Celina saw those defined, muscular abs glistening with water droplets. She couldn't help but stare. He was handsome. Too handsome for the situation he was in. And that... that was strange.

She stood up, still stunned, and noticed his reddened shoulder. She took a step toward him, concerned, but tripped over the leg of an old table in the room. Before she could fall, he held her firmly.

His dark eyes watched her closely, studying every detail of her face.

Celina stared at him for a few seconds. There was something about that man that intrigued her. A silent and dangerous magnetism. Maybe it was the drink. Maybe it was despair.

Then he kissed her. A possessive, intense kiss, as if he wanted to devour her whole.

The atmosphere between them heated up, and Celina responded. She wanted that moment as much as he did.

She broke the kiss, panting.

"This can't happen... it's crazy. I don't even know who you are. Not even your name…”

"I don't know yours either," he replied, kissing her even more intensely.

Then Celina said:

"I want you!"

"Are you sure about that?" he said hoarsely against her skin.

Celina closed her eyes and smiled slightly.

"You can rest assured. I'm an adult, I'm not drunk, and I know exactly what I'm doing."

He looked at her for a moment, then smiled contentedly.

"Great!”

His fingers slid down Celina's body until they found the zipper of her dress. Slowly, he pulled it down, letting the fabric slide down her curves until it fell in a circle of silk around her feet.

She wasn't naked.

Underneath her dress, she wore luxurious lingerie, a black lace set that perfectly outlined her curves.

His eyes scanned every inch of her exposed skin, as if he were looking at a heavenly vision.

"You're beautiful!"

Celina felt a shiver run down her spine. He knew exactly what to say, as if each word had been carefully chosen to make her feel desired.

And it worked.

With a firm movement, he pulled her by the waist, pressing their bodies together. Then, without warning, he took her lips in a kiss that made her whole body tremble.

It was intense, deep, overwhelming.

Celina felt her legs weaken as he deepened the kiss, dominating every space, every sensation.

His fingers traced her bare back, holding her firmly before lifting her onto his lap. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling the strength and warmth of his body against hers.

He smiled against her lips.

"I know how to be gentle," he whispered.

With steady steps, he carried her to the bed in the center of the room, laying her gently on the sheets.

There, under the dim light of the city and rocked by desire, they surrendered to pleasure with lust and intensity.

At one point, he caressed her face and said:

"Why you? Why, of all the women who have been in my bed, are you different?"

Celina found it strange coming from him, but she shivered, feeling a chill run through her skin. He slid his hand across her face, caressing her gently. Then he kissed her, a kiss that made her legs tremble, a kiss that burned her skin and left her breathless. And then he whispered in her ear, with that hoarse voice full of desire:

"You drive me crazy, you know that?"

He kissed her again, and the two surrendered themselves to each other once more in an overwhelming embrace.

Nothing else existed.

No pain. No betrayal.

Just the moment.

Light streamed through the window, filtering the dawn light and gently illuminating the room. The São Paulo sky displayed shades of orange mixed with the soft blue of early morning, and the city began to wake up below her.

Celina woke up slowly, feeling disoriented, her head throbbing. The previous night's drinking was still having an effect. She blinked a few times, trying to get her bearings. She slowly turned her face to the side and felt her heart skip a beat. She saw that man sleeping soundly beside her.

His broad chest rose and fell in slow, steady breaths. The sheet covered the lower part of his body, but left exposed the warm, tattooed skin of his arm, resting under his head in a carefree gesture, as if nothing in the world could disturb him.

Even as he slept, an intense, almost dangerous aura emanated from him.

Celina swallowed hard, feeling a whirlwind of emotions all at once.

She sat up quickly in bed, clutching the sheet against her body, as if she desperately needed a barrier between herself and the previous night.

"What have I done?" she whispered softly.

Her heart was pounding. She tried to remember every detail, forcing her mind to retrieve fragments of the previous night, but everything seemed shrouded in a confusing fog. She remembered herself at the bar, the accident, the tension between them, the seductive words of that man, the growing desire.

Warm lips exploring her body. Heavy breathing mixed with the dim light. The firm touch of skilled hands running over her skin.

After that... disconnected flashes, everything was a tangle of confusing fragments.

Celina's chest rose and fell heavily. She had never done anything like this before. Never.

She ran her hand over her face, feeling her hot skin.

"My God... what madness was that?"

The whisper escaped her lips, laden with guilt and despair.

Carefully, she slid the sheet around her body and sat on the edge of the bed. Her feet touched the cold floor, awakening her even more to reality.

She got up slowly, walking toward the clothes scattered on the floor.

Feeling her face burn, she quickly picked everything up and went into the bathroom, locking herself inside.

She rested her hands on the sink and looked up at the mirror. The reflection stared back at her like a cruel reminder of the night before.

Her green eyes were marked by fatigue, her red lipstick faded on her lips, her hair slightly disheveled.

"Look at yourself, Celina," she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. "What have you done with your life?"

Celina felt a lump in her throat.

The silence of the bathroom echoed her unanswered question.

She got dressed quickly, avoiding looking at herself in the mirror too much, ignoring the tightness in her chest. She didn't want to face that man again. She didn't want to talk, she didn't want to prolong that awkward morning.

She just wanted to leave.

She opened the bathroom door slowly, peeking to see if he was still asleep.

Yes, he was still lying there sleeping.

Even asleep, there was something about him that exuded danger.

A mystery she would never unravel.

And maybe that was for the best.

Celina took a piece of paper from her bag and scribbled a message in her hurried handwriting:

"This is enough to pay for the hotel."

She placed the note on the bedside table, took a deep breath, and left the room quietly, carrying her shoes in her hands.

As cruel as it was, reality was waiting for her outside.

It was time to face her own life again.

Alone.