"What happened?" Nichole asked, rushing to Max's side. "I'm such an idiot," he said, holding his hand close to his chest. "I tried to punch the wall, and I just ended up hurting myself." Nichole reached for his hand, inspecting it. "Let me get you some ice," she said, heading to the kitchen.When she returned, Max was sitting on the floor, his head in his hands. "I'm so sorry," he said, his voice breaking."I'm just trying to do the right thing," Max said, frustration rising in his voice. "I don't understand why it has to be so difficult." Nichole's eyes flashed. "The right thing for who?" she demanded. "For you or for those kids?""I just want to make sure they're taken care of," Max said, his voice rising. "It's the least I can do." Nichole shook her head, her eyes flashing with anger. "The least you can do?" she asked, her voice hard. "Have you even stopped to think about what they want?"Max hesitated, his expression uncertain. "Of course I've thought about what they want," he

The next morning, Carmela got ready for work, her mind still racing from the events of the previous night. She dreaded going to work, knowing that people would be talking about her and Pedro. Ever since she had started working for him, there had been rumors circulating about them dating. Carmela knew that the rumors were false, but she still felt a sense of dread as she got into her car and drove to the office.As she pulled into the parking lot, she saw people huddled together in small groups, their eyes following her as she walked towards the building. She could feel their stares on her back, and she tried to ignore them as she made her way to her office. As soon as she sat down at her desk, her phone started ringing. She picked it up, her hand trembling slightly. "Good morning, Carmela," a familiar voice said. It was Sarah, sounding far too cheerful for her liking."Good morning, Carmela," Sarah said, her voice warm and friendly. "How are you doing?" Carmela felt relief wash o

As Carmela awoke from her dream, she noticed that she was still in the same room, a cold, damp room. Her eyes were covered with a black cloth, but she could still feel the rays of light hitting her face as if the sun was shining through a window. She tried to move, but her hands were bound behind her back. As she struggled to free herself, she realized that her feet were also bound.As she lay there, trying to make sense of her situation, she heard footsteps approaching. The door creaked open, and a man's voice said, "Welcome back, Carmela."Max removed the black cloth from her face, and Carmela was finally able to see her surroundings. She was in a small stone room, with only a single, high window to let in light. The walls were damp and cold, and the only furniture was a small wooden table and chair. Max placed a tray of food on the table and then sat down right in front of her. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice low and soothing.Carmela didn't respond. She was too stunn

Max anxiously waited for the security footage to arrive. Every passing second felt like an eternity as he stared at his office door, still reeling from the unexpected kiss. He knew he had to figure out why Nichole had come to his office and why she had kissed him.After what felt like an agonizing wait, a notification popped up on Max's computer, indicating the arrival of the footage. Heart pounding in his chest, he swiftly opened the video and began to review the events of the day.As he fast-forwarded through the recordings, Max's heart sank when he realized that the camera had not captured anything significant. It had somehow malfunctioned for that specific time period, leaving him with no answers. Frustration and confusion welled up within him, exacerbating his already overwhelmed state of mind.With no security footage to offer clarity, Max was left contemplating the possibility that Nichole's actions were based on something deeper than mere flirtation. He couldn't ignore the unc

Max freed Carmela and she returned to her kids, first to Hannah, her daughter who was still at the hospital.Upon reaching, she pushed the door to an open and found out that Hannah was no more in the ward.Carmela rushed back to the nurses station.“Where’s my daughter that I left in ward 210?”“And you are?” The nurse frowned her brows without looking at Carmela.“Her mother, obviously.” Carmela felt her blood boil. What had happened when she was away?The nurse raised her eyes at Carmela looking skeptical.“And your name is?”Carmela flared up! “Carmela Martins. Stop questioning me and tell my where my daughter is! She’s just eight years old.”“Jezz, you didn’t have to be so loud. We have patients that are sleeping in the ward. You daughter was taken by your friend Sarah and a lawyer Andrew.” The nurse rest her eyes sluggishly on Carmela. “Do you know them?” However Carmela was no more standing there but was already on her way to Sarah’s house, her heart heavy with worry. Reaching