Outside the Genovese house, a black car pulled up. Janet made an appearance in a black, floor-length gown.

She had her golden hair elegantly tied up in a bun, and her diamond earrings were gleaming in her ears.

The scarlet carpet guided her to the door, and her eyes widened as she observed the elite gathering within. A girl approached her with a tray of masks, and Janet chose a silver one.

“Thanks!” Smiling, she donned the mask and joined the party. “Just finish your job and get out of this madness!” She said in her heart. “God, I hope I don’t bump into anyone from the past.”

Standing under the opulent golden chandelier, she surveyed the room for Sebastian, but he was nowhere to be found. The lights slowly dimmed, and as Janet turned to look for him, she came face-to-face with the hypnotizing black eyes.

“Are you looking for me?” Sebastian stepped forward.

“We need to talk!”

Sebastian snaked his arms around Janet’s waist, pulling her close to him, and she felt his warm breath on her neck as he spoke. “Let’s loosen up with a dance before getting serious.”

“Seb!” Janet tried to push him.

“Please!” His gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth left Janet feeling weak in the knees. “Don’t say no.”

Janet stared into his eyes in the dim light. As the music played, other couples joined them, and Janet allowed Sebastian to sway her.

His hands on her bare waist sent shivers down her spine, reigniting the passion they once shared. “God, I missed you so much!”

Janet pressed her lips in a straight line. The old memories also revived the agony she went through because of him.

Clutching his wrist, she forcefully led him away from the exuberant dancing circle and up the stairs.

Sebastian had a wide grin on his face as he allowed her to lead him into the room. Janet locked the door and turned to him.

“We need to talk!” All she wanted was to inform him about the Chief’s plan and get out of the place.

“I know what you want to say!” He took off his white mask.

Janet widened her eyes. “You know?”

“Yes!” His thumb grazed her lips, smearing her red lipstick.

Janet’s heart raced as his hooded eyes locked onto hers, and he leaned in for a kiss. “I know you will slowly burn down the bridge you created between us. I know my sweet Janet will come back to me.”

Janet frowned. She was about to argue, but he interrupted her with a kiss.

At first, she resisted him, but eventually succumbed to his arms. “Do you remember this room?”

Janet cast her eyes around the room. The room was a repository of their memories, and she couldn’t help but shed tears as she looked at every corner. “I miss you so much, Janet!” He breathed quietly, wiping her tears.

She cupped his face and kissed him, forgetting their enmity and leaving the past behind. This time around, they were Janet and Sebastian, the couple in love, not the cop and the mafia.

She felt Sebastian’s warm embrace and the soft touch of his lips on her collarbone. They were lost in each other’s company when a sudden gunshot pierced the air.

Cara made it to the hospital and rushed over to Janet. Her heart was thumping loudly, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

“How’s Keith?” Her eyes traveled to Sebastian behind Janet. “D-did you hurt him?”

“Calm down, Cara!” Janet tried to comfort her. “He didn’t hurt Keith!”

“Please, where is he?” Holding back her tears, she asked again. Sebastian pointed to the closed door behind Cara, and she turned on her heels to meet him.

She noticed him perched on the hospital bed. “Cara!” Keith was taken aback when he saw her, and she hurried towards him. As she saw his arm wrapped in a bandage, tears rolled down her cheek.

“What happened to you?” She asked in a choked voice.

“I dodged the bullet. It brushed past my arm.” Keith smiled. “I am fine!” As he took her hand and made her sit on the bed, she immediately hugged him and began to cry hysterically in his arms.

“Cara, I am fine!”

Her cries echoed through the room as Keith gently pulled her arms away to console her. “What’s wrong? Are you not happy to see me alive?” He chuckled, and Cara looked up at him. Her bloodshot eyes were enough to shut him up.

“What’s wrong, baby?” He cupped her face.

“I don’t want to lose you!” She said as he wiped her tears. “I don’t want to be alone again.” Keith smiled, but his breath caught in his throat at her next word.

“I love you!”

~ CARA ~

After a week of recovery, Keith was finally feeling well enough to go out, so we headed to Club Desire, my former workplace.

“Let’s dance?” Keith snaked his arm around my waist as we hit the dance floor. He kissed the back of my hand and pulled me close to his body.

I never took my eyes off him. I still couldn’t comprehend that this exquisite man was exclusively mine. The song echoed, and the bodies rhythmically swayed with a tempting allure.

I rested my head against his chest when suddenly his hand snaked around my stomach and pressed me against his hard chest. I felt his feathery lips on the crook of my neck, and heat pooled between my thighs.

I had never experienced such a feeling, sensation, and excitement before, and I was eager to delve deeper into it.

Keith’s rough hand moved slowly down my arm, and as he reached my hand, he intertwined our fingers, and then he leaned in and bit my earlobe.

I couldn’t help but shiver as his hot breath fanned my neck. His hard cock was poking from behind, and I knew he wanted me to, but I didn’t know what was stopping him from claiming me.

Suddenly, Keith spun me around and locked his lips with mine. I yearned for him to ravage my mouth, yet he kept a safe distance from me, taking a deep breath.

As a light crossed his face, I saw his hooded eyes, and it reminded me of the kiss I shared with a stranger in the dark alley.

Suddenly, everything felt wrong, and I snapped out of Keith’s hold. The zealous moment emerged again in the back of my head.

I stepped back a few paces, blending into the increasingly dense crowd, and made my way to the bar.

I suspected my mind was deceiving me or that the alcohol was influencing me, because, in my sober state, I couldn’t possibly feel devoted to the stranger.

I quickly downed my drink and requested another.

However, even after another drink, the memories of his expert hands sliding around my waist and pressing me against his toned chest remained.

