53Alejandro stared at Camila, speechless, for a few seconds as she returned his gaze with an innocent look. She deliberately ignored the hardness pressing against his shorts and focused on his empty hand."You didn’t get my fork," she cooed."We’re leaving," Alejandro said firmly."But I’m not done eating," Camila mumbled."Oh, you’ll eat all right," he replied darkly. "You’ll eat real good."He scanned the room, searching for the waiter."I’m not going anywhere, Alejandro." Camila stubbornly crossed her legs, but Alejandro was unfazed. He scribbled a check and left it on the table for the waiter."I said I’m not done eating!" Camila repeated, her defiance growing. Without warning, Alejandro lifted her effortlessly and threw her over his shoulder.Her eyes widened in shock."Put me down this instant!" She kicked her feet in protest, but Alejandro held her securely. She wasn’t heavy, so it was no effort for him as he carried her out to his car.He gently placed her in the passenger se
54"Shh," Alejandro pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It’s okay. You should get some sleep."Camila nodded, snuggling into his chest, and soon drifted off. Alejandro stayed beside her, his mind swirling with thoughts. After a while, he gently untangled himself from her, covered her properly, and slipped into some shorts.He grabbed his laptop and logged into his company’s site to check on things.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••NEXT MORNING•••••••It was exactly 8 a.m. when George arrived at the address Lucia had given him. The gate was larger than the one at his own home, making him hesitate about whether to knock or walk in.A security guard approached him. "May I help you?""My name is George William. Lucia gave me this address and told me to come today," George explained, though the guard looked skeptical."I have her number if you want me to call her," George said, fumbling for his phone."It’s fine. Wait here. I’ll confirm." The guard disappeared inside and spoke with other security
55Elijah wiped the blood dripping from his nose, glaring at Ace. Without hesitation, they lunged at each other, fists flying in a messy brawl.“What the hell is going on? We’ve got a game show in a few minutes! Cut the crap!” Jeff, along with the rest of the Cyber Boys, rushed to break them apart.“Your captain is a two-faced snake! He likes boys and girls! I’m warning you, Elijah—stay away from Isabella!” Ace spat, pointing furiously. Alan held him back, making sure he didn’t lose his temper completely.“That’s enough, Ace. We’ve got a game to win in a few minutes. Go freshen up,” Alan said sternly, dragging Ace away.Easton tried to calm Elijah, but Elijah angrily shook off his hand and stormed off. Isabella stood frozen, Ace's accusation about Elijah liking boys spinning in her head. Who could it be, and why was Elijah even involved with her and Valeria?••••“Ladies and gentlemen, we are live at the Esports Edge! Let’s gear up for the competition starting in less than 30 seconds.
56 ALEJANDRO'S PLACE***Camila slipped on one of Alejandro’s oversized T-shirts, a new morning routine ever since they spent their first night together.“Good morning,” she greeted as she entered the living room.“Morning, love bite,” Alejandro responded, walking over with a cup of coffee. He handed it to her, then placed a soft kiss on her forehead.“Love bite?” Camila laughed, confused.“I’ve decided not to call you Camila anymore. ‘Love bite’ suits you better. I can’t get enough of your neck, and I love leaving my mark,” he teased with a grin.Camila chuckled and sipped her coffee. “This is really good. You’re getting better at this.”“I’m a man of many talents. As long as it keeps that smile on your face, I’ll keep it up,” Alejandro winked."You're so cheesy," Camila tried to hide the blush creeping up her face, but it was no use. Her cheeks were as red as ripe tomatoes."My father's birthday is next week. When are we leaving Mexico?" She quickly changed the topic."I was just ab
