Chapter 22The next morning, Patrícia woke to the soft sunlight filtering through the half-open curtains. She blinked a few times, her body feeling lazy and her mind still hazy from the events of the night before. Augusto’s kiss was still fresh in her memory, as was the warmth that had rushed through her body when she felt his intensity.Sighing, she pushed the sheets aside and got up. She couldn’t waste time thinking about that. She had an appointment with him and had no intention of being late. She went to the bathroom, took a quick shower, and put on something comfortable—jeans and a blue silk blouse. She tied her hair into a low bun and finished with a soft perfume.In the room next door, Augusto had been awake for some time. His sleep had been light, disturbed by conflicting thoughts about Patrícia and what had happened between them. He tried to convince himself that the kiss had been nothing more than a moment of weakness, a reflection of the loneliness he had felt after so long

Chapter 24The following morning, Patrícia was already ready in the mansion’s gym when Augusto walked in, wearing a training T-shirt and athletic pants. His steps were steadier, but he still relied on a cane. She noticed that, with the daily workouts, he was already showing signs of improvement, and that pleased her."Ready for another productive day?" she asked with a challenging smile.He let out a light snort, adjusting his posture."As long as you don’t make me run a marathon, little treasure."She laughed and stepped closer, handing him a pair of light dumbbells."Let’s start with a bit of resistance. Just a few repetitions."Augusto took the weights and began lifting them according to her guidance. At first, everything was fine, but after a series of exercises, his body began to show signs of exhaustion. Sweat ran down his forehead, and his breathing grew heavy."I think that’s enough for today," he said, trying to hide his fatigue as he placed the weights on the floor.Patrícia

Chapter 26Inside the car, Patrícia fidgeted with her fingers distractedly while looking out the window. Augusto, attentive to the smallest details, noticed her nervousness and frowned.“Is something wrong?”She took a deep breath before answering.“I had a little problem with your car today.”He narrowed his eyes, curious.“My car? What happened?”She bit her lip, hesitant.“A man ran a red light and hit the car’s taillight. The light broke.”His expression grew serious, but before she could justify herself, Augusto asked, concerned,“And you? Are you okay? Were you hurt?”“No, I’m fine. It wasn’t anything serious.”He relaxed his shoulders, relieved.“That’s good. The car is the least of it. I was already thinking about replacing it anyway.”She looked at him, surprised by his calm reaction. A gentle warmth spread through her when Augusto took her hand, caressing it affectionately.“I’m glad it wasn’t anything worse. If something had happened to you…” He paused, gently squeezing her

Chapter 28Augusto walked into the living room unhurriedly, heading straight for the cabinet where he kept his drinks. Patrícia had thought he would go upstairs to the bedroom, but realized he was heading in another direction. Something inside her told her that the conversation was not over yet.Barefoot, holding her shoes in her hands, she followed him. She stopped at the doorway and watched him pour himself a glass of wine. His eyes were focused on the dark liquid, which he gently swirled in the glass before bringing it to his lips.He sensed her presence before even looking. When he finally raised his eyes, he met his wife’s distant gaze.“You should be sleeping,” he commented, taking a sip of wine.Patrícia gave a faint, humorless smile.“So should you.”He raised an eyebrow and gestured subtly toward the bottle.“I prefer to end the night like this.”She hesitated for a moment, then walked over to the sofa and sat down, placing her shoes on the floor beside her.“Still thinking a

Chapter 30His fingers slid to her center, already wet. His skilled fingers massaged her with a torturous slowness, sending a shiver through her that made her arch her back.“Ahh…” The moan escaped before she could stop it.“I barely touched you, darling…” Augusto growled, but the words died in his throat when he found the right spot: that swollen knot, pulsing beneath his fingers. She shuddered, a breath caught on her lips, and he knew exactly what to do.He gave her all the pleasure she was asking for. Every movement calculated, every firm circle, until her moans grew louder, more desperate. He was hard, his balls heavy with need, but nothing mattered except her body surrendering.“That’s it, darling… fill my ears.” His voice was rough, commanding.She tried to answer, but her body betrayed her first. Hypnotized, Augusto watched as she came undone: violent tremors, cries muffled by the echo of the bathroom, until, slowly, everything dissolved into hoarse sighs.After a few moments,