Chapter 31

Alejandro’s POV

“Seems you’ve won the bet.”

Marlo’s voice echoed across the table.

My blood instantly ran cold. Anger twisted inside me, sharp and violent, and for a second the urge to pull out every one of his teeth swept through my mind. Still, I forced myself to stay calm, slowly clenching my fist beneath the table where no one could see it.

Mira heard him. I knew she did.

She shot me a questioning look, suspicion flickering briefly in her eyes, but she quickly turned her attention toward the vast window beside us as if nothing had happened.

“Ehem.” I cleared my throat. “Don’t you have somewhere to be, Marlo? Who did you even come here with anyway?”

He smiled, understanding immediately that he had just fucked up.

“Oh yeah.” Marlo dragged a hand through his hair with an awkward laugh. “I came here for a stupid Tinder date. Turns out the girl is into dead people. I can’t do that shit.”

I chuckled lightly. “When are you going to accept that love isn’t for you?”

“When I see you fall in love.” Marlo grinned before leaning closer to whisper near my ear. “Which, by the way, is highly impossible.”

My smile faded and my shoulders sank slightly as I listened to him, knowing very well that I had already fallen hard for the beautiful woman seated across from me.

“I’ll get out of your hair, bro.” Marlo straightened. Then he turned toward Mira and offered her another small smile before walking away.

Mira slowly sipped her cocktail. She said nothing, allowing the tension between us to stretch and thicken.

I leaned forward and brushed my fingers lightly against her hand.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, sure.” Mira gave me a practiced smile. “Why shouldn’t it be?”

I pinched my brows together, already opening my mouth to respond, but she lifted a hand and stopped me.

“You know what? Nothing is okay.” Her voice sharpened slightly. “I’d like to know what your friend meant.”

My heart began racing.

I had hoped she hadn’t heard that. Unfortunately, she had. Still, I kept my expression relaxed.

“What are you talking about?” I asked with a faint smirk.

Mira rolled her eyes. “He said something about a bet.”

I laughed softly while my brain rapidly searched through the lies I had prepared.

“Oh, that.” I waved a dismissive hand. “It’s a silly bet between him and me from years ago. He once said I’d never take a lady out on a fancy dinner date, and I told him he was wrong. That’s it. It’s like five years old now.”

The crease between her brows slowly smoothed as she listened.

“I guess you won then.” She smiled.

A smile found its way to my lips as well.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”

“A thousand times already, I’m sure,” Mira replied, her cheeks warming with a blush.

“Then let me say it once more.” My gaze lingered on her face. “You are beautiful, Mira Martinez. I honestly can’t believe I was blind enough to miss what was right in front of me all this time.”

She chuckled softly.

“Your loss, I guess.”

The evening continued smoothly after that. The tension faded little by little, replaced by laughter, teasing remarks, and long conversations. By the end of dinner we were both relaxed, and it turned into one of the most enjoyable nights I’d had in a long time.

By the time we arrived back home, Mira had consumed enough cocktails to leave her pleasantly tipsy.

I gently helped her change into something more comfortable before guiding her to my bedroom. Once she was settled beneath the covers, already drifting into sleep, I quietly stepped out and closed the door.

The moment I reached the living room and found myself alone, I pulled out my phone. I had switched it off earlier during dinner.

The instant the screen lit up, notifications flooded in. Messages. Missed calls. Dozens of them.

Just as I was about to reply to the guys in our group chat with Marlo, Danny, and Ace, my phone suddenly rang.

I glanced at the name on the screen and frowned before answering.

“Yes, Dad?”

“As a responsible businessman, your phone should never be switched off.” His voice was sharp and disapproving.

I rolled my eyes, already feeling my patience thinning.

“I was busy and didn’t want any disturbances.”

James paused before speaking again.

“I need to see you tonight. I’ll be waiting.”

“I’m tired…” I started to protest, but before I could say another word, the line went dead.

Of course it did.

Reluctantly, I grabbed my keys and headed out. During the drive to his house my mind ran in circles, trying to figure out what could possibly be so urgent that it couldn’t wait until morning.

I arrived there around one in the morning and walked inside.

He was sitting beside the fireplace.

His suit was still perfectly in place as if he had just returned from a business meeting, even at this hour. A glass of scotch rested in one hand while a cigar burned slowly in the other.

“You wasted time,” James said the moment I sat down near him.

“Apparently time doesn’t exist where you come from for you to call me at this hour,” I replied dryly while pouring myself some scotch into the empty glass sitting on the small stool between us.

I took a slow sip and let the alcohol burn its way down my throat.

“Some father you are,” I added coldly. “I got arrested for something I had nothing to do with, and not once did you call or even bother checking on me.”

“I sent you a good lawyer,” James scoffed.

A low mocking laugh escaped me. “Am I supposed to thank you for that?”

James hadn’t looked at me since I walked in. His eyes remained fixed on the fireplace like the flames were far more interesting than his own son.

“Yes, you should,” he replied flatly.

My chest tightened slightly, but I was already used to his cold behavior. Ever since my mother’s death, he had never looked at me the same way again.

“I called you here for a reason, Alejandro,” James continued.

I smirked. “Of course you did.”

“I’m not going to go into details, and I won’t waste time explaining much.” He placed the drink in his hand down and finally turned to face me for the first time since I arrived.

“Break whatever relationship you have with that consultant girl I hired for you.”

My chest instantly tightened.

I stared at him, disbelief and anger flashing through my eyes.

How the hell did he know?

“She has a name,” I said through clenched teeth. “It’s Mira.”

A slow, sly smile crept across James’s face.

“I do not care.” His tone turned cold and dangerous. “Cut off whatever you have with her. I hired her, and I can make her disappear just as easily.”

He leaned slightly closer, his gaze hard.

“Do not tempt me.”