20 Camila narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. No compliment? Did she not look good enough? She wondered but quickly shook it off. She wasn't trying to impress him or anyone, so it really didn't matter if she looked great or not.She followed him to the car. The driver helped them open the door, and he couldn't resist the urge to compliment Camila."You look beautiful, ma'am," he said."Thank you," Camila smiled. At least a driver appreciated her beauty more than her husband did.Alejandro's eyes darkened when he stared at his driver and the poor man froze."Is talking to my wife why I hired you as my driver?" he asked harshly."I'm sorry, sir," the driver apologized."Cut him some slack. He was just complimenting me," Camila rolled her eyes."Then how about you get married to him and watch him save your family's company instead," Alejandro shrugged at her.Camila resisted the urge to call him an asshole. She just scoffed and looked out the window, tired of thinking about what cou
21Camila turned to Rafael to take a proper look at him. He was indeed the one who helped her the other day."Mr. Rafael," she greeted him."Just Rafael," he corrected her, which made her smile. Rafael couldn't help but admire her looks and came to the conclusion that this lady before him gets more beautiful daily."You know, I'm surprised to see you at an event like this. Who's the bastard that's lucky enough to convince you to be his date?" Rafael then asked."Actually, she is married and you can turn around and call me a lucky bastard to my face," someone said behind Rafael, which made him freeze.Camila looked forward to see Alejandro looking at her with darkened eyes. She didn't know what she did wrong but she couldn't stop herself from gulping.Rafael turned to look at Alejandro. He stiffened a bit, still trying to digest the fact that the lady he hadn't been able to forget was married, and not just to anyone but to his rival, Alejandro."If you don't have anything else to say,
22Camila gave him a questioning look. She wanted to complain but was interrupted when she heard everyone clapping. It felt like they had all witnessed what they did and were clapping because she put on a good show for them. But they were clapping because the jazz musician was done performing.It was weird that she didn't hear anything going on when Alejandro's fingers were inside her. She looked at him as he wiped his hands with a tissue dropped for them on the table. He gave Camila a look as he slowly wiped his hands, making sure she saw the wetness of her on the tissue."Why didn't you finish?" she asked him."It's part of the punishment. I will give you the full one when we get home," he replied, which confused Camila.Punishment for what exactly?The host came back to the stage and Alejandro turned serious as this was the part he had been waiting for."First, we are giving an award to the most outstanding businessman. The award goes to Mr. Alejandro Ruiz!" the host announced, and
23"Rule number 7," he said, staring deeply into her eyes. "Don't smile at other men who aren't me," he stated.Camila was still trying to process how fast this was happening, but his hands choked her throat even more."Did I make myself clear? I said I don't want to see you smiling with another man. I own you, Camila. We are married, and you should only give me your smile!" he said even more harshly this time.Camila could hardly breathe. Alejandro was angry, and he was taking it out on her. She felt like she was about to pass out and didn't know how to stop him."Alejandro..." She managed to call his name, tears slipping from her eyes.Alejandro suddenly let go of her, and she began coughing, letting out all the breath he almost took from her. He didn't move; he just stood in one place, watching her."Are you happy now?" She looked at him with red eyes. "I thought you wouldn't stop until you saw me dead," she added, tears slipping from her eyes.Alejandro wanted to touch her face, b
24RUIZ ROYAL ESTATES••••Alejandro was busy with his phone when someone knocked on the door and entered. It was a well-dressed woman."Mr. Alejandro, Mr. Fernando is here to see you," she informed him."Let him in," Alejandro sighed. It wasn't long before Fernando barged in."So now your friend has to make an appointment before he sees you?" Fernando casually sat on the swivel chair opposite Alejandro."What do you want?" Alejandro asked tiredly."What do you mean? I came to check up on a good friend," Fernando twitched his lips and rolled his swivel chair around."Do you redesign your office every day?" he asked while looking around. Then he picked up a photo stand on the table. It was an unaware picture of Camila."Wow, what a beautiful picture. Does she know you have this with you?" Fernando admired the picture."Stop touching my property!" Alejandro's vein was popping."You call your wife your property?" Fernando looked amused."She always has been!" Alejandro yanked the picture
25Camila looked stunned as she moved closer. She took a moment to touch the flowers gently, making sure they weren't fake and wouldn’t explode any second now. But they were real.She picked up the ruby chocolate, her favorite, and looked at it with mixed emotions as she was suddenly taken back to eight years ago. Ruby chocolate had always been her favorite, but her family had expected her to be perfect, limiting her from eating it. Alejandro had worked twice as hard just to get it for her back then."Do you want me to get you bigger flowers or another flavor of chocolate? You can tell me," Camila turned back to the familiar voice. Alejandro was standing behind her, looking like he had just gotten back from work."Why?" was all Camila could manage to ask."You don't want it?" He looked worried."Why are you giving me gifts, Alejandro?" Camila repeated, noticing his breath hitch. He was struggling to apologize, and she knew it."Don't push it. Can you not make things hard for me and ju
"Why are you dressed like that?" he asked with a gloomy expression."Can we not do this now, please?" Camila tiredly sat down, dragging some pancakes towards her, but she couldn't eat."Why are you not eating?" He questioned, concern evident on his face."I'm not hungry," Camila mumbled."You're never not hungry in the morning," he called her bluff."And since when do you care?" Camila looked annoyed."Tell me what you want to eat," Alejandro ordered."Nothing," Camila sighed."You think I will really let you leave here with nothing in your stomach? Do you need me to ask the maids to make fresh pancakes?" he kept insisting."It's not the pancakes. When I'm in my time of the month, I don't really crave food. My stomach is torturing me right now, so can you not!" Camila snapped, standing up and leaving the dining room.Alejandro stayed quiet for a while before calling the head maid over."Yes, Mr. Ruiz?" Lucy respectfully approached him."What do you think my wife would eat while she's
Alejandro was seated in his car, on the way back to the mansion, when he noticed a treats shop. The first thing that came to his mind was Camila and how her face brightens whenever she sees chocolate."Stop here," he ordered his driver, Peter.Peter stopped the car, looking confused as he watched Alejandro open the car door and step out, heading toward the treats store."What is wrong with him?" Peter asked himself.Alejandro stepped into the store, feeling uncomfortable with how small the place was compared to the supermarkets he was used to shopping in."Good evening, sir. We were about to close," the saleswoman, who looked about 40, approached him with a polite smile. "But don’t worry, I can help you. Are you looking for something for your wife, your mom, or your sister?" she asked briskly."Brett, get a chair for our customer," she shouted. It was the first time a rich man had walked into their little store, and she didn’t want to scare him away."There’s no need," Alejandro stopp