The drive was quiet, save for the tense energy crackling between them like static.
She wanted to ask where they were headed to as it didn’t look like they were going back to his mansion but slur dide’t want to gue him a insult her and so she kept me
The car burned into the underground parking lot of a skyscraper she recognized from endless business magarines. the man headquarters of the
“The Garcia headquarters?” she said with disbelief.
He didn’t answer. Just stepped out of the car and walked around it, extending a hand, which she ignored. She followed anyway
“You’re dragging me to work?” she asked in debelet
Alejandro didn’t even nce at her as he adjusted hes
thes cutls. “Five minutes. I need to pick up something.”
“Then I can wait in the car, there’s no need for me to follow,” she said as she proceeded to open the car door
<b>However</b>, she was unable to as it was locked and when she turned to face Alejandro, he was <b>staring </b>at her with a bored expression on his face
“Don’t tempt me. I still very much have my gun,” he threatened her.
“You won’t shoot me, you need me so I can attend the wedding with you” Nivera pointed out, feeling a bit brave.
“You know, me shooting you will be the perfect excuse to miss the wedding as no one will <b>scold </b>me for missing it to attend to my poor date who was shot by one of my enemies,” he <b>dered </b>and Nivera gulped.
“You won’t shoot me,” she said even though she wasn’t sure anymore.
“Keep talking and find out,” he smiled and that shut Niver up. “Now, let’s j
As they stopped into the grand lobby, she was enveloped by the luxurious atmosphere of a pce built on ambition and ss.
The gleaming marble floors reflected the light, casting an ethereal glow, while the high ceilings seemed to stretch up to the sky
The air was thick with pristine silence, a hush thatmanded respect.
But the moment she and Alejandro walked in, the calm was disrupted.
Heads swiveled in their direction, conversations paused mid sentence, and whispers began to spread like ripples on a pond.
The room seemed toe alive, and she <b>was </b>the catalyst, of whom turned to stars as they passed.
<b>Nivera </b>felt the burn of every nce, but Alejandro, the perfect picture of charming confidence, nodding <b>and </b>smiling with the ease of a beloved her. His mask of charm was wless. His employees it up when he passed.
But Niveta–the could feel it. The tension in the way his hand sometimes tightened at his side. The coolness <b>in </b>his gaze when no one was watching. The cracks in the golden persona.
He was pretending For all of them.
If they only knew what he was like en the cameras and smiles weren’t there.
He even stopped to shake hands with a few executives, his grip firm, his grin devilish.
To them, he <b>was </b>the friendly prince of the empire
But Niver knew the truth. If only they could see the version of him the’d seen. he one who could smile and drip
Alejandro paused outside a ss walled conference room where twisted with fies the formed to her with pr
He led her through the execution floor, not toward an office, but just it through wide <b>ss </b>doors into a hall filled with deliberate choice. He wanted them to see her,
“Stay close. I want them to see. His words confined her thoughts.
Of course he did. The whispers had already started people wondering if she was his newest conquest or his secret girlfriend
He wanted rumors. He was nting them deliberately. And she was the unwitting flower in his twisted little garden.
She folded her arms and red at him. “W
the endgame here, puppet master? You trying to make your others
Alejandro didn’t stop walking. “You know, appearances matter. And nothing spreads faster than a good rumor
She halted. “You’re using me to bait the press?”
“Bait, distract, disarm–semantics, really. Besides, there’s someone who won’t believe me easily if I just show up with you tomorrow
“Won’t believe <b>what </b><b>easily</b>?” She probed, wanting him to be cheerer
But before he could respond, a voice sliced through the <b>crowd </b>behind them. Feminine<b>. </b>Sharp. Laced <b>with </b>venom.
“Oh, Alejandro. You didn’t tell me you were going to be here
Shit, you’ve got to be kidding me! <b>Nivera </b>heard Alejandro mutter under <b>his </b>breath and she turned.
The woman who approached was stunning in the most artificial way–perfectly styled blonde hair, sharp cheekbones, and a dress designed to show everything and leave nothing to the imagination.
Her heels clicked loudly with every step she took toward them. Her eyes found Nivera instantly, and her smile twisted.
The fake smile she wore barely masked her disdain<b>. </b>
Alejandro didn’t even react, simply offered her a nod and a <b>neutral</b>, “Carmen”
Carmen’s eyes swept over Nivera, slow and assessing “see you’ve picked up a stray, Alejandro”
Huh, Nivers frowned, not wanting to believe the woman was referring to her.
“Didn’t think you’d traded refined tastes for street experiments,” she continued.
Nivera blinked. Street experiments?
She turned to look at Alejandro who remained infuriatingly silent, his gaze flicking toward a passing associate as if he’d heard nothing at all. Her pulse ticked at her jaw.
Fucking asshole<b>.. </b>
Carmen smiled wider, clearly encouraged. “Though I suppose it’s cute in a <b>charity </b><b>case </b>sort of way. I assume she doesn’t speak unless told <b>to</b>?”
Nivera’s fists clenched at her sides.
She nced up at Alejandro, expecting–haping–for some sort of defense.
Nothing
Just a brief flicker of something umeadable in his eyes as he checked his phone.
She inhaled sharply. That was th
was the moment she snapped. If he wasn’t going to caution one of his crazy admirers,
might en met do 1.
<i>AD </i>