook his head quickly, panic filling his eyes.“How dare you betray me after everything I’ve done for you?” Daniel demanded. “I trusted you, Marco. I gave you a place in my organization, and this is how you repay me?”“I didn’t mean to betray you,” Marco managed to say between breaths.Daniel leaned closer, his eyes burning with anger.“But you did.”Marco swallowed painfully. “Please, boss. I swear I didn’t mean for it to happen. Ariana told me she hated you. She said she wanted to leave you. She told me she didn’t love you anymore.”Daniel stared at him for a long
DAMIEN'S MANSION – STUDY – 1:30 PMDamien sat behind his large oak desk, staring at the divorce papers spread out in front of him. He had been going through them for hours, but the words still felt cold and final.Property division. Custody arrangements. Financial settlements.Everything was written clearly in black and white.Damien picked up his pen and slowly uncapped it. His eyes stayed on the signature line as he took a deep breath.He was about to sign when his phone suddenly rang.Damien frowned and glanced at the screen.The name made his expression darken immediately.Arthur Langston.Sophia's father.Damien leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. He already knew what the old man wanted. Arthur had been calling him for weeks, demanding that he cancel the divorce and stand by Sophia.Damien let the phone ring.He ignored it.But a few seconds later, it rang again.His jaw tightened."Persistent old man," he muttered under his breath.The phone rang a third time.With
DANIEL BLACKWOOD MANSION ~ NEW YORK CITYMarco’s face went pale, but he quickly shook his head. “I didn’t.”Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t?”“No, boss.” Marco swallowed hard and forced himself to remain calm. “I swear I didn’t sleep with Ariana. I only did what you asked me to do. I got close to her, gained her trust, and made her believe I cared about her. That’s all.”Daniel studied him in silence.Marco continued quickly, sensing that he needed to convince him before the situation became worse.“She was vulnerable, boss. She had just gone through the divorce, and she trusted me because I was there for her. But I never crossed that line. I wouldn’t do that to you.”Daniel’s expression remained strangely calm. “Is that what you’re going with?”Marco nodded. “Yes.”Daniel gave a quiet laugh. It wasn’t a friendly laugh.It was the kind that made Marco’s stomach tighten.“You really want to stand there and lie to my face?”Marco’s heart began pounding. “I’m not lying.”Daniel rea
Daniel picked up on the third ring, sounding half-asleep. Valerie could hear the clinking of a spoon against a bowl in the background.“Please tell me you’re calling with good news and not another crisis.”Valerie hurried down the hallway, clutching her tablet. “Define ‘good.’”Daniel sighed as he mixed his cereal and milk together. “Val, it’s seven PM. I was about to eat. Can I at least finish my dinner before you ruin my evening?”“You can eat while you listen.”“I am eating while listening.”“Good. Multitasking. Very impressive.”Daniel took another spoonful of cereal. “So, what did you find?”“I ran a background check on Richard.”Daniel stopped chewing.There was a brief silence before he swallowed.“And?”Valerie slowed her steps, a smile spreading across her face.“You’re not going to believe this.”Daniel stirred his cereal again. “Considering the amount of trouble you usually bring me, I’m already preparing myself.”“Richard isn’t his real name.”The spoon stopped halfway to
MIGUEL FAVINO BASEMENT ~ OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY Miguel turned around. “Someone she already trusts.”Enzo immediately caught on. “Ariana.”Miguel nodded. “Exactly. Amelia trusts Ariana more than anyone.”Lucas folded his arms. “That’s great and all, but Ariana isn’t a lawyer. Unless she secretly went to law school while we weren’t looking, I don’t see how she’s helping with the trial.”“I know,” Miguel said, giving him a look. “I’m not asking her to handle the case.”He walked back toward the table and leaned against it.“I want Ariana to talk to Amelia. I want her to convince Amelia to give Valerie a chance.”Valerie frowned. “You want me to meet Ariana?”“No.”Valerie blinked. “Then why did you say that like I was supposed to understand?”“I want Ariana to talk to Amelia first.”Valerie still looked uncertain. “But I’ve never even met Ariana. What if Amelia thinks this is some kind of setup? She could easily think Ariana is working for you.”“Then we don’t make Ariana show up with yo
ARIANA'S APARTMENT – 9:00 AMThe apartment was quiet now. The kind of silence that felt heavy and suffocating.Ariana sat on Marco's lap, her body still trembling from crying. Her face was buried in his chest. Her tears had soaked through his shirt. She looked broken, Completely and utterly broken.Marco held her tightly, his arms wrapped around her, his hand gently stroking her hair."Shh," he whispered. "It's going to be okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."Ariana's voice was muffled against his chest. "How do you know? How do you know everything is going to be okay?"Marco kissed the top of her head. "Because I'll make sure of it. I'll do whatever it takes to help you get Aiden back. I promise."Ariana looked up at him. Her eyes were red and swollen. Her face was pale. But there was a flicker of hope in her eyes."You really mean that?" she asked softly.Marco smiled gently. "I really do. I care about you, Ariana. More than you know."Ariana sniffled. "I care about you too, Ma
“Two days ago. Daniel and I were talking about the party, and we realized—why wait? We love each other. We have a son together. We want to be a family. So we’re doing it now.” Ariana twisted her hands together. “Are you mad?”“Mad? Are you kidding?” Amelia rushed forward and hugged her best friend
Alejandro stood on the sidewalk outside Amelia’s towering apartment building. The crisp New York morning air did nothing to clear the fog in his head. His duffel bag felt like a brick in his hand, heavy with the few clothes he’d grabbed in a rush.Suddenly, cameras clicked around him. Paparazzi app
“Touch me. Fuck me. Anything.”He pumped his fingers slowly, thumb brushing her clit on every stroke. “I’m going to do all of it.”His mouth found her neck, sucking hard enough to leave marks as his fingers worked her steadily. She clutched his shoulders, nails digging through his coat. Wet sounds
THE GUERRA GRAND MANSION~ SPAINGabriella stepped into her sunlit bedroom at the family villa outside Madrid. The red dress from last night still draped over a chair, a trophy of her victory. Her skin still tingled from Alejandro’s hands, his desperate kisses, the way he’d lost control. She let he