57EVENING: LUCIA'S DESIGN STUDIO***Lucia sat smiling at her phone but abruptly paused when she sensed someone’s eyes on her. Slowly, she lifted her head and found George standing beside her, his expression unreadable.“What do you want?” she whispered harshly.“You told me to stand here,” George replied, his tone calm.“Well, now I want you to stand over there,” she said, motioning for him to move further away.George rolled his eyes but complied. Almost immediately, there was a knock on the door, and Jack stepped in.“A lady is here to see you, says her name is Camila,” Jack announced. Lucia’s face lit up instantly.“Let her in! She’s always welcome here.”Jack nodded and exited. Moments later, Camila walked in, and Lucia leapt from her seat, wrapping her in a warm hug.“Camila! I’ve missed you so much. How have you been? You look even more radiant than the last time I saw you. Alejandro must be spoiling you,” Lucia teased, prompting Camila to laugh.As they hugged, Camila’s gaze d
58 BRIARWOOD SCHOOL***"She's coming.""Did you hear? The Cyber Boys missed a game for the first time in their careers, and I heard it’s because of her."Two girls whispered as they walked past Isabella, throwing her dirty looks. Isabella rolled her eyes and headed to her locker. A girl using the locker beside hers slammed it shut and rushed over to another friend."Isn’t she the one who caused the fight between Ace and Elijah?""I heard she’s a two-timer. She was seeing Ace and Elijah at the same time, and after ruining their friendship, she cheated on Ace with Brett.""And she’s not even that pretty!"Isabella angrily slammed her locker shut, fed up with the constant gossip. "If you’ve got a problem with me, why don’t you say it to my face?" she demanded harshly."Let’s go," the girls muttered, scurrying off."That’s what I thought," Isabella scoffed, letting out a sigh as she heard familiar footsteps approaching. She didn’t need to turn around to know it was Valeria and her former
59“Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz!”“It’s wonderful to have you both here again!”“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz!”The employees of Ruiz Royal Estate greeted Alejandro and Camila as they entered hand-in-hand.“Boss, welcome back,” Diego said, stepping forward to take Alejandro’s briefcase. “Mrs. Ruiz, it’s lovely to see you again,” he added, turning to Camila before escorting them to the office.Camila smiled, inhaling deeply, savoring the familiar atmosphere. It had been a while since she was last here, and she realized just how much she missed this place.“Good news, Boss. While you were in Mexico, we handled most of the business, but there are a few exclusive deals we’d prefer you review yourself,” Diego explained, handing Alejandro a laptop.Alejandro skimmed through it. “I also noticed we’ve lost some sales to Marcus Ventures,” he murmured, frowning.“I’m sorry, Boss,” Diego apologized.“You don’t owe me an apology, Diego. We just need to work harder and faster. Schedule all
60 MARCUS GLOBAL VENTURES***Sandra strolled into Marcus Global Ventures after leaving Ruiz Royal Estate at the end of the day.“Hello, ma’am. Welcome to Marcus Global Ventures. How may we assist you?” the receptionist asked politely.“I’d like to see Mr. Rafael,” Sandra replied, confidently adjusting her posture.“Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked, her smile faltering as she glanced at Sandra with disapproval.Sandra rolled her eyes. “Just call him. Tell him it’s Sandra Rivera.”The receptionist sighed but made the call. “Hello, Julian. Please inform Mr. Marcus that someone-“Sandra Rivera” Sandra cut her off, reminding her.“Please inform Mr. Marcus that someone- named Sandra Rivera is here to see him.” The receptionist said, twitching her lips.A few moments later, she hung up. “His office is—”“I know the way. I’ve been here before,” Sandra interrupted with a smirk, walking off.“I hate her,” the receptionist mumbled under her breath.•••••Sandra entered Rafael
