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Alejandro’s hand was firm at her lower back as he guided her out of the building, his arm shielding her from prying eyes and potential cameras.
The way his body moved, tense and protective, made it clear that anyone who dared to step into their path would regret it.
He didn’t stop until they reached the sleek ck car waiting for them. The driver scrambled out, opening the door with a bow, but Alejandro didn’t let Nivera climb in on her own as he assisted her in getting in.
The door of the ck SUV mmed shut, muting the buzz of paparazzi and the muffled chaos of the city outside. Inside, silence pressed down thickly, broken only by the low hum of the engine.
Nivera’s breath still came unevenly, her body trembling as though the whispers from the restroom still clung to her skin. Her fingers twisted nervously in herp, nails biting into her palms.
Without hesitation, Alejandro reached across the seat and pulled her against him. She stiffened at first, startled, but his arm only tightened, his grip solid, unyielding.
“Cabezota,” he murmured, his voice softer now than it had been back in the building. His hand slid up her arm, anchoring her, steadying her. “Breathe. No one will touch you while I breathe.”
The scent of him–clean soap, faint cologne, and something rawer beneath it–filled her lungs, and slowly, she sagged into him. Her head rested on his shoulder, her body melting against the heat of him like it was the only safe ce left in the world.
The rhythmic thrum of his heartbeat beneath her ear was grounding and protective. Possessive, even.
Her eyes burned as she shut them tight. She should have pushed him away. She should have said something sharp, should have reminded him that she didn’t need his protection.
But her body betrayed her resolve. Her fingers curled into the expensive fabric of his suit, clinging like she had no strength left <i>to </i>stand alone.
Alejandro didn’t speak again<b>, </b>but he didn’t need to. His grip on her waist, his thumb stroking absent circles on her hip, the heat of his body against hers–all of it screamed possession.
He wasn’t justforting her. He was iming her. And for the first time that night, the tremor in her chest eased.
Alejandro closed his eyes, the corner of his lips curling faintly upward. The image of Damon’s hand brushing her arm burned in his mind like a brand, but here, with her folded into him, trembling but yielding, it soothed some primal part of him.
Mine.
The thought came unbidden but not unwee. He would’ve killed anyone who tried to pry her away from
his side in that moment.
By the time they reached the mansion, she was calmer, though the faint tremor in her hands betrayed the
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storm still raging within. Alejandro didn’t release her, not even when the car door opened. His arm remained looped around her waist as though daring the night itself to challenge him.
We’re home, Cabezota,” he said softly.
Hershes fluttered open as she tilted her head up and caught sight of his face in the dim glow of the car light.
His jaw was hard, his eyes darker than usual, and though his movements were gentle, there was something in his expression that made her stomach flip.
Possessiveness–obsession, and something terrifyingly close to tenderness.
He didn’t let her walk into the house on her own. Instead, his arm remained draped around her as though she couldn’t be trusted to stand without him.
A few guards lingered near the entrance, bowing their heads respectfully as they passed, but Alejandro didn’t slow. His strides were long and purposeful, carrying her straight into the mansion and up the stairs.
When they reached his bedroom, Nivera’s nerves sparked awake again.
“Alejandro, I—”
“Shh.” He cut her off as he pushed the door open and ushered her inside. His tone wasn’t harsh but absolute. “No protests tonight.”
She swallowed hard. His room was dimly lit, smelling faintly of cedarwood and smoke, with the massive bed dominating the center.
She expected him to release her the moment they crossed the threshold, but he didn’t. He walked her straight to the edge of the bed and only then allowed her space.
“Sit,” he ordered gently, his hand brushing down her arm as if to guide her.
Her knees gave in before her pride could stop her. She sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers twisting together. He shrugged off his jacket, draped it over the armchair, and loosened his tie.
She should have looked away, but her gaze betrayed her, trailing over the broad nes of his shoulders, the bruises still faintly visible on his skin, and the tension in every movement.
He crouched in front of her, one hand capturing hers, thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Tell me.” His voice was steady, but his eyes burned with intensity. “Start from the beginning.”
Nivera hesitated, her teeth catching her lip, but the sincerity in his gaze undid her. She exhaled shakily “This… isn’t the first time.”
His head tilted, sharp and attentive. “What do you mean?” His voice was soft, but beneath it ran steel.
She hesitated. Admitting it aloud made her feel like she was unraveling, like she was giving weight to something she should have been able to dismiss as paranoia.
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But she couldn’t keep it bottled anymore. Not after what happened tonight.
