Briana entered the Ferro House living room, flanked by her parents, who hovered over her as if she were still a fragile little girl instead of a grown woman carrying their first grandchild.They guided her straight to the sofa, fussing as though she might shatter at any moment.“There, little daughter,” Sandro said with satisfaction, “sit down and make yourself comfortable.”“Dad, Mom, that’s not necessary—”“It is necessary,” Nadir cut in firmly. “And I’m spending the entire day with you.”Julian happened to walk in at that moment and had to fight the urge to roll his eyes.The old woman’s tone made his stomach turn — was she really using her daughter as an excuse to hang around the house again, just to have more s*x with the staff?“Ah, Julian, there you are,” Sandro said, noticing him. “Thank you for preparing that tea for my daughter.”Julian straightened, managing to keep his composure. “Regis informed me that you were all quite... thrilled.”Nadir frowned. “And why didn’t you te

Luana immediately noticed Karl's discomfort when he answered the call. He tried to hide it, but his tense shoulders and averted gaze gave everything away. If he could, he would have a long conversation with Celia, that much was clear to him. But with his fiancée sitting just a few steps away, he couldn't take the slightest risk.“CELIA, I forgot to block your number!” he yelled, turning away so Luana wouldn’t see his expression.Luana frowned, already bracing herself to get up from the chaise lounge and snatch the phone from his hands. Something inside her knew that this call meant nothing good.On the other end of the line, Celia frowned at her ex-lover's coldness.“Luana’s right there, isn’t she?”“We have nothing left to talk about,” Karl snapped. “Why is your voice so hoarse? Spent all night moaning under your new lover?”“Of course not! I just want to know how you are! The whole internet saw your building blow up! They said the bomb was in your car!”“Thank you very much, but I a

Celia finally had enough strength to get out of bed. Since Gilson had torn her nightgown with his bare hands, she had been forced to slip into one of his dress shirts far too large, smelling of him, brushing her thighs as she walked.Still sore, she crossed the kitchen and set the delivery box she’d ordered onto the table. Cooking had never been her talent, and she didn’t pretend otherwise.She lowered herself gingerly onto the chair, wincing at the ache lingering across her backside, then opened the container. Her expression soured instantly.Inside, the box was overflowing with rice and beans — mountains of it — while the meat amounted to a pathetic scrap of chicken, hardly bigger than her thumb. A shower of farofa dusted one corner, and a few sad fries lay wilted on top.“What is this? More rice and beans than anything else!” she growled.Annoyance surged through her. She snatched her phone with the intention of typing out a furious complaint, but—Her phone rang so abruptly that s

Claudia’s eyes flew wide as if she’d suddenly been cast into a sitcom she hadn’t prepared for.'Did that damned maid say something?' she wondered, then forced herself to speak. “And how do you know that wasn’t true?”“Sandro and I were at the dinner table. Neither you nor Nadir showed up.”For a split second, Claudia’s lips curled into a sly smile. Nadir hadn’t shown up last night either.'So the tramp didn’t come to dinner, meaning she spent the night with her lover too,' she mused with satisfaction.“When I got in, you were asleep,” she said.Gilson’s lips twitched in a crooked smile. He knew perfectly well she was lying—because he had also spent the night out, buried deep inside Celia until dawn.“That must’ve been it, then,” he said with cynical sweetness. “We need to pay closer attention to our marriage, my dear.”“Darling, that’s all I want for our lives,” she insisted.“Great. Then tonight, we’re having a special evening together.”It took every ounce of Claudia’s strength to f

Mark frowned, trying to make sense of the chaos in his own home, and not liking what he heard.“Nadir,” he said slowly, “I know you want to discuss Bri’s diet with Julian while she’s pregnant.”“Mark…” she murmured, her voice timid.“But keep in mind he knows what he’s doing. His whole family works in gastronomy.”“I know—”Mark's voice sounded sterner. “And I will not tolerate mistreatment of my staff in my home.”Before the tension could rise further, Briana’s voice floated in from the dining room.“Sweetheart?”Nadir turned, and Briana stepped into view, wearing a modest swimsuit that accommodated her baby bump, a charming straw hat, and a light cover-up draped over her shoulders.Mark’s face softened instantly, all sternness forgotten the moment he saw his wife.Luana, however, kept a sharp eye on him. She wasn’t going to let him conveniently forget the matter!“Did you nap well?” Nadir asked sweetly.“Yes,” Briana said. “But if I wanted to sleep any longer, I wouldn’t have manage