"I've already said I don't want to eat!" shouted Libia."I told you, you're not in charge. Now swallow the damn soup or I'll force it down your throat," Lison growled, firmly gripping the young woman's forearm."You're hurting me, let go," she struggled, not caring if she hurt herself."What's wrong with you? Why are you acting like a fool?" he released her and glared at her."Because I don't want to be here.""Tell me what's going on," he demanded, his patience gone."It's just..." she couldn't finish her sentence, her cheeks flushed. It was pathetic; she was the only one who could fall for a sadist."What?" he demanded, frowning and clenching his fists."You leave all day and keep me locked up with nothing to do," she responded.Tiodor closed the distance."I told you I'd let you out of here, but you don't follow my orders. Now tell me the truth, what the hell is going on!?""I already answered you; I'm not going to repeat myself, I'm not a parrot.""Your stupid, childish behavior i

Libia woke up in the middle of the night, surprised to find Tiodor lying next to her. She watched him for a few minutes; his peaceful expression and the soft whistle escaping from his nose made her smile. No one would ever guess that someone like him could look so serene. He was quite handsome, though in the past, not her type at all—she had always been drawn to men with softer features. Jerks disguised as princes. She bit her lip, her foolish heart pounding. "Why do I always choose wrong?" she wondered, feeling a sharp sting of regret. Her mind betrayed her again, clinging to the idea that Tiodor could change, that he would stop being that cruel, grumpy ogre, and that after kissing him, he would transform. She closed her eyes, silently calling herself an idiot.The next morning, Lison got out of bed. He wasn’t going to work that day, but his habit of waking up early was deeply ingrained. He glanced at Libia, who was still asleep with her mouth slightly open. He exhaled heavily, grabb

"In exchange for what?" Libia asked seriously, fiddling with her hands, unable to make eye contact with him."Your help in getting closer to Elena Musso.""You don’t need my help for that.""Yes, I do. She’s very clever, and my name raises alarms."Libia looked up, noticing that Lison’s face had twisted into a hateful scowl."What did she do to you?" she asked.Tiodor closed his eyes for a few seconds, debating whether to share something so personal."She killed someone very important in my life," he finally said, his jaw clenched.The memory of Tiodor’s wedding photo album flashed before Libia’s eyes, showing that beautiful woman with dark hair and green eyes."Your wife..." Libia said with a lump in her throat, struggling to believe her aunt could be such an evil person.Lison squinted at her."No," he replied dryly. "Why would you jump to such a ridiculous conclusion?""Because I know nothing. You keep me locked up, and all you ever say is to take my clothes off." Libia furrowed he

Libia accepted the proposal, as she had no other choice.Tiodor informed her that everything would be handled as a police rescue by the São Paulo authorities. He repeated to her hundreds of times what she was supposed to say:"You came to meet with me, but something came up. My secretary couldn't reach you, and your phone’s signal was lost since you were abroad. You left the restaurant, and some men approached you. When you woke up, you were in a room. They kept you locked up, waiting to take you out of the country. When you thought everything was over, one night the police stormed the house, rescued you, and immediately recognized you as Libia Musso, the girl who had been reported missing."Libia took a deep breath, recalling Lison’s instructions. At least she would return home. She looked around at the four walls that had once been her prison but had quickly come to feel like home. Outside, she felt uneasy, and ironically, here, she had found a sense of peace. Someone knocked on the

"How did they find her?" one of the officers asked the anti-kidnapping agent."We received an anonymous tip, went there, and entered the suspicious house early in the morning.""But they say she was held captive for six months. That girl didn’t look sick or disheveled at all. Something doesn’t add up," he said, narrowing his eyes."Mr. Benítez, don’t think about it. The important thing is that the girl is home."The man thought for a moment. It didn’t make sense to plan a kidnapping and then release the victim in perfect health.The versions shared with the press and online media stated that one of the most dangerous human trafficking gangs had captured the Musso heir. Apparently, orders came from some crazed admirer who wanted to buy her, and things went wrong. They had to keep her there, waiting to get her out of the country."The medical exams showed no signs of malnutrition, and the victim denies any sexual abuse.""Benítez, leave it alone, for your own good. Stop investigating,"

