"Miguel, I'm happy for this moment..." Ximena wrapped her arms around his neck as she cooed lovingly, mixed with the gasp due to the finished 'strenuous action', Just before she could mutter, "I love you," the man murmured in a hoarse voice. "Tan..." Ximena froze. Tan was Tania Roberto, the first love of Miguel Ricardo. Tania hasn't returned to the country, she has stayed abroad all these years. But, just yesterday, she arrived back in Mexico. Moreover, she had sent Ximena several provocative text messages. She wasn't yet over her ex. "Ximena, I'm back! You have to vacate from the Ricardo family! I'm back to take back what rightfully belongs to me." "Miguel and I are childhood sweethearts. Did you think you could replace me in just a few years? Get out! Get back to the streets where you're likely to belong. You're doomed to remain in the streets forever."
View MoreThe car was silent, like a breath held underwater.Paris blurred past the window in streaks of gold and glass, but Ximena wasn’t watching it. Her gaze was anchored somewhere deeper—on the flicker of red silk that danced along the inside hem of her gown every time the city lights caught it just right. The replica hugged her body like a second skin, but that crimson lining?That wasn’t fashion.It was a warning. A memory. A declaration.She scrolled through her phone absently. No messages. No calls. Not even a useless update from Marco.Her thumb hovered over her contacts for a moment—paused on *Miguel*. Then moved on.The only sound in the car was the faint mechanical click of passing street signs and the echo of Marco’s words looping in her head.**“Santiago Cortez owns forty-nine per cent.”**Forty-nine wasn’t control.But it was enough to destabilize everything.She forced a slow breath past her lips, one that did nothing to untangle the coil of pressure in her chest. Not fear—some
The thread glowed under the lamplight like blood spun into silk.Ximena sat cross-legged on the chaise in her suite, her tablet beside her, sketchbook open on her lap. She’d pinned the red thread directly against the original Crimson Core sketch—the exact design that had been traced and returned to her in that envelope.It matched. Exactly. Same tensile sheen. Same cut finish.This wasn’t a coincidence— it can never be called a coincidence!She traced her finger over the faint pencil etching beneath the hem of the traced version: *Look again.*She had. And now she couldn’t stop.The ghost stitch was still there in the traced version—two subtle lines placed precisely in the shoulder seam. But something still nagged at her. She picked up the envelope again and ran her fingers across the inside. Nothing. Not even a hair or a scent.Then she held the traced sketch under the desk lamp. Slowly. Angled it from the bottom edge toward the top. The shadows shifted across the page—and there, bar
The next evening.Ximena slipped off her heels as the door to her suite clicked shut behind her. Paris glittered through the glass-panelled windows, but the lights in the suite were low, casting long shadows against marble and velvet.She was drained. The summit had been relentless—endless panels whispered rumours about her and Miguel, and questions she wasn’t ready to answer. Her thoughts ached louder than her heels.She stepped toward the bathroom to wash off the day—but stopped cold.A single red silk thread looped around the handle of the bathroom door.Thin. Delicate. Impossible.Her breath hitched.She knew that thread.No—she had *designed* with it. The exact texture, weight, and colour were unmistakable. It was part of her concept sketches for the **Crimson Core** collection—a line so private, she hadn’t even shared it with Antonio Fashion’s creative board yet. It existed in a secure, offline folder—only accessible on her encrypted tablet.Heart hammering, she crossed the room
The quiet in the suite was too heavy to be peaceful. Ximena sat up slowly, the silken sheets slipping off her shoulders like a memory she didn’t want to keep. The room was still, untouched since last night—except for the red box on the console near the door. She hadn’t dreamt it. It was still real. She rose without thinking, her bare feet making no sound on the polished wood floor, and crossed the suite with sharp, deliberate movements. She opened the safe. The gloves were there, resting like folded shadows. But the note—gone.There had been a note. Not left by her. Left *for* her. Last night, she’d placed it inside the box for safekeeping. Just a sentence. Just a test. Now it was missing.Her throat tightened, not with fear, but with something colder. Intrusion. She shut the safe slowly and stood for a moment, staring at her reflection in the dark glass of the minibar. The idea of being watched—it wasn’t new. But being *touched*, being accessed, that was different. And whoever di
The jet landed in Paris just as dawn broke, casting a pale mist over the runway. The early morning light reflected off the wet tarmac, softening the sleek lines of the aircraft. As the cabin doors opened, Ximena stepped out first, heels clicking on the stairway, followed closely by Miguel.They walked in silence, just inches apart, the space between them tense and charged. Cameras flashed from a distance. Parisian media had caught wind of their arrival. And though neither of them acknowledged it, the photos would be everywhere within the hour—two former spouses, now rivals, landing at the same summit.A black luxury car waited for Ximena. The driver bowed slightly, opening the door with precise timing. “Ms. Antonio. Welcome to Paris. Hotel Virelle is ready for your arrival.”Miguel’s transport pulled up right behind her. To her surprise, he was also headed to the same hotel.“We’re at the same hotel?” she asked, stepping into the car but keeping her tone neutral.Miguel raised an ey
The sun was barely up when Ximena Antonio stepped into her office, her heels clicking against the marble floor. A stack of press clippings, emails, and design mockups were already spread out across her desk—but her eyes weren’t on any of them.Her assistant, Lia, entered quietly with a thick, cream-colored envelope in her hand.“This just arrived by courier,” she said. “It’s… expensive.”Ximena raised an eyebrow, reaching for the envelope. The paper was heavy, embossed with a golden crest. She flipped it open and pulled out the invitation inside.Her breath caught for just a second.It was an official invitation to the **Global Luxury Fashion & Tech Summit** in Paris—**Antonio Fashion had been nominated for the Global Innovation Award.**She skimmed the details quickly, her mind moving fast.Not just the award. The attendees. The timing.But what made her stop completely… was the handwritten note clipped to the top corner. *“I’ve been watching your work from a distance. It’s time we
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