Chapter 57: Golden Trap

I stand in the center of my bedroom, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. Raph’s words echo in the silence of the room, turning my blood to ice. He is here. He is right next door. And tomorrow morning, he will be wearing the same silver-and-gold blazer that Jackson wore when he shattered my life into a million pieces.

Before I can even process the trap closing around me, I hear the front door of our apartment open again.

"Oh, my goodness! Raphael?"

My mother’s voice rings out from the hallway, stripped of the exhausted tone she had used with me just ten minutes ago. It sounds bright, startled, and overjoyed.

I step closer to my bedroom door, pressing my ear against the wood.

"Good evening, Mrs. Vance," Raph’s voice replies. The toxic edge he had used on me in the corridor is gone. Now, his voice is warm, polite, and dripping with the respectful modesty he always uses to manipulate older people. "I'm so sorry about all the noise in the hallway. The movers were being a bit reckless with the dresser. I kept telling them to keep it down because I knew Leo needed his rest."

"Oh, don't you worry about that at all, sweetheart!" my mother says, her voice fluttering. "We were just shocked to see someone moving into the flat. But wait... you are the one moving in? Next door to us?"

"Yes, ma'am," Raph says, letting out a soft, humble chuckle. "My dad’s company relocated his office to this side of the city, and honestly, when I saw this building was right next to you guys, I told him I didn't want a luxury condo. I told him I wanted to be close to family. Well... close to people who feel like family."

I close my eyes, a wave of nausea washing over me. He is so good at it. It is the exact same act that fooled my mother for the entire year we were together. Raph’s family has money—more than enough to buy a penthouse in the center of the city. His father runs a corporate logistics firm. But Raph always played the role of the down-to-earth, humble rich boy. He rides a vintage motorcycle. He wears simple leather jackets and plain t-shirts. To my mother, who is terrified of the arrogant, destructive wealth of men like Arthur Thorne, Raph is the ultimate jackpot. He is wealthy enough to provide a secure future, but humble enough to sit in our mismatched sofa and eat cheap stew without turning his nose up.

"Leo!" my mother calls out, her voice echoing down our short hallway. "Leo, look who our new neighbor is! Come see!"

I hear the heavy thud of Leo’s crutches hitting the floor as he moves toward the door. "Raph? Man, no way!" Leo’s voice sounds genuinely excited for the first time in weeks. "What are you doing in this rundown place?"

"Just wanted to be grounded, man," Raph replies, and I can practically picture the easy, charming smile on his face. "Can't let my dad's new corporate title go to my head, right? Hey, how is the leg healing? I brought some high-protein snacks and a few sports magazines in my truck for you. I'll bring them over once the movers clear out."

"Bro, you're a lifesaver," Leo says, a genuine laugh escaping his chest.

"Raphael, have you eaten anything yet?" my mother asks suddenly, her tone turning into that of an overprotective parent. "You must be starving after lifting all those heavy boxes in the rain."

"Oh, I'll just order a pizza later, Mrs. Vance," Raph says modestly. "I don't want to impose on you guys."

"Nonsense! I am cooking a fresh chicken dinner right now," she insists, her voice leaving zero room for argument. "You are not eating greasy takeout on your first night here. Go wash your hands and come right inside. Maya is home too."

A heavy silence drops over my room. My breath hitches.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Raph asks, his voice dropping into a perfectly crafted, hesitant murmur. "I know Maya... well, I know things were a bit strained between us when she decided to end things. I don't want to make her uncomfortable."

"Oh, don't you worry about Maya," my mother snaps, her tone instantly hardening as she mentions my name. "She is just being stubborn, as usual. Come inside, Raphael. This is your home now too."

The front door clicks shut. Footsteps move into our small kitchen.

A loud, demanding knock sounds on my bedroom door a second later. My mother pushes the door open without waiting for me to answer. She looks at me, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes flashing with a stern warning.

"Get out of bed, Maya, and put on something nice," she orders in a low, strict whisper. "Raphael is in the kitchen. I want you to come out there, sit at the table, and act like a civilized human being."

"Mom, I don't want him here," I whisper back, my voice trembling with suppressed panic. "You don't know what he's like. I broke up with him for a reason."

My mother lets out an irritated sigh, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. "We are not doing this again, Maya. For a whole week straight after you broke up with that boy, your brother and I scolded you until our throats were raw, didn't you learn anything from that? You threw away a perfectly good, respectful, wealthy young man who loved you down to earth, all because you wanted to chase after some arrogant, dangerous billionaire's son who treated you like a charity case. And look where that got you! You've been crying in your room all day because that Thorne boy dumped you."

"Mom, please—"

"No," she interrupts, pointing a strict finger toward the kitchen. "Raphael is a good boy. He has always been good to this family. He just told me he transferred to your academy because his father is working there now. This is your chance to fix the mistake you made six months ago. You are going to go out there, you are going to be polite, and you are going to make things right with him. Do you understand me?"

She doesn't wait for my response. She turns on her heel and walks back to the kitchen, leaving my door wide open.