Chapter 1

"Have you spoken to your mother, love?" The question slipped from my lips as I watched my girlfriend, Camila. She was like a Renaissance painting coming to life - hair red as dancing flames, eyes blue as a cloudless sky, a face so beautiful that it could even make angels feel envious. Her lips were thin, perfectly molded, and her small, delicate nose was the detail that completed that portrait of beauty.

And her body... Ah, it was a work of art in itself. Large breasts that seemed to invite a tight hug, something I did at any opportunity I had. Camila's butt was like a monument, standing out in her trousers in an almost hypnotizing way. And her thighs, ah, her thighs... They were wonderful, every curve and contour left me speechless. My girlfriend was the personification of perfection. Yes, feel jealous!

"Yes, she said she's eager to meet you. Let's go, she must be dying to see her son-in-law. Being the first time she's going to see you, I imagine she's very excited." Camila's voice was like honey, soft and sweet, making me smile.

Her smile... It was like seeing the sun rise after a long night. It warmed my heart and lit up my world. Would her mother be as beautiful as she? Certainly, beauty must be a family trait.

I opened the door to my car, a matte black Mustang I had recently bought. Sitting in the driver's seat, I started the car, the roar of the engine filling the silence. But, speaking of which... where were we going?

"Love, where is your house? You never told me where it is." I asked, curious. After all, I was eager to meet her mother. I wanted to understand where so much beauty and charm came from.

"Oh, right, I'll input the address into the GPS. It seems it will be a short trip, only about ten minutes." Camila's words emerged with a tone of certainty, as if she knew every stretch and turn of the path by heart.

"So close?" Surprise instated in my voice. "I always imagined we would have to make a long trip, something around eight hours, maybe."

My mind filled with question marks. How could it be that my girlfriend's house, with whom I've been for nearly five years, was so close and I had never been there? Why only now was Camila taking me to meet her family? This geographical proximity was an unexpected revelation.

"Yes, my house is quite close. Sometimes, I joke that it's in another world, because it's a beautiful cottage." Camila's words echoed in the car, awakening my curiosity.

Was it that wonderful for her to compare it with another world? Now, my heart pounded with expectation. I had never heard of a cottage around here, maybe it was a private property, which would explain my ignorance about the location. As I thought, my eyes drifted to Camila. She was stunning, her blue eyes reflecting the landscape outside and her long red hair dancing to the rhythm of the wind.

I was excited, hardly able to wait to get to this place and meet her family. "I'm so excited! I can't wait to get there and meet your family." My words mixed with the atmosphere of expectation that hung in the air.

Camila laughed at my enthusiasm, a sound that sounded like music to my ears. "I'm excited too, love. My family is going to adore you, I'm sure of it."

I smiled back, feeling a wave of relief mixed with anticipation. I was nervous, of course. Who wouldn't be? But the fact that Camila was confident about her family's reaction made me feel a bit better.

"Did you hear?" Camila began, with a note of disbelief in her voice. "Jorge cheated on Celine, she's furious with him. I heard there was a terrible fight, and he even went as far as to assault her."

The news hit me like a punch to the stomach. Jorge? The Jorge I had always seen as a paragon of boyfriends, a model to be followed in a relationship, had cheated on his wife? It's a harsh and cold memory that you can never fully trust anyone.

"I'm surprised," I admitted, trying to hide the sadness in my voice. "I didn't expect this news. I hope Celine is okay and didn't get hurt."

Camila nodded, her expression somber. "I sent her a message. She said she's okay, she didn't suffer any physical injuries. But she's determined to never talk to him again, she's outraged at the betrayal."

Celine's reaction was more than understandable. Who, in their right mind, would accept being cheated on and remain in the relationship as if nothing had happened? I couldn't bear something like that - I can't even imagine. Thank God, Camila and I always maintained mutual trust in our relationship, without giving or having reasons for suspicions of betrayal.

I started the car and set the GPS to our destination. Silence fell upon us, heavy as the news we had just discussed.

"I'm relieved to know that Celine is okay," I broke the silence. "Tell her to be more cautious next time. To do a little more research about the person she's going to be in a relationship with," I said, hoping that Celine wouldn't have to go through something so painful again.

Camila turned to me, her blue eyes shining intensely in the sunset light. Her face, usually so expressive, was enigmatic and hard to read. She took a deep breath, her thin lips curving into a straight line as she seemed to gather the courage to ask the question on her mind.

"Honey, do you love me?" She asked, her voice almost a whisper. Her words fell into the silence of the car like a stone in the water, shockwaves radiating from them. "Would you give up everything for me?"

