Pre final

Pre final

Emma was lying in the middle of the bed with her knees bent and her thighs open, her gaze on the ceiling, occasionally closing her eyes. Her hands gripped the bedspread, and she bit her lip as she was about to reach that point of pleasure that made her explode.

"Don't stop..." Max's tongue was relentless, not stopping until Emma reached her climax. It was indescribable how he felt at that moment, hearing her come, her body convulsing, the moans escaping her mouth, and watching her skin prickle. His face emerged from between her legs, licking the remnants of her orgasm. He smiled as Emma lifted her head and stretched her neck since her belly didn't allow her to look at him completely. "That was exquisite..." Emma said, trying to control her breathing to speak.

"I know," he said, moving up her body carefully to avoid brushing her belly. Emma raised her hands to encircle his neck and seek his mouth. They devoured each other in a passionate kiss, reigniting her desire. Max positioned himself between her legs and, careful not to be rough, entered her. He straightened up, fearing he might hurt her belly, so he repositioned himself on his knees without pulling out. She was very wet, quite a bit, and he liked that as the pregnancy progressed, she became more receptive.

"You're not hurting me, you're not hurting the baby..." Emma panted, feeling he was being too gentle during sex; she wanted more.

"Don't..." he panted through clenched teeth, enjoying the friction and the sensation of being inside her. Emma's breasts barely moved.

The sound of a phone call distracted them from the sexual moment. Max growled through clenched teeth; he didn't want to come yet, but the insistent call broke his concentration. He cursed under his breath as he pulled out of Emma.

"You should've ignored it..." she said, frustrated.

"I thought I had it on silent," he apologized, getting off the bed to search for the phone somewhere in his neatly folded clothes on the chair. The call stopped and started again. When he finally found it, he looked at the screen. It was his father. He tensed, thinking his father's insistence was due to something bad.

"Tell me, Dad, what's going on?" he answered immediately.

"Are you busy?" Adler wanted to know first.

"Ah, uh, I... Tell me, just tell me," he wiped the sweat from his face.

"Horacio showed up." There was a brief silence.

"With Irina?" Max asked immediately. Emma, hearing the name of his ex-fiancée, shifted to sit up, cleaning herself and then going for her clothes.

"No. The informant said he's at a house on the outskirts of the city."

"The family vacation house," Max murmured. "I'll go see him."

"I don't think it's safe, son."

"I need to talk to him. The last time I saw him, he said he would find Irina to make her pay for what she did."

"Don't go alone, then. Take the security team with you, please, and don't worry Emma. Remember, the calmer she is, the better for her and my granddaughter."

"I know, but unfortunately, I didn't think about it. She's already heard." He said in her direction. "But I won't go alone. I don't want you to worry. When I have something, I'll call you back."

"Be careful, son." They ended the call, and Max looked at Emma.

"You're not going to look for him," Emma said in a serious tone. "You're not going to risk something happening to you." Her voice wavered. "I don't want to lose you again."

Max cleaned himself, then put on his boxers, approached her, and hugged her, planting a few kisses on her forehead, crown, and finally one on the tip of her nose. As he pulled away, he looked at her without saying anything for a moment.

"I need to know where Irina is, she has to pay for what she did, love."

"Leave it to the police, let them question him, you can't be a superhero when we're just weeks away from bringing our daughter into the world," Emma's voice broke.

"Calm down, calm down," he hugged her again. "I won't go alone, just let me talk to him, then I'll come back home."

Reluctantly, Emma let Max leave the attic. A security car followed him. He was nervous, not knowing what he would find. A cooperative Horacio? Or the opposite? After almost half an hour, he stopped at the gate. The security guard announced him, and to his surprise, he was allowed in. Both cars entered and parked in front of the house. When Max got out, the security man did too and approached him.

"Are you ready, Mr. Müller?" Max nodded. "We'll wait here."

"Thanks, stay alert, please," Max said before heading to the main entrance of the house. The housekeeper opened the door before he even had the chance to knock, invited him in, and announced that Horacio was waiting on the terrace. She guided him to her boss. When the woman closed the French doors behind Max, Horacio turned to him.

"Max," said Horacio. Seeing him face to face, Max noticed a scar crossing near his eye, seemingly freshly healed.

"Horacio," Max responded, taking a few steps to stand behind one of the garden chairs. "Did you find her?" Horacio nodded.

"Before we continue, answer me something," Max waited, "Did you think the papers Irina gave you the day she stabbed you were original?" Max tensed, frowning.

"Honestly, no, but they were..." he stopped his sentence, "Why?" Horacio put his hands in his pants pockets and clicked his tongue.

"Because it wasn't your baby. It was mine. It was hers and mine..." his voice broke, and something inside Max was moved, there was real pain in his voice and eyes.

"Honestly, I always thought it was yours. When she handed over the documents, I felt it wasn't real. It may sound cruel, but..." Max paused, "I didn't really believe it. Besides, I didn't look further; I just closed the chapter with her once I came out of the coma. I'm deeply sorry for what happened, Horacio."

"She caused the miscarriage on purpose to clear the way to you." Max raised his eyebrows in great surprise.

"What? How...?" He couldn't believe it, "Irina did that? But he...?" He ran a hand over his face, feeling the tension. He looked at him again, a lump forming in his throat. "It wasn't because of...?" He couldn't finish the question.

"It's cruel, isn't it?" Horacio felt the anger again. "She made sure to erase him from our lives, but she didn't count on me knowing her like the back of my hand." Max couldn't find more words. "She didn't have a heart; she just..." his voice broke again, and he pulled a chair to sit down, burying his face in his hands and starting to cry. Max was in shock, not knowing how to react to what Irina had done, and evidently, Horacio was very affected. Who wouldn't be? It was an innocent being...

"I'm so sorry, Horacio..." He moved closer, standing beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and stayed there, listening to the heart-wrenching cries of his former friend. "Now I understand your words when we last saw each other, that you would make her pay for everything... But it's clear that this was it."

Horacio lifted his tear-streaked face towards him.

"Yes, it was for what she did to our son. She's... a monster."

"'Is...'? Do you know where she is?" Max dared to ask at that moment. Horacio stood up and nodded.

"I know where she is," he wiped his tears, "She's in a place where no one could imagine..."