CEO city

rejection of what I had just sentenced. - It's also not right to cheat on your fiancée, get married and play the faithful husband. He probably continues cheating on the girl. You cheated once, you screwed up always! I don't want that kind of man raising my son, Laura. My baby will definitely be better off without a father. DOMINIC - What the hell possessed you to answer my cell phone? - I took the device from his hand, in a sudden gesture, holding myself back so as not to throw it against the wall. I wouldn't make a habit of it.

- Why I can not? - He got up from the sofa, confronting me with his challenging gaze. - I'm your wife! I stared at the woman in front of me, trying to identify anything that reminded me of why I asked her to marry me. It wasn't her. Never was. I did that for my parents. Out of guilt. And consequently, I disappointed them. - The biggest mistake of my entire life, which will soon be corrected - I said, trying to remain calm. - What are you doing here? This is no longer your home. Never was. Layla never liked the idea of ​​us living on the property that belonged to my parents during their lifetime. For her, I would buy a new mansion in a luxury condominium, but it wasn't by wasting it unnecessarily that I became a multimillionaire. Otherwise, it would have been another regret, considering I filed for divorce just over a month into our marriage. - You can't leave me helpless, Dominic. I'm Pregnant! - She screamed hysterically. - From a son that isn't mine, considering we never had sex. - I didn't want a fight, but whenever she showed up, that's what ended up happening. - Who is the father of this baby, Layla? - My son will never know a father who isn't you. - That's what we'll see! CHAPTER ONE - Maybe I should kick the bucket, give a fuck, leave everything behind and come live in this paradise - I murmured to the universe as I walked along the beach, feeling the soft sand beneath my feet while the warm morning sun was already tanning me. my skin, ignoring sunscreen. The holidays were coming to an end and I was sad about having to leave such a beautiful place. I came to Ilha do Sol to get away from home for a while and forget the problems I had left behind. It was still difficult to deal with the loss of Mom and digest the fact that my dad was already in a new relationship, barely six months since she passed away. And as if it wasn't already disappointing enough, Dad announced that he was leaving home to live with his new family and from then on I would have to support myself alone, covering the expenses of the property that Mom left in my name, and the costs with college. But it wasn't the financial part that saddened me, even though I still didn't have a job that paid enough to cover all the new expenses. It was the fact that I was excluded from her new family, where her stepmother and three stepdaughters were included, but there was no room for me. - Breathe, relax... stay positive! You want it, you can, you can do it! - I let out a laugh, without any trace of humor, feeling my eyes water. - That's it Girl! Be your own motivational coach. It was precisely my vibe of positive thoughts that led me not to ask for a refund on the travel package that my mother paid for in advance, months before my twentieth birthday. Months before she left me because of a fatal illness. - I think she already knew... - I expressed the thought. - I think she wanted to bring me some comfort after leaving and knowing how much I wanted to see the sea, she took care of everything. I was on vacation from college and didn't even know if I would return for the next semester. In addition, I also managed to get fifteen days of vacation pay that I still had pending from my job as a receptionist at the dental clinic. Even though I knew I would be "fucked up" when I returned, having to face the new reality of living alone and managing in my thirties to pay the bills, I came to Ilha do Sol with courage and courage, because I almost had no money left. - Just three more days of paradise before embracing a life of fits and starts. The thoughts of self-pity were put aside as soon as I noticed a few meters ahead, what appeared to be an unconscious person... or dead. Oh my God! The waves hit my feet and, driven by instinct, I dropped the pair of flip-flops that I was holding in one hand and ran towards who I soon noticed was a man. Dressed in business attire, including shoes, he showed no indication of being breathing. - Please, boy! Be alive, be alive! - I knelt down in the sand and started to gently pat his face, noticing that he wasn't completely soaked, as the weak waves only reached his knees. - Be alive! When I considered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, even without any knowledge, but driven by the desire to save him, the man began to cough, with his eyes still closed, scaring me and providing relief at the same time. - Are you well? What happened? He coughed a few times but was unable to respond. I quickly set him aside in case he needed to expel the water he had supposedly swallowed, but I was taken by surprise when a pair of male hands grabbed me around the waist and in a matter of milliseconds we were rolling in the sand. - Aaah! Help! - I tried, even though that part of the beach was deserted. - Let go of me, you pervert! Can't you see I just saved your life? - Am I crazy? - The hoarse voice gave me goosebumps from head to toe. - You were the one who attacked me while I was taking a nap! Where was my head when I approached a stranger on a deserted beach? In the world of the moon, you just can! I kicked and shook myself hysterically, punching him on the shoulders, trying