Pandora Christmas Novels & Stories

I've been ignoring him, but his persistence is becoming problematic. I deleted the message without reading it. The Christmas gala is in two days. The annual event where the city's elite gather to see and be seen, to make deals and alliances over champagne and caviar. I'll need to bring Ava, show her off as my devoted wife, maintain the illusion that everything is fine. She'll smile and play her part because she has no choice. Because I've made sure she has nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to. And I'll stand beside her, touching her waist, playing the role of perfect husband, hating myself a little more with every passing moment.

In the end, I couldn't bear to let Noelle spend the last Christmas Eve of her life filled with regret. I searched through every office on the entire floor and finally found a female doctor about the same height as Ivana. I begged her to pretend to be Ivana. An hour later, the doctor appeared beside Noelle's bed, wearing a Santarina costume borrowed from somewhere on the street. She was holding Noelle's favorite doll. Noelle cried tears of happiness. "I knew Mommy wouldn't abandon me." I covered my mouth and pulled Noelle tightly into my arms. A nurse took a picture of our final moment together. In the end, Noelle died on that snowy Christmas Eve.

—Ricardo was startled by his father's statement and must have understood that I had premeditated that night. ― I had said that I regretted dying without having the joy of seeing a grandchild born and Manuela revealed that she dreamed of having a child with Ricardo. That's why we made our requests to the Universe and it sent us more than two miracles, but three. My health and my two grandchildren. And now I want to make a toast to my Christmas miracles. Everyone raised their glasses. Alice and I had the fruit juice, but it had the same meaning as the champagne they all drank. Later, after the distribution of gifts, I asked Ric if he was disappointed in me and he replied: