Chapter 51: Epilogue

Epilogue

Five years later - Raquel

Looking at myself in the mirror, I saw a fifty-year-old woman who bore no resemblance to the person who had cried among shadows in the past. My skin was still smooth, my figure was firm, and my eyes shone in a way that, according to Eduard, drove him crazy. Five years had passed since our wedding, and every moment with him has been a gift. It wasn't easy, but together we overcame the fears of the past and formed a strong and loving family.

That night had special meaning. It was our anniversary. And I wanted to surprise him.

I chose the most daring lingerie I could find: black, tiny, made of lace and fabrics that left little to the imagination. The contrast with my skin was perfect. I moved to the center of the Zeus room—the space Eduard had designed for me in the mansion—where a metal pole gleamed under soft lighting. I had been secretly practicing for weeks, every movement and every turn. I wanted to present him with something new, something that would excite him and show him that I could still surprise him.

Suddenly, the door opened.

Eduard entered with a serious expression, probably thinking I was still getting ready. But when he looked at me, time stopped. He froze, mouth slightly open, watching how my body moved along the pole, slow and seductive, my hands sliding boldly over my skin.

"Sit down," I told him firmly, without interrupting my movements.

He swallowed hard and nodded. He slowly approached the chair in front of me, dropping into it as if his legs could no longer support him. His eyes consumed me, dark and full of desire, fixed on every curve, every touch and every turn of my hips.

I began to dance.

I rotated around the pole gracefully, my hair falling over my shoulders, my lips drawing a playful smile. I climbed up, propelled myself and came down slowly, touching the metal with skin, provoking him. Eduard's breathing became faster with each of my movements, I could hear it despite the soft music that filled the atmosphere.

"God..." he whispered, biting his lip.

I leaned forward, with my back arched, looking directly into his eyes while my hips marked a slow and seductive rhythm. The intensity in his gaze was almost unbearable. I could feel his desire, his longing, the flame that always ignited in him.

I finished the dance sliding down to stand in front of him. With labored breathing, still trembling from the effort, I sat on his legs. His hands rushed to my hips, gripping me eagerly, as if he needed to make sure everything was real.

"Since when do you move like that?" he asked near my ear, in a deep tone.

I smiled and gave him a light bite on his lower lip.

"I did it just for you..." I whispered. "It's my anniversary gift."

He let out a low laugh, amazed, and then bit my neck with the same intensity with which he had always claimed I was his.

"You have no idea what you make me feel, Raquel... or what I have planned for tonight."

I felt a shiver that ran through my body from top to bottom.

What followed was a special dance: ours. His lips explored my skin as if he were getting to know me for the first time, my hands clung to his hair, my sighs drowned against his mouth. The years that had passed didn't matter, nor the fears or marks that time might leave. In his arms, I remained the most desired woman.

Eduard worshipped me with every caress, every movement, every word whispered between gasps. I accepted him with a soul full of fervor, with a heart beating rapidly, knowing that only that moment existed. Every action, every touch, every breath formed a silent communication: we belong to each other, now and forever.

Hours later, exhausted, I rested my head on his chest. Sweat gleamed on my skin and his arms embraced me firmly, as if he didn't plan to let me go.

"Five years, darling," I said with a tired smile. "Can you believe it?"

He kissed my forehead and answered in a soft tone:

"Five years... and it seems like this is just beginning."

I closed my eyes and hugged him tighter.

I looked around the room, at the pole that continued to shine under the lights, at our naked bodies reflected in the mirror at the back. I remembered the past and felt pride: for having resisted, for having loved, for having dared.

I, Raquel Santodomingo, had been called widow, mistress, scandal, prisoner... but in that instant, and forever, I was his wife, his woman, his everything.

And while dawn appeared softly through the window, I promised myself that the spark between us would never be extinguished. Because Eduard was my life, my passion, my eternity.

Author's Note

Thank you for accompanying me in this story charged with emotions, pain, desire and love. Raquel and Eduard showed us that, despite the darkest obstacles, true love always finds a way to shine. But this is not the end of the Forbidden Passion saga. A new story is about to begin, with other characters, other secrets and an equally intense and dangerous love.

I invite you to immerse yourself in the next installment:

THE WEIGHT OF MY DESIRE

Because when the heart burns... there are no chains capable of stopping it.