The meeting had ended hours ago, leaving the sprawling corporate offices in silence.
Antonio returned to his domain, only to find the executive assistant's desk empty.
He buzzed the receptionist, the answer echoing the emptiness of the suite: Melissa had left hours ago.
He sat in the opulent leather of his chair, the glow of the city skyline framing the window, and wondered.
Where had she gone? Who was this woman who had materialized out of the chaos of the hospital, only to vanish into the city's anonymity?
He had never wanted a secretary; the role felt like an obsolete waste of time, a frivolous expense in his streamlined world.
And he certainly never thought he would trust anyone concerning his health.
Yet, the memory of her hands, steady and capable, managing his crisis with practiced ease, made him question every cynical decision he had ever made.
A sharp, efficient knock on the door broke his reverie.
"Come in," Antonio called out, his voice sharp.
Sebastian, impeccably dressed as always, walked in.
"Boss, I was informed you had an episode."
"Sebastian, I'm fine. A young lady helped me, but she vanished into thin air."
"With all due respect, people don't vanish," Sebastian said, his gaze fixed and questioning. "Who is she?"
"My new secretary."
Sebastian fell silent, processing the anomaly of Antonio, the control freak, actually employing a personal secretary.
"It was Roberto's idea," Antonio clarified, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"It's a good thing she showed up when she did," Sebastian mused.
"Who else could have saved you?"
"I owe her my life," Antonio stated, the gravity of the words hanging in the air.
"I want you to find her with immediate effect."
Where the heck is he expecting me to find a girl I haven't even seen, I barely know her name? Sebastian thought, a silent complaint.
Antonio's phone buzzed with an incoming text from his sister.
"Big bro, have you watched the news?"
"No," he replied.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Check the news."
"Sebastian, turn on the news," Antonio commanded.
Sebastian picked up the remote, and the screen flickered to life, filling the sterile office with chaotic sound and motion.
A high-speed pursuit was underway—cars chasing each other through city streets, ignoring police sirens and traffic laws.
The lead driver was skilled, weaving through the congestion with an almost supernatural precision.
Suddenly, the passenger door flew open, a figure emerging and firing a gun at their pursuers.
Sebastian's phone rang. It was his sister.
"Put me on speaker," she said.
"You're on," Sebastian confirmed.
"Bro, what do you think?" Alejandra's excited voice filled the room.
"The driver is no amateur. I'll give them that," Antonio conceded, his eyes glued to the screen.
"They hacked into the satellite, traffic lights, even the CCTV cameras. They're pros," Alejandra said.
"So how are we watching this if all the CCTV is down?" Antonio asked, the logic of the situation jarring him.
"It's the news chopper, Antonio," Alejandra replied, her tone slightly exasperated.
"The police weren't able to arrest them."
"I'm afraid so," Sebastian confirmed grimly.
"What a bunch of pussies," Antonio muttered.
The room fell silent as they watched the live feed. The car in front suddenly swerved toward a bridge.
Is he thinking of jumping into the water? Antonio thought, a flicker of admiration mixing with his shock.
I underestimated the driver. They have guts.
As the car plunged over the edge, someone leapt out just before impact.
"What a thrilling show," Alejandra's voice chimed in.
"Alejandra, are you still on the phone?"
"Come on, Antonio, don't ruin the fun!"
"Focus on your restaurant," Antonio ordered.
There was a sigh on the other end.
"Fine. I'll bring home your favorite," she said, ending the call.
Antonio stood up, his focus shifting. "Cancel all my plans. I need to meet Abuelita."
Across town, Ariana returned home. In the hallway, a concerned neighbor stopped her.
"Uh, excuse me..." the lady said to Ariana, halting her in her tracks.
"Good evening. Is there a problem?" Ariana asked sweetly, exhausted.
"My English is no good but... uh... a girl, pretty girl... blood everywhere... with baby they go to your upstairs and no come down still," the neighbor stammered, pointing up the stairs.
Ariana didn't understand, assuming the woman was confused or mistaking her for someone else.
