bChapter /bb44 /b

Dinner went by in a heartbeat, and it was time for Marreline to leave

“It bwas /blovely having you tonight, Nivea said as she bid the woman farewell, who hugged her in return,

“Thank you, honey,” Marceline responded as she turned to face her son, “Take care of yourself, Alejandro”

Smiling, he bent to kiss her cheek, “is

Take care of yourself, too.”

Marceline nodded, and she got into her car. They watched the car leave, and once it was out of sight, Alejandro turned to face Nivers

“I meant what i said, Nivera, Forget about what happened, or I will kill you.”

That was all he said before he turned and walked into the mansion, leaving her outside.

That night, bas /bNiveray in bed, her thoughts bspun /bin a thousand different directions. She had seen the man behind the mask–just for a moment

if she was going to survive in this world he had trapped her in, she needed to know more.

She needed to understand what made Alejandro tick, why he was the way he was, so she could use it against him. And Marceline… His mother might just hold the key bto /bunlocking his past.

Tomorrow, she would find a way to get closer to her because in bthis /bgame, knowledge was power, and she intended to be the one with the advantage.

A sliver of sunlight leaked through the heavy curtains, casting a faint golden line across the coiling, which made Nivera stir, hershes fluttering before her eyes snapped open.

He was there again

Seated like ba /bdamn king on the edge of the bed, Alejandro, dressed in a crisp ck shirt unbuttoned at the cor, was casually scrolling through a tablet like this was bhis /boffice–like her bed was his throne.

Nivera jolted upright, pulling the nket higher out of instinct, her heart hammering.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” She spat, her voice thick with sleep and fury. “Do you bjust /bsneak into people’s rooms and sit there kes

Alejandro didn’t look up. His lips twitched–amused, “This bis /bmy bhouse/bb, /bCabezona, I can go wherever want.”

Her fingers clenched the sheets. “That bdoesn’t /bgive you the right to sit by my bed and watch me sleep like some psychopath

some creep?”

wasn’t, watching you sleep. I was on my tablet,” he yawned, his eyes trailing deliberately down her barely–covered frame, “though now that you mention it, I probably should have.”

“You son of a

“Careful,” he cut in smoothlyb, /bvoice like velvet over ss. “You’re forgetting somethingb.” /b

Her mouth parted, about to fire back–but then it hit her. The bevil /bglint in his eyes reminded her of the fact that he held her passport, her money, and her freedom

Not for long, the voice in Nivera’s bhead /bbsaid /basher jaw clenched. She inhaled bsharply/b, trying to force the panic down

“What are you doing here?” she asked, quieter now.

Alejandro bstood/b, setting the tablet aside like he’d just concluded a morning meeting

“Watching you,” he admitted after lying about it, and her eyes narrowed as the swallowed the insults she had conjured in her head.

“You talk in your sleep” She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard him say

“I do not

“You do.” he replied, stepping cinser, arms folding. “You said my bname/b. Three times.”

“No, I didn’t!” She denied but even as she spoke, she wasn’t sure, as she had definitely dreamt about Alejandro though she had no recollection of

what it was about

Her cheeks med. Whether from embarrassment or rage, she didn’t know.

“Already been there,” he murmured, his tone almost wistful. “Didn’t like thepany. That’s why I keep you around. For the entertainment,”

He brushed past her toward the door, band /bjust as she thought he might finally leave, he paused and looked back over his shoulder.

“Be downstairs in fifteen, as breakfast will be served. You’reing with me today.

She frowned. “Coming with you where?”

“You’ll find out,” he simply responded. “Wear something that won’t embarrass me.”

And then he was gone, the door closing with a quiet bfinality /bthat felt louder than ba /bm.

“Bastard!” Nivera cursed as she got out of bed regardless to get ready.

Fidteen minutester, she found something passable to wear a fitted cream blouse she hated for its politeness and a pair of ck jeans that still smelt faintly of a boutique she once modelled for.

Her hair was pulled up hastily, lips bare. It wasn’t the best, but she had to make do, as Alejandro hadn’t given her much time.

Downstairs, the scent of butter and rosemary drifted through the air.

Alejandro bwas /balready seated at the head of the table, with a cup of coffee in his bhand/b, like a man preparing to host a political bsummit /brather than

breakfast

Alejandro set his phone down, and she noticed he was texting to his mother, “My mom really likes you. What’s your secret?”

Nivera bcrossed /bher arms as she was still feeling guilty over the fact that Alejandro was lying to his mother about them.

“That doesn’t seem to bother you? Lying to her? Alejandro, she’s your mother,” she whispered when he continued to sip on his coffee bcasually/b.

His lips curved slightly. “It makes things more interesting. The closer you bget /bto her, the more cautious you’ll have to be.”

“Because she might find out what you breally /bbare/b?”

“Because you might forget what I really am,” he bsaid/bb, /bvoice dropping a notch.

She bopened /bher mouth to respond–but stoppedb, /bbas /bshe didn’t even understand what he meant by that,

She reached for a slice of toast, keeping bher /bexpression neutral. “Where are we going today??

Alejandro leaned bback /bin his chair. “You’ll see,” bwas /b

was all he said in response.

Her stomach turned, as that didn’t seem like something good, but she forced herself to have breakfast.

213

Because Alejandro was right about one thing.

She couldn’t afford to forget what he was

But what he didn’t know?

She was beginning to learn. Sooner orter, she would use his game n against him,

AD