Trouble Ahead

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

Talking Too Much

Alice 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

Crow

The two of them entered first.Sophia, who had been watching everything from above, looked at Samantha, trying to figure out what had happened. She received only a slight shake of the head in response.Adam sat down on the same sofa as before. The two women settled on the one facing him.Marcos, on the other hand, looked like he was about to enjoy the best entertainment of the night. Without bothering to hide his interest in the impending disaster, he pulled a lollipop from his jacket pocket, unwrapped it slowly, and popped it into his mouth. He leaned back more comfortably, clearly ready to watch every second of the unfolding drama.“So, you two have known each other for a long time?” Adam started, his tone controlled.“Yes. We have mutual friends from back when Samantha started college, but we lost touch for a while. When we reconnected, we ended up starting to date.”Samantha closed her eyes the moment she heard the answer. She was on the verge of stepping in and telling Alice to s

Rivals

Adam began explaining the operation to her. There would be other meetings to go over the full details, but he already wanted her aware of what was coming.“I plan to dismantle all of Oliver’s businesses. I’ve already cut off the human trafficking route coming out of Mexico, and I intend to put an end to the drug trade he keeps trying to run in my territory. We’re going to start with a warehouse where he stores his product. The plan is to break in and burn everything to the ground.”Both Alice and Marcos listened carefully to every word. Every detail mattered in this mission, and they needed to absorb as much as possible.“Alice, in the warehouse operation, you’ll be indispensable. We’ll need eyes watching in case Oliver’s men show up. A skilled shooter like you will be essential, since I’ll need Marcos inside the warehouse.”“Of course. You can count on me for all the operations.”Adam continued laying out his plans. While they discussed the strategy upstairs, Samantha and Sophia were

Consequence

Samantha grew quiet and thoughtful after learning who Alice really was. She could understand why Oliver was after her—Adam had already shown interest, and he himself had admitted she was a weakness for him. But she couldn’t figure out why his ex was stirring up trouble too. The first thing that came to mind was that Sabrina might be trying to get him back.“I think it’s best if we head out. This night has been stressful enough,” Adam said, stepping away from the glass.No one in the room argued. His bad mood was obvious, and Samantha could tell the whole Sabrina situation was still bothering him. On that point, she had to agree with him—this night had been incredibly stressful for her too.Everyone got ready to leave. The girls grabbed their purses and started heading out. As they were going down the stairs, Adam moved closer to Samantha and took her hand. She looked down at their joined hands but avoided his face.In the car and throughout the entire drive, he kept holding her hand,

Punishment

After going upstairs, Samantha went straight to the shower. There was no point in just sitting there waiting for him—it would only make her anxiety, which was already through the roof, even worse. During the long shower, she replayed everything that had happened that night and regretted how stupid it had been to claim she was Marcos’s girlfriend. She didn’t know exactly how angry Adam was, but she figured she should at least start by apologizing.She finished her shower, stepped out in a robe, and dried her hair. When she returned to the bedroom, Adam was already there, standing near the bed waiting for her. He was wearing only gray sweatpants and was barefoot. It looked like he had just taken a shower too. Even with all the tension between them, she couldn’t help noticing his body and how incredibly sexy he was. She focused and tried to start the conversation with an apology.“Adam, I…” she began, but he cut her off.“Were you trying to test my jealousy tonight?” he asked, slowly wal