Episode 1

In the city of New York, in the United States, in one of the wealthiest districts, there lived the Duarte family in one of the mansions, one of the richest families in the world, owners of the finest jewelry stores globally; Mr. Carlos Duarte died in a car accident, and his eldest son, Damian Duarte, was just 23 years old when he took over the family business. He became a responsible, bitter young man, changing so much that by the age of 31, he appeared as a man with deep resentment in his soul.

The second daughter, Sahara, was 15 years old when her father passed away. At 18, she entered university to study medicine, and at 23, she was preparing for her licensing exam. She was a cheerful young woman, devoted to her studies, despite her mother's constant opposition to her education, treating her poorly and always expressing how annoyed she was by Sahara's commitment to studying.

Carola was the youngest of the three, at 19 years old. Once she graduated from high school, she chose not to continue studying; instead, she dedicated her time to being with friends, shopping, and indulging in all the trivialities that society allowed—parties, social events—spending money without limits.

Monica de Duarte, when her husband died, felt liberated. She began to spend on herself, on her image; she considered herself a diva. She was an egocentric woman, empty inside, only caring about marrying off her three children into wealthy families to strengthen the family’s wealth.

It was 7:30 PM, and Sahara was in the large library in her home, studying and preparing for her licensing exam while hiding from her mother to avoid being taken to one of her long shopping sprees or nighttime parties. She was so focused on her studies that she didn’t notice when her sister entered and approached her.

"Little sister, stop studying. You don't need to; we have a good life; we just need to enjoy what Dad left us. Sahara, come; I want you to accompany me to the Ferreira family party at the grand hotel in this city. Please come with me; if not, Mom won’t let me go, and it’s a chance for us to bond as sisters, something we’ve never done."

"Carola, I have to study. My licensing exam is in a few days; I can't be distracted by parties. But I promise that once I pass my exam, I’ll dedicate as much time as you want to spend time together as sisters."

"I don’t want that; this party is unique, the best of the year, and I can’t miss it. You’re being mean to me. But fine, if your studies are more important than spending time with your little sister, who just dared to ask you for something today and you refuse it."

"Carola, don’t be like that. Fine, I’ll go with you. I’ll grab my sweater, and we’ll go."

"Sahara, you can’t go dressed like that. Come on, let’s go to my room. I have a dress that will fit you perfectly."

Sahara, feeling uncertain, stood up and followed her to her room. Once inside, Carola closed the door, went to her enormous closet, and pulled out a dress. Upon seeing the dress, Sahara's eyes widened; she felt she couldn’t wear something like that, it was too revealing for her taste. Carola handed it to her, and Sahara noticed that the material was black, reaching from the mid-back to below the knee at the back, while the front had the same thick material forming an asymmetrical skirt that connected at the right foot with two silver ribbons, one coming from the left waist and ending at the right leg, while the other ran from the hips to just below the knees, leaving an opening that rose slightly above the right leg where the two ribbons met.

The top part was more of a problem; it was a transparent fabric, the entire front reaching up to her breasts, where only the breast area had thick, cup-shaped sections. It was strapless, and part of her breasts was left exposed, the middle section completely bare, revealing a large part of her skin. Just seeing that dress sent a chill down her spine, and she wanted to refuse to wear it, but her sister did everything to make her put it on.

Sahara entered the bathroom, took a shower, and then put on the dress. When she came out, her sister made a scene upon seeing her, excitedly urging her to wear some silver heels that matched the dress perfectly. She helped style Sahara's long, straight, chestnut hair, curling the ends, and did her makeup. By the end, Sahara looked incredibly stunning; her beautiful figure was accentuated by that dress.

Once they were ready, the two of them left their room and headed straight to the living room where their mother and brother were. Upon seeing her, they stood up, making a fuss about how beautiful she looked, happy that she decided to go out that night with her sister. Their mother and brother accompanied them to the exit, helped them into the car, and simply told them to have fun. Sahara felt uncomfortable, trying to cover herself with her hair; that neckline was really revealing, and she didn't like it.

When they arrived at the hotel, the two of them got out. Carola approached her sister and brushed her hair aside, wanting her to show off her beauty. Then she took Sahara's arm, and they both entered the hotel, heading directly to the enormous ballroom. As they entered, Carola immediately started greeting her friends while Sahara just followed, feeling out of place and uninterested; this wasn't her scene, it wasn't something she enjoyed. Not knowing what to do, she continued to follow her sister until after a long while they both sat at a table reserved for their family.

Carola barely lasted five minutes sitting down when some friends arrived to take her away, leaving Sahara alone. Carola followed her friends out of the ballroom, and they lingered in the hotel lobby when they noticed an incredibly attractive man arriving. Carola looked him up and down; he wore black dress pants and a white shirt, showing off his perfectly sculpted physique. His masculine face was the type that made a man captivating; he was tall, 1.85 meters, with fair skin, lips that were not thick but not thin either, a sharp nose, ears that weren't large, and large eyes with long, light brown lashes that almost appeared yellow. His hair was short, styled in a modern yet elegant cut.

Carola couldn't stop looking at him and wanted to know who he was, lowering her voice as she asked, “Who is that handsome man? I've never seen him before.”

One of Carola’s friends, the nosiest and most inquisitive one, who always managed to know everything about all the parties, was quick to respond. Her name was Sofia.

“Carola, don’t tell me you don’t know who he is. He’s the man your family wants to do business with to see if they can get out of the bankruptcy that your brother got them into. That man is Nil Henderson, the most powerful man in Paris. He runs a modeling agency and decides which jewelry brands will participate in Parisian fashion shows; he is the lord and master of that country. But let me tell you the worst about that man: they say his strong suit is drug trafficking. He’s the owner of the new drug that’s making waves all over the world, that transparent pill that supposedly makes you hallucinate and live out your deepest fantasies. Well, that’s what I’ve heard, and honestly, I want to try it. If that drug is as incredible as he is, I’m definitely going for it.” Another one of Carola's friends chimed in.

• Sofia, that man is way too selective, and as far as I know, he likes very beautiful women, with bodies like goddesses. That's why he has the best models in the market; he’s incredibly picky. But honestly, I wouldn’t get involved with a man like that—he uses women for a while, and tomorrow if he sees you, he won’t even remember you. I respect myself; I’m not a woman for just a fling. Carola, the truth is, if that man were to notice you or your sister, it would be a blessing for your family; it would save them from losing everything. Why don’t you offer yourself to him? It might work for you. You’re not a saint anyway, so you wouldn’t lose anything.

Sofia starts to laugh, and in a mocking tone, she says.

• Don’t make such jokes! If I, with a better body than Carola’s, don’t fit his taste, do you really think she would? Don’t be cruel to her; don’t play with her feelings like that. It would be better for her to get used to poverty.

Carola, annoyed, replies.

• Sofia, I am beautiful and can handle any man, even that delicious guy over there; but I am a decent woman and wouldn’t be with a man just for benefits. I’d rather be poor than be someone’s one-night stand. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to my sister. She’s alone, and I don’t want her to get upset.

Carola began to walk towards the party hall when she encountered her sister. She tells her that she wants to go to the bathroom, and Carola decides to accompany her. The two walked to the restroom, passing by the reception when, at that moment, Nil turned halfway and watched her walk by, unconsciously checking her out from head to toe.

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