All Chapters of In the Name of Ambition: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Rebecca It had been six consecutive nights that Aaron had come to my apartment, and I felt fulfilled and whole. The moments we spent together were precious, and I cherished them to the fullest. But deep down, I was trying to keep both feet on the ground. I knew Aaron had been coming to see me repeatedly for one reason: I was in my fertile period, and he needed to ensure that an heir would be "produced" during our passionate moments.I was young and, until recently, inexperienced when it came to sex, but I wasn't that naive. With easy access to information on the internet, I perfectly understood Eric's intention when he took me for some tests after my encounters with Aaron had not resulted in a pregnancy. Aaron wanted to make sure he wasn't wasting his time with me.Despite this, I had decided to take e

PietraI had spent the entire week accompanying Andressa to specialist appointments and medical exams. I couldn’t work because I was taking care of Andressa, and Grandma Maria had to find someone to replace me at the diner since I was completely consumed by the situation. My sister’s surgery was scheduled for Monday, and the tension of waiting loomed over us like a heavy cloud.Anton hadn’t contacted me again since I declined his invitation to meet on Sunday. It stayed on my mind constantly. I couldn’t understand what was going through his head. Anton had paid a high price for his time with me, but he wasn’t acting the way I expected him to. Not that I was complaining—I wasn’t in any rush to fulfill my part of the deal—but his silence was strange.As the days went by without any news from Anton, a certain sadness and discouragement started to set in. I didn’t want to admit it, but I couldn’t help wondering why he disappeared. Maybe he had found another distraction, something more enjo

AaronI woke with a surprisingly good sense of relaxation. Opening my eyes, I saw Rebecca sleeping soundly in my arms. Her breathing was calm, serene. Not wanting to wake her, I stayed still for a few minutes, simply admiring her beauty. She felt like my girl—that’s how I thought of her. Mine. Only mine.But my rational side quickly scolded me. What am I still doing here? I had spent the night at Rebecca’s apartment, something entirely against my better judgment. I had one goal for being there, and I fulfilled that purpose with great effort. Too much effort, a betraying voice in my head reminded me.Again, reason intervened. None of that matters anymore. I did what needed to be done, and now it was time to get up and return to my normal routine.Carefully, I tried to remove

Rebecca I woke up, and as I expected, Aaron was no longer in bed. I lay there for a while, letting the events of the previous night run through my mind. Sleeping together wasn't part of the agreement. But even knowing that, I couldn't avoid the feeling of emptiness that lingered.Finally, I decided to get up and get on with the day. I needed something to occupy my mind. I decided to go to my painting room, a refuge where I could lose myself in colors and shapes. I picked up a blank canvas and started working, not even realizing what I was drawing until the image began to take shape. It was Aaron. His features emerged with ease that frightened me as if my hands knew what my heart wanted to express.The painting progressed quickly, and I focused only on that, trying to forget the great emotional confusio

PietraI was finishing up cleaning the kitchen when the doorbell rang. I placed the dish towel on the hook by the sink and wondered who it could be. Without realizing I should go answer the door—or that one of my brothers could do it—I stood there, staring at my outfit: a lycra workout set I had bought in hopes of starting an exercise routine but had never actually used for that purpose. Time constraints and financial struggles didn’t help.I figured it might be Mirella, though that would be odd since she had mentioned having an important client that Saturday night. When the doorbell didn’t ring again, something stirred inside me. That wasn’t normal. Frowning, I headed toward the living room, already suspecting it was just a neighborhood kid playing a prank.To my surprise, the door was open, and I heard voi