Chapter 60 60
For the past two days, Sofía had been nothing but smiles and light.
That date, that night had been the first and best date of her entire life. She floated through her hours as if she were walking on clouds, happiness blooming so fiercely inside her it almost frightened her.
Because happiness never stayed.
Life had always taken the things she loved most, snatching them away when she least expected it. And there was no way no way she was ready to lose him. Fernando had become the most important person in her life, whether she admitted it aloud or not.
Sleep refused to come.
The rain outside whispered softly, cool and inviting, so she decided to step into the backyard for a while. Fernando would be fast asleep by now. He always slept deeply.
She slipped outside.
The garden looked unreal under the rain-kissed night sky quiet, damp, peaceful. The kind of peace that wrapped around her chest and loosened the tight knot of anxiety inside her. She wandered aimlessly for an hour… maybe two… until her limbs felt heavy and the chill finally drove her back indoors.
She was closing the main door when she saw it.
A silhouette.
Someone standing near the trees at the front.
At first, she would’ve brushed it off her imagination playing tricks on her but then her heart slammed against her ribs as a single red eye glowed in the darkness.
Shining.
Staring directly at her.
The world beneath her feet vanished.
She felt herself plummeting straight into the ruins of her traumatic past, the memories dragging her down like chains. From the depths of her soul, she begged, prayed for it to be a hallucination.
But luck had never favored her.
The man stepped out from the trees, still wrapped in shadows but close enough to be real. Her hands began to shake uncontrollably as he reached into his pocket.
Then
A flashlight clicked on.
And she saw him.
That face.
Those red eyes.
Her heart dropped straight into her stomach as terror consumed her completely. Every nerve in her body screamed. Panic surged violently through her veins, stealing her strength, draining her energy in seconds.
Her breathing hitched.
Then came his smile.
Slow. Cruel. Vicious.
Her chin trembled, her body refusing to obey her as numbness crept in piece by piece. Her legs gave out entirely, and she collapsed to her knees right at the gate, fear crushing her from the inside.
“Fer… nan-do…” she tried to scream.
But only a broken whisper escaped her lips.
That single red eye that was all she ever remembered. It haunted her nights, stalked her dreams, tore her from sleep in cold sweats even now.
She heard faint footsteps rushing from inside the house, but her wide, tear-filled eyes never left him.
Never.
She screamed piercing, raw when someone grabbed her shoulders from behind.
Fernando wrapped her in his arms instantly, pulling her against his chest. “It’s me,” he breathed calmly.
Her gaze snapped forward.
The man was gone.
“Breathe, Ana!” Fernando’s rough voice cut through the haze and only then did she realize she hadn’t been breathing at all.
He scooped her into his arms without hesitation.
But he froze mid-step.
A scent hit him.
His entire body went rigid.
The door slammed shut behind them, locking automatically as he moved swiftly through the house and into his room. He laid her trembling body on the bed and sat beside her, cupping her cheeks in his large hands.
“Breathe, Ana. Breathe,” he urged softly.
Nothing worked.
She was reliving it every second, every terror her eyes locked on the wall, empty and unseeing. Her hands shook violently. Her skin grew paler by the second.
“Fuck! Look at me, Ana!” His voice rose, sharp and commanding.
She flinched but that was all.
“Fucking damn it!” he growled, shaking her shoulders harder now.
Her lips were turning blue.
She looked paralyzed.
Dead.
“Ana! Breathe!” He forced her face toward his, gripping her jaw.
Her eyes met his and this time, they blinked.
“Breathe, woman. Breathe,” he whispered urgently.
A small, shaky breath finally entered her lungs.
“Yes,” he coaxed. “Just like that.”
Slowly painfully she followed his instructions, dragging air into her chest until color returned to her face.
He handed her a glass of water, guiding it to her lips. She took a few small sips before weakly pushing it away. He placed it back on the nightstand.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently.
She nodded faintly, still dazed, her eyes flicking repeatedly toward the door… then the window… over and over again.
“What were you doing out there, Ana?” he asked calmly.
She didn’t answer.
Her mind was still trapped in the darkness outside.
“Say something,” he demanded.
Still, she said nothing.
Instead, she curled onto her side like a frightened child, hugging herself tightly, instinctively trying to protect what little remained intact.
Fernando stared at her, his dark eyes hard and furious but it was obvious she wasn’t really there. Her body was present. Her mind was gone.
He stood abruptly and left the room, closing the door behind him.
His body was coiled steel.
Lava burned beneath his skin, pressure building, rage threatening to explode.
He pulled out his phone and stepped outside.
That bastard’s scent was everywhere.
Around his house.
Fernando was livid.
How was this possible? He had been careful, so fucking careful. How had they found him?
They must’ve seen Sofía.
She must’ve seen one of them.
That was the only explanation for her terror as if she’d stared straight into a ghost.
He dialed Ricardo’s number. His beta answered after five long rings.
“Yes?” Ricardo’s sleepy voice muttered.
“I’m coming back tomorrow,” Fernando said, his voice cold and lethal.
It was time to return.
Enough hiding.
Enough games.
He would show them exactly who they had chosen to fuck with.