<b>Chapter </b>83
The night was quiet when Alejandro pulled into the driveway, the sound of lus engine the only disruption
mansion.
The sky was a heavy vetvet blue, moonlight casting silver streaks over the <b>dark </b><b>t </b>
tiles of the rooftop:
He killed the engine and stepped out, his invements slow. When he looked up, he noticed that there were no chan
The night carried an eerie vibe, perfectly describing his mood. How nice.
His gaze instinctively swept toward the garage, wanting to see if it was still thein, and there it was.
His mother’s car. She hadn’t left.
Why hadn’t she? A sigh shipped past his lips as he closed the car door.
It wasn’t that he was surprised. But he had half–hoped, selfishly maybe, that she would be gone.
That he wouldn’t have to walk into <b>a </b>home where they would have to have a discussion about what happened,
The mansion was quiet as always as Alejandro pushed open the front door. He didn’t like having people around and whenever the they always made sure to move silently.
The click of it shutting behind him echoed slightly in the vast space.
He dropped his keys into the ceramic bowl by the console table and loosened his tie, tugging it off with a heavy breath.
The silence <b>wasn’t </b>unusual, but tonight it felt heavy. As if the air itself was holding its breath.
Alejandro made his way up the stairs slowly, his footsteps muffled by the plush carpeting
rkers were present.
When he reached her room, he paused in front of the closed door. His hand hovered over the knob for a moment, uncertain, and
she slowly turned it.
The door creaked softly as he pushed it open, inch by inch, careful not to make too <b>much </b>noise.
Inside, moonlight bathed the elegant interior in soft silver. His mothery on the bed, her body curled slightly on her side, breathing even and slow.
Her hands were folded near her face. On the nightstand beside her was a bottle of pills, uncapped but safely upright
So she had taken them.
It made sense. After what happened, she <b>had </b>to find a way to calm herself Pills were her way of coping, and God knew he wasn’t in a position to judge when he did the same.
He exhaled, quietly. Then, as he began to close the door, <b>a </b>shape in the corner of the room caught his eye.
There was someone else in the room
His eyes adjusted quickly to the dark, and that’s when he saw her.
Niwera
Curled up on the armchair near the window, her head tilted to one <b>side</b>, her chest rising and falling with the steady rhythm of sleep
A nket had slipped halfway off her shoulder and her arm was dangling almost touching the floor.
So this was why she hadn’t texted. A tiny<b>, </b>unexpected smile tugged at the edge of his lips
Chapter <b>83 </b>
He blinked as he hadn’t expected her to stay with his mother for so long she could have left, <b>but </b>her saying min
He shook his head softly and stepped back, slowly closing the door without another sound. Thetch clicked gently into ca.
He made his way down the hall to his room, the soft yellow hallway lights giving the space a gentle glow
When he gut in, he shrugged off his jacket and tossed it over the chair. His fingers moved to his buttons, unfastening them one by one until his shirt hung loose
He was just about to pull on a fresh shirt from the t
wardrobe when he heard a soft knock
He turned, pausing for only a second before crossing the room and opening the door
Nivera stood there, now fully awake, wrapped in the throw nket she had been using
“You’re back,” she said, her voice quieter than usual, but her eyes lit up a little at the sight of him,
Alejandro tilted his head slightly. “You were asleep,” he replied, stepping aside to let her in
She walked <b>past </b>him, ncing once around the room before turning to face him. “I didn’t mean to. I just closed my eyes for one second.”
He grabbed the shirt off the bed but didn’t put it on. “It happens. It <b>has </b>been a long day,” he replied casually.
But she frowned at him. That answer, that tone, light, dismissive, it wasn’t the one she was going to ept.
<b>“</b>Don’t do that.”
Alejandro paused, the shirt half on
“Don’t put on that facade. “That thing you do where you pretend like nothing affects you. Like you’re made of steel,” she added, stepping forward. “T doesn’t suit you. Not with me.”
His brow quirked faintly.
“I’m not pretending”
“Yes<b>, </b>you are. And it doesn’t suit you,” she repeated.
<b>There </b>was no venom in her words, just quiet sincerity.
He didn’t respond, and she continued, her voice still gentle but firm. “I’m not asking you to tell me what happened. I know there are things <b>you </b>won’t <b>share</b>, and I won’t push. But I want to know if you are <b>okay</b>.”
Alejandre stood there, holding the edge of the shirt in his hands, unmoving
She walked to the edge of the bed and sat, her eyes <b>never </b>leaving him. “You looked shaken. Even when you let earlier the way you spoke, the way you walked out I could tell.”
“I’m fine,” <b>he </b>said automatically
She tilted her head. “But you’re not. Nobody can be fine after that.”
A beat passed between them.
He sighed. It was <b>a </b>long, tired breath that seemed to weigh more than it should have. He finally sat down in the chair opposite her, one arm draped over
the <b>side</b>.
“She didn’t recognize me.” The words were quiet. Unfiltered.
Nivera blinked
“Not at that moment thew somente else entirely, he continued
“But she came back
“yeah,” he said, a breathyugh escaping. “After she almost gutted me
<b>Nivera </b>winced.
“Sorry. That was…I didn’t mean it like that ”
“I get it,” she said. “But you know it wasn’t her. Not really”
Alejandro rubbed a hand across his jaw.
“I know. Doesn’t make it easier.”
He then looked up at the ceiling. “It’s not the knife. Not even the reaction. It was her eyes. The way she looked at me… like I was a stranger. Worse, Like was someone she feared. Or hated”
ence stretched as Nivera waited for him to continue.
Then he added, “it’s happened before. But not like this.”
Nivera stood slowly, walking over to him. She knelt in front of the chair and gently rested her hand over his.
I didn’t grow up with her being like this,” he said, his voice <b>a </b>little rougher now. “She was warm. Soft Protective. She used to sing to me when I was sick She made me pancakes <b>in </b>ridiculous shapes just to get me to smile”
His fingers twitched beneath hers.
“Then things changed.”
Nivera didn’t ask how, she just waited for him to share what he wasfortable sharing.
This was the most vulnerable she had seen Alejandro and she wasn’t going to ruin the moment by asking questions.
“I thought therapy would help. I pulled every string, throw every dime. But it’s like… she’s stuck in this loop. She keeps seeing ghosts where there aren’t any. And maybe maybe I remind her of one.”
His eyes flicked down to her. “<b>Maybe </b>she’ll never be the same.”
Nivera squeezed his hand gently. “That’s not on you.”
He didn’t answer.
“She’s still here, isn’t she? That means she’s trying. She took her pills. She let me stay. She cried after you left, Alejandro. She was scared and she felt guilty for <b>doing </b>what she did.”
He finally looked at her. The shadows around his eyes were deeper tonight.
“Do you think it would <b>have </b>been easier if I just stayed away?”
“No,” Nivera said simply. “<b>Because </b>you still care. And that means something. Maybe not everything, but enough”
The silence that followed wasn’t empty. It was heavy with emotion
“You should go rest,” he said after a while.
You need to talk more after she replied.
A faint smirk carved his lips. And let you analyze me to death!
“Someone has in.”
They were still smiling, faintly at each other when a knock came at the door
It was soft which made both of them turn.
Alejandro stood and walked to the door, pulling it open slowly
There <b>stood </b>Marceline.
Her hair <b>was </b>a little disheveled, her eyes were red–immed, but no longer leary
<b>She </b>said nothing at first. Just stood there,
Alejandro blinked.
“Mom?”
But Marceline didn’t respond.
She simply stood there, framed by the soft light of the hallway, looking at her son,
?