Chapter 36

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