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Chapter Three: Dinner with the Devil’s Approval
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2025-04-04 22:24:20Valeria stood outside Alejandro’s penthouse door, wine bottle in one hand, nerves twisting her stomach like ribbon. She was dressed in a fitted emerald green dress — conservative enough for a family dinner, but flattering enough to make Alejandro stare. Which she definitely wasn’t hoping for. At all.
She exhaled.
You can do this. Pretend. Smile. Eat. Lie. Leave.
She rang the bell.
The door opened instantly, revealing Alejandro — barefoot, in a black button-down rolled up at the sleeves and charcoal trousers. Casual. Sinfully casual.
Valeria’s brain took a second to reboot.
“You’re late,” he said, voice flat.
“You’re not wearing shoes.”
His mouth twitched. “You brought wine?”
“You said to look convincing. Nothing screams loving fiancée like a good Malbec.”
He took the bottle, their fingers brushing briefly. “You look—”
Valeria raised a brow. “What?”
His eyes lingered a second too long. “Convincing.”
She hated how smug it made her feel.
Inside the Penthouse
The place was too clean. Modern. Glass, stone, art that probably cost more than her college degree. Alejandro led her through the open-plan living room into a dining area already set for four.
“Wait. Four?” she asked, scanning the setup. “You said your mother.”
“She brought someone.”
Valeria froze. “Who?”
“Doña Teresa.”
Her heart nearly dropped into her heels. “The investor?”
Alejandro nodded once. “She wanted to see us again. Off the clock.”
Valeria clenched her fists. “You could’ve warned me.”
“You would’ve run.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Twenty Minutes Later – Dinner Table
Doña Teresa sat like royalty, posture perfect, eyes sharper than any blade. Beside her sat Alejandro’s mother, a graceful woman with kind eyes — but a mouth that said more in silence than most did in full speeches.
“So,” Teresa said, sipping wine. “How did the two of you meet? The full story this time.”
Valeria felt Alejandro’s gaze on her.
She took a breath and launched in. “We met at a design expo in Guadalajara. I was presenting a sustainable interiors project. He was... criticizing the lighting.”
Alejandro actually chuckled. “She told me my display was sterile.”
“Because it was,” Valeria said with mock offense. “But he took it well.”
“He asked me to coffee that same night.”
Valeria tilted her head. “Actually, I think I asked you.”
Doña Teresa’s brows lifted, amused.
Alejandro smiled — slow, lazy, and completely real. “She’s right.”
Valeria blinked. It wasn’t just acting. He was enjoying this. Or maybe enjoying her.
And her chest did that annoying flutter thing again.
Alejandro’s mother finally spoke. “You seem... genuine.”
Valeria forced a smile. “We try.”
The housekeeper brought dessert — flan with brûléed oranges. She glanced at Valeria a little too long. Then, without a word, she walked away.
After Dinner – The Balcony
Valeria stepped outside to catch her breath. The city glittered below like a carpet of fallen stars. She leaned on the railing, letting the night cool her skin.
“You handled that well,” Alejandro’s voice said behind her.
She didn’t turn. “You owe me so much wine for tonight.”
He joined her, standing close but not touching. “You didn’t have to be that convincing.”
She looked at him then. His face was unreadable, but his eyes... there was something raw under all that control.
“I thought that was the job,” she said.
His gaze flicked to her lips, then back up. “You’re better at it than most.”
Something snapped.
“Is this what you do?” she asked, voice low. “Pay women to play perfect for your family? For your image?”
His jaw tightened. “No.”
“But you’ve done this before. Haven’t you?”
“No,” he said, more firmly now. “You’re the first.”
She blinked. “Why me?”
“I don’t know,” he said quietly. “Maybe because you don’t need me.”
The wind picked up. Her dress fluttered. Her heart did, too.
They were standing too close. Again.
And then —
He reached up and touched her cheek, lightly. As if testing the line between truth and performance.
Her breath caught.
“Alejandro—”
He leaned in — slowly, as if giving her time to pull away.
She didn’t.
Their lips brushed — not quite a kiss. More like a pause before one.
And then, his phone buzzed.
The moment shattered.
He stepped back, jaw clenched, pulling his phone from his pocket.
Valeria blinked, heat still on her skin. Her heart slammed against her ribs.
What the hell was that?
Later That Night – Leaving
“I’ll have my driver take you home,” he said, walking her to the elevator.
Valeria crossed her arms. “You didn’t have to touch me like that.”
Alejandro held her gaze. “I didn’t plan to.”
Silence.
“You’re playing with fire, Herrera,” she said quietly.
“So are you.”
The elevator doors opened.
She stepped inside but turned before they closed.
“We’re not really married,” she said. “Remember that.”
His eyes darkened.
“No,” he said. “Not yet.”
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