Chapter 48

Mira’s POV

The house was quieter than usual.

I noticed it the moment I stepped out of my room, my fingers lightly brushing against the railing as I made my way downstairs. The air felt different. Heavy in a way I couldn’t quite explain, like something had shifted while I wasn’t looking.

Or maybe it was just me.

I barely slept.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. That smile and those words.

Does he really know who you are?

My stomach twisted again.

I pushed the thought away and continued down the stairs, forcing my breathing to stay steady.

“You’re up.” Alejandro’s voice came from the living room.

My chest tightened slightly, but this time it wasn’t the pain from my heart condition.

He was sitting on the couch, one arm stretched along the back, his posture relaxed but his eyes weren’t. They were already on me, watching, like he had been waiting.

I forced a small smile. “Yeah. Couldn’t really sleep.”

He didn’t respond immediately.

That was the first sign to tell me something was off.

Usually, he would tease me. Say something light. Pull me in before I could even think too much. But today, he just watched.

“Come here,” he said after a moment, his voice quieter than usual.

My feet moved before I could think too hard about it.

I stopped in front of him, and for a second, neither of us spoke. His gaze dragged slowly over my face, like he was searching for something I hadn’t said out loud.

“Did something happen yesterday?” he asked.

I let out a small breath, keeping my expression neutral. “No. Why would you ask that?”

His jaw tightened slightly. “You’ve been off since we left that store.”

There it was again. That sharp attention to detail.

I let out a soft laugh, brushing it off. “You’re overthinking it. I told you, I was just tired.”

His eyes didn’t leave mine. “Mira.”

The way he said my name made something in my chest shift.

I looked away first.

“I’m fine,” I insisted, softer this time.

Silence stretched between us.

Then suddenly, his hand reached out, wrapping around my wrist gently but firmly, pulling me closer until I lost my balance and landed right on his lap.

A soft gasp left me before I could stop it.

“Dro—”

“Stop doing that,” he murmured.

My brows pulled together. “Doing what?”

“Pushing me away when something’s clearly wrong.”

My breath caught.

“I’m not—”

“You are.”

His voice wasn’t harsh. It was calm. That somehow made it worse.

I swallowed, my fingers curling slightly against his shirt.

“I just don’t want to dump my stress on you all the time,” I said quietly.

“That’s not how this works.”

My chest tightened again.

His hand slid up my arm slowly, warm and steady, until it settled at the back of my neck, holding me there.

“If something is bothering you, you tell me,” he continued, his voice low. “You don’t shut me out.”

My heart started beating faster.

I inhaled slowly, my lips parting. “Alejandro, I—”

My phone buzzed. The sound cut through the moment like a blade making me freeze.

For a second, I considered ignoring it.

But it buzzed again.

And again.

Alejandro’s grip on me loosened slightly, his eyes flickering down toward where my phone was tucked beside me.

“Get it,” he said.

Something about the way he said it made my stomach drop.

I slid off his lap slowly, reaching for my phone with fingers that suddenly didn’t feel steady.

It was an unknown number.

My heart started pounding.

I hesitated then answered.

“Hello?”

A soft chuckle came from the other end.

My blood ran cold.

“Well, that was quick,” the girl’s voice came through, smooth and familiar. “I wasn’t sure you’d pick up.”

I turned slightly, my back now facing Alejandro.

“What do you want?” I whispered.

“Relax,” she said lightly. “I just wanted to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Oh, I think there is.”

My grip tightened around the phone.

“Stay away from me,” I said under my breath.

Another soft laugh.

“You really think you’re in a position to make demands?”

My chest rose and fell faster.

“What do you want?” I repeated, more firmly this time.

There was a pause before she spoke again.

“The charity gala next week,” she said casually. “That’s going to be interesting, don’t you think?”

My heart stopped. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ll see,” she replied, almost playfully. “Wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

My throat went dry. “If you try anything—”

“Careful, Mira,” she cut in, her tone dropping just slightly. “You don’t want to threaten someone who knows exactly where you came from.”

Silence stretched between us then the line went dead.

I slowly lowered the phone, my hand trembling.

“Mira.”

I stiffened.

I forgot he was still there.

I turned back slowly, forcing my expression into something normal.

But the moment I met his eyes, I knew it didn’t work.

He was already standing now, his gaze fixed on me, sharp and unreadable.

“Who was that?” he asked.

My mind raced.

“Wrong number,” I said quickly.

His expression didn’t change. But something in his eyes did.

“That didn’t sound like a wrong number.”

I forced a small shrug, trying to keep my voice steady. “Just someone messing around. It’s nothing.”

He took a step closer until he was right in front of me again.

My breath hitched slightly.

“You expect me to believe that?” he asked quietly.

His hand came up again, this time tilting my chin slightly so I had no choice but to look at him.

“Mira,” he said, softer now, but somehow more intense. “What are you not telling me?”

My chest tightened.

I’m not telling you everything. The words screamed in my head. But I opened my mouth and said something else.

“Nothing,” I whispered.

His jaw clenched slightly, his thumb brushing once against my chin before he let go.

For a moment, I thought he was going to push amend demand the truth.

But instead he stepped back.

“Fine,” he said simply.

My stomach dropped.

Fine?

That was worse than anything else he could’ve said.

He ran a hand through his hair, turning slightly away from me like he needed distance.

“Take the day,” he added. “Rest or whatever you need to do.”

“Alejandro—”

“I said it’s fine.”

His tone wasn’t loud. But it ended the conversation.

Just like that. A knot formed in my chest.

I watched him walk away, something in me twisting painfully as the distance between us grew.

I turned slightly, my hand pressing lightly against my chest as my breathing grew uneven again.

“Shit” I whispered under my breath.

The pain came suddenly.

I stumbled slightly, grabbing onto the edge of the table beside me as my vision blurred for a second.

My fingers dug into the surface as I tried to steady myself.

I tried to breathe but it wasn’t working.

My breath came out shallow, uneven as I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting through it.

After what felt like forever, it started to fade slowly.

Leaving behind that familiar, lingering ache.

I stayed there, hunched slightly, trying to regain control.

Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away quickly. I didn’t have time for this. Not now. Not with everything else happening.

My phone buzzed again.

I flinched.

For a second, I didn’t want to look.

But I did.

It was a message from an unknown number.

My stomach dropped as I opened it.

Unknown: You should tell him before I do.

My breath caught. Another message came in immediately after.

Unknown: See you at the gala, Mira.