“Did you ever think you could’ve killed me of a heart attack?” Valeria said, and Nick froze. He looked up from the reports and saw her, very comfortable on the couch where he had left her asleep. “Umm... you woke up.” “No, I hope I'm still asleep, or else someone will have a very bad time,” she threatened him, and Nick shook his head with a smile as he got up from the chair. “I was just trying to help, troublemaker,” he assured, coming over and crouching in front of her. “I told you not to call me that! The other day, when all the reports were ready in the morning, was that you, too?” Nick shrugged. “You needed help.” “So why did you stop being the CEO of this company?” Valeria said, annoyed. “Because it was always my position for being the majority shareholder. I just wanted to earn my place this time. But that doesn't mean I can't help you.” “Well, you can tell during daytime, like normal people, Nick!” she snarled at him. “You weren't going to accept my help,” he told her.

Valeria loved that scenery. Skiing was much more difficult than it looked, but both Arthur and his boys had behaved like professionals. Or rather, like nannies with a lot of patience, because she was going flat on her face every four yards. Finally, after four circuits, Valeria had given up. “Shall we go now?” asked Gilbert in a sympathetic tone. “You go if you want, I'm going to stay a little longer,” Valeria decided. “I want to see the colors of the sunset here; maybe I'll come up with something nice for those uniforms.” She said goodbye to Gilbert on the way to the base of the mountain and adjusted her anorak. She wasn't used to so much cold, but the snow she did like. It was strange to see her reflection in the mountain, it gave her so much peace, so much tranquility in the midst of the maelstrom her life had become lately, that she didn't realize how late it was getting. The cold suddenly became harsher, especially as the wind began to pick up, and Valeria realized, startled,

Valeria looked outside, luckily the door was against the wind, but she couldn't help a shiver of terror anyway. “No, Nick, we can't go out. It's too dangerous!” she said, frightened. “Baby, listen to me, look at me. We're going to be all right! But it's worse to stay here,” he assured her. Nick made sure the anorak covered her well and wrapped his own scarf—which was the only one that was dry—around her neck. “Let's go, troublemaker. Let's go!” He pushed her outside, and they ran to the snowmobile as fast as they could. The wind was terrible and the sleet was sticking in their faces like needles. Before they even started the bike they were both shivering, but at least, when Nick drove around the shed, they could see the lights of the hotel. It looked very close, but Nick knew there were two kilometers of sketchy terrain and gaps in the soft snow. The bounce when they hit the first bank was horrible, and it made Valeria get even closer to his back, clinging with all her might. Nic

“I don't want you to leave me...” Valeria pressed her ear to Nick's mouth, but she could barely hear him. “Nick, I'm here... Come on, get up, you have to help me!” The girl tried to lift him, but unless Nick did his part, it would be impossible. “Why did you leave, troublemaker? Where are you? “Nick, I haven't gone anywhere, damn it!” he snarled, pulling on his hands to make him sit up, but he was as heavy as ten bags of bricks. “Yes, you left! You disappeared! What am I going to do if I don't find you again, troublemaker?” He seemed to be asleep, but Valeria remained still as she finally managed to understand what he was talking about. Nick was raving about the months she had been in Europe. Had he really been looking for her? “No honey, I'm back now,” she told him to calm him down. “Come on, aren't you going to give me a hug?” Nick half-opened his eyes, but Valeria doubted he was really conscious. “Do you still want to hug me, troublemaker?” “Of course I do, baby. Come on,

After so many years of being a businessman, it wasn't hard for Andrew Davies to recognize a con man when he saw one, or at least someone with interests quite the opposite of what he was used to selling to the public. That's why when someone has been announced to him as Alice's father, Andrew had made sure the girl was taken to her room. “What can I do for you, Mr. Baxter?” he asked, pointing to one of the seats in his private office. “Good afternoon, Mr. Davies. Thank you for seeing me. I am here to see my daughter.” Andrew wrinkled his brow, pretending to be confused. “I'm sorry, I don't understand.” “Alice,” the man said dryly. “Ah! Of course. If you would be so kind, could I have your identification and proof of paternity, please?” Andrew asked with such a broad smile that Baxter was taken aback. “Excuse me? Do you think I'm going to be bringing you papers just to see my daughter?” he replied angrily. “Don’t get upset, Mr. Baxter. Let me explain. Alice is under Valeria's cus