99 (Final)SOME DAYS LATER: RUIZ ROYAL ESTATE**Alejandro sat at his desk, engrossed in his work, ignoring the persistent knocking on his office door. Finally, Diego stepped in."Good afternoon, boss. I hope you had a good night," Diego greeted, holding an envelope in his hand. "I won’t take up much of your time. I just came to drop this."Diego placed the letter on Alejandro’s desk."I promised that once I helped take Rafael down, I’d leave right away. Now that I’m finally reunited with my family, I—""Look at these three dining options and tell me which one looks best," Alejandro interrupted, turning his laptop toward Diego.Diego blinked in confusion. Was Alejandro not even listening to him? He leaned closer to inspect the screen."They all look great, but this one in the middle stands out," Diego replied, pointing."Good. I want you to book it for tonight," Alejandro ordered, his tone dismissive."But, sir—" Diego started to protest, but Alejandro cut him off with a stern look."Y
98Alejandro paced back and forth in the hospital hallway, his anxiety growing with each passing second as he waited for the doctor to emerge from Camila's ward."You should sit, Alejandro. She's going to be fine," Sofia said softly, her voice filled with reassurance.He glanced at her but didn’t reply. Just then, the door creaked open, and the doctor stepped out. Alejandro’s face lit up with a mix of worry and hope."Mr. Alejandro Ruiz," the doctor called."What's wrong with Camila, Doctor?" Alejandro asked, his voice laced with panic."She's going to be a mother, and you're going to be a father. She's four and a half weeks pregnant," the doctor announced with a warm smile.Alejandro froze."What? Can we see her?" Isabella asked eagerly."She's sleeping right now, but you can visit her once she wakes up," the doctor replied before walking away.Isabella and Sofia hugged each other joyfully, their faces glowing with happiness. They turned to Alejandro, who still looked stunned."Come
97SOME DAYS LATERThe alarm blared endlessly, and to Camila, it sounded like wedding bells. But instead of excitement, it brought a heavy sense of dread—a nightmare she wished she could wake up from.“Miss, it’s time,” the maid said softly, gently tapping her shoulder.Camila groggily opened her eyes. A wedding gown stood prominently on a mannequin, and hairstylists and makeup artists were already bustling in the room, preparing for the day.“Congratulations, ma’am, you’re getting married today,” they greeted her in unison. She forced a smile in response, though her heart weighed heavily.Dragging herself to the shower, Camila let the water cascade over her. She tried to gather her thoughts but couldn’t stop the questions swirling in her mind. How did it come to this? How did everything go so wrong?Realizing she had been in the bathroom longer than expected, she quickly turned off the shower and wrapped herself in a robe. As she stepped out, the room was empty—the dressers had gone.
96"Yes, I’m pregnant, and I came here to see George’s family. It’s a long story, Mom. Please, let me explain later," Lucia replied, cutting the call despite her mother’s protests.She met George, who was chatting with his mother."Lucia, my dear, you’ve been standing for a while. Would you like to sit?" Juliana asked with her attractive Polish accent."I’m good," Lucia replied."No, dear, please sit," Juliana insisted, guiding Lucia to a chair. "Pani Karolina, please bring Lucia some tea," she instructed, and Karolina appeared moments later with a steaming cup of tea."Hang in there, Mrs. Lucia Williams. The food will be ready in a moment," Karolina said kindly."Thank you," Lucia smiled and turned to face George."Darling, can I talk to you for a second?" she asked."Sure, I’ll excuse you both," Juliana said, stepping away.George sat beside Lucia. "Honey, what’s the matter?" he asked."My friend Camila isn’t doing well. Her family is being held captive by Rafael Marcus, and she’s g
95FEW DAYS LATER**A few days had passed, and a lot had happened. Alejandro left Camila with Rafael and returned to his company. The place was desolate; nearly everyone had resigned, and he had lost most of his contracts but couldn't do anything about it.It was the usual, uneventful day. Alejandro stood in front of his window, staring into nothingness. The company was empty. He had no idea where to start or how to convince anyone to return, but that wasn't what was truly bothering him.He still couldn't believe he wasn't with Camila. He had signed the divorce papers and left her with Rafael. Even now, he still questioned whether he had made the right decision. He wasn't a fool; he knew why she said what she did. Rafael probably had her family under his control in some way, and Alejandro wouldn't be selfish enough to let him hurt them."Boss," a familiar voice called. Alejandro didn’t bother turning to look at the person."You should be lucky I haven’t had you arrested yet you still