to somehow escape his attack, until I processed his last sentence in my mind. - Nap? - the scream came out shrill, such disbelief. - I doubt you purposely lay down so close to the sea just to take a nap. And from the alcohol on his breath, I bet he got drunk and passed out because he was so drunk! Why I was arguing with a stranger clinging to me, while keeping me under the weight of his body, with us lying on the sand, was still unknown. But as soon as I realized the absurdity, I punched him again until he gave up restraining me and rolled to the side. - You're right, I think that was it! - He started laughing out of nowhere, sitting down immediately and looking at me again. - Thank you for saving me, pretty mermaid... I should run out of here right now! I sat down hurriedly, adjusting my t-shirt to cover the bikini panties that were on display, mentally admitting how reckless I was in exposing myself so vulnerable without even thinking that instead of saving someone, I could be putting myself in danger. Ted Bundy pretended to have a broken arm when he approached his potential victims! How could you be so naive, Valentina? Do you want to die? I let out a breath of air and tried to get up, taking advantage of the man's distraction to run away as quickly as possible. - Where are we? - His question in a confused tone hit me hard, making me give up running before even taking the first step. - Which way is Hotel da Ilha? I blinked, intrigued by the mention of the hotel, as it was exactly where I was staying. - A shark bit your tongue, pretty mermaid? - He

. But what do I understand about men, anyway? - Take care, okay? - I shrugged, starting to walk backwards, distancing myself from the man, without turning my back on him, for fear of being followed, but as soon as he waved goodbye, he turned and headed in the opposite direction, a little staggering. No more playing with luck, Valentina! CHAPTER TWO I turned around after a few steps to check if she was still walking backwards for fear of me chasing her, and noticing that the pretty mermaid had crouched down to grab a pair of flip flops from the sand before running off towards the boardwalk.

. - It seems like I have a guardian angel... - I muttered, looking at the sky with a mocking smile, as I staggered away from the sea, to avoid any imminent disaster. I drank too much last night and I don't even remember how I ended up on the beach. Placing my hands in my pants pockets, I realized that I had most likely lost my cell phone and I made a mental prayer that the wallet with the documents wouldn't suffer the same tragic fate. All I didn't need at the moment was to be undocumented while traveling to another state. - There you are, the early morning escapee! - Erik's voice appeared almost like a mirage in the desert and I soon saw my best friend approaching, wearing shorts and a tank top, walking barefoot comfortably while I was barely able to stand. - I found your wallet intact, but I think your cell phone is gone! - How did I end up here? - I accepted his shoulder to support me and without asking permission, I took off the sunglasses that Erik was wearing and covered my eyes, thinking only of avoiding the embarrassment of returning to the hotel in a miserable state of hangover. - If I had known, I would have found you sooner. You really don't remember anything? I denied it, feeling like the world was starting to spin again. On the contrary. - I'm even afraid to remember what made me drink so much... But I knew that after a shower and a few hours of sleep everything would come to a head. It wasn't like me to drink to excess, but I knew myself well enough to understand that by getting to that point, something pretty fucked up was about to happen and the responsibility had almost certainly been thrown onto my shoulders. - I'm not marrying Layla! That's the most absurd idea you've ever had," I snapped angrily, ignoring the fact that I was talking to my father, whom I always respected no matter how divergent our opinions were. -She's detestable, I can't stand her! - Layla Montanari is a very respected lady in our society, my son - he countered with his unwavering patience. - Her father and I studied at college together and grew up in business with successful partnerships. I took the cell phone away from my ear to take a deep breath before swearing. Closing my eyes tightly, I vehemently denied my father's idea of ​​wanting to marry his best friend's daughter, just so that both families' businesses would prosper even more. Ridiculous! - Dad, I don't care about Layla's reputation in society. It is not society that will sleep and wake up with her every day, nor live with her quirks and deal with her fickle moods until death do them part! It is not society that will have children with her. - I let out a breath of air, trying to avoid going overboard. - It's me, damn it! - Dominique, you are my only son! She's already thirty-five years old and hasn't even presented a suitable suitor... - Suitable suitor? - I spat the words with derision. - Can you hear yourself? Does mom know about your crazy intention of wanting to marry me out of convenience? Because as far as I know your story, she wasn't a suitable suitor either. My parents got married very young. Mom was just nineteen at the time and he was twenty-one. As the firstborn in a multimillion-dollar family, secretly marrying the daughter of the scullery maid who worked at the Leone mansion wasn't exactly what my grandparents had in mind for Dad. How could Jefferson Leone have the audacity to try to force me into an arranged marriage? I was pretty sure Mom didn't know anything. She always respected my