CHAPTER 327. A NAUGHTY GIRL. A little bear bandageNoémi couldn’t stay silent and immediately stepped forward."What’s going on? What do you mean, a complaint?" she demanded firmly, and Zack and Loan also stepped forward, but Levi raised a hand to stop them."Let’s all calm down. At least let the officers explain," he said. "Can you tell me what I’m being accused of?""What’s going on here?!" a powerful voice called out behind them, and everyone turned to see Police Chief Wislow approaching. "What’s all this commotion in front of the tourists?"One of the officers stepped forward with a warrant in hand."Chief, we have orders to bring Mr. Ferguson to the station immediately. Axel Grimma is accusing him of assaulting him tonight and brutally beating him, fracturing several bones. He and his lawyer have filed charges for assault."Noémi covered her mouth with her hands and shook her head."Grimma is here? That man followed us to Lucerne? Why didn’t you tell me, Levi?!" she accused, but
CHAPTER 328. A NAUGHTY GIRL. I did what I had to doThere were literally dozens of witnesses who testified that they had seen Levi that night, and the officers had no choice but to dismiss the charges and let him go. He walked out into the night, feeling relieved and grateful for everyone’s help, thanking them personally before heading home.He took a deep breath, letting the cool early morning air refresh him and clear all the fatigue from his mind. He started walking back home, strolling through the quiet streets of the small town.He was just climbing the porch steps when the door swung open, and Noémi leaped into his arms, hugging him tightly. Her face was bathed in the soft glow of dawn, and all the usual hardness she displayed was gone. Levi found her more beautiful than ever and felt a wave of emotion wash over him.Their mouths met in an urgent, needy kiss that gradually slowed down.“Noémi,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry. I never meant to scare you like that.”She looked into
CHAPTER 329. A NAUGHTY GIRL. A good beastOf course, everyone treated him very well, and the women in the family immediately took over Peter, taking him to play with Andrea and Zack’s younger kids. The family was gathered, and the atmosphere was extremely pleasant, but every now and then, Levi noticed the Keller brothers giving him strange looks.“It was you, wasn’t it?” Loan said quietly, nudging him with a conspiratorial elbow. “You’re not fooling me, it was you.”Levi looked up at the ceiling, pretending to be clueless.“I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered. “There were lots of witnesses who saw me here... you saw me here!”Loan nodded mockingly, but the truth was that no one believed he had hurt his knuckles against a tree.“I was wrong,” Milo said, throwing an arm around his shoulders. “You’re a good beast. Now let’s drink until our wives scold us!”Spending the afternoon with the Kellers was very pleasant, but by nightfall, both he and Noémi were dozing o
CHAPTER 330. A NAUGHTY GIRL. Proposals and ProblemsHe had no right to be jealous, and he knew that. But it was pretty obvious that the Italian nerd would have kissed the ground she walked on. The guy controlled the largest digital bank in all of Europe, and it was clear he had a good friendship with Noémi, though it was even more obvious that he wanted much more.“Be careful, you might slip,” Levi whispered in Noémi’s ear as she smiled and turned toward him, her body pressed closely against his.“Oh really? And why’s that?”“Because you’ve left more drool in this room than a parade of snails,” he murmured, and Noémi couldn’t help but burst into laughter.“Jealous, Mr. Boss?” she teased.“Not at all. If there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you’re with who you want to be with,” Levi replied, gently caressing her cheek. “And when you want to be with someone else, you will be, no question about it. So I’m not going to torture myself over nothing.”Noémi smiled at him like he wa
CHAPTER 331. A NAUGHTY GIRL. Bankrupt“Just to sleep? How boring!” Levi protested, and a second later, she was pulling his hand and leading him toward one of the corridors surrounding the event hall, where she cornered him against a wall, and they kissed like a couple of lovesick teenagers.Levi couldn’t deny it—this was an opportunity that wouldn’t come around twice in his life. It could completely change his son’s future, and maybe there was even a chance for him to return to the ski slopes as a professional competitor.“I’ll tell you what,” Levi decided that morning as he stroked her back after making wild love to her. “Danna and Loan are getting married in a couple of weeks. I’ll organize everything, and after the honeymoon... I’ll go.”“Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I’ll take you there, get you settled, and you’ll give me your visitation schedule because I’m going to raid your bed three times a week,” Noémi replied excitedly.The night had been fantastic for both of them, so the next day
CHAPTER 332. A NAUGHTY GIRL. I’ll take that as your wordSitting in front of the only person who could help her wasn’t the problem. She knew Nino; he was a good man and had a special ability not to meddle where he wasn’t wanted. She wasn’t sure if she could count on him or not, but she had to at least try.The real problem was what had brought her there. The problem was the sacrifice her sister would have to make so they could come out of the situation unscathed. The problem was that she couldn’t be selfish and let her sister carry all the weight because Chiara was now in the most vulnerable situation of her life, and for Noémi, Chiara came before anyone else."I know what I’m asking of you is too much, Nino," she murmured, sitting on that terrace in Santorini where he had one of his private mansions. "I wouldn’t be able to repay you in the short term... Damn, I can’t even estimate the losses I’ll have to repay you for…!"Nino leaned forward and took her hand in a calming, gentle ges
CHAPTER 333. A NAUGHTY GIRL. "Boyfriends" "Engagement" "Possible Wedding" "In Love"The following week was tough for everyone. Chiara went from one statement to another, from one interrogation to the next. Nino didn’t sleep, personally overseeing every operation of the new investment, and every time Noémi called him, he was in the middle of a room full of computers and market operators, giving orders. She, in turn, contacted the "sensitive" Asterion clients to reassure them that nothing that had happened with Franco Garibaldi would happen to them.The twins had finally decided to keep the secret of what was happening until after Loan’s wedding to Danna. It would be the last happy event for the family for a while, and they didn’t want to ruin it.Noémi knew she had to take advantage of that trip to Lucerne to explain to Levi what was happening, but she never imagined that the most misunderstood half of that story had already reached him in the form of a malicious blogger’s comment.Le
CHAPTER 334. A NAUGHTY GIRL. It's not what you thinkNoémi lifted her twin sister's hair and gently stroked her back as she watched her vomit."I'm sorry... I'm sorry...!""You have nothing to be sorry for," Noémi murmured. "I'll always be here. You come first for me, Chiara, before anyone else in the world. You know that, right?" Chiara nodded as she hugged her and buried her face in the curve of her neck. "And you also know that I don't agree with what you're about to do?"Chiara took a deep breath and wiped away her tears."I know, Noe, but I have to do it because it's the only way to completely close this chapter," she murmured. "I just regret the burden I'm leaving on your shoulders. I really don't want to, Noe... I'm so sorry!"Chiara sobbed, and Noémi felt that heavy knot in her stomach. No one could understand the strong bond between the twins. And while some might spend half their lives fighting, not them. They had always been one, always thinking and feeling as one, for bot