Mario's POV I stepped out of the bathroom, still on edge from the call I just made. It wasn’t easy getting Tina to agree, not with our history and all, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and if there was one thing Kosta couldn’t resist, it was a pair of fake tits, a whiny voice, and a thong that barely covered anything.Tina was perfect for the job. Dangerous, willing, and most importantly, she owed me. She was going to help me seduce Kosta.Still, I hated having to even speak to her again. The woman nearly blew up my marriage once. And now I was using her like a pawn in a game I didn’t even want to play. But if it got me what I needed on Kosta, it would be worth it.I walked back into my office, running a hand through my hair, only to find it empty.Sylvia was gone.No note. No sign. Not a damn word.I let out a short breathy laugh, shaking my head.Typical.Storm into my office after days of silence, after telling me she hates me, looking like a mess in my clothes,
SYLVIA’S POVI couldn’t see anything anymore, just blinding lights, yelling voices, microphones in my face, cameras clicking like rapid gunfire. The sweat on my skin mixed with the tears burning down my cheeks. I stumbled forward, trying to push through the crowd, clutching the oversized shirt tighter around me as if it could shield me from the humiliation.“Get the fuck out of my face!” I yelled, my voice hoarse. “Back off!”But they didn’t.They just got louder.My breathing turned shallow. My vision spun. I felt like I was going to collapse, right there on the concrete steps of the building.And then...“HEY! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?”The roar of his voice cut through the chaos.Everything paused. Even the cameras slowed down.I turned, and there he was, Mario Santiago.Tall. Clean cut black suit. Jaw clenched. Eyes furious and locked straight on the scene unfolding before him.He stormed out of the large glass doors of the building, his voice thundering over the cr
SYLVIA’S POVIt had been three days since I told my husband I hated him.Three days since he walked out and didn’t come back.Three days of rotting in my sheets, surviving off dry cereal and shame, ignoring every knock, ping, and ring. I hadn't showered. I hadn't cried. I just… existed. Barely.“You need to see him, Sylvia! You're going to lose your marriage if you keep acting like this! You haven’t bathed in three damn days! You stink!”That was Lola. My neighbor. About four weeks ago, we became neighborly friends. Now? She's the only one in this street crazy enough to barge into my apartment, yell at me, and threaten to drag me into the shower herself.She stood at the foot of the couch with her arms crossed and a look that said she wasn't here to coddle me.I groaned and buried my face deeper into the pillow. “Just leave me alone.”“Oh, no. Hell no.” I heard her stomping toward the kitchen. “You wanna rot? Fine. But you’re not dragging me into the smell.” Then her voice rose again,
Mario’s POVWas I shocked? Yes.Was I hurt? Absolutely.But more than anything, I was confused as hell.Sylvia had just screamed that she hated me. Screamed it. Right in my face, loud enough for the damn neighbors to hear. And the reason? Because I loved her "too much"?What the fuck was that supposed to mean?Just this morning, she had kissed me goodbye with a smile. Just this evening, I was cooking her lasagna and whistling a stupid tune like some lovesick schoolboy. Just this evening... she had told me she hated me.I stood there, frozen, heart pounding like I’d been sucker-punched. Was I really the villain now because I gave a damn? Was there such a thing as loving someone too much? And if there was, was I really supposed to apologize for it?I told myself I’d give her a few minutes to cool off, to breathe, to let the storm pass. Then we’d talk. That’s what mature people did, right? Talk?But when she came down the stairs, red-eyed, sniffing, I knew talking wasn't going to fix thi
Sylvia's POV“Let me help you with that,” Sex toy library guy said, gesturing toward the stack of books and randoms in my arms, reaching for the top one like we were old friends.I tightened my grip and took a step back. “No, thank you. I’m fine,” I replied with a firm nod, trying to keep my voice neutral.“You’ve been ignoring my messages. Did I… do something wrong?” he asked, cutting straight to the chase.I bit the inside of my cheek, groaning inwardly. I didn’t want this conversation, not now, not ever.“I’ve just not been interested in anything lately,” I said flatly, already turning toward the library entrance. He fell into step beside me like he belonged there.Then, he dropped the bomb.“You know your husband doesn’t have to find out if we have sex, right? I can be subtle. And trust me, I fuck good, better than your husband if you had to get toys.” he chuckled, like it was the funniest thing he had ever said.I stopped cold.The audacity. The disrespect.I turned so fast my ba
Sylvia’s POVThe next three weeks were bliss.Mario and I had never been so in love.We got a few new things for the house, nothing fancy, just little things that made it feel more ours. A cheesy “World’s Best Bookworm” mug he surprised me with, a tiny cactus I named George that he swore was staring at him every time he walked by.We bickered about paint swatches and pillow colors like an old married couple.Our neighbors were surprisingly chill, and I even had a new bestie in the neighborhood. We’d even hosted a BBQ last weekend. Mario manned the grill shirtless like it was a flex, and I pretended not to see our neighbor's wives drooling. He kept calling me “Mrs. Santiago” under his breath when no one was looking, and I kept kicking him in the shins when they were.His plan to leave the gang was still in motion. Slow, steady, and careful, just like him.And the dirt they were collecting on Kosta? It was enough to write a whole damn biography and we knew it would get him the life sen