The mansion was silent, as if it were holding its breath. The afternoon light filtered through the large windows, casting long shadows on the walls, and every sound seemed amplified: the creak of the wood, the whisper of the wind among the trees, Clara's footsteps echoing with a strange, heavy resonance.
Clara went down to the living room with the feeling that she was being watched. Her heart pounded, recalling every brush of Isabela's touch, every intense look from Ricardo. She felt that her body and mind were trapped in a dangerous game she could not control.
Isabela appeared in the living room, her hair loose and her shirt slightly unbuttoned. Her presence filled the space, and Clara felt her breathing quicken.
"Good morning, Clara," Isabela whispered. "The children are at school today. We can… have a moment alone."
Clara swallowed. The way Isabela approached her—slowly, with a sweet, intoxicating perfume—made her feel exposed and desired at the same time.
Isabela deliberately brushed Clara's hand as she passed by. The contact was brief, but enough to send a shiver through Clara's entire body.
"Don't try to deny it," Isabela said, leaning close to her ear. "You know what's happening between us."
Clara closed her eyes for a moment, unable to resist the intensity of the moment. Danger and excitement blended together in an intoxicating way.
Before Clara could react, the door opened and Ricardo appeared, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed and his gaze fixed on her. The tension became almost physical; the air was charged with electricity.
"It seems someone is enjoying my wife a little too much," he said, his voice low, a veiled threat beneath it.
Clara felt her heart race once again. Isabela smiled with a touch of jealousy; Ricardo moved closer slowly, measuring Clara's every reaction. Each movement from both of them was a game of power, desire, and manipulation.
"I'm just doing my job," Clara murmured, her voice trembling.
"That doesn't sound very convincing," Ricardo replied, taking another step closer, his proximity filling Clara with adrenaline and fear.
While helping Ricardo organize some documents, Clara noticed an envelope marked "Confidential — Handle with Care." Her curiosity got the better of her, and she opened it just a little. Inside, she found old photographs and notes with dates and names that seemed to link the Duarte family to shady dealings and secret meetings.
Ricardo appeared behind her. His voice was low and controlled, but with a tone that made Clara shiver:
"Some things in this house are not meant for the curious," he said. "Be careful what you look at. It could be the last time you see something…"
Fear and excitement mixed in her chest. Clara realized she was stepping into territory that could be deadly.
At noon, Isabela led her into the garden, where the grass was still damp from the previous night's rain. Every step they took together was calculated to provoke an accidental—but lingering, electric—brush. Waists, arms, hands: every contact made Clara breathe with difficulty. "Don't worry about Ricardo," Isabela whispered. "He feels what you feel too… even if he hides it."
Clara shuddered. The attraction was overwhelming and forbidden, and every word from Isabela seemed to push her toward crossing boundaries she knew were dangerous.
Upon returning to her room, Clara went through the envelope of photographs. Among the pages, she saw a recent picture: herself entering through the front door of the house, taken from the garden. Someone had been watching her, and the realization that the Duarte family's secrets were darker than she had imagined made her feel vulnerable and trapped.
Her body was still reacting to the touches and looks from earlier that day, but her mind was flooded with fear: someone was monitoring her every move. Passion and danger were intertwined in a way Clara could not escape. Yet she also thought that she should escape from this house.
Clara lay down, trembling and exhausted, her heart racing. She knew she was trapped between Isabela and Ricardo, and that every look, every touch, every word was charged with desire and danger—an entirely new sensation she had never experienced before.
The envelope of photos and notes indicated that someone was watching her every move, and that the Duarte family's secrets could destroy her if she made a single mistake.