singleness, even though the desire to have grandchildren running around the family property was one of her biggest dreams in life. - Domitila really appreciates Layla's company... - My mother is an angel on Earth, father! - I cut off, too impatient to hear her false arguments. - And I'll bet you a kidney that she has no idea what you just proposed to me. I could hear his tired sigh on the other end of the line. - I'm not forcing you to get married, Dominic... - Great! Because that's not going to happen. Now I have to turn it off. I opened my eyes a little reluctantly, but smiled when I saw that the headache from hell had disappeared, after some painkillers and a good few hours of sleep. Thanks to the intervention of the beautiful mermaid when she woke me up on the beach, I wasn't so exposed to the sun that I got burned excessively. After the call from my father and all that stressful conversation about marrying Layla Montanari, I had an outburst of anger and destroyed my cell phone by throwing it at the wall and, after discarding it in the trash without even worrying about the chip or card. From memory, I ended up at the Hotel da Ilha bar before even getting rid of the business attire that I insisted on wearing during a business meeting, completely ignoring the heat of the coastal city. From then on, I only remember ordering a bottle of whiskey and the rest was deleted from my mind. - I don't even want to think about the disaster that could have been... I left the room after a long shower and decided that it was high time to start enjoying my vacation days properly. I would have lunch at the hotel restaurant and then take a walk along the coast, which Erik was probably already doing without me. As soon as the elevator doors opened, I took a step forward and was privileged with a female presence that somehow seemed very familiar to me. She wore a long dress that accentuated her perfect curves and at the same time hid her attractive body. Her brown hair was tied into a side braid and was so long that I found myself wondering if it was natural or some kind of extension. But it was the beautiful pair of sapphire blue eyes, bright like the sea on a sunny day, that completely mesmerized me. - Aren't you going in? - the soft voice took me out of my reverie and soon after the elevator doors started to close, but I managed to stop them with the palm of my hand. - Sorry, I was distracted. - I entered the elevator in a long stride and realized that the button for the ground floor was already activated. - No problem. - She shrugged, smiling shyly. Why do I feel like I know her? I didn't know what to say. I wanted to start a conversation, but I didn't know how to start the conversation. She was clearly uncomfortable with my less-than-discreet inspection, and I soon felt like an asshole for giving the impression that I was one of those men who treated women like a piece of meat. - Sorry - I felt the need to say. - It's just that I have the strange feeling that we've seen each other before... The elevator stopped and as soon as the doors opened, she passed me in a hurry. - I must have a magnet for kinky men, that's it! - She mumbled in an irritable tone, which gave me the feeling of déjà vu and I finally remembered everything. "Aaah! Help! Let me go, you pervert! Can't you see that I just saved your life?" - Hey, wait a minute, pretty mermaid... CHAPTER THREE - Hey, wait a minute, pretty mermaid... I'm not a pervert! I stopped as soon as I heard the nickname I had earned the morning before, after stopping a drunk man from drowning on the beach. I should have left that incident behind, but I spent the whole day imagining what could have

with clear prescription lenses. Wearing denim shorts, a shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, and a pair of shiny, expensive-looking shoes, he looked much better than when I first saw him. Green...

the pair of eyes staring at me now were green. Which the previous morning I couldn't distinguish because of the strong sun bothering my vision. He was pretty tall too, about six inches taller than me, certainly. And thin, the athletic type, who kept up with his physical exercises. I had already noticed him as soon as the elevator opened its doors on the floor where he was supposedly staying. Which made me remember that the drunk had asked about the Hotel da Ilha. - It's really you - I blurted out loud, which should have just been a thought. - Looks like you managed to find the hotel. It was an obvious comment, but I also didn't know what to say. - Excuse me lady. - A hotel employee approached, approaching me, but alternating his gaze between the other guest. - Everything is fine? Any inconvenience? There were signs all over the hotel mentioning sexual harassment warnings, and I was probably louder than I should have been about being a magnet for perverts. - It's okay, thank you. - I turned my attention to the guest. - I see that you're better than yesterday and I'm glad you've recovered. Now excuse me, gentlemen. Without waiting for a replica of any of them, I went towards the restaurant and chose a table on the deck overlooking the sea, in a more discreet corner to have a quiet meal. It was my penultimate day on Ilha do Sol and although I felt lonely, I still enjoyed every moment of the trip. My best friend, Laura, couldn't accompany me as much as she wanted to, as she had just started a new job. Still, she was the first to encourage me not to give up on the trip. I waited for the waiter to leave after taking my order and took my cell phone out of my shoulder bag to take a selfie and send it to Laura. I smiled, tilting my head slightly to the side, trying to