94"Is she really worth it, Alejandro? Everything you’ve worked so hard for—your company—does it mean more to you than her?"Alejandro glanced at Camila, then at the documents, torn between two impossible choices."You're wrong, Rafael! I didn’t just think about it—I worked hard for that company. I deserve everything. Every damn thing!" Alejandro yelled, his eyes reddening with rage."No, you didn’t, you bastard! Everything belongs to me! Grandpa was supposed to give it all to me, but I don’t know why you came along and ruined everything!" Rafael shouted, then turned to Camila."He didn’t tell you much, did he? He never told you how he barged into my life, stole the affection of my family, and convinced them to change the will," Rafael said angrily."I didn’t have anyone change anything!" Alejandro shot back. "Everything happened because apparently, everyone was okay with it. I did more good for your family than you’ll ever admit."Even though Camila was gagged, her confused and curio
93Camila felt her head pounding as she struggled to open her eyes. She realized she couldn’t move her hands or legs and felt an overwhelming sense of discomfort. Her eyes finally fluttered open, and her heart nearly stopped.She was tied to a chair, positioned dangerously close to the edge of a steep cliff. Before her, several men knelt on the ground, their faces familiar from earlier."Baby, you're awake," Rafael said, stepping closer to her. He gently touched her face, his fingers brushing the bruise beneath her eye."Does it hurt?" he asked softly.Camila remained silent, too terrified to respond, her mind racing to guess what Rafael had planned."Which one of these men hit you?" Rafael asked, his tone icy as his gaze shifted to the men.Camila hesitated, her eyes slowly scanning the group. The man in the middle looked petrified, but she reluctantly pointed at him.Rafael smiled, ruffling her hair affectionately before grabbing the man by his collar and yanking him to his feet."W
92 George turned, his face lighting up with a mixture of joy and worry.“Baby,” he greeted, walking over and giving her a quick peck on the lips.Perri scoffed audibly and looked away.“Why are you up so early?” George asked, concern lacing his voice.“I’m not that early,” Lucia said, pouting slightly.“You should still be in bed, resting like the princess you are,” he said, touching her stomach gently. “Are you hungry?”“You’ve been feeding me so much lately, George. I might lose myself,” she teased.George smiled. “You could never lose yourself in my eyes. Look at your skin—you’re glowing already,” he said, leading her to the kitchen.“So, what are you up to?” Lucia asked as they entered.George sighed, setting water to boil. “I’ve been thinking about what your dad said—about whether I can provide for you and the baby—and I’ve made a decision.”“What decision?” she asked curiously.“I’ve always wanted to be a chef, and I’ve been saving for years. I’m planning to open a small roads
91 THERESA'S HOUSE***“Careful,” George said, holding Lucia’s hand as she stepped out of the taxi.“I’m fine, George. I can manage,” Lucia replied, smiling softly. Since discovering her pregnancy, George had been overly protective, not even letting her handle simple tasks.As they entered the house, George began, “Mom, we’re—” but stopped abruptly when he saw Lucia’s father seated on the couch. Instinctively, he positioned himself in front of her.Mr. Landon smirked. “Hiding my daughter from me, George? You didn’t think I’d find you?”“I’m not going anywhere with you, Dad. I’m surviving just fine without you,” Lucia said through clenched teeth.“Surviving? Look at yourself, Lucia! Your clothes, your skin—you’re barely holding on,” Mr. Landon retorted, disgusted.“I don’t care! I look better than ever, and I’m staying here,” Lucia snapped, standing her ground.“You don’t belong here, Lucia. It’s not too late to come back home—where you belong,” Mr. Landon insisted.“If she believes st