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“I thought I was imagining it at first,” she whispered. Her hands tightened in herp. “At the mansion. I–I heard someone call my name one night. I thought it was my imagination, but then I saw a shadow outside my door. When I opened it, no one was there. But I know what I heard, Alejandro. It was real.”
“Before then, after my meeting with Celeste, a man ordered some food for me, but I didn’t see him, and when I looked, there was a note.”
Alejandro’s grip tightened, grounding her. “What did it say?”
Hershes lowered. “Do you ever wonder if you’re really alone?” she responded.
Alejandro’s jaw clenched, his fury contained but palpable.
“However, when I called the waiter asking who had left the note, the writing had disappeared. There was nothing on the paper. It looked as though I was crazy, but I’m not.”
“I know you’re not,” Alejandro agreed. “But why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Her lip trembled. “I was going to. I swear. But then you came home beaten, barely able to stand, and I—” She shook her head furiously. “I couldn’t pile this on you. You needed rest and-”
She stopped, realization mming into her.
Her eyes widened, darting to his chest, his arm, and his bruised jaw. He had been beaten. He should still be in bed. She surged to her feet, paning her voice.
“You shouldn’t even be standing right now! You should be resting–Alejandro, you—”
Before she could spiral further, his hand shot out, grasping her wrist and tugging her firmly against him.
“Stop,” he said, low andmanding. “Look at me, Nivera.”
Her breath caught as his gaze bore into hers, dark and unyielding.
“You think a few bruises will keep me from being here for you?” He tilted his head, his thumb brushing her pulse where his fingers still wrapped her wrist.
She blinked, startled by the rawness in his tone.
“No. You are, and will always be, my priority. Do you understand?”
Her heart gave a treacherous flutter, her chest tightening painfully. No one had ever said words like that to her
and meant them–not like this.
Her chest tightened, her heartbeat hammering so violently she thought he must have felt it.
“Why?” She whispered, the word slipping out before she could stop it. “Why do you-”
“Because you’re mine,” he said without hesitation, his voice so certain it stole the air from her lungs. “And I
protect what’s mine.”
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Her throat worked. Her body screamed at her to pull back, to fight the possessive im in his words, but her heart… her heart betrayed her. It fluttered wildly, traitorous, as though it liked the weight of his devotion.
Her voice cracked. “Do you think I’m crazy?”
The answer was immediate, unflinching. “No.”
Her breath caught. He hadn’t even paused to consider.
“Not for a second,” he added firmly, his gaze boring into hers like steel, daring her to doubt him.
The knot in her chest loosened so quickly it nearly hurt. He had said it before, but she needed to hear it again.
Relief swelled, spilling from her eyes before she could stop it. The thought of him—even him–believing she was delusional would’ve destroyed her.
If Alejandro–Alejandro, who saw through everyone–believed her, then maybe she wasn’t losing her mind after <i>all</i>.
Her chest rose and fell unevenly as she stared up at him, searching his face for any hint of doubt. But there was none. His expression was carved in stone, his eyes locked on her like she was the only thing in the world worth focusing on.
The air between them grew heavy. Her body felt trapped between panic and relief, between fear and something warmer that curled dangerously low in her belly.
He wiped her tears with the pad of his thumb, his jaw tightening. “Whoever’s doing this will regret it.”
She leaned into his touch, helpless against thefort it gave her. Her eyes closed, the exhaustion finally catching up, but her voice was a whisper. “Alejandro…”
He leaned closer, his forehead brushing hers, his arm sliding around her again, protective as ever. “I promise,” he murmured, though his mind churned with violence, already mapping out every name, every enemy, every shadow who might have dared <i>to </i>creep close to her.
She nodded faintly, her body sagging against his chest.
The moment was broken by a soft knock on the door. Alejandro’s gaze flicked sharply to the sound. His hand slid from her wrist, but not without dragging slowly against her skin as if reluctant to release her.
The door cracked open. The helper stepped in carefully, her eyes darting nervously between them. She carried a trayden with food, steam still curling from the bowls.
“Sir, I brought your food.”
Alejandro’s arm tightened around Nivera possessively once again, but his voice remained calm. “Set it down.”
The helper ced the tray on the table and backed away quickly, sensing the charged atmosphere in the
room.
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Alejandro’s eyes never left Nivera, his hand stroking her back as though daring the world toe between them.
And Nivera, despite the fear that still curled inside her, let herself sink into the safety of him–if only for tonight.
“Let’s eat so you can get some rest; it’s been a busy day,” he muttered to her, and she nodded.
She didn’t have much of an appetite, but she knew Alejandro wouldn’t let her sleep without eating, and so she had no choice.
The sooner she ate, the sooner she would be able to put the day behind her.
AD