<b>Chapter </b><b>31 </b>


    The wedding reception was every bit as extin?ant as expected.


    Crystal chandeliers glimmered from above like cascading icicles, spilling golden light across the sprawling fullroom.


    Every surface sparkled as the tables were adorned with roses and candles, champagne flutes catching the light like priems.


    Meanwhile, the waiters were in crisp uniforms, weaving through the crowd with practiced elegance.


    Nivera barely had time to soak it in.


    The moment they stepped in, hand in hand, the atmosphere subtly shifted.


    If it were up to her, they would have been the first to get there so she wouldn’t have to deal with the people she was looking at


    However, before she and Alejancho could get to the car, he was <b>pulled </b>to take pictures with the bride and groom, and she was dragged alongside him.


    The bride didn’t even know yet, she


    she would see her in <b>a </b>number of pictures.


    Turning her attention back to her environment, she took it in.


    There were no gasps or open–mouthed stares–but in those quiet, charged moments of attention, she saw curious nces


    Slow assessments Whispers that were just out of earshot


    She couldn’t help but wonder if it was because Alejandro changed dates for different events, or if it <b>was </b>because she was the first person he had brought as his date.


    She suspected it to <b>be </b>thetter.


    Eyes flicked to her like moths to me. Women, dozens of them, seemed to assess her from beneath perfectly linedshes, their eyes moving from her face to the emerald gown that clung to her body like it belonged there.


    Nivera didn’t need a mirror to know she looked good. The way they looked at her confirmed it.


    But it wasn’t admiration she felt radiating from them,


    It was rivalry, Territory. Jealousy.


    And <b>behind </b>all of it–confusion. As if they couldn’t believe it. Alejandro Garcia had walked in not just with a woman on his arm–but one who looked like


    this.


    Who carried herself like this. Who didn’t flinch under their scrutiny.


    Due to the fact that Alejandro was the groom’s brother, he was in the center most of the time, and she stood close to him, while other times, she was sitting, but it was still in the center,


    “Alejandro“, she called his attention as she stood up and moved to <b>a </b>corner.


    He turned and began to make his way over to her “I want to sit down over there.” She pointed to the back of the room.


    But before he could respond–or oblige her affention snapped to a woman standing a few feet away, watching them with an unreadable expression.


    Elegant, poised, Mid–forties, maybe. Her blonde hair was swept up in a chignon<b>, </b>and her dress <b>was </b>tailored <b>to </b>perfection, her heels lethal <b>and </b>her presencemanding,


    Something about her looked familiar.


    <b>1/4 </b>


    Nivera squinted sightly, trying to n her face, until the realizationnded like a whisper brushing down her <b>spine </b>


    That fate. She’d seen it during one of her obsessive online seaches<b>, </bte at night when she’d been trying to piece together Alejandro’s world.


    She hadn’t lingered on the photo back then, too caught up in her spiraling paranoia – but now, pelosa, Alejandro’s mother,


    And the way the was looking at them–no, her–made Nivera’s stomach ip


    was staring at Marceline Garcia,


    Realizing something had caught her attention, Alejandro followed her line of sight, and on seeing his mother, his hand tensed slightly around hers


    “Mom,” he greeted<b>, </b>his tone light butced with something else. Affection, perhaps. Or caution. Maybe both.


    A subtle smile tugged at Marceline’s lips <b>as </b>the moved closer to them,


    She turned her sharp eyes on Niveta<b>, </b>and in that moment, Nivera was sure the woman was scrutinizing her as she looked at her the same way her mother looked at her before she scalded her.


    “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your…friend?” Marceline said so, though her eyes never left Nivera. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing someone.” Alejandro’s smile widened just enough. “This is Nivera,” he introduced, as he took her hand in his and squeezed her hand “My girlfriend“.


    The words took time to <b>sink </b>in, and when they <b>did</b>, it hit her like lightning-


    Nivera blinked, too stunned to <b>speak </b>


    Girlfriend?


    What the hell?


    That wasn’t in the n. There was no n! Not one that involved publiclybeling whatever mess this was


    And certainly not in front of his mother, who was now blinking at them both as if trying to process whether she’d heard correctly.


    Nivera instinctively turned her gaze to Alejandro, hoping to catch some silent exnation in his eyes but he stayed firmly in character, looking at her with the kind of fondness that felt so convincing she almost forgot to be angry.


    Almost.


    Marceline arched a brow, assessing them both again.


    “Well,” she said slowly. “It’s been years since you’ve introduced me to anyone. And suddenly…” She turned her sharp gace back to Nivera, though her tore wasn’t cruel <b>Just </b>observant.


    “You’re very beautiful, dear. And brave for being with him.”


    Nivera managed <b>a </b>polite smile. “Thank you, ma’am.”


    “Marceline,” she corrected smoothly. “<b>Please</b>, No need to sound like we’re in an official setting”


    There was a beat of silence before she added, “Telfme something, Nivera. Did he force you into this? <b>Into </bing here, ying the date?”


