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
CHAPTER 335. A NAUGHTY GIRL. A Lady and a GentlemanNoémi's eyes flashed with anger, and the echo of that slap echoed throughout the house as she clenched her fist because her palm was still hurting."Don't mistake my kindness for weakness," she hissed. "I let whoever I want disrespect me, and you are the last person on Earth who can do that because I gave you more than I've ever given any man in my life."She turned her back and walked out. She couldn't talk to him any more at that moment because if she allowed another word to leave her mouth, she would end up crying or regretting it, and neither of those two things was part of her character.Noémi knew two things that no one else knew: the first was that this would be the last time her sister would be with her family for a long time. And the second was that she couldn't force words into ears that didn't want to hear.She went home, got ready for Loan's wedding, and that afternoon, she did nothing but attend to her family and take c
CHAPTER 336. A NAUGHTY GIRL. Through the StormTwenty-four hours. Noémi gave herself twenty-four hours to cry because, deep down, she was human too. She went to the airport, watched Levi and Peter board that flight, and accepted, because she had no other choice, that her path and Levi’s would separate. She accepted that there was nothing she could do to change it and confirmed what she had always believed: that it wasn't healthy to mix the heart with the bed, and vice versa.She wiped away her tears and braced herself for the coming months because she knew they wouldn't be easy. Chiara and she tried to keep the family as far away from the truth as possible. Her sister’s lawyer managed to arrange a completely private trial, and John’s desperation ensured that the media didn’t catch wind of it.Then came the statements. John’s attempts to discredit her. Chiara taking on a blame that wasn’t hers, and renouncing everything she had. Watching her sister sign away the remaining assets to av
CHAPTER 337. A NAUGHTY GIRL. We did it!She nodded and closed her eyes, falling asleep for a little while.For Noémi, it was difficult to see her sister, especially knowing she didn’t deserve to be in that situation, but there was nothing she could do—only wait for Chiara to serve her sentence. Nino had pulled strings and powerful contacts to have her transferred to Switzerland with the utmost discretion, so at least she was close.“Are they treating you well here?” Noémi asked the next day as she sat on the small terrace, sipping a coffee.“Yes, Viktor takes care of me as if I were the baby,” her sister murmured with a sigh. “I thought I’d miss seeing people, talking to others, working... but I don’t, Noe.”“Don’t you miss me?” her twin pouted.“Of course I do, and I miss our brothers and nephews... and Mom and Dad.” For a second, her eyes welled up, but she shook her head to keep the tears at bay. “But that’s not what I mean. The life I had—I don’t miss that. The other day, Viktor
CHAPTER 338. A NAUGHTY GIRL. An incredible seasonLevi had already been to Oslo, and he loved it; in the end, he was a creature of the cold, and wherever there was snow, that was his place.Mr. Larsen welcomed him with a level of hospitality Levi had never dreamed of. He took him on a tour of the city to show him the most beautiful places in Oslo, and then they headed to the ski team’s facilities, where Levi could see firsthand the impressive equipment they would have for the upcoming season.Larsen had purchased an entire mansion for his son’s team, located on a hill, surrounded by trees, near the professional track where they would train. The house was stunning and had every comfort the teenagers could want: starting with a fully equipped gym and a massive indoor pool. The rooms were spacious and cozy, each with its own bathroom, high ceilings, stone fireplaces, carved wooden furniture, and wool rugs.For Levi, there was a house with its own entrance in the right wing of the mansio
CHAPTER 339. A NAUGHTY GIRL. Wedding NewsThe mansion’s living room began to fill with trophies very quickly. Precisely, Oskar Larsen had come to celebrate one of the latest achievements and invited Levi to sit on the terrace for some drinks while the boys prepared a barbecue."Here. This is a special gift," he said, placing an envelope in front of him.Levi opened it curiously and found a check with a substantial bonus and a pair of open airline tickets for him and the baby."It’s to thank you for everything you’ve done for us. I had confidence in the boys; they’re good, but I never imagined that in just five months, you could lead them to Gold in a national competition. You truly are a great athlete," Larsen assured him. "Use the tickets to travel wherever you want. The boys already have theirs, and I think they’re deciding where they’ll go. Isak!" he called to his son, who came running over. "Have you already decided where you’re going?"The boy smiled nervously."To Cancún. We al