Chapter 12 —Tempted by HellNarrator:Aylin shifted closer on the bench, as if the air between them had suddenly grown thicker.“Can I really ask?” she insisted cautiously, never taking her eyes off him.Roman nodded slowly, wearing that half-smile that seemed to challenge her without words.“Go ahead. Surprise me.”She bit her lower lip, hesitating for just a second before blurting out:“What was she like?”Roman didn't need her to say who she was asking about, or even her name; he knew immediately.He looked up at the sky, as if searching for answers among the stars. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh before speaking.“Miranda... she was complicated. Hard to describe. Too young when she came into my life. Too wild to stay.Aylin looked down at her cup, not wanting to press him, but every word he spoke seemed to be tinged with something darker, more painful.”Sasha misses her a lot," she whispered, as if she couldn't help saying it.Roman let out a dry, humorless

Chapter 14 — Surprise! Narrator: The clock showed he was half an hour late, but Sasha kept looking toward the door expectantly, nervously fiddling with her cutlery. Aylin tried to appear calm, but with every passing minute she felt more tension tightening her chest. When they finally heard the front door open, Sasha jumped up. Roman's footsteps echoed in the hallway before his figure appeared in the dining room doorway, imposing even after a long journey, with an effortless presence that filled the room. Aylin forced herself to remain composed as she stood up alongside Sasha. “Surprise!” exclaimed the teenager, raising her arms with a genuine smile, proud of her small gesture. Roman paused, taken aback for a moment, as if he had not expected any of this. His gaze swept over the perfectly set table, the lit candles, the carefully arranged plates. “What's this?” he asked in a low voice, hoarse from the fatigue of the trip, but full of curiosity. As he hugged his daughter and re

Chapter 16 —Lips on the CupNarrator:Roman didn't pull away completely. He stayed there, leaning over her, his fingers still brushing her chin, as if he were torn between control and disaster. And he lost.Because it was he who closed the distance, who tilted his head, who sealed his mouth over Aylin's with a kiss that was neither gentle nor proper nor prudent. He didn't hold back. Not this time.When his lips touched Aylin's, there was no hesitation or subtlety. It was direct, voracious, as if he had waited too long to taste her and now he wasn't going to leave a single corner unclaimed.The kiss was wet, deep from the first second. Roman's tongue invaded her mouth with such authority as if it belonged to him, setting the pace, exploring her shamelessly, unhurriedly but without giving her room to think. And Aylin... Aylin responded.Because even though her brain was screaming that she should pull away, her body had already made its choice. And it chose to surrender to that mouth tha

Chapter 18 —The Uncomfortable DevilNarrator:The morning dawned heavy.Aylin went downstairs early, determined to pretend that nothing mattered to her. That last night had been just another dinner. That she hadn't stayed up hugging her pillow, repeating to herself that she would never look at Roman Adler as anything more than her boss again.She made coffee, set the table, and sat down with Sasha, who chewed distractedly while looking at her phone.The atmosphere was calm. Almost comfortable. Until disaster struck.Roxanne walked in as if she owned the place, barefoot, disheveled, wearing only one of Roman's white shirts that barely covered her hips. And nothing else. The fabric hugged her curves and left her legs exposed, perfect and tanned, as if she had just come out of a photo shoot.Aylin saw her out of the corner of her eye and felt a cold emptiness in her stomach, but she swallowed hard and looked down at her cup.She wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. Roxanne yawned,

Chapter 20 —I swear you're going to get burnedNarrator:The days passed, but not as Roman Adler had expected.Because Aylin not only kept her distance, she perfected it. She was no longer just cold, she was unreachable.“Good morning, Mr. Adler.” Dry, without looking at him.“Is Sasha back from school yet?”“Yes, she's in her room.” Brief, with a tone so neutral it hurt. And he... got worse and worse.Roman began to look for her without realizing it. He would go into the kitchen when he knew she was there. He would walk through the garden with the most ridiculous excuse possible, just to see if he could find her sitting on the bench. He would cross the hallways more slowly, as if she might appear around any corner.But nothing. Because now Aylin had become an elegant shadow. Present only to do her job, non-existent for everything else.Even at the table, when the three of them were having dinner, she addressed him only when necessary.“Everything okay with Sasha today?” Roman asked o