“GO BACK WHERE WE STARTED”

Her husband's silence at that moment was strange for Lara. And because he said it was a surprise where they were going, she didn't ask anymore.

But that was just what surprised her when Joaquin took her to a familiar building. That's why her chest quickly swelled.

She remembers that building.

It was the hotel where she first gave herself to her husband a few years ago. She couldn't understand and explain how hard her chest was pounding at that moment. But despite everything, she still remained calm and did not ask any questions. Despite the fact that he really wanted to know from her husband what was really going on and why they were there.

When they got out of the car, only then did Joaquin speak.

"Our destination is not really here, sweetheart. We have something important to do, so let's stop by," he told her as they walked towards the reception.

Lara didn't come closer and let her husband talk to the receptionist. That's why she didn't hear anything else they talked about.

It may have been a long time ago, but the appearance of this hotel has never been erased from Lara's mind. Every hallway she passed when she came down the next day.

"W-Why did you bring me here?" she asked as she and Joaquin stood opposite the closed door. The room number stuck there was familiar to her.

Room 2022.

That was the room where everything happened between her and Joaquin.

Joaquin just smiled at her and then opened the door with the keycard.

She entered first when her husband opened the door. And she immediately flinched when she heard the noise created by its closing.

"W-Why are we here?" she asked as she still couldn't calm her heart from its pounding even though she had been trying to do so for a while.

"You know, I should tell you," Joaquin began, pressing the switch on the wall beside the door jamb so that the light quickly engulfed the entire room.

She turned to her husband with questions in her eyes.

"W-What are you going to say?" she asked.

When Joaquin extended his hand to her and after that, a familiar and melodious song was what she heard coming from the cell phone in his hand that her husband had placed on the table.

"Let's dance?" Joaquin asked her.

Even if it's a matter of fact, she's slowly getting used to what's going on. Lara still didn't ask. Instead, she accepted his hand with a smile.

It's like magic that the warmth of Joaquin's palm brought her back to the past. It was only a few moments before, and they accompanied the melodious song by slow dancing.

"You know this room is memorable to me?" Joaquin began after the few moments of silence that they shared.

Lara immediately stared at the perfect and handsome face of her husband.

“Really?” she asked even though she failed to hide the nervousness in her voice.

Joaquin nodded then smiled at her.

The way her husband looked at her in those moments was different. And she couldn't understand why.

"Can you lend me your ears?" the question he once again asked her.

"Of course," she answered with a smile.

That's when they stopped dancing and then Joaquin pulled her hand. They entered a familiar bedroom.

Nostalgia enveloped not only Lara's mind but even more than her entire being.

She seemed to see in the back of her mind the two people having passionate and wild sex on the middle of the huge bed. And those people were none other than the two of them.

“J-Joaquin?” she cried while looking up at her husband who was staring at her at that moment.

It seems that he is watching and waiting for any kind of emotion that might register on her face.

Joaquin's chest rose and fell and then grabbed both of her shoulders.

"Once in my life, I met the first woman I wanted to protect. And that happened right here within this entire unit. She is Venus," Joaquin began.

Lara swallowed what she heard. In the tone of Joaquin's speech, it seems that he already knows her secret. She had a feeling that Patrick had already said that to him.

"She is very beautiful," Joaquin said again. "I knew she was beautiful even though half of her face was covered by the mask she was wearing that night."

Lara's eyes quickly warmed to what she heard. She couldn't tell if Joaquin was angry because she couldn't see anything like that in his eyes. But there was resentment in his voice, and she couldn't be wrong with that.

“I gave her money before I left her the next day. Do you know why? Because I know and I believe she has a deep reason why she did that," said Joaquin, stroking her face afterward.

At the same time as Joaquin's warm palm touched her cheek, Lara's tears that she had been holding back started to well up.

"I-I know you have a reason why you did that, Venus," Joaquin told her.

"I-I'm s-sorry," was all Lara could say between the continuous flow of her tears.

Joaquin nodded consecutively then began to dry her wet face. "It's okay. I know and I understand why you were able to hide everything from me," he said to her.

As soon as Lara heard that, she couldn't stop herself from hugging her husband tightly. What her father says is true. Joaquin loves her so much that he won't be angry with her when he finds out about her secret.

"I was able to do that, the reason I was here that night was because of Papa. Didn't I tell you about that before?" she asked crying then sniffed.

"Yes, that's why I made a way to get justice for what happened to you, right?" he said to her.

Yes indeed. Just a few days after what happened, she saw on TV the news about the raided casa where Patrick's contact took her.

“Patrick was not the one who personally took me from the casa. The truth is that I only saw him here in this unit back then," she continued to tell Joaquin.

"I know," he said. "But why didn't you tell me the truth right away? Why did you keep it a secret from me, it even got to the point that we got married but I still didn't know that I was Callie's real father?" Lara felt the hurt in Joaquin's tone and that's when she felt nervous again.

