Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Now that I was older, I understood that fear had driven him. Our father never would’ve ripped our family apart unless he was trying to protect us from something far bigger than we could have understood. The why still haunted me—what had he been so scared of that he felt he couldn’t protect his own daughters? What could make him sever our bond so completely?
That unanswered question gnawed at me, resurfacing in moments like this when Mateo’s words cut through my defenses. He didn’t know the half of it, didn’t know the pain of losing a father without ever really losing him. But it didn’t matter now. My father was gone, and whatever he had been afraid of, Mateo was now part of that shadow.
His eyes gleamed with amusement like he could see straight through me, peeling away every layer I tried to protect. A small smile was on his lips, but he didn’t push the issue. He didn’t need to. He had already made his point.
The fact that I had denied it only confirmed what he already suspected. I regretted charging in the way I did, letting my emotions take control when I needed to be logical. Mateo’s words undoubtedly held a hint of truth, but now I was left with more questions than answers.
“All I want is to find my sister,” I said, my voice betraying the exhaustion and desperation I felt.
Mateo circled back around his desk with calm, deliberate movements. He dropped the small black book back into the drawer and retrieved a small velvet box. After locking the book away, he approached me, holding the box as if it were something precious.
"She's in the city," Mateo said, his voice smooth and almost comforting. "In fact, she’s much closer than you can imagine."
My heart skipped a beat at his words, my breath catching in my throat. A mix of hope and fear surged within me.
I wanted to believe him, to hold onto the idea that Eva was within reach, but the fear of being manipulated, of this all being part of Mateo’s game, kept me from fully embracing it.
My eyes flicked from the velvet box in his hand to his face, searching for any sign of deception, but his expression was unreadable. The possibility that Eva was so close, after all this time, was almost too much to process. It felt like the ground beneath me had shifted, leaving me unsteady and unsure of what to do next.
“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly. “Where is she?”
"Now, that's not how this works. I promised to help you find your sister in return for you being my wife in every way possible. And now, we've got a few more kinks to work out."
"You can't just change our agreement!" I snapped, my voice trembling with anger.
"Oh, my beautiful girl," Mateo said softly, a dangerous edge to his voice as he stepped closer, "I can do whatever the fuck I want so long as I keep my word."
"But you know where she is," I protested, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. "You aren't helping me find her."
"Of course, I am." He loomed over me, forcing me to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. His hand reached out, brushing against my cheek with a possessive tenderness that sent a shiver down my spine. "I'll be the only one telling you how to find her." His fingers trailed down, sending an electric current through my skin. "I've known where Eva was long before your uncle approached and asked me to fund her charade of a funeral."
That hit me like a punch to the gut. It explained why he had been there, why he seemed to know so much. He’d funded the entire thing. Why hadn’t I considered that before?
My family was living off hail-marys, or so I thought. They were only sustained because of Mateo's money. But why? Why had he offered? It was all too much to process at the moment.
Mateo circled around me, his presence suffocating. He gently draped my hair over one shoulder, his touch sending another involuntary shiver down my spine. I heard the lid of the box snap open behind me, and a moment later, I felt something cool and delicate against my neck.
He clasped the necklace in place, the chain settling on my skin. I glanced down, catching sight of the pendant—a small, intricately designed card, the Queen of Diamonds, encrusted with tiny diamonds that caught the light and matched the engagement ring weighing heavily on my finger, creating a set that felt as much like a shackle as it did jewelry.
“What is this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as I stared down at the pendant resting against my collarbone.
“Tradition,” Mateo replied, his lips brushing the back of my neck in a lingering kiss that sent a wave of heat through my body. Before I could react, he turned me around to face him, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made it hard to breathe. He placed one hand on the small of my back, pulling me just close enough to feel his warmth but not close enough to touch.