Tiodor Lison left the projection office, making sure his zipper was up. He inhaled deeply, holding the air for a few seconds before exhaling through his mouth, feeling humiliated. He had lost control over a pair of pretty eyes, falling for her charms at the slightest provocation, like a lust-driven animal. He caught his reflection in one of the windows: *pathetic*. Wiping the excess sweat from his forehead with one hand, he walked out of Musso Enterprises with firm steps.Libia hid in the employees' bathroom, her mind spinning. She had gotten involved with Lison again, and it was insane. She wasn’t a captive anymore; she was free. Yet she had willingly surrendered to that monster."You're an idiot," she whispered to herself as tears slipped from her eyes.She was undeniably in love with him, but a small voice in her head screamed that she was crazy."I'm sick. I need help," she encouraged herself, standing up from the toilet, where she had only sat to reflect.As she left, she looked

Libia lay back on the hotel bed, between white sheets, wiping the sweat from her forehead before sitting up with a sore groin. She had fallen into temptation again, once more giving her body to Lison."I have to go," she said, suddenly getting up from the bed.The man stared at the ceiling with a furrowed brow, seemingly not hearing her.The young woman grabbed her clothes from the floor and put them on as quickly as she could."Where are the papers? I don’t want to see you again," she hurried to say, feeling a lump in her throat.Lison turned his gaze to her."The folder is in my briefcase," he said, still frowning. "The briefcase is on the nightstand."Libia had already finished getting dressed. She immediately grabbed the briefcase and opened it, her hands trembling as she held the folder."It’s the blue one," Tiodor informed her, giving her an intense look.The young woman searched for a pen, leaned against the furniture, read through the papers, and signed them."You're very stup

“I know,” the young woman responded after a while, “but I can’t end my alliance with Mr. Lison. I signed some documents…”“There’s a way to invalidate that,” said Elena, now a bit calmer.Libia shrugged.“Talk to him and tell him you’ve reconsidered and are no longer interested in his proposal. If he’s so eager to partner with Musso Enterprises, he can deal directly with me.”“Alright…” the young woman replied in a barely audible voice.“For the first time, I’m grateful my brother isn’t here anymore.” Elena studied her niece’s face carefully. “You can’t imagine the sadness he would feel seeing what you’ve become.”Libia’s eyes widened, slowly processing what she had just heard.“You’re nothing but promiscuous. There’s no one more pathetic than those who have to pay for love. You don’t uphold our family name. You’re a failure!”Libia felt a sharp pain in her chest. For a moment, she imagined her father delivering those words.“I’m sorry,” she apologized, lowering her gaze.Elena said n

Libia grabbed her phone, and when she looked at the screen, she realized it was exactly two in the morning. Lison seemed very still, as if he hadn’t moved from his spot all night. The encounters with him were always otherworldly. From the first time they were together, she openly showed her masochistic tendencies. She genuinely wanted to heal and put effort into it, but Tiodor was the kind of man she shouldn’t get involved with, which only made her more infatuated with the idea of being his heroine, the woman who would bring him back to the right path.The young woman got out of bed and walked to her small living room. She sat on the couch, biting her nails as her gaze drifted. In her mind, she replayed the recent events. She hated dealing with Lison, or at least, that’s what she convinced herself.“What are you doing awake at this hour?” Tiodor asked, his eyes puffy, showing no shame in his nakedness.“I can’t sleep with a giant bear in my bed,” she replied, taking her index finger o

Two weeks later...Libia reflected on what had happened the night before. It had been like a date—Lison-style, of course, which meant twisted and strange. The young woman checked her phone, and just as she suspected, there was a message from Tiodor, saying he was heading back to São Paulo but wanted to see her before he left. Her chest tightened. The man had proven to be quite unstable, and maybe a week ago, she could have walked away and acted as if nothing had happened. But now, she felt like he had seeped into every pore of her body. It was no longer just about sex. Being with him was complicated, but staying away felt like real torture. They didn’t have a real relationship; the closest term would be "bedmates." For her foolish heart, that was enough. He wasn’t romantic, and after being together, he always reiterated his plans for revenge, yet despite it all, that fluttering in her stomach remained.With trembling hands, she picked up her phone again, this time dialing his number.