Moments before...Max had gone for a jog to calm the anxiety that had been triggered by the news of Irina's pregnancy. He had been tempted to go and confront Horacio, to give him a piece of his mind, but now everything had changed. The temporary pain of their betrayal still lingered, and he knew he could never forgive the breach of trust. The only thing that kept him sane was the memories of his recent experiences with Emma. Every detail of her was etched into his mind, and there was something about her that had completely enchanted him. Even Irina, his first and only serious relationship, hadn't made him feel this way."It's not just physical desire, it's something more, Max," he thought to himself. How could that be possible after such a short time of knowing each other? He continued jogging for several kilometers, completely distancing himself from his apartment and the usual jogging route he took in the mornings. He crossed traffic lights, passed through a couple of parks, and alm
Moments before...Max had gone out for a run to calm the anxiety that had been triggered by learning that Irina was pregnant. He had been on the verge of going to find Horacio and confront him, but now everything had changed. The temporary pain of what they had done, the trust they had both betrayed, would never be forgiven. The only thing keeping him sane were the memories of his recent experiences with Emma. Every detail of her was etched into his skin; there was something about her that had completely enchanted him. Not even Irina, who had been his first and only serious relationship, made him feel this way."It's not just carnal desire, it's something more, Max," he thought. How could it be possible to feel something so deep in such a short time of knowing each other? He kept running, distancing himself several kilometers from his apartment and the area where he usually jogged in the mornings. He crossed traffic lights, went through a couple of parks, and almost an hour passed bef
Adler glanced at the doctor's face once he had finished examining his heart. He sighed and pressed his lips together, sensing that this could be bad news. He settled into the vintage wooden chair beside the large bed."Do you know you need to go for regular check-ups, Adler?" the elderly man asked. Adler nodded and looked away. Since Friday, he hadn't been feeling well, and discovering that his beloved daughter-in-law, whom he had cherished as his own, had betrayed not only Max but him as well. "Why didn't you call earlier? You know, I could have treated you here at your home if you didn't want to stay in the hospital." Adler returned his gaze to the doctor, his longtime friend."I hate hospitals," he paused, "Is my blood pressure stable now?" The man nodded, got up to pack his things into his briefcase by the bed, and then looked at Adler."You need to be very careful. You can't get upset or angry; it would raise your blood pressure.""Alright. Just give me the medication, and I'll b
Monday morning, and Emma was in such a good mood that she couldn't believe it herself. She thought, "When was the last time I felt this way?" She couldn't recall a day like this. Seated, her gaze fixed on her computer screen, she efficiently tackled all the work she wanted to get ahead of, ensuring the rest of the afternoon was free of pending tasks. She sorted through all the memories of what had happened on Saturday with Max—the way he kissed every inch of her body and how he pinned her against the bathroom tiles to reclaim her. This morning, she noticed a love bite near one of her breasts and briefly smiled. However, it didn't end there. She grabbed her phone, snapped a photo, and sent it to Max with the caption: "First and last, Mr. Müller" accompanied by a smiling emoji. She received an immediate response, as if Max had been eagerly awaiting a message from her, "So it shall be, Miss Spencer," along with a military-style salute emoji (hand to the forehead). Throughout Sunday, Emma
Max had reached the floor where Emma was working, intending to investigate about the client, Jack Bradford, and find out his decision. He also planned to seize the opportunity to talk to Mrs. Byrne about the upcoming meeting. As he stepped out of the elevator, he noticed a gathering of employees near Emma's office. Upon arriving, he witnessed a heated argument between Emma and Jamie, the HR representative. His eyes widened when Emma delivered a punch to Jamie's face, causing him to fall. Emma walked towards him, sat on her heels, and exchanged some words. Everyone around was attentive, and to Max's surprise, he saw Mrs. Byrne with a discreetly concealed smile."What is going on here?" Max asked, and everyone turned to look at him before dispersing. Mrs. Byrne cleared her throat and approached Emma's office. Emma stood up and waited beside Jamie for him to enter."I saw everything," Mrs. Byrne said. "Mr. insulted Miss Spencer, and she defended herself." Max was in the doorway, with Emm
Emma turned on the coffee maker at the usual time, fifteen minutes before six, while she took a shower and got ready. She would have her first cup of the day before leaving for work. Emma was a risk analyst at a major international company with its headquarters in Germany. She was the best at her job and had been the top-performing employee for over a year. She was relentless, strict, obsessed with cleanliness and order, a perfectionist, and… an exceptional woman. Everyone who knew her admired her, but not everyone."Where is my tie?!" Jamie, her fiancé, shouted. He stormed out of the room in his underwear and banged on the bathroom door. Emma, under the water, was focused on massaging her scalp, as she always did for a minute in the mornings. "Are you still fussing with your hair? I'm going to be late, woman," he continued pounding on the door, irritated. Emma opened her eyes and clenched her jaw, turning her gaze towards the door, visible through the water and steam-dampened glass.
The next day, Jamie waited at the main entrance of the company for Emma to appear, but it was strange not to see her. She was never late, always punctual. He looked at his watch again, and five minutes had already passed since her usual arrival time."Where could she be? She's always strictly punctual," he furrowed his brow and entered the building. On his way to the elevator, he thought that perhaps she had gone up to her office early to avoid running into him at the entrance. So, before starting his work, he decided to have a decent conversation. The wedding was just around the corner, and it had to happen. Upon reaching the floor, he noticed several risk specialists taking their positions at their desks. Jamie approached Emma's boss."Good morning, Mrs. Byrne. I'm looking for Emma. Do you happen to know where I can find her? Has she arrived?" Mrs. Byrne furrowed her brow, puzzled by his question."Emma? I gave her yesterday and today off so she could have more time to review the fi
Hawaii, United StatesThe honeymoon suite was one of the best in the hotel she had made a reservation at. Emma sighed as she took off the wildflower lei they had given her at the airport. She checked the itinerary, which was mostly designed for couples by default, but she decided to request a new one that would cater to her solo adventure. She wanted to do things on her own and explore each activity individually. The first one on the list was the surface diving adventure in Molokini aboard the Calypso. It promised an up-close encounter with Hawaiian green sea turtles, breakfast, and lunch served while sailing along the coast, and the catamaran even had water slides. However, Emma had no intention of going on the slides or getting close to the turtles, so she dismissed that option."There must be something else," she murmured, lowering her gaze to the itinerary list. "Scooter adventure in a submarine in Oahu, knife dancing in the welcome ceremony, hula dancing, weaving a coconut leaf h