Passion at first sight

Virgínia

We had just arrived at the hospital reception when I looked at the pair of exaggerators, shooting them a glare.

Before I could complain about how they were handling the case, I saw two people we knew very well entering the reception, and the scene surprised me tremendously.

"Mariana!?" I exclaimed, genuinely shocked.

We went to them, the three of us at the same time, and I quickly noticed they were also accompanied by an unfamiliar man. The first thing that caught our attention, leaving me truly horrified, was the cut on Mariana's lips and her swollen eye, which was already turning purple.

"What did you do to her, you bastard!?" Murilo asked, and I could tell he was about to go after Constantino.

"It was just an accident," Ethan said, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender as if trying to absolve himself of blame.

"And since when is hitting a woman an accident?" Murilo asked, quite agitated.

I held onto Murilo's shoulder, trying to prevent him from actually going after the other man. After all, violence has never been the answer to anything. However, if what we were imagining had actually happened, it would be something very serious and deserving of severe punishment.

"Calm down, Murilo," I said to my boyfriend, trying to calm the situation, at least until we knew what happened. "What happened, Mari? Why are you in this state?"

"It really was an accident, guys," Mariana said, but her voice was weak and hesitant, proving that she wasn't doing well at all.

"Don't be afraid, to tell the truth, Mariana," Murilo insisted, giving Ethan a murderous look. "He can't hurt you anymore because we will all protect you now."

At that moment, the man accompanying them stepped forward, standing between Mariana and Ethan.

"Everyone, I don't know what's going on here, but Ethan is telling the truth," he said calmly, seeming sincere. "There was indeed a car accident where the girl got injured and now needs urgent medical attention. I know you all have good intentions, but you're delaying the process."

Despite his words being a reprimand, he said them in a very polite manner, showing that he was also a very kind and friendly man. We all ended up feeling guilty, and it was evident on everyone's faces, even Constantino's.

"Come on, Mariana," Ethan took the lead, holding onto my friend's arm and calling someone to attend to her. "We can't waste any more time."

After they went inside the ward, the man stayed by our side, and we all looked at each other, unsure of how to proceed from there.

"Who are you?" Murilo took the initiative.

"Sorry for not introducing myself earlier," the man said, genuinely embarrassed as he extended his hand to shake Murilo's. "I'm Joshua Günther."

"Günther?" Murilo repeated, intrigued by the name. "You... were related to Beatriz?"

"She was my sister," he confirmed Murilo's suspicion with a genuine tone of sorrow. "Did you know her?"

Artemis

Everyone is in suspense as they understand what was happening in that moment, and it becomes quite evident to all of us that Murilo is speechless, pale, and voiceless, as he stands in front of Beatriz's brother, the girl who has become a milestone in his life and the life of his declared enemy, Ethan Constantino.

The handsome man with green eyes and a stern expression, who despite appearing extremely dissatisfied with my cousin's misguided behavior, still had the courtesy to introduce himself and treat everyone well, as one would expect from someone with common sense, waited attentively for the tense response.

"Yes," comes Murilo's confirmation. "I knew Beatriz."

Virginia embraces my cousin as a form of support, and I admire the sensible and supportive woman that Murilo's fiancée has become, after the many trials they have been through in recent weeks.

"I understand," was the monosyllabic response from the man.

I believe he was able to perceive the tense atmosphere that formed after Murilo's confirmation because, in addition to his brief response, he also excused himself and walked to one corner of the reception, where there were some seemingly comfortable chairs, and sat down, looking at us as if waiting for us to do the same.

Murilo didn't say anything more, which is quite understandable, considering his entire history with Beatriz, which he had only recently learned about through Mariana.

"Let's wait for Mariana," Virginia says, looking at Murilo with a silent plea. "I won't be able to relax until I know if my friend is okay."

"Of course," Murilo quickly agreed, without even blinking. "I would never leave without knowing how Mariana is doing."

Only then does my cousin seem to realize the implications of my presence there, and he looks at me with a guilty expression on his face.

"I can ask my driver to come pick you up, Artemis," he offers kindly. "That way, you don't have to wait for us."

"It's not necessary," I immediately declined. "I'm also worried about Mari and would like to wait here with you. She didn't seem to be doing well when she arrived."

I was the first to follow Joshua's gesture and find a place to sit among the chairs arranged in the corner of the reception. I chose one of the chairs that was right in front of the one he had chosen himself.

My only intention in doing so was to be able to admire more freely the stunning beauty of that wonderful man, and soon I was followed by my cousin and Virginia, who also sat down but chose the chairs against the wall, I believe because they were next to me but not positioned facing Joshua.

Joshua is a tall and athletic man. It was evident that he engaged in some form of physical exercise, as the short-sleeved black T-shirt from a well-known brand he was wearing made that clear to anyone who looked at him.

Not to mention the jeans that fit perfectly to his legs proportional to his large body, and now comfortably stretched. When he ran his hand through his almost nonexistent hair, cut in a military-style close to the scalp, I tried not to smile at the gesture.