"I-I'm sorry," was all she could say.

Joaquin didn't speak and he didn't answer what she said. He just stared at her. And by the way, he was staring at her, he obviously demanded an explanation. So that's what she did.

"Papa has talked to me several times to tell you the truth. But I was afraid that you might get angry and then leave me and take my child from me," she admitted.

“I love Callie very much. That's why no matter how much I wanted to find you then, I just didn't do it. Because I thought that my daughter might be involved in a scandal. But God is kind because he brought you back to me," she said, reaching for Joaquin's hand and holding it tightly.

"Lara," said Joaquin.

"Forgive me if I managed to keep it a secret from you," she said, pleading again, crying. “I was about to tell you the truth, I'm just gathering enough courage. The truth is the reason I ask you to send me to my father’s house earlier was that I wanted to talk to him about us. Believe me that I'm really going to talk to you tonight, you just got ahead of me," she begged then bowed her head.

At that point, Joaquin hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, sweetheart, because you gave me Callie," Joaquin said as he caressed her back.

"I didn't mean all that," she continued while sinking into her husband's broad chest.

That's when Joaquin touched her face and then started to dry her tears again.

“That's over. I brought you here because I want to show you that I have never forgotten you. You know there are times when I want to be alone and I still come here? I'm reliving in my mind that night that we shared?" said Joaquin then stroked her cheek.

Lara just kept looking up at her husband while her hands as if have a mind of their own that caressed his muscular chest.

“I want to go back to this place where we started. Where I first saw you and where I planted a beautiful child in your womb. Our daughter," said Joaquin while the feelings of honest and pure love remained visible in his eyes.

"I love you so much, Joaquin," Lara said.

“Sweetheart, Venus or Lara. No matter what your name is, you will remain the most beautiful woman in my eyes. At least now there is an explanation and answer to everything why you taste familiar. Why I see Venus in you the night we made love and I put a blindfold on your eyes. Why do I want to protect you so much like the protection I once felt for Venus? It's because you are Venus. And that's okay. I'm not angry and nothing will change my love for you, Lara. If anything, maybe I'll love you more. Because it's not a joke to fall for you twice," Joaquin told her before he pressed a kiss to her lips.

At that moment, love was overflowing in Lara's heart. That's why she didn't hold back anymore. She responded to Joaquin's passionate kiss on her. And because of what she did, the giant wall between the two of them was completely destroyed. And that wall was nothing but all the fear and doubt she felt that had accumulated because of the secret she couldn't bring herself to tell and confess to him.

"Sweetheart, I want you," Joaquin whispered between kissing her lips.

"Yes, take me, here," she replied then began to undress her husband.

They will never run out of reasons to always do this. Because by doing this is one of the many ways, they can show how intense the longing they feel for each other is.

"Wild, I want it wild. Just like you did to me, that night, right here in this room and in the middle of that huge bed," she said pointing to the bed in the middle of the room.

Joaquin's kiss pressed her lips again after that.

She could feel the way he pressed his lips to how brutal the lovemaking was that she could taste later. But that was not enough for her. She wanted something more intense, so she had to find a way to do it.

“Claim me here this time as Lara, Joaquin. As I am, the woman you married. Your wife," she said in a seductive voice then began to unbutton Joaquin's long sleeve.

At that time, Joaquin looked at her face. Then he claimed her lips again with a possessive kiss to which she quickly responded.

She felt at that moment that she was very thirsty. And she knows that nothing can quench that thirst but her husband's lips and kisses.

When Joaquin lifted her up, she lovingly wrapped her legs around his waist. While their lips remained glued together.

She did not refuse when her husband took her inside the bathroom. Under the shower that he opened, the warm water soaked both of their bodies.

But Lara still didn't settle there. She knew that if she could show Joaquin her passion and longing by responding to his kisses, she would be able to taste so much happiness later. That's why she did that.

"I love you so much, Joaquin," Lara whispered when she briefly stopped exchanging deep and passionate kisses with him.

"You are so aggressive," that's what Joaquin answered instead.

"Yes! Punish me,” she answered while moving her hands.

Lara saw the sparkle in Joaquin's eyes because of what she said.

"Are you sure?" Joaquin asked her then he effortlessly pulled up the dress she was wearing then threw it on the floor.

After that, her husband kissed her sensually again. And because she was only wearing panties and a bra at that moment, she immediately moaned loudly when she felt Joaquin squeezing the gem between her thighs.

"Yes, punish me for one week or one month. I do not care. I want to pay for what I did. And I can only pay you if you punish me by the way I know I can give you," that's what she said when Joaquin let go of her mouth again so she had a chance to say all that.

The corner of Joaquin's lips lifted because of what she said. After that, he hurriedly took off her bra while he tore her panties and threw them on the floor again.

"If that's what you want," he said squeezing her delicacy again and then bringing his face closer to hers. "And by the way, I also want you to know that I love you too," that's all and he claimed his lips again.