Valeria spent the whole night worried about that note, especially because someone was watching Alice. However, she couldn't scare the little girl by changing her school. She could hardly rest, but she couldn't stay home just feeling afraid, so she put on one of her favorite dresses and went to Bennet Designs. She needed to finalize the details for Gilbert's collection with Nick. Emma greeted her with the same concern as her family had, and almost hit her for the danger she had put herself in. “Is Nick here yet?” Emma wrinkled her nose, but then sighed and nodded. “He's been working since early, very industriously,” she replied. “Is he smiling?” Valeria asked mischievously. “No, not even close.” “Perfect!” laughed the girl. “Thanks, girl. I'll see if I can get as many things done today as I can, because they must be missing me at Sassy Girl by now.” Emma gave her another kiss and another tight hug and left the office to let her work. Unfortunately, her concentration would be sh

Valeria's hands were shaking as the sedan weaved through traffic, and Nick ended up taking one hand off the wheel to hold hers. “You need to calm down, troublemaker. It's not going to help anything if you get like this.” Valeria shook her head vehemently as she bit her lip and held back tears. “You have no idea what it means to lose a child. Alice is my whole life; I can't let them take her from me—” “Calm down, calm down, that's not going to happen. Connor is very good, I'm sure he can help us.” Valeria didn't say another word until they arrived at Sheffield & Lieberman Associates. An assistant was already waiting for them at the door and immediately directed them to Mr. Sheffield's office. “How exactly did you meet a family court attorney?” Valeria asked curiously, as they rode up in the elevator. “I had the bright idea that I wanted to be emancipated at the age of fifteen. I refused to study and claimed my father's inheritance,” answered Nick. “Connor was my mother's lawyer.”

Valeria turned around to meet Elliot's furious gaze. “What the hell is this jerk saying, Valeria? What do you mean you're going to marry him? Are you serious? I don't give a damn if you just saved her life! You're not going to marry her!” her brother said, and Valeria stepped between him and Nick, putting a hand on his chest, to prevent him from doing something stupid. “Calm down, Elliot!” she asked him, making him look at her. “Samuel Baxter came to threaten me in the studio today, and Nick helped me.” Elliot frowned. No one had said anything to him about that. “What happened?” he questioned them with a stern look. “He told me he wants custody of Alice. He wants to take her away from me and I won't let him!” his sister assured him. “So Nick took me to see a lawyer from the family court, who happened to be a friend of Dad's.” “Who?” “Connor Sheffield,” Nick said, and Elliot nodded. “Yes, I know him. He's been a friend of the family for years... But what does that have to do wit

To say that Valeria had become an expert at kicking him in the calf was an understatement. “Shit! You are like a goddamn soccer player!” Nick snarled at her. “Are you really asking me to sleep with you in exchange for helping me?!” Valeria shouted at him. “And you wouldn't?” “Yes... but under strong protests!” she declared. “Yes, troublemaker, I can imagine your protests. But I didn't say anything about sleeping together, that's just what your dirty little head imagined,” Nick raised a mischievous eyebrow, and Valeria's expression softened. “Well, now. Stop nagging and tell me what you want, Bennet.” “Ooooh, Bennet! That's what you're going to call me when you're mad at me?” Valeria pumped her fist impatiently, and Nick pouted. “OK, OK! I want a kiss.” Nick could have sworn that what he'd seen in Valeria's expression was disappointment, so he took advantage of that. “One kiss a week. I want a kiss a week,” he declared. “Oh…” “Disappointed?” asked Nick flirtatiously. “No, of

The guest house that stood within the grounds of Davies Manor looked like a doll's house, because that was precisely how Valeria had had it prepared. It was perfect to be the home they would share, but the illusion of carrying Valeria through the door evaporated when Nick saw Alice sitting on the porch, looking very aloof. “You didn't tell me he was going to live here, too,” was her greeting, and it was addressed only to her sister. “Is it true that you married him?” Valeria closed her eyes in frustration and went to sit next to her while Nick remained standing. “Who told you, baby?” “I heard it from the girls in the kitchen. Is it true?” Alice insisted. But before Valeria could answer, Nick interrupted her. “Troublemaker, do you think I could talk to Alice for a minute?” The girl looked at him with a frown. “I don't want to.” “I know, but I need to tell you important things, and if you don't listen to them you'll always wonder what they were,” Nick replied. “And you don't lik