CHAPTER 632. RED PROMISE. A ProfessionalAinara was dazed. Maybe it was just a pleasant dream induced by the anesthesia. Perhaps the way Mauro was holding her hand was nothing more than one of those alternate universes where he hadn’t turned out to be the complete jerk who cheated on her and called her a “prostitute” without even giving her a chance to explain.Because unfortunately, if anything was seared into her memory even after ten years, it was the image of Charmaine naked on her bed.“You’re not dead,” she whispered, and Mauro leaned in with concern, thinking she was rambling. “You’re not dead. I’d be your damned paradise, and you don’t deserve that.”And in that instant, any romantic illusion shattered. Mauro’s smile turned sarcastic and dangerous, and Ainara took as deep a breath as she could, knowing she was stepping into her new reality as this man’s captive.“I’m glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor,” he said, releasing her hand and leaning back in the chair.
CHAPTER 633. RED PROMISE. A Difficult WomanHe had met her on the street—one of those streets in Zurich where rich kids went to race their expensive cars. Traffic was minimal, and the police patrolling the city’s grittier areas were easily bribed.Mauro had seen her—uncomfortable, nervous, even curt. She didn’t let boys her age approach her. Although she was stunningly beautiful, her sharp, defiant demeanor revealed a deep mistrust or perhaps a lack of refinement.Later, he found out more about her after following her to a building not far from there. Ainara Jáuregui was the daughter of immigrants, at least on her mother’s side. She had never known her father and attended a public school where kids were practically frisked to ensure they weren’t carrying weapons.Abrasive, distrustful, always ready for a fight. But even so, she had the kindest heart in the world, and that was what made Mauro fall for her completely. It took six months and all his willpower to win her over because she
CHAPTER 634. RED PROMISE. The Same SceneMauro clenched his teeth in frustration as he stared into the deep, dark eyes of that woman. Twenty-six years old, with the eyes of a general and the temperament of a mercenary. She had always been tough, but over the past decade, she seemed to have grown less emotional, colder—like nothing could unbalance her."Did you also demand lab tests from Senator Rosso?" he asked sarcastically, convinced that the relationship that had started when she was just a girl had persisted for years."No, I didn’t have to demand them from him," Ainara retorted, pulling free of his grasp and flashing him a sarcastic smile. "But you know my conditions. Now, master, may I go rest, or do you need anything else?"The new magnate of sports medicine let out a low growl of anger and turned toward the door. But before he could grasp the handle, the soft voice of the woman behind him stopped him in his tracks."Mauro!" she called from the large glass window overlooking t
CHAPTER 635. RED PROMISE. A High-Standard ServiceSaying his breath hitched in one sharp jolt was an understatement. Ainara’s body had changed significantly in ten years—her curves had filled out, her skin was taut and warm over soft muscle. She was solid, a woman. Mauro couldn’t quite define it, but maybe that was the word: she had become a woman. And in her eyes, there wasn’t a shred of the innocence he once believed he had fallen in love with.She wore a small red nightgown that didn’t aim to seduce, but even so, Mauro couldn’t stop that damned image from surfacing in his mind—the photo of the prostitute in red from the website…“Damn it!” he growled, taking slow steps toward her with a silent denial. A second later, his mouth crashed onto Ainara’s, tearing her nightgown apart without hesitation.She was sweet and bitter at once. The memories hurt, and yet the desire was stronger than him. Ainara’s skin burned against his, and Mauro’s hands gripped her hips possessively as he plun
CHAPTER 636. RED PROMISE. CuriosityAinara held her breath but refused to let herself be intimidated. Mauro might know where she had gone, but not what she had done—because in over ten years, not even the best investigators had been able to uncover exactly what she did when she visited that place.Taking a deep breath, she walked past him, patting his shoulder as if it didn’t matter, and packed a small suitcase. She was ready in under ten minutes. Despite being furious to the brink, Mauro remained gentlemanly enough to help her into the SUV.She could see it in his eyes: he wanted to strangle her with his bare hands. But he was too well-mannered to do it, reserving such outbursts for only the most intimate and dangerous moments.Almost three hours later, he left her at a luxury hotel in the heart of the capital city and departed to meet with the person in charge of the new hospital construction project.Ainara quickly settled in and fell asleep. The next morning, it didn’t surprise h
CHAPTER 637. RED PROMISE. Take NotesMauro would never have believed himself capable of such indignation until the following day, when he saw yet another massive charge on his credit card—over five thousand francs in one go. Although it didn’t hurt him financially and he wasn’t about to make the mistake of asking Ainara what she was spending it on, it gnawed at him that she wasn’t holding back at all. Not even pretending to behave or—at the very least—making it less obvious that this was a transaction.He called the number she had given him, and she answered immediately.“Mauro?”“I came back late last night and was gentlemanly enough to let you rest,” he hissed, irritation lacing his tone. “But since it’s obvious you’ve done so already, tell the driver to bring you to my office. I need you to take care of me.”The silence on the other end was profound but brief, broken only by a response that sounded like it was trying not to be too... amused.“I’m on my way.”Mauro blinked slowly.
CHAPTER 638. RED PROMISE. A Painful RevelationMauro looked toward the place with a curious expression, peeking inside only to see Ainara distributing toys among the children and handing a box of supplies to the teachers. It looked like there was a party at the little school, and despite everything, Ainara was trying not to be the center of attention.He observed her for a while, and when the driver returned with another load, Mauro even helped carry half the boxes inside.Ainara didn’t say anything when she saw him there—not even a flicker of surprise or alarm—and when they were done, she said her goodbyes and walked alongside him down the long street bordering the school grounds.“Interesting choice for spending my money,” Mauro murmured, and Ainara smiled dismissively, shaking her head in playful reproach.“Well, as you say, you have plenty of money. Think of it as me helping you. From now on, I’ll make sure you do charity like a good little boy,” she sighed.“My company already h
CHAPTER 639. RED PROMISE. Truths“Who told you?!” Ainara hissed. “Was it the same woman who jumped into your bed at the first chance she got?”Mauro ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head angrily.“I saw you, Ainara! I saw you with my own eyes! I saw you with Rosso! Or are you going to deny it?” he shot back. “And I’m not stupid. I know the conditions you lived in, and if your mother was sick, I can’t even imagine it. But I also remember you never wanted to accept a single franc from me! Instead, you took it from Rosso, from Lugh, from Cassiel—”Ainara stepped back as if he’d slapped her.“Excuse me?! Are you saying I was also sleeping with Lugh and Cassiel... your friends?” she shouted, exasperated.“No, not with them. But I know they paid you to sleep with me!” Mauro retorted. “I know they paid you to take away my ‘goodness’ and my ‘virginity’! And hell, they must have paid you a lot because I know I took your virginity too!” he growled. Ainara looked into his eyes as if s