LOGINAlice was standing very close to her. Too close. One of her hands was gently touching the cut near Samantha’s head with an almost intimate care, while the other still held hers.Adam saw Samantha say something, then Alice shook her head in denial before casually lifting her eyes toward the VIP booth. That was exactly when Caio recognized her."Oh, shit…" he muttered, running a hand over his face.Marcos frowned immediately.“What the hell? You know her?”Caio let out a short sigh, still looking down.“Yeah, I know her.” He paused for a brief second before adding, “And she’s trouble.”Adam didn’t need to ask anything else. He had recognized Alice too, and he knew exactly the kind of reputation that came with her. What he couldn’t understand was why Samantha looked so comfortable around her… and especially why Alice was being so careful with that touch.It didn’t look casual, and anything involving Alice rarely was. Adam’s jaw tightened slightly before he turned his gaze back to Montene
From the VIP booth, Marcos kept watching the movement down below, but he was no longer paying attention to the dance floor or the crowd around him. His focus remained fixed on Samantha and the woman who was now standing far too close to her.The stranger kept one arm wrapped around Samantha’s waist while leaning in to speak into her ear, comfortable enough to act like there was already real intimacy between them. What bothered Marcos the most was that Samantha didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable.It looked… way too natural.“Who the hell is that woman all over Samantha?” he asked, nudging Caio with his elbow to get his attention.Caio shifted his gaze toward where Marcos was pointing, trying to see better through the low lights and constant movement of the club.“I can’t see her face. She’s got her back to us.”“And you don’t think it’s weird how close she’s standing?”Caio let out a quiet sigh through his nose, eyes still locked on the scene below.“Maybe she’s just a friend, Mar
Marcos was sweating bullets, unsure what to do with his hands. Caio, on the other hand, was quietly amused by the whole situation—there was something funny about seeing the guy completely lost.Samantha had no idea how to act either. Should she deny what she’d said? Slip away and hide? Call for help from Sophia, who was still dancing downstairs, completely oblivious to the chaos unfolding up here?“I think I’ll take that drink now,” Adam said, turning to the woman beside him with a calculated smile.She got up eagerly to fetch it, and Adam shifted his gaze back to Samantha—slow, deliberate, and full of purpose. She knew exactly what he was doing.“Adam, you mentioned you were with someone tonight and even turned down one of my girls,” Montenegro observed, curious. “But where is she? Running late?”“Looks like she’s taking longer than expected,” Adam replied, never taking his eyes off Samantha.“The offer’s still on the table. If she doesn’t show up…” Montenegro discreetly nodded towar
Marcos arrived at the nightclub exactly as instructed, choosing his motorcycle as he almost always did. It wasn’t just about practicality. There was something about the speed, the wind whipping across his face, and the machine’s instant response that kept him sharp, as if every ride was a quiet warm-up for whatever came next.Inside, the night had been running smoothly.So far, nothing had gotten out of hand. No one had crossed any lines. The place kept up that deceptive air of normalcy—loud music, pulsing lights, bodies moving on the dance floor—but in a spot like this, calm was never a promise of anything.It was just a lull.Samantha was dancing with Sophia when, for some reason she couldn’t quite explain, she glanced up toward the VIP section.That’s when she saw him.A man making his way upstairs, accompanied by three women dressed in deliberately provocative outfits, closely followed by two bodyguards who clearly weren’t there for decoration.It wasn’t just any group, and instin
Night fell, and the two of them started getting ready for the club. Samantha tried on several outfits Sophia had given her, but she decided not to push her luck. She knew Adam. She knew exactly how jealous he could be.She wasn’t going out to stir up more trouble with him. She just wanted to have a good time and forget about everything for a while.In the end, she chose a black sparkly dress with thin straps. It wasn’t too short. Aside from the neckline, it was the least revealing option she’d found.“You look incredible,” Sophia said, motioning for her to spin around.Samantha twirled, a little unsure of herself.“Do you really think your brother won’t get mad if I go out dressed like this?”Sophia shrugged, a crooked smile playing on her lips.“He’ll just have to deal with it. Who told him to have such a hot girlfriend? He’s gonna have to learn how to handle his jealousy.”Samantha let out a short laugh but quickly raised an eyebrow.“And you? You know you’re going to kill poor Caio
Samantha remained silent for a few seconds, still holding the photograph between her fingers, but her gaze was no longer on it.It was on him.There was something in his answer, in the way he spoke about his sister, that opened up a possibility—and at the same time, raised a doubt she couldn’t simply ignore.If she wanted to understand how far this went… she would need to test it.“And about that…” she began carefully, not wanting to sound invasive, “when you talk about someone for her to fall in love with, is there any specific type of man you would accept?”She lifted her eyes, meeting his.“Or would it not matter, as long as she wanted him?”Adam stopped what he was doing. Not abruptly, but enough to show that the question carried weight. He slowly turned in his chair, his eyes fixed on her, analyzing far more than just her words.“It matters.” He rested his arm on the table, his fingers lightly tapping the surface as he organized his thoughts. “For me… the farther away from this l
Samantha stepped inside, dropped the grocery bags on the kitchen counter, and headed straight to the bathroom to start filling the tub. Her purse (phone inside) stayed on the table.She walked to the bedroom, already tugging down the zipper on the back of her uniform dress. The fabric slid off her
The IV bag finally ran empty. Samantha stared at it, counting the seconds until someone came to free her. She was desperate to get home. Staying in that hospital one minute longer, especially with the risk of Douglas showing up again, felt unbearable. She needed space, silence, her own four walls.
Marcos finished his shower, threw on fresh clothes, and headed out of the guest room toward the grand staircase of Adam’s mansion. Halfway down the hall, he ran into Sophia, who was also heading for the stairs.“Where you off to, squirt?” he teased, pulling her into a bear hug and planting a kiss o
Both men whipped their heads toward Samantha at the same time. She was completely lost.She stared down at her two hands being held. Douglas let go immediately. Adam, on the other hand, played dumb and kept his grip.“What the hell is going on here?” she demanded, looking between them.“Don’t you r