    Alejandro didn’t flinch, but Nivera saw the corner of his mouth twitch–just the barest flicker of amusement.


    Bastard. Was that what this was for him? He was fucking lying to his own mother.


    “No<b>,</b><b>” </b>Nivera said, her <b>voice </b>calm, “He didn’t force me. I came because I wanted to.


    Marceline tilted her head<b>, </b>unconvinced. “Funny. That look <b>of </b>shock on your face said otherwise


    Nivera inhaled through her nose. Her Instincts kicked in the same instincts she used around her father and her mother during every Family Band required her to smile while lying.


    “I was shocked,” she admitted with a small shrug, because Alejandro’s never put abel on us before I didn’t expect him to do it now.


    She said it sweetly, lightly, but with just enough bite to push the attention track where it belonged on him


    Marceline’s r


    s eyes narrowed just slightly, then shifted to Alejandro. “Still avoidingmitment,


    Alejandro lifted a hand in surrender. “Guilty,” he said “But I’m working on it. I mean, hello… girlfriend,” he raised his and hivera’s intertwined hands


    “I don’t…” Before Marceline could finish her words, somoone nearby called her


    led her name, and she turned.


    “I’ll be back,” she said to Nivera, her voice more cordial now. “We’ll talk Just me fire someone.”


    And just like that, she walked off, leaving Hivera and Alejandro in the center of a room full of a


    As soon as she was out of earshot, <b>Nivera </b>rounded on him, ready tosh out at him.


    “Don’t forget people are still staring,” he reminded her.


    “What. The hell was that?” She asked with a smile on her face.


    Alejandro leaned in, still smiling as well. “<b>Smile</b>, mi reina.”


    Tayes.


    am smiling, and don’t call me that,” she hissed. “But I swear, if you don’t exin that stunt”


    “You yed your part well,” he interrupted, gaze flicking across the room. “Impressive.”


    “Oh, fuck <b>you</b>, Alejandro<b>” </b>She was damn serious, and he was treating it like <b>a </b>game..


    He turned to face her fully now, taking both her hands in his like some doting partner, <b>leaning </b>in close enough that their foreheads nearly touched.


    Anyone watching would have seen a man utterly enthralled by his date.


    “You looked like you!


    u wanted to melt into the marble,” he murmured. “So I gave them something else to look at.”


    “What the hell are you talking about? I’m talking about what just happened with your mother.”“


    “What about it<b>?</b>”


    “You lied to your mother.


    “I redirected,” he said. “There’s a difference.”


    There was nothing in his words that screamed redirection. It was an outright lie


    She was about to argue when another woman approached them, smiling glossy, and her dress clung like it had been painted on.


    “Alejandro,” the woman purred, ignoring Nivera entirely. “You didn’t say <b>you </b>wereing with someone. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have waited around all morning hoping for a dance.”


    Nivera watched the exchange with growing disbelief. The woman stepped closer, reaching a manicured hand toward his arm,


    Nivera smiled sweetly–and stepped between them.


    “Hi,” she said, voice light. “I’m Nivera. His friend. Back off it was short and sweet and passed the message across


    The woman had to be foolish to even say such a thing in front of his date and she was too pissed to even allow her to continue


    The woman blinked while Alejandro grinned behind her, as the had done the job perfectly.


    “Alejandro?” Nivera rolled her eyes when the woman still tried to speak to him.


    “Well, you heard her,” he saidzily. “My girlfriend has spoken.”


    The woman’s smile faltered, but she stered it back on and excused herself a secondter.


    Nivera turned to him with a deadpan look. “You enjoyed that.”


    He tilted his head. “A little and look, you said you’re my girlfriend,” he pointed out.


    “I said “date,” she e frowned, but as she said it, it didn’t look like she <b>said </b><b>“</b>date


    “You didn’t.” Alejandro insisted.


    “Yes, I did,” Nivera argued just as another woman approached. Then another.


    It was always the same–eyes that lingered too long on Alejandro, lips curved in interest, smiles practised.


    Each time, Nivera cut in with quiet grace, redirecting the attention and slipping a possessive hand around his arm or waist. And each time, Alejandro didn’t object. He encouraged it.


    By the time they finally made it to their table, Nivers was exhausted–and furious.


    owe me,” she muttered as they sat.


    “You a


    Alejandro poured her a ss of wine. “I’ll try not to be too brutal when I destroy,” he said, sliding it over to her. “Ahh!” He groaned in pain when he felt <b>a </b>sharp pain on his leg underneath the table.


    “Did you seriously)


    y just kick me?!” He red at her.


    “I have no idea what you mean,” she shrugged, using the same nonchnt voice <b>he </b>always used on her.


    “Do that again,


    1, and I’ll break your… fuck!” Alejandro cursed again when he felt the sharp pain again.


    And Nivera, despite herself, felt the corners of her lips tug upward.


    Alejandro didn’t waste any time in standing up. ring at her, he walked away, much to <b>Nivera’s </b>relief, as she was finally alone.


    E