"Thank you," was all she could manage as she made her way upstairs.
Entering her apartment, the atmosphere hit her like a physical blow.
Sunny, Audrey, and Sofia were seated in the living room. The air was thick with a gloomy, heavy silence. Sofia jumped up and ran to her.
"Aunty bear!"
"Baby bear, I've missed you," Ariana said, scooping the little girl into a hug.
"I've been waiting for you since... now I can take a nap," Sofia said sleepily.
"Alright, just nap on any bed you want," Sunny said, tears in her eyes.
"Okay," Sofia said, and trotted off upstairs.
"What are you doing here?" Ariana demanded of Audrey, ignoring the distress of her cousin, Sunny.
"Aren't you supposed to be on your honeymoon? Where's Derrick?"
"Ariana, I think you need to sit down first," Sunny said, the tears spilling over.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm," Audrey whispered, wringing her hands.
"I never knew things would end like this."
"What have you done?" Ariana asked, her expression darkening into a mask of pure anger.
"It's Melissa. She's... she..." Sunny stuttered, unable to form the words.
"Where's Melissa?" Ariana's voice was low and dangerous.
"I called her over to pick up Sofia, but things got out of hand. They found us, and—"
"Who found you?" Ariana cut her off.
"I played a game on the dark web... I didn't realize it unlocked a secret file that belonged to the Russian government."
Ariana's anger flared.
"Why would you be meddling with matters that don't concern you? Give them the fucking file!"
"I don't have the file," Audrey cried.
"Where is Melissa?" Ariana yelled.
"They risked their lives to save us... They drowned... Melissa asked me to save Sofia; she gave me your address before I jumped out of the car," Audrey confessed, the words raw with pain.
Sunny could only weep silently. Ariana fell to the ground in sheer bewilderment.
"You're bluffing, right? This is some kind of a sick joke, because if it is, it ain't funny."
"I saw it on the news," Sunny said, her voice shaking.
"The car was found, but no bodies were inside... Melissa and Derrick are..."
"Please don't say it," Ariana pleaded, covering her ears.
"I'm so sorry... I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Audrey sobbed.
"Liar!" Ariana yelled.
"Ariana, now isn't the best time for this. Sofia is fast asleep," Sunny said, trying to diffuse the situation.
"How can you show your face here? You stole Sofia from us, now you want to give her back? After taking everything from us? We trusted you, and now that you have problems, you run back to us? You sly fox!"
Ariana couldn't contain her anger and stormed out of the house.
"Ariana! Wait!" Sunny called out, but there was no response.
Ariana didn't know where she was going, but she went wherever her legs took her.
She found herself in a dimly lit bar, drinking away her sorrow.
"Hey, beautiful, can I join you?" a voice asked.
"Fuck off," Ariana slurred in disgust.
"Ouch, feisty. I love them feisty," the man persisted. Ariana ignored the disgusting pervert, focusing on her drink.
Suddenly, a guy stepped into the conversation, blocking the other man.
"Ariana, are you alright?" he asked.
Ariana looked up and smiled sweetly, her focus blurry.
"You look like my boss," she said, her words thick.
"Come on, let's go home," Roberto said, lifting her onto his back and carrying her out to his car.
"What's your house address?" Roberto asked as he started the engine.
"I don't want to go home... I can't take it... I can't take it," Ariana sobbed, dissolving into tears.
Roberto sighed. "Let's go to my house, then."
He drove to his place, dropped her on the couch, and instructed her,
"Stay right there, don't move. I need to take a shower."
Ariana stood up as soon as he was gone, swaying across the room to the kitchen.
She found bottles of beer in the fridge and continued the binge where she had left off at the bar.
Roberto came out of his room a few minutes later, only to find Ariana already deeply inebriated.
"Come have a drink with me," Ariana said, holding up a bottle.
"Aren't you drunk already?"
"I'm not drunk. I'm sober," Ariana insisted.
Roberto chuckled. She's kinda cute when she's drunk.
I wonder what happened to her? Why is she so messed up? Could it be a bad relationship?
