Chapter 47

Mira’s POV

“Does he really know who you are?”

For a second, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe properly.

I stayed crouched there, one of her lipsticks still in my hand, my fingers tightening around it a little too hard.

Slowly, I placed it back into her bag.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, but my voice sounded distant.

She didn’t respond immediately. I could feel her eyes on me, dragging over my face like she was peeling me open layer by layer.

“Oh, don’t be,” she finally said, her tone light, almost amused. “We all run into our past eventually.”

My stomach twisted.

I stood up quickly, brushing my hands against my dress even though they weren’t dirty. Anything to give myself something to distract myself.

When I looked at her again, her smile had softened, but it didn’t make it any better. If anything, it made it worse.

“Mira?”

Alejandro’s voice cut in. He looked between me and the girl like he noticed.

I forced myself to turn, my expression already rearranged into something neutral.

“Yeah,” I said quickly. “I just bumped into someone.”

His eyes flickered between us again, sharp and assessing.

“This is an old classmate.” I muttered.

The girl tilted her head slightly, playing along too easily. “Yeah. It’s been a while.”

Zara stepped closer to me, her brows pulling together in confusion. “You never mentioned her.”

“I didn’t think I had to list every person I went to school with,” I replied lightly, forcing out a small shrug.

Zara didn’t look convinced, but she let it go.

Alejandro, on the other hand, didn’t.

His gaze lingered on me for a second longer than necessary before he nodded once.

“Let’s go.”

The girl’s smile widened just a fraction as we walked past her and I didn’t look back.

The ride back was quieter than usual.

Zara kept talking at first, rambling about the dresses she picked and how she was going to rebrand her entire existence now that I apparently owned a store.

I tried to laugh at the right moments. Tried to respond when she nudged me.

But my mind wasn’t there. It was stuck on that girl. Had Alejandro’s dad dug into my past? Is that why she was here?

By the time we dropped Zara off at her place, I barely registered half of what she said as she stepped out with her bags.

“Call me later!” she added, giving me a quick hug. “We need to plan outfits for a girl’s night out .”

“Night out?,” I repeated faintly.

“Yes,” she laughed. “You need one love and I won’t take no for an answer.”

I forced a smile. “Sure Zara.”

As soon as Zara left,  it was just me and Alejandro.

Marcus started the engine and we were off.

Dro turned slightly toward me, his gaze steady.

“You’re quiet.”

“I’m just tired,” I replied, staring straight ahead.

“And that girl?” he asked.

My fingers curled slightly in my lap. “What about her?”

“You tensed the moment you saw her.”

Of course he noticed.

“I just… recognized her,” I said, keeping my tone even. “It’s been a long time.”

“That’s all?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

Even though he let it go, I could feel that he didn’t believe me.

Back at his house, I headed straight for the bathroom.

“I need a shower,” I muttered, not waiting for a response.

“Hey hey.” Dro grabbed my hand and I landed on his hard chest.

“Are you certain you are fine?”

I put on a fake smile. “I’m okay Dro I swear. Thank you again for earlier.”

“Anything for you Mira.” He whispered, placing a kiss on my lips.

I wiggled my way out of his hold and headed for upstairs.

The moment the door clicked shut behind me, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.

My hands were shaking.

I turned on the shower, letting the water run as I leaned against the sink, gripping its edge.

Does he really know who you are?

The words wouldn’t stop echoing in my head.

Because the answer was simple.

No. He didn’t.

He didn’t know about my stepfather and his constant abuse while I grew up.

He didn’t know how I fought to stay alive by staying under the wings of a club house, dancing my way around to feed on anything I could feed on.

He didn’t know about the way I learned to detach, to survive, to become someone else just to get through it.

My throat tightened as the memories came rushing back.

Then there was my failing heart.

Another truth I had buried.

I stepped under the water, letting it hit my skin, hot enough to sting.

Maybe I should tell him.

But what if he looked at me differently after?

What if that calm, steady way he looked at me just disappeared?

What if I lost him?

My breath hitched slightly.

No.

I couldn’t lose him.

But I couldn’t keep lying either.

I stayed there longer than I should have, letting the water run over me while my thoughts spiraled in every direction.

One way or another he was going to find out so I rather tell him myself and the charity gala in a week was the perfect opportunity.

My decision settled in my chest, as I let out a quiet sigh.

As I washed up my skin, a sharp pain shot through my chest.

I gasped, my hand flying to my heart as my body tensed instantly.

I stumbled slightly, reaching for the glass I had left by the sink earlier.

But my grip slipped.

It shattered against the floor, the sound loud.

My breathing turned uneven, and shallow. The pain pulsed again, stronger this time.

“Shit…” I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to steady myself.

After a while, it slowly passed, leaving behind a lingering ache that made my hands tremble.

I stayed there for a moment longer, my reflection staring back at me through the mirror.

The next morning, I went to see Dr. Adam, the doctor who followed up on my heart condition.

The clinic smelled the same as always.

When he finally called me in, his expression softened slightly when he saw me.

“Mira,” he greeted, gesturing for me to sit. “It’s been a while.”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

He leaned back slightly, his gaze more serious now. “You’ve been having episodes again.”

It wasn’t a question.

I swallowed. “Yes.”

“How often?”

“Not too often,” I lied.

He didn’t call me out on it directly, but I could tell he didn’t believe me.

“Mira,” he said carefully, “we’ve talked about this.”

I looked down at my hands.

“The window for your operation is  getting smaller.”” he continued, his tone measured.

My chest tightened again. Not from pain this time, from fear.

“We can’t keep delaying it.”

“And the chances?” I asked quietly.

He paused.

Just long enough for me to already know the answer.

“We’re not at a hundred percent certainty,” he admitted. “There are risks.”

A hollow laugh escaped me before I could stop it. “That’s one way to say it.”

“There’s still a chance but waiting doesn’t improve it.” he added firmly.

Silence filled the room again.

I nodded slowly, even though my mind was already somewhere else.

It was at Alejandro.

At everything I hadn’t said yet.

“I understand,” I murmured.

One thing I was certain about was I was going to come clean completely at the charity gala.