“Kiss me back!” His resonant and authoritative voice reverberated in my thoughts.

~ KEITH ~

“Are you okay, babe?” I watched Cara getting wasted at the bar. She was startled by my voice at first and slowly smiled.

“Yes!” Her voice was sluggish.

“Let’s go back home!” I reached out to hold her hand, but she pulled away.

“No!! I want to stay.”

“Enough fun for a day. Let’s go back home. Milo must be waiting for you.” I took hold of her hand, and we made our way out of the club. A limousine came into our view to pick us up. “Let’s go!”

Cara rubbed her eyes and squinted to see better. “This is not your car. You don’t drive a limousine!”

I sighed, realizing that despite her being intoxicated, her level of consciousness remained unimpaired. Since we were both drunk, I had no choice but to call my chauffeur to bring the car.

“I’ve hired this car for you!” I came up with a lie quickly, and she responded with a charming smile, wrapping her arms around my shoulder.

“Oh, Keith! You are the best boyfriend. Thank you for coming into my life!” She gave me a quick peck on the lips.

The chauffeur opened the door of the backseat and her eyes widened. “You hired a chauffeur as well! You’re so amazing!”

The next morning,

With a gentle yawn, Cara woke up from her princess dream. As she looked around, a smile spread across her face, and she felt content.

From the moment she confessed her feelings to Keith, their relationship took on a new turn. Keith was the best boyfriend. He looked after her every need and lavished her with all the attention she could ask for.

Cara was smiling at her dreamy reality.

For four long years, she yearned for love, warmth, affinity, trust, and peace, and finally, her prayers were answered when Keith came into her life, and she was immensely grateful to God for this blessing.

She wished for nothing more than to spend her life in his loving embrace. Cara believed Keith was the one God sent to protect her from the devils of her past, and Alfred Doyle won’t hurt her anymore.

But little did she know it was just the beginning of the darker turn in her story, and her confession to Keith had already marked the beginning of the twist.

A ping on her phone snapped her out of her train of thought, and a smile spread across her face as she read Keith’s text.

“I experienced the most amazing shower of my life last night! (wink)”

Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment at the memory of their hot shower.

Keith was at work when he received a call from his father. “Keith, you’re having lunch with us!” His father said in an authoritative voice.

“Is everything all right? Because I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“It’s important! I won’t take no for an answer.” His father said.

“Then I guess I have no choice!” Keith ended the call. He dropped a text to Cara with a sigh, informing her that he couldn’t make it to lunch.

He arrived at Wilson’s house an hour later and was warmly welcomed by his charming mother. “How are you, son?” They settled on the couch. His father appeared as well and took a seat across from him.

“I’m good!” He answered. “So, what’s the purpose of this urgent meeting?” He turned to his father.

“Genelia is back!”

“Well, that’s great news!” Keith smiled.

His father smiled. “Now that she is back, it’s high time for you to get married!”

Keith knitted his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“You guys should get to know each other better and date for a while before getting married.”

“Excuse me? I don’t understand what you are talking about!” Keith asked, puzzled.

“We’ve fixed Genelia and your wedding!” His father smiled, and Keith clenched his jaw.

“Without asking me?” He raised an eyebrow.

“What is there to ask you?” His father countered. “Aren’t you single after Natalie? What’s the problem with meeting new girls?”

Keith abruptly stood up, completely oblivious to Genelia standing on the staircase behind him. “I’m in a relationship! I can’t marry Genelia.” He stated, and his father’s glare turned into a heated gaze.

“So, the news is right, you’re dating a waitress these days.” He snorted.

“Yes!”

“Get rid of her! A waitress can’t be the daughter-in-law of the Wilson family!” His father declared with conviction.

Keith had a notion of such a response from his family. He let out a deep breath and stood up.

“Then I believe you have to disown me. I won’t leave Cara. Goodbye!” He said and walked out on them, leaving the room in silence.

Two weeks later | Mexico

Aries was perusing the scant information available online about Shane Glazier.

The man was loved by the masses for his generosity. He established job openings and oversaw various philanthropic foundations that aid those in need.

His passing was an unfortunate event, and his death moved the masses to tears. Aries let out a deep sigh and flung his phone onto the desk as he heard a knock on his door.

“Come in!”

Mike walked inside with files in his hand.

“Tell me!” Aries looked up at him.

“Alfred Doyle is not to be trusted. Something happened four years ago.”

Mike’s tone became earnest. “One of my men reported that Alfred Doyle had murdered a girl. The veracity of this lead is still uncertain. But the death of Shane Glazier caused a sudden change in the lifestyle of the Glazier family and Alfred Doyle.”

“For instance?” Aries grew curious.

“Shane Glazier was a very private person. The internet holds scarce details about his personal life. His wife and daughter were kept under strict security. Only a select few have seen his wife and daughter.”

Aries raised his eyebrows in response to Mike’s words.

“Following his death, his wife and daughter have been consistently featured in the entertainment section of the media. And Alfred Doyle always accompanied them. Also, all the close staff members working with Shane Glazier were fired by Cynthia Glazier. It’s a daunting task to trace those employees. Almost half a decade has passed.”

“So, what do you suggest?”

“It’s best if you step down from this collaboration. This family seems dangerous and controversial.” Mike put forth a suggestion, but Aries held a divergent opinion.

“I smell a conspiracy. Shane Glazier’s death is shrouded in mystery.” As soon as he finished speaking, his phone screen lit up.

“Yes, Dad!” With a smile on his face, Aries answered the phone and made his way to the window.

“I’m seriously giving up...” Aries interrupted his father, cutting him off before he could scold him.

“I know what you’re going to ask, and the answer is... I am coming back!” He said in his deep voice.