Ariana stood up, a sudden surge of clarity in her drunken state.
"I need to go home."
"You're drunk," he stated, moving closer.
"I need a hug" She said.
Roberto's voice hitched, he hesitated.
Please," she whispered, the word barely a breath against the silence of the room.
The sound shattered the last of Roberto's professional distance.
He reached out, pulling her into his arms. As soon as her head hit his chest, the dam broke.
Ariana dissolved into a jagged, messy sob. For the first time in years, the weight of the world felt lighter.
Here, in the sanctuary of his embrace, she didn't have to be the iron-willed woman the world demanded her to be. She could be weak.
She could be vulnerable. In the steady rhythm of his heart, she felt a protection she hadn't known she was starving for.
Roberto stood frozen for a moment, stunned by his own compliance.
He was a man of logic and cold boundaries, yet this woman had managed to make him dismantle every rule he lived by.
"I'm sorry," Ariana choked out, her voice muffled by his shirt.
"I... I'm a mess. I don't even know what I'm doing. Please... please don't abandon me like they did."
The words were raw and haunting. Roberto frowned, his mind racing.
What the hell is she talking about? Who left her?
"I'm not useful to anyone," she continued, her self-loathing spilling out in a drunken torrent.
"Maybe that's why... maybe that's why they didn't come looking for me."
As the minutes ticked by, the heavy air of her sorrow began to grate on Roberto's nerves.
He wasn't a therapist, and he certainly wasn't built for the circular, exhausting logic of a drunk person's grief.
He became bored of the self-pity, the way she talked down on herself like she was nothing.
He needed to shut her up. He needed her to go to bed so he could regain his sanity.
"How would I live now?" Ariana lamented, looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes.
"We've been through so much together..."
Before she could finish the thought, Roberto gripped her shoulders, pulling her so close their faces were mere inches apart.
The scent of alcohol and citrus clouded the space between them.
"Shut up," he commanded, his voice a low, gravelly vibration.
The silence that followed was electric. They could feel each other's breath—shallow, hot, and frantic—mingling in the air.
Roberto's gaze dropped to her lips. He found himself wondering, with a sudden and violent curiosity, what they would taste like.
He tried to fight the impulse. This was his employee. She was vulnerable, intoxicated, and broken.
Every moral compass he possessed told him to pull away, but the proximity was a snare.
Ariana looked deep into his eyes, her expression unreadable, before she nervously bit her lower lip.
The small movement was the final straw.
She sensed the shift and suddenly pulled away, a weak, embarrassed smile flickering on her face.
"I'm so sorry. You're right... I'm drunk. I'm being ridiculous."
Roberto didn't let her retreat. He reached out, his palm cupping her cheek, his thumb grazing her jawline as he pulled her back toward him.
Screw this, he thought, his resolve crumbling into ash. I can't resist this woman anymore.
When his lips finally touched hers, the world tilted.
It was a sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Her lips were soft, wet, and tasted of salt and beer, yet the contact felt magical.
It wasn't just a kiss; it was a collision.
Ariana let out a soft sound, her hands finding purchase in his shirt as she slowly pulled away, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps.
Roberto didn't wait for her to recover. He leaned in again, his kiss deeper this time, more demanding.
Ariana's fingers drifted upward, tangling in his hair and pulling firmly. He let out a low hiss of pleasure against her mouth.
He trailed his lips down to the sensitive skin of her neck, planting slow, deliberate kisses that made her shiver.
He loved her reaction—the way she arched into him, the way her breath hitched with every touch.
Then, Ariana pulled back, her eyes heavy-lidded as she looked at him.
"Take me to bed," she murmured. "I want to sleep."
Roberto froze, a string of curses running through his mind. He pulled back, his blood still roaring with the heat of the moment, feeling the sudden chill of the rejection.
Why would she do this? He thought, frustrated and reeling. Get me to the edge of the cliff and then tell me she just wants to nap?
He let out a sharp exhale, looking at the woman who had just turned his entire world upside down, only to fall asleep in the wreckage.