Todos os capítulos de Untamed Desires: Capítulo 21 - Capítulo 30

"What the hell is going on here?" Joe demanded, stepping forward through the archway, his voice rising in sharp anger.Rafael didn't flinch. He slowly lowered his hand from my shoulder, turning around to face his stepbrother with an easy, nonchalant posture."Your fiancée was about to faint from the heat, Joe," Rafael said smoothly, his tone dripping with casual disdain. "I caught her before she hit the cobblestones. You might want to get her some water instead of standing there yelling."Joe looked from Rafael to me. I quickly grabbed the edge of the marble bench, pretending to steady myself, letting out a weak, shaky sigh."I... I just got very dizzy, Joe," I said softly, touching my forehead. "The sun is really hot today, and I haven't eaten much."Joe’s eyes flickered between the two of us, his expression tight with deep suspicion. He clearly didn't look convinced."You’ve been spending a lot of time catching my fiancée lately, Rafael," Joe sneered, his hands tightening into fists

My hands shook as I stared at the text message from Rafael. The bright white letters seemed to burn into my eyes.DON'T GO TO THE CABIN. HE FOUND THE COPIES IN MIA'S LAPTOP. HE KNOWS SOMETHING. IT'S A TRAP.Without wasting a single second, I dialed Rafael’s number. He answered on the very first ring, the deep rumble of his truck engine loud in the background."Dara, stay exactly where you are," Rafael barked over the speaker, his voice rough with anxiety. "Joe hired a private investigator three days ago."My blood ran cold, a sudden wave of nausea hitting my stomach. "What? How do you know that?""I caught the bastard tailing my truck yesterday afternoon," Rafael growled tightly. "I pulled him right out of his vehicle and took his camera. He has photos of us standing outside the boat house and near the bridal boutique."Panic seized my chest, squeezing my lungs so hard it became difficult to draw a full breath. "Did he see... did he get any photos of us inside the dressing room?""No.

A heavy truck engine roared from the narrow driveway behind us, and the loud sound of a metal bumper smashing directly into the back of Joe’s SUV shook the entire car, throwing Joe off me as Rafael’s voice boomed through a loudspeaker outside: "Get your filthy hands off my woman, Joe!""Let go of me, Joe!" I demanded, tearing my face away from his grip with everything I had. "You’re completely delusional!""Am I?" Joe yelled, slamming his hand hard against the steering wheel. "I’m not blind, Dara! I’ve seen the way he looks at you! I’ve seen the way you freeze up whenever he enters the same room!"He grabbed his phone from the dashboard, pulling up a grainy photo taken from a distance. It showed Rafael standing dangerously close to me outside the bridal boutique, his large hand resting firmly on my waist."What’s this, Dara? Is this just borrowing the car like you claimed?" Joe spat out, his face twisted in a terrifying snarl. "You think you can play me for a fool? You think you can r

As Rafael backed the truck out into the main road, Joe’s bloodied face appeared clearly in the side mirror, glaring at us with pure, murderous hatred as he wiped the blood from his lip and mouthed five words through the rain: "I will ruin you both."The truck cab was warm, smelling of cedar, heavy rain, and the faint metallic tang of blood from a shallow cut on Rafael’s right knuckles.I sat shivering in the passenger seat, my body trembling violently from the sudden adrenaline crash. My hands were shaking so much I could barely keep my fingers wrapped around the edges of Rafael's heavy jacket.Rafael drove down the winding mountain road in total silence for five long minutes. Then, he suddenly pulled the truck off the main asphalt into a dark, abandoned overlook surrounded by tall pine trees. He threw the transmission into park and cut the bright headlights, plunging us into shadow.He didn't say a single word. He unbuckled his seatbelt with a fast snap, reached across the center con

A delivery courier was nowhere to be seen, but sitting on my threshold was a massive box of two dozen black roses, and inside was an unmarked white card with a single line printed in sharp, dark ink: Count down the hours, little bride.I picked up the white card, staring at the dark ink. Mia stepped up behind me, peering over my shoulder with a sharp gasp."Is that from Joe?" Mia asked, her voice tight with sudden worry."No," I said softly, a slow smile touching my lips as I recognized the handwriting. "This is from Rafael."I brought the box inside, setting it on the kitchen counter. The quiet threat in those six printed words did not scare me at all. It gave me a strange, thrilling rush of energy. The long wait was finally coming to an end.Thursday night. The eve of the rehearsal dinner.Rafael’s private loft apartment overlooked the vast city skyline. Rain tapped softly against the high glass windows, casting long, dramatic shadows across the polished concrete floor. The city bel