4.

Araceli was stunned, as she stared at Francisco's dark expression. 

"What are you planning to do?" Her brows crinkled in confusion waiting for Francisco to explain what he meant. 

Francisco stared at her quietly, as he strode towards her, snorting a laugh. He held her chin up and said "I'm just going to get rid of him." 

The indifference and the bone-chilling cruelty in his tone sent shivers through her spine. Her knees were quivering as she tries to maintain her stance. 

The crackling sound of the paper soon filled the study, as she crumpled it to her thumbs. 

'What gimmicks is he playing?' She kept thinking but then-

"What happened? Why did you suddenly zone out?" His voice interrupted her thoughts.

Araceli instantly snapped back to her senses. She relaxed her tightly clenched fist, ignoring the red marks in her palms. 

"Nothing." She placed the documents on the table, but then suddenly, her eyes twinkled when she saw the name on the papers.

"Diego Cisneros" She mutters with slanted brows. Franco had changed his name to Diego.

Twelve years ago when she finally was able to save the money needed for Franco's bail, she hurried to the police station but she was told Franco have been adopted. 

 She never believed it. If it was true, he would have taken her along. For twelve years, she thought the worse had happened to him.

"No..." She mutters under her breath as a teardrop splashes on the documents. 

Her eyes skim the documents searching for the truth. The evidence was right in front of her, but she hoped it was all lies, until-

Her gaze froze at the name of Franco's parents' details.

William Cisnero was the name of his foster father, clearly visible on the document. 

She clenched her eyes shut, huddling the pains she have endured. It was clear he abandoned her, but why?

"You seem rather interested in this person." Francisco's scowled at her.

Araceli quickly dabbed the tears in her eyes and turns to look at him with a wide smile.

"As if." She giggles pretentiously. 

He stared at her quietly as if to distinguish if she was telling the truth.

"Then give your answer. Get rid of him for me. For both of us." 

Araceli steadied herself and looked at him, but his piercing gaze and oppressing aura sent goosebumps over her body, making her eyes lowered. 

Francisco couldn't see what she was feeling. He held her chin up, to meet her gaze but she grabbed his wrist off her chin.

"No." She bluntly rejected as she strides towards the door. 

"Why?" He shrieked at her. 

"Because I don't think he will be able to hurt you in any way." 

She understood Francisco's fears. Before stepping out as a presidential aspirant, he was the head of the cartels, not known to many. He was able to cover his tracks nicely.

Araceli found no reason for his worries, or perhaps it was because she didn't want to be the one to jeopardize Franco's career. 

"You've framed a detective before, why can't you do it now?" Francisco's gaze tensed up for a moment there. The veins in his temples were throbbing as if he was trying to suppress something. 

"He wouldn't be a problem, Francisco." She tries reassuring him but the man was persistent.

"Answer me!" He ordered.

Araceli wanted to say more but kept quiet when she saw how solemn he looked. 

"If you can frame him and make him lose his job, then I will free you of this proposal." Francisco worried about his proposal but he placed his bet on Araceli to make the right choice. 

"Are you certain?" Her eyes glint as if her wish has just been granted. 

Finally, a way to free herself from Francisco but it was at the expense of Franco's life. 

'That will be a small price to pay, for his betrayal.' Araceli thought. 

"Deal." She took a deep breath and her body troubled slightly. This was a hard choice, but if Franco have spent the past twelve years looking out for only himself, then she was going to do the same. 

But she contemplated if losing his job could compensate for the twelve years of agony she faced. 

As she turns around to walk away, Francisco's voice echoes in the air.

"Three weeks. I can only give you three weeks or you'd be mine forever." 

...

Francisco's words were still ringing in Araceli's mind for the past few hours. 

She kept pacing in her bedroom troubled by the deal they made. Three weeks would never be enough to figure out if Franco was actually after Francisco.

"Araceli."

Her door jabbed open and Rafael graced her with his presence. She had messaged him, letting him know how her evening went. He was not just her bodyguard, but the only person she could call a friend.

"I've been able to delay the engagement with Francisco but I fear I've made a mistake." 

"What happened?" Rafael stared down at her dazedly. Just a few hours he was away from her, she have made a mistake?

"Francisco thinks Franco may be on to him, and now he wants me to frame him and make him lose his job." Araceli's lips suddenly pursed tight as the atmosphere became tense for a moment there.

"That's nothing compared to how he abandoned you." Rafael didn't expect to sense worries in her tone. He feared that meeting Franco again might end up being the worst thing that could ever happen to Araceli. 

But what was scarier to him was why Francisco thought Franco was out to get him. 

"Is it possible Francisco may know of your relationship with Franco?" 

Araceli subconsciously held her breath, as her demeanor became dilated. 

"What?" She never considered the possibility. 

"Do you know what that would mean?" Her voice sounded hoarse and her eyes kept wavering around the room. 

"He must have found out the reason you approached him, and also aware of your relationship with Franco, and this must have been a trap, or perhaps, he might be telling the truth." 

Araceli looked like a little enraged beast with reddened eyes.