CHAPTER 685. RED PROMISE. A VerdictAinara held her breath. This was something she hadn’t expected—perhaps because she was used to Senator Rosso going to great lengths to erase any trace of her existence or their relationship. It didn’t surprise her at all that he had paid off a detective to halt the investigation. However, the rest of the police department, now exposed by the video, seemed to care deeply.“Do you think he’ll try something against us?” Ainara asked through clenched teeth.“We don’t know,” the detective admitted. “What we do know is that he’s facing criminal charges and will lose his Senate seat. Desperate people are capable of doing anything foolish.” He sighed. “I think we’ve just proven that.”Mauro gave a subtle nod of agreement, aware that his Uncle Jhon was prepared to mobilize whoever was necessary to protect them. The detective said his goodbyes, leaving them alone.“Don’t worry, babe. I’m not going to let anything happen to you or our little one. Got it?” Maur
CHAPTER 686. RED PROMISE. The End of a ChapterFor Ainara, it wasn’t good news, bad news, or any kind of news at all. She had never seen Senator Rosso’s son as her brother—not even her half-brother—and the fact that he was contacting her after the scandal had come to light was clearly no coincidence. The question remained: what were this man’s intentions?“He wants to meet,” she murmured with a sigh, and Mauro stiffened.“You can say no. You know you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he told her.“I know, but I thought… I don’t know. I think I’d rather know what I’m dealing with. If his intention is to hurt me somehow, I’d prefer to face him and figure it out sooner rather than later,” she declared.Mauro wrapped her in a powerful hug and kissed her head gently.“Alright, we’ll do it your way. Just promise me you’ll let me be there when you see him. I couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to you—do you understand?”She nodded slowly. While Mauro returned to thei
CHAPTER 687. RED PROMISE. A Family MadnessAny other woman in her position would have jumped for joy. It wasn’t every day that a Keller got down on one knee to propose. But Ainara wasn’t the type to make a scene over something like that—because a wedding meant little to her when she already had a marriage that felt entirely real.Her eyes welled up with tears for a beautiful moment, and she stepped back to look Mauro up and down with a sigh that was nothing short of coquettish.“I’ve got to admit it: I never thought I’d actually see you down there, pretty boy,” she whispered.“I never thought I’d get the chance,” he sighed, though his voice trembled with hope. “The first time was all protocol, doll, but now I want to do this right, and I want to do it for real. I love you, and I want the chance to repeat the promise I made to you, this time loud enough that any of my brothers, cousins, uncles, parents—anyone in the family—will have every justification to shoot me if I ever lose focus.
CHAPTER 688. "AND THIS IS NOT OVERTHE BEGINNING OF A NEW STORYLoan Keller hadn’t lied. He really had half of the Champs-Élysées shut down, and it turned out to be one of the most spectacular weddings the family had ever seen. The event was especially memorable because the bride decided against wearing white. Instead, Mauro nearly drooled when he saw her walking toward him, hand in hand with their daughter, draped in that stunning, coquettish red dress—so striking, so very her.Ainara reached his side and took his hand with a sincere smile. For the first time, her heart felt at peace when she heard him repeat the words that had once made her trust someone for the first time in her life."My vows are short, baby doll, because you’re right: promises are too powerful for a speech. So, I’m just going to repeat what I told you so many years ago, and this time, I’ll keep it. I’ll love you until my last breath." Saying that, he slid a gorgeous ruby ring onto her finger. "Red, like promises,"
CHAPTER 689. IN MY NEXT LIFE. SYNOPSISThere was nothing wrong with not falling in love. Peter Ferguson reminded himself of this every day, especially whenever reporters asked about his personal life and gave him concerned looks when he said he didn’t have a partner. No one understood that snow and extreme sports were his true passion, and that he had never accepted any commitment that could take him away from the slopes.But love comes when you least expect it, when you least want it, and sometimes, tragically, when it’s no longer meant for you. The problem isn’t falling for a woman who seems tailor-made for him; the problem is that this woman can no longer love him.The problem is not arriving at the right moment.The problem is knowing the love of your life is no longer yours. But perhaps, just perhaps, in the next life, they’ll be able to find each other again… in time.CHAPTER 1: A Dangerous DealIf there was anyone in the world who was even-tempered and adaptable, it was Peter
CHAPTER 690. IN MY NEXT LIFE. Something Worse Than an AvalancheIt wasn’t flirtation—perhaps that was the worst part. What oozed from that woman’s every pore was determination.Peter frowned as he watched her take a step back. If she wanted to seduce him, pulling away from physical contact wasn’t exactly the best strategy. But instead, the woman walked to the window and gazed at the towering snow-covered peaks that were the true stars of the Winter Games.“I know you’re one of the few people who’ve skied down Skatgan Peak,” she commented. Peter’s brow furrowed.“That was back when I was young, sexy, and reckless—once or twice,” he replied, intrigued, since not many people asked about that.“So now you’re just reckless?” she shot back, raising an arched, playful brow. Peter nearly gave her a murderous glare.“Why are you so interested in Skatgan Peak?” he snapped. “It’s far too dangerous. No competitions are allowed there because it’s too risky. No legal sport can be practiced there, a
CHAPTER 691. IN MY NEXT LIFE. Alone in the StormKim felt every fiber of her being trembling as she ran desperately behind Peter. She knew Skatgan Peak was dangerous, but of all the things she’d considered before making the trip, it had never once occurred to her to check the weather.“Peter... Peter, what is that?!” she screamed, but she knew the wind was so strong around them that he couldn’t hear her.Peter yanked her forward violently, and Kim realized they weren’t heading up or down but sideways, trying to traverse the mountain to the nearest pass. It was like a narrow gap between two rocky elevations—a small area with some shelter.Peter wasn’t reckless enough to climb a dangerous spot without backup options. However, he hadn’t expected to stay so long or for the storm to strike so quickly.All they could do was keep moving until they made it back to the snowmobiles—and from there, things got much more complicated.Kim froze when she saw Peter furiously kick one of the snowmobil
CHAPTER 692. IN MY NEXT LIFE. Trapped"Nothing’s going to happen to us," Peter assured her with a sigh, though deep down, that was just what he hoped. "This cabin is built to withstand worse situations. A storm hits Skatgan Peak every two or three weeks, so don’t worry," he muttered through clenched teeth. The truth was, unfortunately, no one could truly prepare for something like this.The cabin was certainly equipped for such situations, and more, but that wasn’t the real problem. The issue was that a storm could last hours—or days.“Damn it! This could be a total disaster!” he growled in frustration, knowing that if the storm dragged on, he wouldn’t make it to his second Winter Games event.He paced the cabin, running his hands through his hair in frustration, then turned to the girl huddled in a corner.“Come on, get up from there. You’re completely soaked, and so am I. The last thing we need right now is for either of us to get sick.”Peter grabbed some clothes from one of the sh