Milo Hope is trapped in deep depression and hopelessness since the death of his wife. He lives as a synonym for misfortune and sadness, until one night his pain plunges him into an even deeper pit. In a moment of agony, Milo lets himself be carried away by his emotions and meets Maya Hart, the antithesis of his existence. As their relationship grows, Milo begins to question his view of life and finds a ray of hope in his dark world. His relationship with Maya, which begins as if she were his enemy, little by little becomes a deep desire, until they are unable to continue deceiving themselves and give free rein to their passions.
Epigraph
You don't find love, love finds you.
It has a little bit to do with fate, luck
and what's written in the stars.
Anaïs Nin.
Preface
Ariana has remained motionless lying on the bed for what seems like an eternity, although in reality, only a few minutes have passed. Anxiety eats away at me and I despair; however, I try to remain as calm as I can. Deep in my heart, I know that the unwanted talk must be done, and it can't be postponed any longer.
I get up from the recliner, which remains, on one side, of the bed, and squat down next to her to face her; a small tear rolls down her eye, as she tries not to burst into tears. I brush the bangs off her forehead and then place a tender kiss, just like when we were children.
Her skin is smooth to the touch of my lips, I feel her shudder at the tenderness of a simple act.
"I am here, princess; I am with you. You are not alone. "At my words, she takes my hand, cradling it to her chest, and bursts into tears.
I hug her.
Two days ago, the doctor told us that there were no more tests to be done. That all we had to do was wait for the definitive moment. He advised us to go home, to put everything in order and to enjoy our last days together, so we did.
"I'm scared, Milo," she confesses with sadness in her voice. Then he sniffles as he pulls away and meets my gaze. I don't want to die yet.
"I know baby... "I try to be strong and not cry, to be strong for her" "Don't be afraid, I'm here with you. You're not alone.
"I know I'm not alone, but I don't want to leave you either. "She puts her needle" scarred hand on my cheek and looks at me as if the words are piling up on her tongue. Remember all the plans we had? To go to Ireland, to see the Iguazu Falls..." "She pauses for breath before the crying stops her" "to have children.
The tears fall from her beautiful eyes like water in the rainy season, her perfect eyebrows turn red and so does her nose, and then I hug her. I hold her at this moment so hard, so cruel, so merciless. Whoever said that "there is no medicine that cures what happiness cures", lied. Neither the greatest happiness, nor the most advanced medicine, have been able to narrow that bridge between destiny and life for the woman I love.
Now, the only thing left for me to do is to love her and give her the peace she needs in these desperate times. No matter what I feel, no matter the helplessness, the frustration, the pain, the sadness, the only thing that really has priority in my life, in this life, is her, Ariana.
"Don't think about that, love. Don't torture yourself supposing what could have been, reflect on the now. "I take her hands and kiss them gently, "That we are together, that no matter what happens, if there is one thing you must be sure of, it is not tomorrow, but my love for you. Why I loved you even when I barely knew you, I love you despite seeing your scars and I will love you always, even if you are not by my side. Well, even if everything becomes unbearable, you must be sure that at the end of the road, when you look back, you will see that everything you lived, everything you did, the people you helped, the smiles you had, the tears you shed and everything, all the love you gave me was not in vain. You have marked many lives, you have marked my life, sweetheart, forever.
She holds my gaze with hers, she feeds on my words that little by little are soaking into her and transmitting the peace she needs to calm her fears. She needed me to remind her that I love her, not to tell her that she will not die, for she would be lying, and it is inevitable, but to soothe those waves that rise before her calm, she needed me to remind her that, for love, nothing is in vain.
Arya, needs money for her mother's surgery. Ayden, needs a surrogate mother so as not to lose her company. The only requirement is that she never touches him. “Are you a virgin?” “I mean, if a vibrator counts.” She notices how Ayden swallows hard and struggles to pass the water. “Number of sexual partners?” “Well I've only had a couple of dildos, turns out the latex ones are very sturdy” she replies smiling. Ayden stands up in annoyance and breaks the good mood in the room. “This is not a fucking game, Miss Arya” says the millionaire threateningly. “Get out.” “No, wait, I was just kidding” she clarifies seriously. “I said, what, get out!” he punctuates each word and slams the table. Arya, who sees her only chance, shattered, regrets having joked as she did, she never thought it would have such consequences. She walks devastated to the exit without expecting anything, now she doesn't know what to do or whom to turn to. She sees many cabs coming and tries to hail one, but instead a dark-colored Aston Martin pulls up in front of her. It is Ayden Emory. “Get in,” he asks, but she ignores him. “Is she always so hard-headed? Get in or no deal.” The hope that it wasn't all overtakes hold of her, and she gets into the sexy millionaire's car.
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"
On their wedding night, Rogelio wrapped his fingers around Marian's neck and spat at her, "Congratulations! From now on, you live in hell!" The reason for his wrath was that he believed she was responsible for the death of his elder brother. So, he married her but refused to touch her, determined to make her suffer for the rest of her pitiful life! However, due to an unforeseen accident, Marian was forced to sleep with Rogelio in order to save him, and she ended up getting pregnant. Concealing her pregnancy, Marian lived cautiously under Rogelio's watchful eyes. He hated her and relentlessly humiliated her, yet he would never allow anyone else to lay a finger on her— "Mr. Bailey, your wife got into a fight with someone!" Rogelio secretly took action, eliminating that person completely. "Sir, your wife claimed that all of your family's wealth belongs to her!" Rogelio quietly transferred all the shares to her. Unaware of all this, Marian only wanted to escape, but Rogelio pulled her into his warm embrace, whispering, "Mrs. Bailey, where do you intend to go with our unborn child?"
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?