I was taken aback by the question, my eyes widening as I looked at her. Her bright blue eyes were fixed on me, an expression of vulnerability and uncertainty in them that I rarely saw. Her red hair, usually a dancing flame of energy and passion, seemed to darken around her, as if reflecting her own insecurity.

"You know I would, Camila," I responded, my voice firm and determined. "But why ask something you already know?"

"And if I asked you to fight for me?" She continued, ignoring my question. "To protect my family with all your strength, to face anything that came our way?"

The seriousness in her tone took me by surprise. Camila had always been a strong, independent woman who rarely showed any sign of weakness. But now, at this moment, she seemed vulnerable, as if she was revealing a part of herself that she rarely showed to anyone.

"Camila, I will fight for you, that's something you can be sure of. But at this moment, I must admit that I am confused. Against what kind of adversity are we talking about?" I said, my voice intensifying with the sincerity of my uncertainty. "I feel like a blind man in the middle of a shooting, with no idea where the shots are coming from, or even if I'm in their direction. Could you help clarify what's going on?"

Camila studied my face for a moment, her intense blue eyes deepening into my gaze. "I just needed to hear that from you, love," she confessed, a slight smile forming on her face. "It's like in the novels I love so much. I'm happy, really happy. I feel like I've made the right choice with you. But I noticed that you didn't mention anything about protecting my family..."

I swallowed hard, the confusion still clinging to my mind. I didn't understand what Camila was insinuating. Why would we need protection? What kind of danger was looming over her and her family?

Before I could answer, the GPS made a sound, announcing that we had arrived at our destination. I stopped the Mustang near a staircase that seemed to lead to some hidden place. Flanking the stairs, majestic trees rose, their canopies intertwining to form a dark green canopy above us. I looked around, surprised. I had never seen this place before, nor did I know it existed.

"So, Camila," I began, my voice wavering slightly with anxiety. "Could you explain better what you were talking about?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing with worry. Uncertainty weighed in my voice, echoing the confusion in my mind.

With a teasing smile on her lips, Camila unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the Mustang's door, in a quick and determined movement. "Let's go! We're almost at my house. We just need to climb these stairs." She spoke, pointing to the winding staircase that disappeared among the trees.

In the blink of an eye, she got out of the car, her red hair dancing with the wind whispering among the leaves. With an agility that surprised me, she bent down to pick up her bags from the ground, her muscles moving with grace and strength. She seemed so focused, so immersed in her own actions that for a moment, I felt as if I had been left out.

She didn't look back, didn't give me a glance or a smile. This attitude was strange for Camila, who always included me in her plans and decisions. I simply watched her, trying to understand what was happening.

With a sigh, I opened the Mustang's door and got out of the car, my mind still spinning with confusion. I grabbed my bags, the rough texture of the handle cutting through the silence that had settled between us.

"Cami," I began, my voice quivering slightly with anxiety. "Can you explain why you were asking those strange questions?"

She stopped in the middle of the stairs, her shoulders rising and falling in a deep sigh. "When we get home, or rather, to our home, I'll explain everything to you. For now, just follow me," she said, her voice a true enigma.

I stood there, still, looking at her as a wave of doubt engulfed me. Should I follow Camila, even without understanding her intentions? There was something strange about her attitude, something I had never seen before. However, looking at her, I saw a glint of happiness in her eyes. She was eager to see her family and that somehow made me feel a little better.

With a resigned sigh, I locked the car and gripped my bags tightly. I loved this girl, more than anything in this world, and if she asked me to trust her, I would. With heavy but determined steps, I began to climb the stairs, following Camila who had already resumed her ascent.

"Why are you so quiet, love?" Camila asked, turning to look at me. Her blue eyes sparkled in the reflection of the afternoon sun that seeped through the tree canopies. "Don't you like harems?"

I was silent for a moment, trying to interpret her words. Harems? What did that have to do with everything we were going through?

"Harems?" I repeated, my forehead wrinkling in confusion. "Camila, I really don't understand what you're trying to say."

She smiled, a mysterious smile that seemed to hide a thousand secrets. "I know it might seem strange, but I promise it will all make sense when we get home."

Her enigmatic tone only served to increase my confusion and anxiety. However, I couldn't help but notice the glint of excitement in her eyes. As strange as it was, I trusted Camila. I knew she would never put me in a dangerous situation.

"Okay," I said with a sigh of resignation. "I will trust you."

With a thankful smile, Camila turned and continued up the steps, leaving me behind once more. I followed her, my mind spinning with unanswered questions and expectations. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I had the feeling that my life was about to change drastically.