appear in the photo and show the view of the restaurant. Suddenly I had the feeling of being watched. It didn't take me long to discover that I was right, feeling embarrassed for being seen making faces at the camera while the man on the beach paid attention to me, sitting at the table opposite me. Pretending to be indifferent, I raised my eyebrows and had to contain my impetuosity so as not to roll my eyes and give the guy the middle finger. Is he chasing me? - I'm not chasing you, I just came to have lunch - he said in a calm tone, keeping his smile discreet, making me widen my eyes, shocked by the coincidence. - Do you read thoughts now? - No. But his facial expression is very transparent. - He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. I chose to ignore him, turning my attention to my cell phone, choosing one of the photos to send to Laura via the messaging app. VALENTINA: Yesterday I saved a handsome guy on the beach, and now he's right here in front of me, in the hotel restaurant. Apparently, Laura wasn't online. - Excuse me, miss... - His voice sounded closer, as did his intoxicating perfume. I left the cell phone on the table and looked at it, feeling my body shiver at the proximity. The handsome stranger was standing in front of the table, extending his hand while he smiled beautifully, showing off his perfectly aligned and white teeth, worthy of toothpaste advertising. He really wants to know my name, but I won't say it! I remained silent, looking at him with one eyebrow raised while crossing my arms in a defensive gesture, making it clear that I had no intention of accepting his greeting. - My name is Dominic Leone, I'm thirty-five years old, I'm a businessman and I'm in town for a few days of vacation, since everyone in my family says I'm a workaholic. - He kept his hand outstretched and his courteous smile. - I apologize for the circumstances of our first meeting, but I'm grateful for what happened, otherwise I might have drowned. You saved my life and I feel indebted. He seemed sincere and I soon started to feel guilty for having thought he was a pervert. - You owe me nothing, Dominic Leone. - I uncrossed my arms and decided to use some of the good manners that my mother gave me, standing up and extending my hand, accepting the greeting. - You can call me Val. It would be too ridiculous to keep my name a secret, but I was still afraid of identifying myself as openly as he did. Revealing my nickname was good enough. - Vaaaal - he murmured lazily, perhaps waiting for me to complete the information, but soon realized that nothing more was coming. - It's a pleasure to meet you, Val. The waiter approached carrying the tray with the order and I took the opportunity to pull my hand from Dominic's grip, doing my best to disguise how his hot skin generated a sensation of electricity. that ran through my entire body. - Have a nice lunch, miss - said the waiter before leaving. - Thanks. - I sat back down, imagining that Dominic would take the opportunity to return to his table, but he remained standing and when I looked at him again, I saw him frown. - You're scared of me - he said uncomfortably, taking a step back, putting his hands in his shorts pocket. - Wow! This is really embarrassing. This is the first time a woman has made me feel like a cheap harasser. At no point was that my intention. I'm sorry for putting you in a situation like this. In a second it was as if all the blood had left my body and the air ran out of my lungs. He was beautiful and had a commanding presence. Elegant, fragrant, friendly. And having a man like that seeking my attention left me a little disoriented. Plus, our encounter on the beach was a little awkward and made me realize how much I put myself at risk by trying to help him. I was alone in a city far from home. Without anyone who could miss me if something bad happened. The thought that I could be the victim of a harasser made me cautious, no matter how much he tried to appear like a good person. Even in the hotel restaurant, with cameras everywhere, I couldn't help but be afraid. But seeing him so offended made me feel terrible. - Please... - I tried to apologize and reverse what happened, but Dominic had already turned his back on me and, waving to the waiter, left the restaurant without looking back. I let out a breath of air. Confused. Frustrated. - I don't even know him - I muttered, focusing my attention on the cutlery on the table. - And anyway, tomorrow is my last day here... Shrugging, I checked my phone and there was a notification from the messaging app. LAURA: Who knows, maybe destiny has gifted you with a summer passion? Relax and enjoy the moment! - Too late for that advice, friend. CHAPTER FOUR - You have a bruised ego because a beautiful woman didn't want to throw herself in your lap and beg to be fucked mercilessly! - Erik hadn't gotten tired of making fun of me since I told him about the beautiful mermaid, Val. The neurotic one who made me feel like shit. - I accidentally scared her when she woke me up on the beach - I admitted grudgingly. - I just wanted to clarify everything, but I think I was too invasive. - You said she's beautiful. Definitely, the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life. Not even the most elegant and well-dressed, impeccably made-up and exuding the most expensive perfume, could match her in her exuberant simplicity. - She is. - I let out a silly laugh. - When I regained consciousness on the beach, I thought I was in front of a mermaid. See what a hangover can do to a good man. - Passionate idiot talk! I rolled my eyes, finishing my beer. After I left the hotel restaurant, I met Erik in the