Episode 1

Raquel

I work at the big and feared Alencar family office. Fernando, the patriarch, founded it, but he retired a few years ago, and currently, his children take care of everything.

There are four children in total: Alex, the oldest; Fabricio, the second; Caio, the third (he's my boss); and lastly, Beatriz, the only one who escaped the family profession and dedicated herself to medicine.

I'm about to graduate in law, and for being one of the top students in my class, I received this referral to work with Caio Alencar. It's great for my resume. The bad part is that this man is very difficult.

Caio Alencar seems like an impenetrable and unshakeable fortress. I've never seen this man smile. He's bossy, and everything has to be done at the exact moment he asks for it—or rather, he doesn't ask, he orders.

I don't come from a wealthy family, but we've always lived well, having all the basics and even a little more than what we needed to live.

Everything was fine until the day my father died, and my mother couldn't manage the finances well. She ended up taking out many loans. My job has been saving us, but it's only enough for our basic needs, and the debt with the bank only grows.

My mother lives in the house my father left for her with the twins, Liz and Bella, my younger sisters. I live in a small apartment that my father also left me. He always said that he was keeping this apartment for me, for when I started working, so I could have my independence and privacy.

I'm getting ready for another day of work. I take a shower, wash my hair, and then dry it. I put on my black pantsuit and my black shoes. I do basic makeup and head towards my handsome and feared boss.

My apartment is not very far, about a fifteen-minute walk, since I don't have a car—maybe it will take a while before I can buy one. I'm going by foot, which is good since I woke up early anyway.

After a few minutes, I arrive. The building is very large and elegant; here, everything exudes luxury and good taste.

"Good morning, Marcela," I say to the receptionist.

"Good morning, Raquel. Your boss arrived breathing fire today."

"He's already here? Why so early?" I ask. She shrugs.

I run to get him a coffee, hoping to ease his mood a bit, which must be worse than on other days.

I arrive in front of his office door, take a deep breath, and knock. He tells me to enter.

"I brought your coffee, sir." He lifts a cup to me. I don't know where to hide my face.

...Caio...

"An assistant is expected to arrive before the boss and leave everything organized," he says without looking at me.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I arrived on time. You arrived early," I say and smile, hoping not to sound disrespectful. He just looks at me with his indecipherable look.

"Let's go over the schedule."

"Yes, sir." I lean in to pick up his schedule and notice him looking directly at my butt. I smile internally; so he's not that unshakeable.

I go over his entire schedule for the day and take the opportunity to analyze some pending processes to pass everything on to him.

My desk is close to his office, so I hear everything that happens in there, and at this very moment, I hear many things falling and breaking.

I'm a little scared, but I still go to his office to see what happened.

"Do you need help, sir?" I enter without knocking. His look frightens me.

"You, I need a favor from you," he says, pointing at me, his gaze different.

"Yes, sir, tell me."

"I need you to accompany me to a wedding!"

"What?" I look at him incredulously.

"That's right, what you heard."

"Are you alright, sir?" He slams his hand on the table, startling me. I take a step back.

"I'm sorry, I need you to accompany me. I'll pay you 20,000 reais." I look at him in surprise.

"Sir, I'm not sure. Can I think about it?"

"You have until tomorrow. If you don't give me an answer, I'll find someone else. You can go, and ask someone to come clean up here."

"Yes, sir."

I leave his office, very nervous. I don't understand why he made that proposal to me. This man is crazier than I thought.

My cell phone vibrates, and I see a message from my mother.

*message on*

"Honey, I'm going to have to sell the house to pay off the debts."

This breaks me. I wish I could help her somehow. I didn't want her to sell the house because I grew up in it, and there are many memories of my father there.

I know my boss's proposal seems absurd, but those 20,000 would be enough to pay off part of the debt, and I could see about the rest when I actually graduate and can work full time.

I hope it's just to accompany him, and he won't try anything with me. Although he's a temptation: handsome, a brunette with green eyes, muscular, straight, dark hair. He's a very handsome man, but I would never accept money to be with someone.

I don't feel right about accepting money to be an escort, but I really need it, and I hope it's just this once.

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