<b>Chapter </b><b>95 </b>
The morning sun streamed through the tall windows the mansion, eating a golden glow into the isom
The events of the night before still yed over and over in her mind–Alejanden’s volt, his gaze, and the conflicting tenderness and control he embodied.
It <b>was </b>maddening. He was maddening, and it was starting to drive her crazy.
What would it take for her to get him out of her mind?
He was thest thing she thought about before falling asleep, and he was the first thing she thought about when she woke up
She’d barely slept. Her mind had refused to shut down until the early hours of dawn, when her body finally caved in.
<b>Nivera </b>had soaked in the bath until her skin had pruned, trying to quiet the noise, and it
t had b
Thelped
Now, freshly bathed, her hair was damp and tied into a loose braid, and she padded barefoot down the marble staircase in one of her oversized button- down shirts and a pair of cotton shorts.
Her intention had been simple: eat, avoid overthinking, and maybe disappear into a book for a few hours.
All these would stop when she officially started working, as she would be too busy to think about Alejandro.
She descended slowly, enjoying the warmth of the tiles under her feet. Her skin still tingled from the heat of the water, but her mind was already spinning with thoughts of the <b>day</b>.
Voices echood faintly–the staff, whom she hardly
one whom she would always seek out and finder saw, were bustling with distant movement–but her attention caught sharply on one gre, the
Alejandro.
He was striding across the foyer with focused urgency<b>, </b>sleeves rolled up, phone pressed to his ear, already halfway through the <b>grand </b>door.
“I said pull the files fromst quarter–no, r
, not the copies, the originals. Fuck, I’m on my way!”
As if sensing her presence, h
he turned immediately, spotting her at the bottom of the stairs.
His eyessoftened just slightly as he looked at her from head to toe, before they hardened as it seemed the other person on the other side said something.
“You’re leaving?<b>” </b>she whispered.
“Hmm,” he nodded in affirmation. “Stay <b>inside </b>today,” he instructed as he disconnected the call. “There’s a crisis at thepany.”
Nivera blinked. “Crisis? What kind?”
“The kind that costs millions if you blink. One of our suppliers messed up an entire order. I need to fix it before it gets worse,” he muttered, pocketing his phone for a moment
“Don’t worry about it. Eat something and rest, but don’t burn the house down.”
She offered a small scoff, but her heart fluttered unexpectedly.
He stepped closer, almost as if about to say something more, but then didn’t. Jostead, he turned.
<b>She </b>waited for what, she didn’t even know.
Aword? A gesture?
The forehead kiss he always gave her when he was leaving!
<b>But </b>this time, he didn’t.
He offered a cuit nod instead and walked out, the door clicking shut behind him
Her shoulders slumped most immediately, but she straightened them almost immediately.
What the hell was that? She thought. Why was I waiting for a kiss like some lovesick teenager?
She scolded herself internally and made her way to the dining room, pushing aside the ridiculous pang of disappointment blooming in her chest.
He didn’t owe her affection. They weren’t in a rtionship. He had been clear on that, hadn’t he? No love. No promises
The staff had alreadyid out her usual–a smoothie bowl, <b>toast</b>, and some fresh toa–but she barely touched it. Her appetite was lost somewhere in the hollowness of her chest.
She forced a few bites, stimed the tea aimlessly, then gave up
She needed air.
Ten minutester, Nivera found herself walking down one of the estate’s private trails, a winding stone path that led through a small garden and eventually to an old greenhouse nestled quietly at the back of the property.
It was often locked, but today, thetch was loose.
She stepped <b>inside</b>, the scent of earth and forgotten blooms clinging to the warm air. It was overgrown, clearly neglected, but it had its charm–a quiet, secret sort of charm.
She smiled faintly, stepping around a half–wilted vine.
However, before she could further observe<b>, </b><b>she </b>fell her phone vibrate in her back pocket.
When she brought it out to theck, she saw it was just a stupid notification.
Groaning, she proceeded to put it back when a thought popped into her mind.
She had said she would get to know Alejandro and what secrets <b>he </b>was hiding, and what better time to do it than now while he was distracted with thepany and the crisis
Without wasting time, she began scrolling through her contacts until she paused on a name she hadn’t messaged in a while.
Marceline
Nivera: Hi, Marceline, <b>are </b>you free today? I have nothing to do, and I was wondering if you’d want to hang <b>out </b>
The response came back in less <b>than </b>a minute.
Marceline: Of course. There’s a new <b>ce </b>I’ve been meaning to try. Meet me at Valmont’s
A hint of <b>a </b>smile touched <b>Nivera’s </b>lips.
Valmont’s.
Nivera blinked. That was one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city–membership only, no walk–ins. Of course.
Without wasting time, she quickly left and headed upstairs to her room.
22111 Wed, 23 Jul 57
She changed quickly, throwing on a soft sage dress and node heels, tying her hair up into a clean hun. She wanted to look elegant, but <b>not </b>from s trying too hard.
Her driver and
eguard were waiting, and after giving them the address, they were on their way.
She arrived just a few minutes past their agreed time and was led into a tucked away booth by <b>a </b>
hostess!
s who recognized Nivera instantly.
The older woman already sat poised with a cappino in hand, sunsses perched atop her head, elegance in every detail she smiled as Nivera approached.
“Darling.” Marceline greeted, rising slightly to kiss both of Nivera’s cheeks “You look lovely”
“So do you,” Nivera said sincerely, sliding into the seat across from her.
They made light conversation for a while–chitchatting about fashion, the Garcia Foundation’s recent charity auction, and ev society’s most dramatic divorce.
But after their food arrived, she finally tested the waters
ping a little about
E