Sophie thought about how ironic the situation was. It was a twist of fate that he was asking that question right at that moment! Months before, maybe even days before, she would have said yes without hesitation. That would have been the perfect course for their relationship—marrying Kevin would have seemed like the right thing, the perfect thing to do.Now, however, it didn't feel right... It was wrong! She couldn't do this to herself or to Kevin. If she said yes, she would be taking a step with no chance of turning back, or at least no chance of returning without causing more serious damage. He didn't deserve to be a consolation prize, a step, a backup plan. He deserved to marry a girl who wanted to be his and his alone.She, on the other hand, deserved the chance to be alone so that, perhaps, she could meet someone, other than Nicholas, who could turn her world upside down in a good way. She wasn't even twenty-seven yet! It wasn't fair to give up on love and simply choose the safe p

As they arrived almost at eleven o'clock on Thursday night, all they did was check-in at the hotel, which was extremely fast since the rooms were already reserved, and a five-minute meeting in the lobby itself, just to go over the agenda for the next day with specific instructions for each member of the TV and press team, who in this case were only Sophie and Lauren.Nicholas and Sophie didn't speak to each other anymore. They behaved exactly as if she were just a journalist covering an event, and he, the protagonist of said event. It was like this on the day of the trip and continued this way on Friday, partly because while he visited tourist spots like Notre Dame Cathedral, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and the Invalides Palace with Maya, she remained inside a van with part of the team, including John most of the time, observing everything through monitors and taking notes.Only when they reached the D'Orsay Museum and encountered the need for special authorization for indoor fi

“Nicholas, is there any chance you ate some kind of pepper?" she suddenly asked.“No. I always make sure to specify no pepper in my food. Unless the restaurant..." he stopped talking because she had switched to the language he didn't understand, addressing Doctor Jacques Abancourt.“I told him that you're allergic to both pepper and penicillin," Sophie returned, finally speaking to Nicholas again. "So he suspects that the restaurant staff might have been careless and added pepper to your dish, even though you asked them not to, considering your clear allergy." "And?" he asked, wanting a solution more than finding out the cause of the problem. The itching in his nose, the roof of his mouth, his throat, his eyes, his ears – it was becoming unbearable. He couldn't stand coughing an

The pale-skinned young man shifted in the soft bed, seeking a more comfortable position. In doing so, his eyes caught the faint morning sunlight filtering through the gap in the curtains. The light roused him, but he kept his eyes closed, wanting to stay cocooned in the embrace of the soft cotton sheets and his head buried in the feathered pillow, a luxurious touch in the upscale hotel room. He reached out, expecting to find a certain enticing brunette with whom he had probably spent the best night of his life, but on the right side of the bed, all he found was emptiness, though the spot was still warm, indicating her recent presence. He slowly opened his eyes, trying to adjust to the change, and saw her standing by the side of the bed, getting dressed, seemingly oblivious to his awakening. "Where are you going?" he asked, his voice

"I love these two," Sophie said, referring to two sculptures. "They're Michelangelo's Slaves. The Dying Slave here is unfinished... and the Rebellious Slave is this one. They caught the attention of scholars because they represent two completely different behaviors, right? The Rebellious Slave seems to be writhing, while the Dying Slave has a serene expression, as if surrendering."  "There's also intense debate about whether he's really surrendering to death, resigning... or if he's experiencing pleasure," Nicholas added, stopping next to her. "Look at his body's position, how his arm stretches behind his head. And his face? He doesn't make me think of the peace of eternal sleep, but of moments of complete sexual satisfaction." They locked eyes for a few seconds, and she bit her lower lip while he instinctively ran his tongue across his lips. Sensing that Maya was watching them, John mad