The ringing in my ears gradually subsides as I blink away the haze, the world around me slowly coming back into focus. The feeling of Marcel’s hand on my shoulder is a distraction, and after a moment, I find it in me to look up at him, seeing him standing beside me, a glint of concern in his eyes despite the stoic mask he attempts to wear. It’s only then that I register the wet tears on my cheeks, growing colder as the cold wind blows. Embarrassed, I quickly bring my hand up to my face, concealed by the sleeve of my sweater. I wipe my face, ducking my head in a futile attempt to hide the evidence of my regret. I can’t let anyone else see me this way—vulnerable, weak. Especially Guillermo. It’s as though he was waiting for the perfect cue, hearing the sound of slow, deliberate clapping from behind Marcel. My heart sinks as I shift my gaze to see Guillermo emerging, walking towards us, a sinister smile playing on his lips. “Well done,” he says, his voice tinged with a cold satisfacti

As Marcel’s hand shifts from my breast, slipping out from under my shirt, my face flushes, burning a hot red. My gaze still locked on Levi, the urge to want to hide myself under the pool table as Marcel’s touch leaves me grows by the second. Despite the interruption, he doesn’t back away, my back still pressed against him as he remains close, his possessive nature never wavering.I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until I snap my head forward, feeling myself sink deeper into the black hole of my embarrassment. It’s like I’m 18 again, only this time, the modification is tenfold. Being caught in the middle of a heated, full on make-out session with my…Marcel is a new level of humiliation.There goes my dignity.In the next moment, Marcel reaches for the glass and cigar he’d set down on the pool table and steps back, away from me. Without a word, he moves toward the parlor’s door

As I pull into the driveway of Marcel’s mansion, my heart is pounding in my chest, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. My hands shake, barely able to keep the car steady as I drive through the already opened gates, somehow managing to bring it to a stop. Through the haze of my panic, I see Marcel, Frank, Rick, Miguel, and a few other men I don’t recognize standing outside the house—their faces tense and rigid. I hardly register parking the car before I’m scrabbling at my seatbelt, my fingers fumbling with the release button. After what feels like an eternity, I finally hear the click, and I practically rip it off, the rough fabric scraping against my neck. I reach over to Levi, my hands trembling as I try to undo his seatbelt. “Levi?” I call out, my voice cracking with fear. “Levi, we’re here. We’re at Marcel’s.” But he doesn’t respond. His head is slumped against the window, his eyes closed, and his face is frighteningly pale beneath the dark red of the

The warm water cascades over my body as I stand in the shower, lost in thought. Before I made my way up to my bedroom, Guillermo, Valentina, Santiago, and Alessandra stopped by to see Levi. As soon as I heard them coming through the front door, I took the opportunity to excuse myself from the room, not wanting to be in the same room as them unless otherwise necessary. Now, as the steam wafts from my body, I can’t escape my seemingly restless mind. I haven’t seen Marcel since last night, and my mind keeps drifting back to the revelation of Levi’s secret family. Why didn’t he tell me about them before? Why keep something so important a secret from me? After everything we’ve been through, I thought we could trust each other. Unfortunately, thus far, all I’ve learned is that while I may trust him, for some reason, he doesn’t feel the same way, and I can’t help but feel like our relationship isn’t a truly reciprocal one. Without even realizing it,

The drive back from the cake and food tasting is quiet, the hum of the car’s engine filling the silence between Valentina, Alessandra, and me. I lean my head against the window, watching the city blur past us as my mind wanders to the events of the day. It’s been…a lot. From the bridal boutique to the endless samples of cakes and hors d’oeuvers, my social battery is drained, I’m stuffed, and I’m half a breath away from the itis. I wanna take a nap. The weight of the impending wedding settles heavily on my shoulders, and I can’t help but feel like I’m being swept away by a current I can’t control. Valentina and Alessandra chatter in the front seat, the incessant discussion of the merits of vanilla versus chocolate giving me a headache. I tune them out, their voices fading into the background as my thoughts drift to Marcel. I haven’t seen him since this morning, and a part of me aches for his presence, for the comfort and stabilit